Vintage wedding dresses never go out of style. Classically beautiful, timeless and elegant there is a vintage wedding dress to suit every bride. From glamorous, gatsby flapper dresses to luxurious 1950’s lace – you will be spoilt for choice when looking for your vintage style wedding dress.
Your vintage wedding dress could be made from beautiful intricate lace, or luxurious silk, it could be heavily beaded or simple and sleek, whatever you choose, you can be confident it will exude sophistication and style.
If you’re looking for something a little different take a look at shorter length vintage style wedding dresses or try adding some vintage accessories. Whatever your style, a vintage wedding dress will add the perfect finishing touch of glamour to your special day.
Our Favourite Vintage Wedding Dresses
Vintage continues to be one of the most popular wedding trends, and vintage wedding dresses and vintage-inspired wedding dresses are some of the most beautiful on the market. From Great Gatsby style flapper girl dresses to 1950s lace wedding dresses, here are just some of our favourite styles from the pre-1900s to the 1960s.
Justin Alexander – Style 88074
We love the plunging art deco neckline and the intricate detail of this beaded beauty of a dress. The pretty A-line skirt in chiffon combined with the chapel length train create the perfect silhouette of this vintage-style gown. This vintage style dress is available in ivory, silver or nude.
Justin Alexander Signature Collection – Style 99155
If you’re looking for a touch of vintage glamour you will love this beaded floral slim ball gown, complete with long sleeves and a stunning open back. This lovely vintage style gown is covered in pretty lace appliqués and comes in nude or ivory. If you’re looking for a dress to steal the show this stunning vintage ball gown adds a touch of old fashioned vintage romance to your wedding day.
Justin Alexander – Style 88123
This vintage style gown is the perfect dress to create a timeless look and feel to your wedding day. This venice lace, fit and flare gown with a chapel length train is simply stunning, complete with detachable lace straps to transform your look from day to night.
Allure Bridals – Style 3364
This beautiful ball gown dress is perfect for a vintage fairytale wedding. We love the fine knit lace on the bodice and the stunning tulle skirt creating a timeless elegant look and feel. This dreamy dress is available in ivory/nude, and comes in a wide range of sizes (0-30).
Mori Lee – Allegra Dress
We love the classic vintage shape of this pretty Allegra dress which comes in tulle over frosted chantilly lace. The pearl and crystal beaded appliqués are scattered from the bodice onto the A-line skirt which comes in both ivory and creme. The Allegra dress has detachable sleeves which can be taken away for the evening to create a less formal look and feel.
Enzoani – Octavia
If you’re looking for all-out vintage glamour and style you will love the drama and beauty of this amazing ornate dress. We love the intricate antique style cascading lace, along with the detachable straps and full tulle train to create the perfect silhouette. Available in Ivory, beige and nude, the Octavia dress is definitely one to remember.
Enzoani – Ocilia
The Ocilia dress comes in vintage style lace from head to toe, complete with the Enzoani signature train. We love the plunging neckline and low V back, covered in chantilly lace and intricate beading across the whole of this luxurious, vintage style gown. The Ocilia dress is available in Ivory, Nude, and Mocha.
Enzoani – Melnida
This chic dress has a contemporary twist with its simple shape and design. We love the vintage style illusion bodice complete with intricate beaded embellishments delicately touching the soft and sleek stretch georgette skirt. The deep V back comes with crystal buttons,and is available in both ivory and nude.
Maggie Sottero – Raven
If you’re thinking of going for a classic wedding dress shape and style this traditional design by Maggie Sottero ticks all the boxes. This Mikado A-line wedding dress comes with illusion side panels trimmed with pearls, a plunging V neckline and a pretty V back. We love the unapologetic simplicity of this classic dress design. Available in diamond white
Sottero & Midgley – Darren
This super stylish fit and flare wedding dress is the perfect mix of vintage style and contemporary cool. We love the beautiful embellishments, featuring Swarovski crystals and lace motifs, along with the pretty tulle train for a touch of glamour. The sweetheart neckline and the illusion plunging back with exposed boning make this Darren dress unforgettably cool and classic.
Sottero & Midgley – Allen
We adore this vintage ball gown dress with a sheer bodice of Swarovski crystals and beading. The open square back and sweetheart neckline creates a beautiful shape, along with the flattering elbow length sleeves. This dreamy number is guaranteed to take centre stage on your wedding day with its memorable sparkle and design. Available in a wide range of sizes the Allen dress comes in diamond white with pewter, ivory and pewter or soft nude with rose gold.
Lillian West – Style 66112
The gorgeous draped sleeves of this pretty Lillian West dress create a vintage style to the shape of this fit and flare design. The all-over lace gown has a stunning plunging neckline and a chapel length train. It is available in ivory / ivory nude, made with a mix of lace and satin. We love the simple elegance of this beautifully finished dress.
Lillian West – Style 66068
If you want a hint of classic style to your wedding dress take a look at this shorter length design by Lillian West. We love the traditional look and feel of the Venice lace, and the chevron pattern on the bodice. This pretty dress with cap sleeves and a circular cut tulle skirt, this dress is also available in full length.
Justin Alexander – Style 88085
This vintage wedding dress has an art-deco feel with its intricate pattern and design. We love the sweetheart neckline of this fit and flare gown, along with the all-over sequined lace and organza skirt. This pretty, stylish number has a classic vintage lace design which would work beautifully for any wedding style, especially those looking to add a touch of gatsby glamour to their big day.
Vintage Wedding Dress Styles Defined
Vintage describes several styles, from the elegant corseted Victorian and Edwardian dresses with their voluptuous full skirts and tiny waists to the fun, flirty, shorter styles of the Roaring Twenties and long, sleek cinema siren gowns of the 1930s.
1) Regency Style Vintage Wedding Dresses
The demure empire-line gowns of the Regency era are especially popular among fans of Jane Austen. These dresses are characterised by a fitted bodice that ends in a high waist just below the bust, a long flowing skirt and, oftentimes, cap sleeves or long, detailed sleeves. As shown below, these look especially beautiful as lace wedding dresses.
Key features:
- Fitted bodice
- High waist
- Long skirt
- Cap sleeves
Featured above: Camilla by Katya Katya
2) Victorian Style Vintage Wedding Dresses
Victorian dresses, with their corseted bodices, full skirts, and long trains, are one of the favourite vintage wedding dresses to wear as they will hold in your waist and tummy while disguising hips and hiding thighs. They look fantastic with lower V-necklines and higher, off-the-shoulder or strapless bodices and are just generally striking and incredibly elegant. You see a lot of Victorian-style dresses with beautiful lace accents too.
Key features:
- Tight-fitting, corseted bodice
- Full skirt
- Lace adornments, frills, and ruffles
Featured above: NANTES by Pronovias Priveé
3) 1920s Style Vintage Wedding Dresses
The Roaring Twenties was a period of economic growth and liberation, and this was reflected in the fashions of the time—full of opulence and glamour. Flappers were the trend-setters for the generation with their iconic bobbed hair, heavily made-up faces, shortened skirts and dramatic headbands, and the release of 2013’s film adaption of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby bought ‘flapper fashion’ to the forefront.
20s styles are, most often, simple shift-dress shapes with no defined waist, higher necklines, shorter skirts, and dresses with swishy fringe detailing. This style of dress is looser, and though the dropped waist is not the most flattering style it can be an especially striking look for less voluptuous and more ‘boyish’ figures.
Key features:
- Short front, longer back
- Dropped waist
- Unshaped bodice
- Lace and bead embellishments
- Feather accessories
- Styled with long cloche style veils and dramatic bouquets
Featured above: RIVA by Pronovias
4) 1930s Style Vintage Wedding Dresses
Things were very different in the thirties with the Great Depression consuming the majority of the decade. People turned to the escapism of movies and Hollywood, and this in turn influenced the fashions of the era. Rayon was introduced during this period as a more affordable alternative to silk, and designs became more simplistic but no less stunning. One classic 30s-inspired bridal look is that of a slim, small-busted bride in a slinky, clingy gown with a plunging neckline or low back. The elegance and simplicity of these bias-cut gowns offers a less-is-more option. For accessories true to the era, add some bling to your gown in the way of a dress clip or sparkly brooch.
Key Features
- Simple and elegant
- Rayon (artificial silk)
- Defined waist
- Emphasis of the figure
- Bias cut
- Full length dresses
Featured above: Arlo Gown by Grace Loves Lace
5) 1940s Style Vintage Wedding Dresses
The bridal fashions of the 40s were divided. Although the Great Depression ended towards the end of the 1930s, it was replaced with World War II which introduced a clothes and fabric ration in the early 40s. With the ‘mend and make do’ attitude of the time, many brides borrowed wedding dresses or just wore their uniform when they got married. For this reason outfits were simple and the white wedding dress almost disappeared during the war. However, post war, when the rationing was lifted, Christian Dior introduced the ‘New Look’. Celebrating luxury fabric and femininity, he created a silhouette with a nipped-in waist, full tea-length skirts, and cute matching jackets. Anything post WWII tends to be described as Retro, and retro wedding themes today are often some of the most fun and colourful you’ll find.
Key Features
- Simplicity
- Coloured jacket and dress/suit combinations
- Nipped in waist
- Full tea length skirt
- Flower corsages pinned in jackets
- Little hats with flowers and tulle
- Modest bouquets
Featured above: Style 11317 by Ellis Bridals
6) 1950s Style Vintage Wedding Dresses
The trends of the late 40s trickled into the 50s and the ultra feminine yet modest tea-length, ballerina-style dresses remained a strong trend. Stiff petticoats were used to create a fuller skirt. And with the lace restriction finally lifted, lace became the fabric of choice and created some absolutely gorgeous lace wedding dresses.
It was the Duchess of Cambridge who wowed us with her Sarah-Burton-for-Alexander-McQueen gown in 2011, re-fueling our obsession for vintage wedding dresses. Although Kate Middleton’s bridal gown touched on Victorian style elements such as the bodice structure, the semi bustle, and the 19th-century-inspired lace on the bodice, it was the similarity to Grace Kelly’s iconic bridal gown from 1956 that got the most reference. Both gowns featured stunning lace bodices with long sleeves, a nipped in waist and full skirt.
Key Features
- Full-circle/circular skirts lifted with petticoats
- Tight-fitting waist
- Tea length/ballerina style dresses
- Boleros worn over strapless dresses
- Lots of lace!
- Short veils
- Gloves
7) 1960s Style Vintage Wedding Dresses
The 1960s saw a massive change in fashion. While there was lots of variety in shapes and styles, it was the ‘Mod’ look that really stood at the forefront. Fashion moved away from the restricting and tight-fitting cuts of the 50s and was replaced by unfitted, simplistic, clean lines and a boxier look. A-line gowns were also on the rise, fitted at the hips and widening towards the hem. Many modern brides keep their 60s inspired look simple with a short veil (or no veil at all) and a flick of black liquid eyeliner while others opt for a very colourful 1960s wedding.
Key Features
- Shift dresses
- Empire lines
- Hems above the knee/knee length wedding dresses
- Boat neck necklines
- Boxy cuts
Featured above: Retro Bride – Colourful 1960s Wedding
There really is a vintage wedding dress for everyone, and you can complete your vintage wedding with our beautiful contemporary vintage wedding theme. For more on wedding dresses through the years, don’t miss this journey through 100 years of wedding dress fashion.
