When you start shopping for a wedding dress, it’s easy to focus on the gown itself: the neckline you love, the silhouette you keep screenshotting pictures of, or the details that immediately catch your eye. But there’s another part of the process that can really help narrow things down: the designer.
Every bridal designer approaches gowns a little differently. Some collections lean classic and timeless, while others are more fashion forward, detailed, sleek, or romantic. Knowing what you like can make it easier to find designers who offer the kind of gowns you want to try on.
Start With Your Personal Bridal Style
Before getting too focused on designer names, think about what you actually want your wedding dress to look and feel like.
Are you drawn to clean lines and simple fabrics? Do you love lace, dimensional details, or dramatic trains? Maybe you keep saving gowns with corset inspired bodices, structured silhouettes, or a more chic fashion feel.
You don't need to have one specific aesthetic. In fact, most brides don't!
Instead, look for patterns in the dresses you're drawn to. If you've saved 20 dresses and 15 of them have defined waists, that's useful information. If you keep gravitating toward sleek fabrics instead of heavily embellished gowns, pay attention to that too. Your saved photos can be a great starting point when you begin working with your bridal stylist.
Which Designers Should You Explore?
Once you have a better idea of your bridal style, looking at designers can give you a starting point for your appointment. While each collection offers a variety of silhouettes and details, certain designers may be especially worth exploring based on the looks you're naturally drawn to.
Essense of Australia
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For Classic, Timeless Bridal StyleIf you picture yourself in a gown that feels polished, elegant, and quintessentially bridal, designers like Justin Alexander, Essense of Australia, Stella York, and Maggie Sottero are great collections to explore.
These designers offer a range of traditional bridal elements alongside more current details, so you can find gowns that feel classic without necessarily feeling predictable. |
Maggie Sottero
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For Romantic and Intricate DetailsIf your inspiration folder is filled with lace, delicate patterns, textured fabrics, and feminine details, take a look at Maggie Sottero, L'Amour, Stella York, and Essense of Australia.
These collections offer plenty of opportunities to explore gowns with intricate detailing, from lace and beading to dimensional textures and other decorative elements. This can be a good starting point if you want your dress to have plenty to look at without necessarily going in an ultra-modern direction. |
Milla NovaGwendolin |
For Modern and Fashion-Forward StyleIf you tend to gravitate toward contemporary fashion and want your wedding dress to feel a little less traditional, explore designers such as Calla Blanche, Eva Lendel, Milla Nova, and Colby John through the Whittington Couture Collection.
These collections can be a great fit for brides interested in more fashion forward construction, dramatic silhouettes, statement details, and distinctive styling. They're worth exploring if the gowns you've been saving don't necessarily look like traditional bridal gowns. |
Eva Lendel
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For Glamorous Bridal GownsIf you want plenty of detail and a gown that feels especially special when you see it in person, explore Calla Blanche, Milla Nova, Eva Lendel, and Aria.
The Whittington Couture Collection starts at $3,500 and includes these designers along with Colby John. These gowns offer a more elevated price point with an emphasis on detailed construction, distinctive design elements, and fashion-forward bridal style. |
For a Mix of Traditional and Contemporary
Maybe you don't want to choose between classic and modern. You might love a traditional bridal silhouette but want an updated neckline, a sleek fabric, a more structured bodice, or a dramatic detail.
That's where exploring multiple designers can be especially useful.
Essense of Australia, Justin Alexander, Stella York, Maggie Sottero, and Corinthian James all give you different opportunities to mix traditional bridal elements with current details. Trying on gowns from several collections can help you figure out which combination feels most like you.
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Stella York
Mika
Keep Your Budget in Mind
Your ideal designer isn't just about aesthetics. Price point is an important part of finding the right collection to shop.
At Whittington Bridal, our wedding dresses start at $1,500, with a variety of designers available within our main collection. For brides interested in our Whittington Couture Collection, gowns start at $3,500. The collection includes Aria, Calla Blanche, Eva Lendel, Milla Nova, and Colby John. Knowing your budget before your appointment helps your stylist show you options that make sense for you. It can also help you keep your overall wedding style budget in perspective, since alterations, accessories, shoes, and other bridal pieces may need to be included as well.
Let Your Stylist Help You Narrow It Down
You don't need to research every designer before your appointment. That's part of what your stylist is there for.
Tell us what you've been saving, what you know you don't want, your wedding vision, and your budget. From there, we can introduce you to designers and gowns that make sense for your preferences.
You may come in looking for one particular style and leave with a completely different favorite. That's okay! Finding your dress is often about trying things on, paying attention to how each gown makes you feel, and learning more about your personal bridal style along the way.
You don't have to know which designer is "the one" before you walk through our doors. We'll help you explore different collections, silhouettes, fabrics, and details so you can get a better sense of what you love.
Ready to start shopping? Book your bridal appointment at Whittington Bridal and let us help you find the gown that feels like you!