When we think of weddings, the first thing that comes to mind is the bridal dress. And what we imagine is typically white, elegant, and lacy. You know the drill!
Dress To Impress?
Some girls take their dress affair to a whole new level, creating unique designs for a day everyone will remember. And outside of the Western world? Things get much more interesting than classic white pretty quickly!
What is this elaborate costume? Why it's a traditional Mongolian wedding dress! Not a style you see every day, and what a shame. This beautiful garment is actually called a Deel, patterned clothing that has been worn for hundreds of years by the nomadic tribes of Central Asia.
Let's explore unique wedding gowns in the West and around the world today. We report, you decide!
Which culture has the edge on design at the moment?
Haute Gorani
The Gorani people are a small group you may not have heard about lately — or possibly ever! There are only around 60,000 of them in the world today. And where are they, you ask?
Where in the world are the Gorani? Just hanging out in the Gora region, which is located in between Macedonia and Kosovo. Away from the world, they have come up with some pretty unique wedding couture!
On the big day, she is carried on a white horse with a decorative umbrella to her beloved's home so the families can unite. It sounds like a colorful affair! Sorry, we couldn't attend, Mrs. Gorani.
The Real Kazakhstan
It turns out that the government of Kazakhstan was actually pretty irritated with the depiction of their country in Borat years ago. They even bought commercials to combat the image of their culture that this crazy movie promoted. Let's a real look at their wedding dresses, shall we?
In a traditional ceremony, brides usually wear a headdress called a "Saukele" and a veil to cover their faces. This special item is made years in advance when the girls are children! We see elements of cone, gold, and fuzz going on here. Very nice!
Veil Game
The Bedouins are a group of nomadic Arabs that have long-lived throughout the Middle East in the desert. Sand has no obvious borders, and you can find them in many different countries today throughout the region.
Some of the Bedouins have given up the wandering lifestyle, while others continue the ways of their forefathers. Across the spectrum, weddings as a nice place to maintain traditions for everyone!
In traditional ceremonies, Bedouin girls often wear a heavy, decorative veil. To achieve a little luxury in the desert, it's chock full of precious metal and beads! All handmade, baby. Looks great, don't you think?
Mountain Love
When we think of Peru, we all probably think of something colorful. And in the case of indigenous weddings, that would be true!
The people of the Andes mountain region dress their brides in bright woven cloaks, with special hats to complete the look. Tassels decorate the headpiece, and additional layers of patterned material come with the skirt and poncho.
Altogether, a pretty complicated outfit compared to the classic white dress! Can anything this unique be done with Western designs? Let's look at a few attempts at the unconventional.
Sea Legs
This one has a really interesting texture, doesn't it? Made to look like the foam of the waves breaking on the shore, it is a fantastic concept dress. The bare feet are a nice touch! Out of curiosity, was the bride was a mermaid before?
We imagine this is the dress that evil Ursula transformed with Ariel's voice might have worn, had things gone her way in the end. They sure didn't, so now we can admire it on a genuinely pleasant occasion. Sea witch be damned!
What You See Isn't What You Get
Why? To make sure you have a color matching the shoes? Did the seamstress run out of fabric at the last moment and there was nothing the bride could do?
Is it a tribute to the bride's character that is about to dramatically change after taking the vows? Sadly, we don't have a picture of the husband when he sees it.
Drowning In Sugar
The idea is kind of cute, designing your wedding attire to represent a sweet marriage, however, the dresses are tacky.
It looks like the little girls are drowning in sugar, while everyone else is just dissatisfied with what they have to wear. I doubt their future wedding gowns will ever make this list.
I Love You Pumpkin
When most of us say that, we mean it metaphorically, not literally. I guess this bride decided that being called "pumpkin" was an inspiration and a great way to surprise her hubby.
So she wore three of them one on top of the other. On the other hand, it may be concealing the fact that she has no hands.
The Red Carpet
This dress is for women who want it all. The killer wedding dress and the red carpet.
Too bad this bride decided to combine the two instead of enjoying them both separately. If someone gets too drunk, they'll literally be walking all over her.
Beyonce & Jay-Z
Thank God for the paparazzi, we just got an up-close look at Beyonce and Jay-Z look-alikes getting married freestyle.
Only this time, the wedding is not elegant, and the dress has some form of blue spray paint in the back. Maybe it says "Blue Ivy" on the backs with a picture? One could never know...
Can't Handle The Wait
Some brides can't handle waiting past the wedding vows and want to get straight to the cake.
Wearing an oversized dress that glues you to the floor is a new form of coping. That's the price you pay when all you've been waiting for is your buttercream, vanilla delicious treat!
Night Marriage
You don't need any batteries or electrical wires on your body with this one. A glow-in-the-dark wedding dress.
The idea is nice, but when does a wedding get dark enough to really enjoy the design?
Anger Management
This dress might seem simple and nice, but it's quite the opposite.
It has no defined lines or contour - any research will tell you that undefined bodies make people negative and angry. Define your dress!
I Believe!
They say love gives you wings (or is that Red Bull?) and that getting married should be the happiest day of your life. So, in the true spirit of synergy, why not combine the two and add wings to the dress?
Well as you can see, wearing feathers doesn't give you wings nor do they enable you to fly.
Man's Best Friend
Someone call the ASPCA and report unusual animal cruelty. Please. No, I don’t get the statement here, I don’t understand the humor.
Dressing dogs should be a crime. Unless the marrying couple is a real hound and bitch and are really trying to make a statement. Otherwise, the canines should have been guests of honor, but without the quirk.
1,000 faces
This dress looks like it was inspired by Arya Stark and the fifth season of Game of Thrones. The woman's face is covered but she's wearing numerous other faces around her waist.
To me, they look like they're hanging around her belt like beheaded skulls of victims. A Halloween wedding?
Light In The Dark
Maybe this woman is so dark, or the venue is so exceptionally poorly lit that she had to put some light into herself, so she started with the dress first.
If not, then what a weird and deranged bride. If she thinks this is beautiful, then she needs a real wake up call.
Hello Kitty, Hello Kiddie
Maybe her body matured into a full adult figure, but the bride clearly never let her inner child die out and go ten feet under.
It's still on the stand so maybe it's an idea waiting for a client. To the one who goes for it props for keeping that inner child, not all of us have the bravery to do so, kiddo!
Ramen Noodle Brain
Although it isn't clear whether the dress is made out of Ramen Noodle packages, one could say this woman's brain is wired all noodles and things of that nature.
I like the idea of using your wedding as a place to make a statement, but this isn't what I had in mind.
Party Favors
Well, it seems to be that the wedding is designed for men, and the more balloons they pop bring out the party favor: A half-naked, gorgeous bride.
Or, in this case, the popping of the balloons can be a genius way to freak out the in-laws till they run off screaming from the awful noises. On the other hand, popping all those balloons looks like a fun way to consummate the marriage.
Animal Inspired
If this was worn by anyone else, it would have been a catastrophe. But the lady wearing it is about to become a princess and therefore a royal inspired gown is not only acceptable, but it's also part of the deal.
If you're looking at her anxious and overwhelmed expression, she's about to become a princess while people around the world are about to watch the procession. Kind of nerve-wracking.
Trick Or Treat
Wow! Halloween costumes have been brought to a new level, this time walking down the aisle. It leaves you to ponder, is she a trick, or a treat for her husband to be?
He'll find out at night, we'll find out if they get a divorce. Either way, this is how she decided to honor the biggest day of her life.
Traditional
Did Robert G. Heft (the man who designed the American Flag) come back from the grave and do this dress design himself?
Hat's off for the new definition of free speech and national pride.
Animal Balloons
If you look closely into the dress, you'll see that the regular balloons are tied by the same balloons that clowns use to make animal balloons.
This is so cheap it must be designed by the top of the top clowns. I'm always open to new things and I like to see designers experiment, especially with new materials, but green?
Poor Prince Charming
Prince Charming here is drowning in an overdose of Cinderella's giant fluff ball of a gown.
Don't you think she should wait until the marriage gets completely rocky to suffocate him with her awful clothing articles? Then again, this may be just a preview of what he should expect at home.
Concealment Number 3
Only this time, this woman is covering up an awful hair day. You can tell by how tall the veil is in comparison to her tiny face. Don't forget to note the mermaid design around her legs.
In fact, this dress had no way of working. Mermaids always have bad hair days, At least the groom was nice enough to match his suit to her dress, and help her down the aisle.
Poor Peacock
I know that your wedding night is the most important night you can imagine and you want to garner as much attention as you can.
I can dig the desire to eclipse the hubby, but wearing peacock feathers is a little overdoing it!
Non Disclosure
Am I the only one who thinks this dress is very phallic? Perhaps a condom? Is she trying to express how enclosed her new social status feels like?
Either way, it looks very uncomfortable and hard to walk down the aisle or dance in.
The Cupcake Queen
This dress is sure to turn heads, if only because it makes you want to come and grab a delicious looking cupcake from the bride.
Truth is, maybe she was trying to save on not having to buy a wedding cake! Regardless, we can imagine getting your groove on in this dress is quite the challenge.
Trashy
Big "Mama" June brings trashy to a whole new level. Using trash bags as a cloth for a dress. Creative, but trashy and tasteless all the same.
There's the right place to make an environmental statement, and then there's the wedding reception.
Valentine Gone Wrong
No. Just plain and simply no. Save the costume for Halloween to dress up as some ratchet form of hearts stuck to a walking freak show.
Thank goodness she'll only wear it for one night.
Pretty In Pink
Pretty in pink? Or just simply, lack of taste in some odd color meant to be pink and beautiful?
I guess she was hoping the fairy godmother would come and save her.
Runway, Run Away
This woman is walking the runway, while her husband isn't walking, he's running away.
Serves you right for keeping everything a secret and hoping "everyone gets it". Sometimes they don't.
Let Em' Loose
Sometimes your breasts are so big, it would be painful to wear a bra throughout the whole ceremony.
The dress may be overexposing some cleavage, but in certain cases, you have to skip the whole "beauty is painful" when it comes to your larger than normal boobies. Either way, it's a great way to warm up any cold feet.
Boo Peep
Well... There is not much to say to this picture other than the woman is marrying her sheep.
She probably loves it so much that she cut some of the hair off to feel closer to it on their special wedding day. I don't know how happy the hubby is knowing she sheered his mate for the dress.
Tis' the Season
To dress like a walking Christmas bush, falala-lala-lala-la-la...
On a more serious note, this dress could be perfect for a blackout theme though. A bride is the center of attention, you don't need a luminous dress to stand out!
Drinks Anyone?
You want everyone to be happy and full of joy on your day of days, you want to be a good host and server, everyone, a drink personally. You may even be a bartender.
Tonight, you get served and be a princess. Let someone else carry the load for the day.
Who/What Are You?
I really feel sorry for the poor hubby who meets this outfit at the altar. I'm not sure what mythical creatures are smashed together here.
I recognized a unicorn, a griffin, a Minotaur and perhaps even a dragon. I know what's missing - the future wife who thought this is a dressing party and not her wedding.
Multi-Tasking
Although it could be smart to have many hands and tentacles to do everything at your wedding, this dress is just disgusting.
I'm not a big fan of octopus either.
Straight Out of Broadway
Broadway costumes are awesome. The women who wear them dance, jump, hop, skip and sing are inspiring. But this is taking it a little too far. Remember, it's your wedding night.
There will be singing, there will be dancing and a lot of joy and laughter. All this doesn't make it the cabaret.
Face-Off
Usually, at the wedding, the bride wants to also give her face and beautiful makeup some attention. But this dress takes away from anyone looking at the bride’s face.
I mean, there is already a giant face taking up the entire dress! Maybe it is meant to be an expression of art, but to me, it seems this belongs in an art gallery rather than on a bride!
Robo Bride
It is like this bride has taken a trip to the very distant future in the robot styles metallic dress. I am not sure you can even call it a gown with the futuristic design and the tight choker.
Let’s not even get started on that veil that is very reminiscent of a nun!
Black Swan
Ok, let's see you try and kiss the bride. Can you even reach her? The idea behind this design must be a dream.
That is, falling asleep on that ball of fluff so you may dream.
Artsy
Gotta hand it to this bride too, she really does pull off the artsy look for her matrimony with Picasso.
I like the dual purpose, a wedding dress combined with a nightgown.
Giving You Lemons
You know the saying... when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. That's exactly what I would have told her husband to be.
Do everything as if it was something you COULD look at. Just close your eyes.
Static
This dress must be worn only after charging yourself with static electricity.
Just hope those strings don't get stuck in a fan or a car door.
Feather Love
So, you've decided to take that loving step towards a new life with your rooster... I mean... man.
You can show him how much you love him by showing up in this dress for your wedding. Surprise him. We're sure he'd love it.
Have A Cupper
Yes, we saw something similar before, but technology advances. A good idea gets developed and upgraded like this "take a drink" dress.
We're not sure what the groom has on, but hey.. he was never the important party in a wedding.
Hide Forest, Hide!
When your partner is trying to miss the big day by "going hunting with the boys" and forgetting to return... this is what you need to have on.
Now just get the priest to get on his own camo and... on to the woods!
Origami
We're sure this dress isn't made of paper, but the folding theme it has going on is mesmerizing.
People won't be able to stop looking at your legs if they could find them...
Red (Like Your Future!)
A groom seeing this dress on his wedding day might have his fight-or-flight instinct wake up.
So if you plan on wearing this strong red, try to get your groom doing something out of the box as well.
Married With A Conscience
Why spend thousands on a wedding dress, when you can combine your happiest day with your beliefs?
Get this recycle wedding dress, made out of Coke cans. You can actually dispose of it as you leave the church.
Comfy
I really don't know what your betrothed would prefer... saying 'I do', or saying 'I sleep'.
This comfy wedding dress will surely be a great solution when marrying in the Alps, or at night. Or at the Alps, at night.
Part Of A Rainbow
We believe that all colors of the rainbow should be represented at a marriage, but hey eggplant is close enough.
This dress looks like you couldn't decide if you wanted pink or purple.
Hot Indian Red
We strongly believe in intercultural marriage (we think).
So taking this body-shaped dress and designing it Eastern style can turn heads all the way to the altar (Eastern, as in the area of the planet and not in the US).
Human Cake
Remember those doll shaped cakes you got for your sweet 16th birthday?
This dress must be a nostalgic reference to all those women who got stuck with that cake as part of their wedding daydream.
Rag
"Hey, guys? Someone dropped a bag full of rags on your dress... oh, wait..." You don't want to hear that on your wedding day, now do you?
So please... rags go under the sink not on your body.
Spring-Autumn
This time we take a look at nature and how it connects to humans on their special day. How are you and plants? Are you ok with this mixed seasonal wedding dress?
Let's hope that your betrothed doesn't do like a tree and leave.
Royal Mass
Wedding gowns can sometimes be dangerous for a bride, especially when her stepchildren despise her so much and it's a windy day in London.
It looks great in a magazine, and when you become princes, those things really matter. The man in the red military suit is actually Prince Charles. So sad that such a royal wedding with all the bells ended the way it did.
The Rack
Everyone is going to look at your dress, and how it sits on your body. This woman decided that on her wedding day, no one is going to miss her face and look at her breasts.
The outcome does the exact opposite. You really can't take your eyes off that rack cover.
I'm Gonna Swing From the Chandelier
If this bride is a mega Sia fan, then the dress is a smart idea in the theatrical wedding world. Think of it as a tribute to the classic "Chandelier".
If not, then she is one strange character of a bride. I love the hat though, it really has a saying. NOT!
Concealment Number Two
I give to you concealment number two. The look on this woman's face shows a discomfort.
Maybe she has a gas issue and had to use a huge dress to cover up the stench before her husband would run away. How is that dress going to fit through the door?
What A Pooch!
I'm not sure of the creature next to her is hers, or her inspiration.
Now I'm as open-minded as the next person, and even though I'm not exactly sure if what she's wearing is really a dress, the animal really steals the show. Maybe, that's actually the husband?
He Called Me The White Rose
"...and I liked it so much, I made it my wedding dress theme!" If there was a dress here that didn't compliment the person who was wearing it - it's this one, and it's not the bride's looks, it's the dress.
Where were all her friends to tell her that it's such an awful choice?
Burn It! Burn It With Fire!
I could not even find the words to describe this dress, but from the back, it looks scorching. Although most of the dresses in this article are ratchet, this one just took my breath away in all the wrong ways possible.
Perhaps she plans to burn it after the wedding and is giving us a preview.
Delusional Delusions
Is this bride delusional? Or did she simply think that she could pull off a dress this ugly? Multicolors can be pulled off if done the right way, but this is just a no go.
We'll give her the credit for trying in front of everyone.
Body Paint
Why be so primitive? Why go for a real dress when you can be so creative and original and just paint your wedding gown directly on your body.
You get a one of a kind design and guests will probably talk about it forever. Even so, that too-too dress will never fly.
A View To Kill
Stick up for the second amendment and the American way! There really is no other reason to wear jungle camouflage for a wedding dress.
Unless part of the entertainment is paintball of hunting. On the upside, when she or her new hubby gets too drunk, no one will be able to see them. Perhaps that's the whole point.
Christmas!
Some men think that when they get married, Christmas is going to come early, at least for a while.
This bride really tried to prove her new hubby right – by wearing antlers on her head. Then again, I may be mistaken and this dress is actually a homage to Elves.
Playboy Bunny
Costume parties are a great excuse to dress up a little slutty and enjoy the boys' drooling looks. Wearing bunny ears is always a good touch if that's where you're aiming.
But putting bunny ears on your wedding dress? It may be giving off the wrong message, even if you want to ensure everyone knows how lucky he is.
All Hands On Deck
Weddings are dramatic and flashy affairs in every culture. One assumes that the more effort put into the wedding, the happier the couple is.
So when you see that a woman can harness her entire village to help her carry her wedding dress, you wonder if this is something that everyone signed up for when they RSVPed.
Graffiti
Way back when in Junior high, everyone had a piece of cardboard with their classmates' autographs on it.
It was something you did at a class party, it was cool for a while and then you grew up. So why would you choose to have every wedding guest sign your wedding dress?
Class From The Past
Listen Boo, this look was classy maybe two centuries ago, but there is a good reason why women don't wear this look anymore.
There are great ways to go retro and still be a part of the 21st century Get with the program!
The Queen Of Hearts
Wow. Talk about a dramatic entrance! I'll bet her first order of business after she wore that dress was to shout "Off with his head!" and in this Queen of Hearts outfit, someone would hop to and do as their told!
Eclecticism is nice when done with taste. This dress just took all the accented features in style in the past 200 years and mashed them together.
Yoko Ono Inspired
If you really wanted to do a hippie, Yoko Ono inspired wedding, why not design your look after her without the huge, ratchet flower pots on everyone's heads?
I'm sure her bridesmaids will have their revenge when their time comes.
Good Scents
Gotta hand it to this one, she does have a good sense of how to make the wedding smell so sweet like her future marriage.
Out of all the dresses, this one is close to a good kind of strange.
Out Of This World
You really have to be some kind of alien to wear this dress. The flowers are nice, and can actually grow on you.
It's the headpiece that steals all the thunder and focus. Is it a cage? Is it an unfinished structure? It looks very uncomfortable, silly and pointless.
Little Bo Peep
We are talking bows on bows on bows, this rather wacky wedding gown looks half done with the pieces of material falling from it.
And it is clear there is some serious bow obsession going on with this designer. Boys on her head to bows on her feet. Still, there is something quite endearing about this flowery dress!
All On Display
Usually, a wedding dress is meant to be a little more modest with the lingerie underneath for later in the night, but this wedding gown (if you can call it that) clearly defines the norms and leaves very little to the imagination.
I am not sure how any man would feel if he saw his wife strutting down the aisle in this getup!
The Adams Family
We hope that on your wedding day you will go through it while being alive, right?
You could get your self a dead-colored dress, but we're not sure about what message that sends out.
Knights Templar
If you're part of that old order, this dress is for you. A beautiful design for a beautiful crusader.
We hope your husband-to-be will be arriving in full armor and on a horse.
Orange Is The New white
What can I say, I don't know what I find worse, the Orange suited hubby who sets a very low bar, or the dress that follows suit?
Straight men aren't the best dressers in the world, nor are men the most mature creature on earth. It's up to the new bride to set the standards and enforce them, sister. Go Girl Power!
Diaper Anyone?
To be a mother is a wonderful thing, but your wedding day is not the time to be dressed from head to toe in what clearly looks like diapers!
Everything about this dress is wrong, it is almost comical. Let's just hope they were all clean.
Show Off
We get it. You have a beautiful body and want to show it all of, but is see-through the right choice for a wedding?
That's one wedding I hope her dad skipped.
Self Love At Its Finest
It seems to me that learning to love yourself can come in any form, even marrying all of you.
If there is a lesson to learn here - no one can love you until you truly love yourself.
Bridezilla On The Loose
Someone needs to call the police because Bridezilla is on the loose and she is going to eat every man who has ever broken her heart.
Someone, please call 911...
Beauty Is Painful
Even in the case of dressing in hay to keep the farmer's tradition, beauty is painful.
On second thought, hat's off for being environmentally friendly.
And Then There Is Kim Kardashian
The Kardashian family isn't known for its excellent taste, not for its desire to steer away from the limelight. So when Kim got married you shouldn't have expected anything other than a conversation piece for a dress.
Note the flowers on her torso…True, it isn't as horrific as other dresses here, it just makes her look like a robot with greenwash awareness.
Fiona Inspired
Couldn't this woman save the costume for a Cosplay Convention rather than walking down the aisle as an ogre?
Or is true love's kiss going to melt off the makeup? The fact that you CAN, doesn't mean you have to.
Latex anyone?
If we're on the topic of fetishes, here's one that will probably catch everyone's eye. With that dress even I'd think of marrying her.
I'm not a big fan of latex, but everyone is a fan of sexy. Still, this wedding dress (and the bride wearing it) is not for the general public.
Better Safe Than Sorry
At least this bride is considerate in the party favors and the message behind her marriage.
I don't know who the bride-to-be is, but she's very considerate with her guests. It's better to be safe than marry someone in a shotgun wedding because the birth control just did not cut it.
The Eye!
It looks like this bride is marrying a non-human being belonging to a different species. It's short in the wrong places, leaving no room for her hands, adding endless spikes and the eye for a face.
I learned that it was an eye for an eye, not an eye for a head…
Marrying A Fan
Now that's a 76ers fan! It takes a very special kind of woman to get married in with her team's colors smeared across her wedding dress.
I hope the hubby is a 76ers fan as well, or their first marital argument is going to come sooner than expected.
The Magic Kingdom
This dress looks like the kind little girls wear to the Magic Kingdom at Disney when they want to dress up like a Disney Princess.
On the other hand, she actually looks good and happy in it, the necklace works, the embroidery brings out her tone, I don't really get the odd patch on her liver, if it was white, I could have actually liked it.
Regardless of what others think, we can all agree these dresses are entertaining to look at!
Would you be caught in the dresses coming up?
Lock And Key?
"My dearest groom, take this dress as a fair warning. My privates are the true power in this relationship."
"Not yours, but my beautiful one. Sincerely, Your Brazilian waxed wife."
Sparkling Clean
Once upon a time, we didn't have running water and people would shower only on special occasions. Weddings were definitely one of them.
So either this bride tried to prove that she had a thorough wash before her wedding night, or she's trying to express how bubbly a character she is.