31 White Wedding Looks to Consider From the Fall 2021 Runways

It’s been over a year since most of us have been to a wedding—at least the kind we attended in the Before Times, with crowded dance floors, over-the-top flower arrangements, and hundreds of guests. The ceremonies that did take place in 2020 were mostly on Zoom or outdoors with immediate family, a stark pivot from the destination weddings and weekend-long festivities many couples had planned. Frustrating as it was to postpone (and then postpone again), the silver lining of a pandemic wedding is that there are no rules to follow, no expectations to uphold. Anything goes! Most weddings were refreshingly low-key and personal as a result; the point was simply being together, not the spectacle or guest list.

What brides and grooms chose to wear changed, too; a five-figure ball gown doesn’t really jibe with a backyard party or civil ceremony. Women swapped crinolines and veils for more casual, experimental looks to match their new plans, expediting a trend that was in motion long before the pandemic. Modern brides are less and less concerned with tradition and propriety; instead they’re looking for gowns, jumpsuits, and mini dresses that reflect their style and accommodate dancing, eating, and hugging your friends (and don’t forget the Champagne!). Whether they purchased them in a bridal boutique or their favorite designer’s website hardly matters these days.

The spring 2022 bridal season is underway (virtually) here in New York, offering a glimpse of what brides might wear next year. But those planning summer or fall 2021 nuptials might be better off skipping the bridal boutique and shopping the runways instead. From Valentino to Dries Van Noten to Comme des Garçons, designers of every stripe offered a white dress fit for a bride (or anyone with a party on their schedule). Several came in crisp cotton, like Dior’s eyelet pinafore, ideal for outdoor ceremonies in warmer climates, while others were modeled on boudoir-ish slipdresses, like Kim Jones’s liquid silk Fendi number and Gabriela Hearst’s pleated Chloé gown. Simplicity isn’t always the goal; the fashion-loving bride will find plenty of bolder looks, too. Ashish’s tulle frock came speckled with rainbow sequins; Puppets & Puppets made the case for an abbreviated bustle; and Rick Owens showed a sculptural ivory column with a single black glove. Like we said: Anything goes. Scroll through the best bridal-but-not looks from fall 2021 below.