Minimalist wedding dresses

[ExsitedBride]

I am engaged and looking for a wedding dress. I really like the look of "minimalist" wedding dresses but wonder if they're too plain? Obviously don't want to ask my fiancé as would want the dress to be a surprise for him and my bridesmaids seem a bit underwhelmed when I show them what I'm looking at. I'm a size 10 if that's relevant and 5'5". If you saw a bride in something like this would you think it looked elegant and good or just boring? Honest opinions please!

Very elegant and expensive looking. This is the style rich people wear. If they're not in boho- same silhouette but with an overlay of lace and beading.

Loads of Vera Wang dresses look like that.
Just lovely.

Very elegant in its simplicity. Love it!

Far from detracting from the bride, I think it helps the bride shine!

The frothier dresses (think 1980s etc) - all you noticed was the dress, the woman buried in it could hardly be seen

Also, your photos will be a lot less embarrassing to look back on.

"The frothier dresses (think 1980s etc) - all you noticed was the dress, the woman buried in it could hardly be seen"

This ^^

I suggest getting yourself to Wed2Be - preferably at a quiet time - and trying several styles on. You might not like the styles but you can get a good idea of the shape you feel best in, and you don't need to make an appointment or anything.

My sister wore a very simple dress when she got married. She looked so beautiful. It took my breath away and I sobbed like an idiot .

God yes I love them 😍

If you like it, go for it. There's no right or wrong for a wedding dress, as everyone likes something different. (Personally I knew I wanted a big white ballgown with a sparkly sweetheart strapless top, a nice train and a full length 2 tier veil. I was so sure I only tried on 2 dresses and chose the 2nd one).
I'd try something like that on first, but I'd also suggest maybe trying somethings with a bit of sparkle to it as well, just to see the difference. (I don't know if you're planning on wearing a veil or anything, but if so you could maybe have a veil with a bit of sparkle, to stand out against the dress?
But I'm sure you'll look lovely whatever you chose.

Simple does it for me. No sparkles. Each to their own, but I do like the idea of sleeves/bolero for a bride and her maids in a church. It's not the place for showing flesh. If a registry office/humanist service, fair enough. And of course you can get a dress that translates from serious to dancing with a lovely jacket for the service - the Duchess of Cambridge had an overdress which she took off for the celebration. BTW Sarah Chatto's dress was a miracle of royal restraint - but then her mother's was brilliant too. Good luck OP

I love them. I had a very minimalist sheat dress made of silk.
Now I was in the physical shape of my life at that point, there was no scope for any lumps and bumps, but I loved my dress so much.

I did try on dresses I'd not usually have gone for and just didn't like them. Lace, sparkles etc do nothing for me.

Thank you everyone it's really good to hear your opinions as I haven't seen a bride wear something simple and straight before. Will try some on and go from there but that's definitely the look I'll be going for (we'll see anyway!)

Where do you live OP? My sister had her dress designed and handmade if you need recommendations .

Lovely dresses.
Look out for decent fabric and don't wuss out and over accessorise. Try on a few. Shaping of armhole, placement of shoulder strap. Ruching on the belly. Need to do it right.
But sigh I do find this much more gorgeous than lots of detail. But you have to be brave - it puts you much more on stage. If you really aren't sure do something you are more comfortable with. You should feel yourself when you get married.

This is a dress DD is considering - very simple shape and plain at front but quite like the detail at back

Dig out photos of the cambridge wedding. Who looked better, the bride in a fussy lace thing that made it look like her bra was showing through due to all the lumps and bumps, or the bridesmaid in a simple white dress?

I had something similar - Suzanne Neville, for all of her footballer's wives gowns, does a couple of stunning simple silk crepe dresses. I wore "Solitaire" and it felt wonderful after a day of trying on lace identikit gowns (2014 = peak lace).

As a pp said, I wore a full veil for the ceremony and loved it. I don't regret a thing about my dress.

I love this particular Suzanne Neville dress from her current collection.

They're really nice. Far better that, than a meringue

My mum and sister were distinctly unimpressed with my dress choice when I showed them. But I love this one and I will have it! Your dress choices are lovely OP. do what makes you feel good.

pinot very elegant and hallelujah, not strapless!!

How toned are you? They don't really look good on anyone with curves so if you're fairly straight and toned should be good.

JaceLanc your daughter's dress is 😍!

OP i think this style is utterly stunning but two words of caution: in my experience the shape and fabric are very unforgiving. All these dresses are silky / satiny and if you get a water droplet on them it can be disasterous. I loved a 1920s gown until my mum pointed out that the condensation from a champagne glass would mark it.

She also, helpfully, said 'i love it but its a choice between full body spanx or not eating for the night 6 months'. Sadly she was right

Apparently I wore a minimalist dress although of course at the time I didn't know it was 'a thing'! I knew I wanted something elegant and classy but more importantly, something that wouldn't date (so not a strapless dress, for example).

I got so many positive comments but I think the best comment was one received just a few days ago, apropos of nothing, from a friend who said "I think I appreciate your dress now even more than I did on the day. X years later and it just hasn't aged," which I thought was lovely.

I think the three you've linked to are fabulous. Go for it!

I want to like them and I prefer slightly simpler dresses myself, but they look a little bit too plain and I think a little bit like well draped sheets. However, the dress that JaceLanc has posted is gorgeous-sinple but with something extra to stop it just being a few yards of white fabric. Good luck and congrats!

Thank you special, the idea of spending a day hitching up a strapless dress is my idea of hell! I'm sure the OP would agree

I think they're gorgeous! I wanted a simple dress for my wedding but had a small budget and ended up getting a ridiculously good deal on a corseted-full-skirted affair so went with that. It was a stunning dress, and I felt like a princess in it, but I always feel a brief pang of sadness when I see someone in something really simple and minimalist that I might have gone for if money had been no object.
If you can afford the dress of your dreams, go for that one :)

I think they are very nice. Stylish, understated and elegant. Go try them on and see. I guess one thing is there is nowhere to hide in them, being so clingy. They will definitely need toned arms, a flat tummy and a 'Pippa' bottom.