As a wedding illustrator with a fashion design background, one of my favorite things about weddings is the incredible outfits. From elaborate ballgowns to classic tuxedos and everything in between, I always love seeing the thought and detail that couples put into their fashion choices. I’ve loved the trend of second wedding day looks in recent years. After all, this day only comes once in a lifetime, so why not squeeze in a second dress? If you’re planning a wedding outfit change on your big day, keep reading for everything you need to know!

Second Looks 

Your second wedding day look can be absolutely anything you want it to be! In 2024, we saw a lot of mini dresses and jumpsuits, which are perfect for getting down on the dance floor. Grooms have opted for customized t-shirts or just a vest with no button-down underneath. Or, for those incredibly chill couples, you can even change into matching sweatsuits with customized text to really get comfy. Don’t limit yourself to black and white either - second looks are a great time to bring in color and sparkle to your dance floor! 

And of course, we couldn’t forget to talk about a second pair of shoes. If you’re someone who plans to be on the dance floor all night, you’ll want to make sure your feet are comfortable! We’ve seen couples with matching sneakers or even fun Crocs on their big day. 

When to Change 

There are a few different times throughout the wedding day that make sense for your outfit change. Some couples prefer to change at the end of cocktail hour so they can make their reception entrance in their new looks. This is a great option if you’re still wearing a formal or semi-formal outfit as your second look, and it allows you to have more movement during your first dance. 

If you prefer to do your first dance in your main wedding attire, you can change into your second look at the end of dinner. This allows you to make a grand entrance in your new outfits to open the dance floor. Or, if your outfit change doesn’t involve getting completely undressed (think a mini dress with an overskirt), you can even do a grand reveal right on the dance floor! 

Finally, if you love your wedding attire and aren’t quite ready to change out of it during the main wedding reception, you can change before your after party! After-party changes are a great option for more comfortable and casual looks. 

The Logistics of Wedding Outfit Changes 

Although an outfit change may seem like a minor detail, it’s important that you include it in your wedding day timeline and let your vendors know. First, it’s essential to make sure that nothing important happens when you’re out of the room. Second, your planner or coordinator can help make sure that there is an appropriate space for you to change. Venue bathrooms are often far too small to get in and out of a wedding dress, so you’ll need to use some sort of bridal suite or other private space. 

Additionally, your team will want to ensure you’ve allotted enough time for your change. If your dress has a lot of buttons or you need to change shapewear, you may need more time than you expect. Plus, will you want photos of your partner helping you into your new outfit? What about photos of your second entrance? Having all of your vendors on the same page is key to a smooth transition. 

Weddings with SamiaLynn Designs 

If you and your guests love wedding fashion as much as I do, there’s no better favor than live wedding illustrations! Let me memorialize everyone’s incredible looks with digital or marker illustrations for them to take home at the end of the night. I travel anywhere and would love to be a part of your big day! Head over to my contact form to reach out so I can hear all about your wedding. 

The way that some people look forward to the week between Christmas and New Year's, I look forward to New York Bridal Fashion Week. Twice a year, the top bridal designers in the world descend on one of my favorite cities to show their collections. With my background in fashion design and my career as a wedding illustrator, it’s truly the most exciting time of year! Although I couldn’t make it in person this year, I still had to recap some of my favorite trends that hit the runway. 

New York Bridal Fashion Week 

While every designer did an absolutely incredible job bringing their own unique vision to the runways this season, there were a few trends we noticed across the board. First, multiple wedding looks are here to stay! We saw designers leaning into wedding pieces for all types of events, from reception dresses to pre-event attire. While the focus will always remain on the classic wedding gown, it was refreshing to see such a variety of styles. We also saw cinched waists on every runway – it’s all about enhancing your form! Whether a natural waist, drop waist, or basque waist, there was consistently a form-fitting element to every gown. And finally, designers across the board opted for unique textures. More than just traditional laces, we saw iridescent fabric, long textured trains, and even multiple types of laces on the same gown. We love a tactile design and are excited to see this trend continue. 

Mini Dresses with Structured Skirts 

One of the first major trends we noticed this year was the mini dress! Most notably, mini dresses with structured, bell-shaped skirts. While reception dresses have become popular over the past few years, this shortened hemline is a fun, flirty option that we absolutely love! Marriers are prioritizing comfort and the ability to dance the night away, while still looking incredibly chic. It also brings the question – will we see hemlines begin to rise on traditional wedding gowns as well? 

Photos courtesy of Brides

Straight Necklines

Goodbye, sweetheart – hello, modern straight lines. Last year, we saw square necklines becoming more popular, and this year, the angular top was seen on many runways. This crisp, clean line is the perfect design to pair with a statement necklace or even a scarf. Or, pair a straight neckline with a basque waist for the perfect blend of vintage and modern design.

Skinny Scarves

Skinny scarves paired with a strapless dress have been all over runways this year, so it’s no surprise they have officially made their way into bridal. The look feels reminiscent of  Y2K fashion and even of some dupatta styling in Eastern cultures. Most bridal designers opted for silk or chiffon scarves, allowing the fabric to cascade down the wearer’s back. The accessory not only feels incredibly luxe but also serves as a unique alternative to a necklace. 

Photos courtesy of Brides

Basque Waists 

First popular in the 19th century, this bodice shape was brought back into the mainstream by Dua Lipa during the 2023 Met Gala when she wore a Chanel gown from the archives. The design is characterized by a V-shaped or U-shaped dip just below the natural waistline. As opposed to a drop waist, the basque waist still sits at the natural waist on the side, but lowers in the center. It perfectly cinches the waist, shows off curves, and is flattering on every body type. Personally, this is one of my favorite bridal trends this year! I absolutely LOVE the basque waistline and think it’s so flattering.

Corset Bodices 

Corsets are nothing new to the bridal world, but this year, we noticed a big change in the design of these pieces. While previously, corset gowns tended to be sheer with exposed boning, this year, we’re seeing more luxe fabrics and exaggerated designs. House Of Gilles, Ines Di Santo, Nadia Manjarrez Bridal, and Vivienne Westwood all embraced this look with incredible pieces that felt more high fashion than lingerie. I believe this ties into the trends of fuller skirts and exaggerated hip silhouettes that we’re seeing across fashion runways outside of the bridal world. 

Photos courtesy of Brides

Off The Shoulder

While off-the-shoulder gowns have been popular for the last decade, this year we saw designers moving away from the bohemian aesthetic. This new, elevated look is a spin on romantic, Victorian era design with soft draping in luxurious fabrics. We’ve also seen many of the designers make the sleeves removable, allowing the wearer more flexibility in their look and full range of motion. 

Photos courtesy of Brides

Two-Piece Looks 

The most unique trend we saw hit the runway this season was the two-piece wedding look. Designers have begun to lean into bridal separates to embrace the trend of multiple looks on a wedding day. These looks not only allow for easier customization, but also allow brides to have multiple looks in one. The most common of these looks we saw included removable sleeves, overskirts, toppers and capes, but we also saw options that included bridal separates such as tops and skirts. While these looks are still mostly designed for reception outfits, we’re starting to see a few designers test out the waters in traditional bridalwear as well. 

Photos courtesy of Brides

Bridal Fashion with SamiaLynn Designs

As a wedding illustrator, I find it to be incredibly important to stay on top of the bridal fashion trends. Watching and learning from New York Bridal Fashion Week is one of my favorite parts of my job. I love to see how looks evolve over the years, and how my couples interpret these fashion trends into their own days. If you’re getting married and looking for someone to come and memorialize your look with an illustration, I’d love to be a part of your day! Head over to my bridal page for custom illustrations or reach out for live illustrations.

While many bridal store owners are flying back from Barcelona right now, we’re still reeling from the fashion at NY Bridal Market. 

If you don’t know what that is, it is a week (in April and October) where many bridal designers that are based in NYC and the surrounding areas show their newest collections to their retailers. Store owners/buyers fly in from around the country to order the samples that they will have available in store for brides to try on. There are other markets similar to this in Chicago, Los Angeles, and as I’ve already mentioned, Barcelona.  These events range from a room with racks of dresses all the way to a glamorous fashion show similar to fashion week. 

Every season we like to track the most common trends to see how real brides wear the trends in the next year. This year there were a few very distinct details that we have to tell you about!

1. Color

   We saw so many colors this season! Black wedding dresses are in the top of google searches as always, but this season many designers played with pastels and water colors (Ines Di Santo was one of my favs!)

2. Short dresses

A big conversation right now is second dresses, particularly short dresses. Many designers are coming out with entirely new collections of short dresses for the party look, but many others have included a shorty or 2 into their standard collections (hello, elopement people!). My favorite way to see this done is with a closed overskirt so you truly get 2 looks in 1! This is typically the most cost effective way to get a second dress as well, but short dresses are also popular for other wedding events like the engagement party, rehearsal dinner/welcome party, or day after brunch

3. Drop waist

In the same way jeans are dropping low in street style again, so are the waistlines of bridal gowns! You’ll see this in two different ways, a basque waist which is a v shape (think “Bridgerton”), or a standard straight drop waist. We are seeing these in every variety from just slightly lower than the natural waist to so low you’re concerned about what could be seen A La Lady Gaga at the Academy Awards this year

4. Sheer

Many brides have become more and more concerned with the weight of their wedding dresses. Personally, I blame Covid because we wore athleisure for over a year and now many of us still work from home at least a few days a week in casual clothes. The heaviest part of a dress can typically be the lining. Removing the lining not only takes physical weight away from the dress, but also visual weight. Being able to see slightly through the dress gives an airy look like the dream scenes from a movie

Which of these trends would you consider including in your wedding look? Or DM me on Instagram and I’d love to discuss!

PS- Have you seen the sketches I did of Berta’s new collection this season? They’ve been featured in the online magazine Wedding Day Match! Click here to check it out

Samantha Shammas, Author and Owner of SamiaLynn