Non-Traditional Wedding Gowns For Outdoor Weddings

SWELL & STONE / OUTDOOR WEDDING & ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER / UNITED STATES & BEYOND

Just because white is the traditional color of weddings in North America, and a long gown is the traditional attire doesn’t mean you need to conform to those ideals. Look, we only wear white wedding dresses because Queen Victoria did a long, long time ago. And it was thought of as a symbol of purity, and being rich, and blah blah blah. Clutching to tradition in many norms of life has done an incredible disservice to large groups of people. I’m not saying all tradition is bad, I’m just saying, in all reality, what is the point? What do we gain by holding on dearly to these constructs? Just some food for thought while you peruse these amazing alternative options. So if you desire bursts of color or a colorful dress that represents your culture, feel free to express yourself in whatever way you’d like.

Couples choosing to elope or have a small outdoor wedding are already bucking the norm, so some may want to push the envelope even further and choose an alternative wedding dress, like a jumpsuit, colorful dress, or just put their own spin on a traditional white dress. Your dress is one of the ways you show your style and express yourself the most, so it should be exactly what you want it to be. My mom wore someone else’s dress for her wedding, and it has sort of bothered her ever since. This is your chance to create the exact day and experience you want, don’t like it stop with what you choose to wear. Here are some alternative wedding gown options to consider beyond the traditional, white dress.

Pick a Color! Or all the color!

The bride in the rainbow dress above LOVES color. She had a gorgeous white gown (Galatea by the Watters) that she wore for the first half of her elopement day, including the ceremony. Then she surprised her new husband by changing into this dress (Hutton rainbow wedding gown also by the Watters), which she felt was truly her, and represented them as a couple. When David first reached out to A.J. he was drawn to how colorful she was. She had colorful hair, a colorful wardrobe, and a colorful personality. When she finally agreed to a date, he told her to get ready for a colorful time and took her to a graffiti park in Austin, TX where they added their own graffiti using a custom stencil David had made. As they spray-painted it together it was like coloring their bond in permanent ink.

The key here is to make sure your dress reflects who you are as a person and bride. Be colorful if you love color! Because why not? It’s YOUR WEDDING DAY!

Jumpsuit

I truly love a good jumpsuit, and I considered wearing one for my own wedding but ended up going with a dress in the end. Choosing a jumpsuit as your wedding clothing of choice ensures you will be comfortable and able to walk and move with a little bit more ease all day. So if you’re getting married outside and hiking around much of the day, this might be a great alternative to a traditional wedding gown. A lot of people also choose this as their second outfit, that way they can have the best of both worlds.

Black Wedding Dress

Ooooooohhhhh, black pops in so many environments, just like white does. But I love it against the mountains and green/blue locations in the photos above, but it also looks amazing against the red rock desert. If you’ve never been the type of person to wear white then why start on your wedding day? Some people just look better in black. So if you’re one of those people, just go with what you know and rock the goth chic vibes on your wedding day.

The bride in the bottom photo, Kavita, had three different and equally amazing dresses over the course of her two-day outdoor wedding. Each of them was two pieces and gorgeously detailed with beads and sparkles. But I fell in love with her final dress, this show-stopping grey and black number that sparkled like a disco ball!

Make Your Own by Choosing Two Separate Pieces

I love when brides mix and match and create something entirely their own. Add a jacket, find a skirt you love to match your favorite crop top, and if you’re getting married in a warm or beach environment add a sheer element or even pieces of a chic swimsuit you love. Comfort is key on your wedding day, and I don’t buy that you need to be uncomfortable to look good. You can look fine as hell and be able to move all day. Especially now, there are nice fabrics that stretch and still look luxurious while hugging the body in all the right places.

Stick with White, but Make it Less Wedding-y

Some brides may love a white, minimalist look, but don’t want to deal with all the lace, beads, and general fanciness and detail that comes with most wedding dresses. You can still wear white, but keep it simple. Honestly, I would guess that about 75 percent of brides I photograph choose simple dresses that look stunning on them. There is nothing wrong with a princess gown, or lots of beads and lace, but if you’re eloping or getting married outside you likely want to be able to move without lugging a heavy train around. Just look at how gorgeous the two brides above look while keeping it simple.

Go Short

This one may fall in line with keeping things simple and classy as well. A good short dress is just as stunning as a long one. And if you’re getting married in a hot or humid climate, it just might be the saving grace of your wedding day as well. If you plan on moving around, doing activities and socializing as much as possible on your day, maybe a short wedding dress is right for you. Another thing to keep in mind is that if you plan to walk along the beach for some or a lot of your big day, you might not want to drag sand and saltwater around with you all day. So keep it simple and practical if you want, it doesn’t mean you can’t still feel like a million bucks.

Choose something That Feels Like You

Again, the most important thing to keep in mind on your wedding day, especially if you’re eloping or having a small outdoor wedding is that you choose a wedding dress alternative that truly reflects your personality and style. Your best friends can help you decide and often know you as well as you know yourself, so take some along, don’t be afraid to buck tradition (you haven’t been with anything else in your life so far) and go for it! Choose a dress, jumpsuit, pantsuit, sweatsuit, whatever makes you feel like a freaking badass.

I hope this has helped to lay out some of the options available for brides looking for non-traditional wedding gowns. It can feel overwhelming to begin planning your big day, but just take it one step at a time and make decisions that are true to the two of you as a couple, without worrying what others may think. Just remember, you’ll want to wear something on your wedding day that you look back on and think- that was AWESOME! So if that means classic and traditional- that’s great. And if it means a little wild and stylish, that’s amazing too. ‘You do you’ is the only rule here.

If you’re looking for a photographer who specializes in elopements and small outdoor weddings, reach out and I’d be happy to help you get the planning process started. I help couples choose the perfect locations at the most picturesque times of day, find vendors that help fulfill their wedding daydreams, and take photos that tell the story of their day that will last a lifetime. Get in touch today if that sounds like what you’re looking for!