From bold and vibrant colours, to muted matte pastel shades, there’s a massive growing market for non-traditional coloured wedding dresses lately and we’ve got to admit, we’re totally here for it!
While it will often be said that a white or ivory wedding dress is an essential for a wedding day, we couldn’t disagree more. Your wedding day is all about what you want! It’s the perfect time to wear the wedding dress that you’ve always dreamed of, regardless of what colour or style it is.
If you’re new to the world of colourful wedding gowns or simply want some inspiration, here are a few ideas to get you started.
Red Wedding Dresses
We thought we’d start with something bold and daring!
Red is a powerful colour, ideal for a confident bride. We love the idea of a bright red ballgown paired with gold heels, or a sultry red sheath dress paired with a bold red lip. It would also be a fabulous choice for a registry office bride. A pillar-box red suit and matching hat? Yes please. Pairing this bold tone with white wedding flowers would also work really well for a Christmas time wedding.
Admittedly, having a bright red wedding dress may seem like a crazy choice to some people, but that just means this one’s not for you! You only have to look at Kat Von D’s show stopping red gown from her 2018 wedding to see that red can totally be bridal.
Of all the coloured wedding dresses in this list, red will make the biggest impact. For us, we think a red wedding gown works best when the dress is the only, or main thing which stands out in the red colour. You can accent the dress with hints of the same red in the centrepieces or ribbons on the seats, as it will really allow the colour to pop while not being too overwhelming to look at.
Black Wedding Dresses
Okay so while not technically coloured wedding dresses, black wedding dresses are the ultimate in alternative, chic style. You only have to look at Selling Sunset’s Christine Quinn in her immaculate black ballgown to see that a black wedding dress can be both show-stopping and bridal.
While some may say that it’s inappropriate to wear a black wedding dress, we think it is inappropriate to tell a bride what they should or should not wear on their wedding day.
A black wedding dress looks amazing with a bouquet that heavily features white flowers, as this provides great contrast but allows the wedding dress to still be the main focus. You may want to consider baby’s breath for a soft black wedding look, or something like calla lilies or orchids for a more modern approach.
A black wedding dress also creates the perfect opportunity to really lean into the “Black and White” wedding trend. Play with contrast: if the bride chooses to have a black wedding dress, it can be quite striking for the groom to wear a white morning suit with a black tie and shoes. This type of contrasting look helps to make the wedding look formal but in an unexpected way.
Blush Wedding Dresses
We adore this trend of having a blush wedding dress. When it suddenly popped up out of nowhere in the early 2010s, we wondered how we’d never considered it as an option before!
Blush wedding gowns are almost universally flattering, and can often be easier to pull off than a complexion draining white gown. We’ve seen this look work really well for overseas and warmer weddings where the wedding dress material can be much lighter and not as structured.
Tanned and glowing skin is a great base for this kind of colour – just look at glowing Jessica Biel at her wedding to Justin Timberlake for drool-worthy blush and tan inspiration.
Blush is also a fabulous option for boho styled weddings. We often see a blush or taupe wedding dress lining with a white or ivory lace overlay which adds just enough contrast to really pop the pattern of the lace.
Blush is the perfect option for an independent bride who is still a little scared of coloured wedding dresses. With a blush wedding dress you get the bridal look that you’d get with a white wedding dress, but with that special little pop of colour added in. Pair your blush gown with gold or rose gold jewellery, as the two colours work incredibly well together.
Gold Wedding Dresses
When it comes to coloured wedding dresses, a gold wedding gown is the ultimate in old Hollywood glamour. You can go for a fully metallic number, or even gold sequins. There are also several gorgeous gold slip dresses which would make a beautiful understated bridal look.
When we talk about gold wedding dresses, it can also often be an ivory dress with a sheer gold overlay which makes the dress look really special. For royal inspiration, look no further than Jessica Simpson’s “regal” inspired gold wedding gown. Custom made by Carolina Herrera, the gold beading was inspired by a famous portrait of Empress Elisabeth “Sissi” of Austria painted in 1865.
The absolute beauty of a gold wedding dress is that it works unbelievably well with almost all skin tones and hair colours, which makes it a perfect choice if you’re wanting to switch things up and try on some coloured wedding dresses for your wedding.
Purple Wedding Dresses
Purple is another colour which has been rising in popularity for bridal fashion over the past few years. A royal tone, many brides who adore a bold purple colour will often add this as a colour flash to their white wedding dress rather than opting for a full purple look. This works well to draw attention to the colour, but not detract from the traditional look of a wedding dress.
However, if a full purple look is your dream then look no further than Dita Von Teese’s iconic Vivienne Westwood wedding gown. The king of coloured wedding dresses, the colour suited her pale skin to perfection, and the dramatic silhouette cemented her dress as one of our all time favourites.
On the other side of the purple spectrum, lilac wedding dresses can be a fantastic choice for a bride to make. Lilac dresses usually have a more muted, vintage feel and look fantastic against a backdrop of a country barn, garden, or art gallery wedding.
Like all of the other pastel shades, a lilac dress can add a touch of uniqueness to the wedding while still looking clearly bridal. For lilac inspiration look to Julianne Moore’s effortlessly chic muted lavender sheath wedding dress. We love how it compliments her fair skin tone!
Lilac wedding dresses look stunning when paired with heavy silver jewellery, as the two colours work incredibly well together. The boldness of heavier jewellery creates a really interesting contrast with the daintiness of the lilac colour. If you’re wanting to mix things up with some contrast, we’d recommend this option!
Grey & Silver Wedding Dresses
Grey wedding dresses are a relatively new and interesting choice, which adds a unique touch to a wedding day. The cool tone lends itself nicely to an art deco or 1920s style wedding and pairs well with clean lines and bold shapes.
Grey dresses are also really silver wedding dresses, as the decision about whether to have this as a matte or more of a metallic look makes a huge difference. If you opt for sequins, heavy beading or a metallic finish then your grey toned wedding dress will appear silver. However, a matte fabric such as tulle will appear decidedly grey.
You could even utilise an overdress or overskirt to transform a grey dress into a metallic silver party dress for the evening celebration.
Grey as a tone can range from a dainty dove grey to a sexy, rock and roll gunmetal. So there is a grey dress to suit every style. Grey or silver dresses work best with silver, white gold or platinum jewellery as the tones marry perfectly. Make sure you put a lot of thought into your something blue as this will really stand out and pop with your silver/grey wedding gown.
A great example of a hyper feminine grey wedding dress was Caroline Sieber’s dove grey gown from her 2013 wedding. The ice blue ribbon waistband really pulls the whole look together.
Burgundy Wedding Dresses
Burgundy coloured wedding dresses are the grown-up sister of the red wedding gown. We love the muted yet bold effect of burgundy, and its versatility for styling. While the burgundy wedding dress became popular for winter weddings, there’s something about a burgundy wedding dress that works for weddings in every season.
From a burgundy ballgown against a dramatic snowy backdrop to a chiffon burgundy sheath against a blue and white beach, the colour can translate perfectly into any setting.
In our opinion, this colour suits almost everyone and looks incredibly impactful, but it is important to remember that those with a lighter skin tone can look slightly washed out if the burgundy is a little too dark. However, once you’ve tried on a few wedding dresses in this colour, we’re positive that you’ll find the exact shade that suits you.
Pair your burgundy gown with gold jewellery and unexpected accessories such as a crown or celestial headpiece to really set off the colour.
Blue Wedding Dresses
There is something so bridal about blue. A calming, soothing colour the notion of a blue wedding dress just makes sense. There are so many ways you can do blue, from a full Cinderella homage, to classic regency blue, to a moody grunge look. A blue wedding suit would also be trés chic.
You can mix up your blue look with the addition of Doc Martens or Converse, as this looks really unique and edgy, or a denim jacket to follow through the blue theme.
A blue wedding dress is an ideal way of ticking off your “something blue”, so along with looking beautiful, it’s actually a useful choice!
If you do decide to go for blue, you must ensure that your partner’s dress or suit is not in a clashing tone of blue. We recommend taking a swatch of your fabric to their outfit fittings to ensure the tones compliment each other. This is a potential pitfall with coloured wedding dresses that doesn’t factor in if you opt for white.
How To Choose Your Wedding Dress Style
Whether or not you think coloured wedding dresses are for you, once you have decided what colour you would like your wedding dress to be, you should think about its style and which style will suit you.
Read our guide to discover all the different styles, sizes, and materials that you can choose to wear on your special day.
