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It’s not often that wedding dress trends are practical. But if New York Bridal Fashion Week’s best and brightest of the Fall 2025 season tell us anything, it’s that versatility is slated to be next year’s number-one trend.
With the rise of the “wedding wardrobe,” many brides feel the pressure to turn out multiple looks on their big day. But, as Enaura designer Sohil Mistry notes, it can be difficult to find one dress to do it all.
“During a wedding, you have your ceremony, your reception, and your after-party — even though this all happens in one day, they can be such different vibes,” he says. “During the ceremony, you might be more modest. At the reception, you want to have fun with your guests. During the after-party, you can let loose. Each part of the wedding deserves a different look.”
In the past, this might’ve meant swapping your ballgown for a reception dress, then slipping into yet another ensemble for the after-party. In the latest round of bridal runways, though, designers are dedicating their efforts to creating convertible components that can be added or subtracted, giving one look multiple opportunities to shine. Some pieces, like boleros and removable sleeves, provide modesty; others, like embellished capes, pack on the drama.
This has also resulted in a rise in bridal separates, particularly corsets and skirts. The idea is that they can be swapped in and out throughout the entirety of one’s bridal era, resulting in more wear time and more options. After all, who says your wedding style has to actually involve a dress?
Now, just because the emphasis is on practicality doesn’t mean the season’s collections were dull. On the contrary: The Fall 2025 bridal collections explore texture in a way that’s a feast for the eyes, with over-the-top lace, decoupaged appliqués, embellished corsets, and 3-D florals disguising the more functional elements and creating an overall opulent throughline.
Ahead, browse seven of the top bridal fashion trends for 2025 that nail the balance of practical elegance.
There’s always a trend or two crafted specifically with cool brides in mind, and, this season, it’s the plethora of dreamy church-and-state separates. Elevated bridal brands like Kyha Studios, Milla Nova, and Jeofroi challenge the idea of a wedding “dress” as the norm by exploring two-piece options that allow brides to mix and match for exactly the look they want. At Wiederhoeft, designer Jackson Wiederhoeft described the trend as possessing a sort of “girl math sensibility,” noting customers were eager to invest in a special piece — like one of the brand’s premium corsets — and wear it for multiple bridal occasions, as well as after one’s nuptials.
“The word of the year is snatched,” declared Toronto-based designer Jaclyn Whyte. “Everyone wants to be snatched. They’re looking for a corset for that cinched look.”
Two types of corsetry stood out this season — and they just so happen to be polar opposites: Maximalists will love the heavily embellished styles from Milla Nova, Pnina Tornai, Kim Kasas, Yulia Lobachova, and Wiederhoeft; while minimalists will gravitate towards ultra-simple unlined designs with visible boning, like those at Jaclyn White and Galia Lahav.
It felt as though every dress I saw this season boasted an add-on to offer additional coverage. Perhaps brands are attempting to keep things very mindful, very demure — but Mistry argues it’s all about embracing elements of nobility that feel perennially chic.
“I think the demure trend comes down to being timeless,” he shares. “When you think timeless, you think royalty: what princesses wore back in the day — long sleeves; high, covered necklines.”
Of course, not all brides want a covered-up look — some only want it during their ceremony. These toppers allow them to control how much skin they show and when, while providing a transformational element to their look. Whip off a lacy long-sleeved bolero and, boom — you’ve got a brand-new neckline without having to change into a new dress.
Texture ruled the runway for most of New York Bridal Fashion Week, with 3-D florals blooming all over pieces by Galia Lahav, Pnina Tornai, Marco & Maria, Kim Kasas, Nadia Manjarrez, and Yuliia Lobachova. This trend looks great on bigger ballgowns, but it also prevents body-conscious or minimal silhouettes from falling flat. Whether you opt for beaded blossoms, tulle rosettes, or dainty chiffon petals determines the feel of the final look, as does the decision to start with a lace base for contrast, or something simple and smooth so the flowers can pop.
Anyone who’s ever donned a strapless dress is familiar with the unavoidable need to pull it up throughout the night — especially when you’re spending said night on the dance floor. This season, designers are throwing brides a bone: delightfully delicate straps on would-be strapless styles for a little extra support. Some, like Anne Barge, offer barely-there spaghetti straps, while others, like Claire Pettibone, adorn them with appliqués for a bonus moment of detail.
This season’s selection of bridal lace hardly compares to your grandmother’s doily collection — except, of course, for when that’s exactly what designers wanted to emulate.
Simple all-over lace styles have their place, but many brands are getting creative, mixing and matching different types of lace in one gown, or cutting out appliqués and placing them strategically to flatter the silhouette. Some lean into the material’s classic elegance, while others — like Galia Lahav, Arava Polak, and Pnina Tornai — embellish with sparkle and glitz to give lacy looks a glamorous upgrade.
Capes are the ready-to-wear trend infiltrating bridal runways this season, with brands like Francesca Miranda, Nadia Manjarrez, and Wonà Concept using sheer and embellished toppers to give their dresses the royal treatment. Other popular coverings included puff-sleeved styles seen at Milla Nova and Jaclyn Whyte, often attached to long, trailing jackets that act as detached trains for brides who might not want to be held down post-ceremony.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
The Best Wedding Guest Looks From Rent The Runway
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This article was originally published on refinery29.com.
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