Minimalist Wedding Dress Inspiration

Picking a wedding dress for the minimalist bride: It doesn’t have to be nearly as daunting as it can feel. Yes, it can be rather overwhelming that there are so many ways for the white fabric to be cut, sewn, pleated, and hemmed, but it doesn’t have to be that overwhelming. For those who are looking for a wedding dress that isn’t covered in tulle, lace, sparkles, and diamonds, a minimalist wedding dress might be a little more up your alley.

Minimalism is one of the most popular trends in both home decor and wedding decor, so, unsurprisingly, minimalist wedding dresses are one of the rising trends for bridal fashion. Unsure of where to start? You’ve come to the right place—Zola gathered some of the best inspiration ideas to help you find your dream wedding dress ahead of your bridal appointment.

Simple, Not Boring

*Photo Credit * // Sierra LaFrance Photography

The key to a gorgeous minimalist gown isn’t more, more,—it’s picking one standout detail as the main focus of the wedding dress and letting you be the main star. The Princess Diana cupcake gown is suitable for some brides, but if you’re trying to keep things more low-key, keep your focus on one main detail. You can still maintain all the looks of a “traditional” wedding dress while keeping one thing the star of the show—whether it’s a large, oversized bow, a line of buttons down the back of the dress or bodice, or even a long, dramatic train. Instead of a veil, why not consider a long, flowing cape? Look into a different silhouettes, such as A-line, mermaid, sheath, or slip; or consider dramatic necklines such as a square, plunging neckline, or a bateau neckline. This is the moment to show off the part of your body that you love the most—if you love your legs, maybe consider a high slit in the skirt, or if you love your back, a backless wedding dress can show off your most elegant body part. In recent years, straps and sleeves have come back in a huge way for the modern bride, and for good reason—they have plenty of opportunity for innovation. Whether you need straps for support or you just like how a long-sleeved, spaghetti strap, or t-shirt wedding dress looks, you’ll be surprised at how good that strap can make you look and feel.

Look to Architecture

Structural, architectural shapes are key to minimalist design, especially for a minimalist wedding gown. Just like geometric shapes are used in centerpieces and archways for weddings, sharp lines are beautiful features in a wedding dress. Of course, that doesn’t mean that there’s not plenty of room for movement, especially if you’re looking forward to dancing the night away. You can also mimic architecture with seaming and pleats in the bodice or skirt.

Unconventional Silhouettes

The best part of minimalism is knowing that the rules are made to be broken. If you’d rather wear a short wedding dress instead of a long gown on your wedding day, you absolutely can. Minimalist style is more in the beauty of the shape and the design, not in the style of dress. If you want to wear a three-piece pantsuit, or a two-piece sweater and pants combination, then you absolutely should. Feeling princessy? Pick a tea-length tulle dress or sweetheart neckline. Whatever silhouette you decide, just make sure that it’s clean and simple—but that doesn’t mean that it has to be a dress that hits the floor.

Not Every Fabric Is Perfect

*Photo Credit * // Cortiella Photography

The key to keeping a clean, minimalist gown is in your fabric choice. An active, embroidered fabric like lace isn’t a great choice for the main fabric, but it’s wonderful for elegant detailing in a back cut-out or on a train. Here are some of the best fabrics for minimalist wedding dresses:

• Crepe: Likely the most popular in more minimalist designs, crepe can be made of soft silk or lightweight rayon, and is known for being malleable and truly great for showing off shapes and curves, as well as being a great year-round fabric choice.
• Satin: Satin is one of the most well-known fabric choices for wedding dresses, but can be made up of different types of fibers such as silk, rayon, and polyester. It’s known for being both delicate, but also durable and luxurious with a light sheen, and comes in several different types. The most common types include silk satin, duchess satin, and crepe back satin.
• Silk: Versatile, gorgeous, and with plenty of varieties, silk is easily one of the most common fabrics for wedding dresses, and perfect for a minimalist wedding dress. With variations such as silk faille, silk gazar, silk Mikado, silk dupioni, silk charmeuse, and silk shantung, there’s a fabric selection that will work for anybody type, season, and style.

That’s not to say that there isn’t room for other fabrics in minimalist wedding dresses. But, during your bridal appointment, don’t be surprised if you see a lot of these fabric styles in the fitting room.

No matter your desired silhouette or dress style, you can find the perfect minimalist dress of your dreams. Keep design, shape, and fabrics in mind, and make sure that it’s clean and simple, and you’ll walk down the aisle in your dream gown.