Do you find yourself flipping through bridal magazines while thinking, "Nice dress, but why so much 'stuff' on it?" If you're not one for embellishments like beaded appliques, flowers, ruffles, and the like, chances are a simple wedding dress will help you to reflect your sense of style on your special day.
I've probably have heard the phrase "Less is more" more than just about everyone else on this planet having gone from a degree in Architecture to being a wedding dress designer, but there, I put in writing. It's just true in so many ways. (For you non-artsies out there, the phrase was coined by Architect Mies van der Rohe, but you can call him "Mies" for short. There - banter for your next cocktail party!)
It used to be that to get a true simple yet beautiful wedding dress you had to shell out a lot of your hard-earned wedding budget on a top-name designer like Vera Wang or Amsale. The good news is that is no longer the case. There are some affordable ones out there! I like Eden Bridals and Jasmine Bridal's lines. There are others too - use Google!
Another tactic is to consider retailers that don't typically specialize in bridal fashion, such as BCBG and J Crew. Both of these retailers carry some beautiful white and ivory dresses worth considering. Along the same lines, why not look into a bridesmaid dress from a designer that might otherwise be out of your budget range? Chances are the same designers' wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses have a very significant price gap between them. (In your favor!) While the quality of the fabrics and the inner structure of a bridesmaid dress will not be the same as the same designers' wedding dresses, for some brides this is a great opportunity to save money while not sacrificing style.
From a designers' perspective it is harder to design a simple wedding dress than a more formal one. Counterintuitive, but true: informal wedding dresses rely on the purity of the lines and are much less forgiving than a dress with a lot more design elements. Sometimes a simple concept can fail in the execution and end up looking like a sundress or nightgown! This is probably why they are hard to find in mainstream bridal boutiques.
Another reason is the bridal industry itself is slow to change. Unlike the rest of women's fashion, the retail outlets (bridal stores) are often family owned and operated. This means that the buying decisions are being made by a fragmented group of local storeowners who may not realize how quickly their own clientele has evolved. If the more cutting-edge gowns are not getting into the stores, many brides will not see them unless they shop online.
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