16 Non-Traditional Wedding Dresses for the Modern Bride

Having been a recent bride myself, I can say that I’m 100% in support of breaking many of the traditional wedding dress rules. Some rules of advice from an ex-bride:

1) Wear a dress that fits your theme. Getting married at the beach? Opt for a fancy sun dress. Getting married on New Year’s? Definitely go for a dress with lots of gold or silver sparkle.

2) Earn bonus points if you can find a dress that is so non-wedding that you can re-wear it to other events! Get the most you can out of the money you’re spending…weddings are NOT cheap.

3) Above all, wear something you love. This is your day and you should feel like a princess.

To help inspire you to think differently (hey, it was Steve’s motto, why shouldn’t it be yours, too?), we’ve rounded up 16 of our favorite non-traditional (but still very wearable) wedding dresses. Just don’t show your grandma until the big day.

Burnished Organza Gown – $1,400 (Left)

If I had to get married all over again, I’d probably wear this. Stunning.

Nicosia Gardens Gown – $3,000 (Right)

Is this a wedding gown, or a beachy cocktail dress? The decision is yours to make.

Blushing In Pink Tulle Dress – $1,180 (Left)

Part ballerina, part bride… total pretty. Handmade and comes in several other colors.

Papillio Wedding Dress – $279 (Right)

Perfect for a garden wedding, or for any event where you want to look and feel like Tinkerbell.

1940’s Dress – $163

This retro dress is divine! Look at those buttons on the back! And the price is extremely affordable. If you don’t like it as a wedding dress, at least consider it for your rehearsal dinner.

Audrey Dress – $250

Another amazing vintage dress. A classic A-line with ¾ length sleeves and our favorite adornment, pockets. Would also look fabulous with a belt.

Saturnalia Dress – $350 (Left)

Perfect for a more casual affair. And, oh, what a nice price!

Tulle Era Dress – $2,600 (Right)

Perfect for a vintage wedding. Check out our faux-bob tutorial to get the complete look!

Sue Wong Gold Fringe Dress (Left)

Simply stunning. Another great dress to go with a faux bob or side chignon.

Sarmi Evening Dress (Right)

We think this would be the wedding dress Audrey Hepburn would have worn (sans weird flower). Unfortunately, it’s not actually for sale, as it’s currently being displayed as a piece of modern art. Regardless, we love the gold and black contrast and the crazy amounts of sparkle in the skirt!

Douglas Hannant Silver Dress (Left)

Perfect for a wedding or a glamorous cocktail party. Though, we don’t suggest this hair-do.

Douglas Hannant Embroidered Dress (Right)

This gown is made out of both silk and wool and has a really beautiful petal pattern throughout.

Xenia Dress (Left)

Love this dress for a casual beach wedding. Also great for a rehearsal dinner or bridal shower.

Antonella Dress (Right)

Absolutely LOVE the cut of this dress. It looks relaxing enough to wear all day, but is still dead sexy. And, it’s a faint gold, the color of the season.

High Low Hem – $795

The mixture of lace and satin, the asymmetrical hem… we can’t decide what we love most about this dress.

iPad Wedding Dress – $70,000 (estimated)

Design your own wedding dress digitally, and get 100 iPads in the process! This dress doubles as great guest favors! Yes, this one is a joke. But, if you know anyone who has actually done something so geeky, please send them our way.

And if you've got tips and tricks of your own for finding the best non-wedding dress wedding dress, send 'em our way by leaving a note in the comments below or share links with us on Twitter.