7 Wedding Fashion Trends 2025 Brides, Grooms, and Big-Day VIPs Shouldn’t Overlook

Your wedding day is one of the biggest—if not the biggest—days of your life, so of course you want your wedding dress or suit to make you feel like the best version of yourself. Your big-day look will be preserved for years to come in videos, photos, and on social media, so there’s a lot of pressure to find something that is absolutely perfect. While many brides and grooms want their looks to feel timeless and classic, there’s something fun about embracing and experimenting with current trends on your big day. To-be-weds often fret that subscribing to fashion fads will result in a look that feels “dated” a few decades down the road—but when you tie the knot is part of your story, too! And if you put together an on-trend look carefully and strategically, you’ll look back on your walk down the aisle without a single regret. 

In 2025, brides, grooms, and other big-day VIPs, like the wedding party and the parents of the couple, are feeling the pull to have a little more fun with their outfits, and for good reason: Their choices are more varied and exciting than ever. “As we step into 2025, we’re seeing bridal fashion embrace a beautiful balance of tradition and innovation,” says Ines Di Santo, a bridal designer and founder of her eponymous line. “Brides today want to make a statement that feels both timeless and uniquely their own.” 

As 2025’s defining wedding-dress trends—which we first observed at both April and October New York Bridal Fashion Week—prove, brides are really pushing boundaries.  Esé Azénabor-Grembowski, the owner and creative director of her eponymous bridal and fashion line, says that “sparkle, bows, drop and basque waistlines, detachable skirts and other elements, exposed corsets, pops of color, and sheer elements” should all be on your radar. Men, too, are embracing fashion-forward options (like necklaces and extra-wide lapels) when curating their wedding-day looks—as are mothers of the bride and groom, who are making a splash in lush jewel tones and metallics.

Ahead, industry pros and fashion experts share the biggest bridal, menswear, and wedding-day VIP trends to keep an eye on for 2025 celebrations.

Jacquard and Brocade Fabrics and Textures

Call it the Bridgerton effect, but brides on the hunt for the perfect wedding dress are embracing rich, luxurious textures, including jacquard and brocade, which are raised, woven patterns often with a floral motif (Princess Eugenie’s wedding dress is the perfect example). “We’ve been incorporating them into our collection,” affirms Justin Warshaw, the CEO and creative director of bridal line Justin Alexander.

Di Santo is also a fan. “For 2025, expect to see intricate textures taking center stage—think 3D floral appliqués, unexpected layering, and rich embroidery that adds depth and movement,” she says. “Many brides want their gown to feel like a unique piece of art, something that reflects who they are in this moment,” she says. “The bold textures are a response to this desire for individuality. They make the gown feel alive and layered with meaning, capturing light, movement and depth.”

New-Age Waistlines

Updated wedding-dress silhouettes are arguably one of the biggest shifts we’re seeing in big-day fashion right now. Sure, a cinched waist gown is a classic, as is a sleek empire waist column, but it’s de rigueur for 2025 brides to experiment with different silhouettes—and namely, unique waistlines. Warshaw is “particularly excited about the resurgence of drop and basque waistlines,” which fell out of favor in the last decade but are back in a big way. A drop waist falls below the natural waistline, similar to a flapper dress, and can either lead to a full skirt or a slimmer style. Basque waists have a form-fitting bodice with a lower waistline and a V-shaped dip.

Azénabor-Grembowski has also noticed a return to these “old-fashioned” looks. “The popularity of drop waist and basque waist gowns, along with exposed corseting, might stem from Bridgerton and other period piece dramas,” she says.

Soft Color and Metallics

White and ivory wedding gowns aren’t going anywhere, but Di Santo notes that “color is making a lovely comeback.” Brides are gravitating toward gowns in blush pink, lavender, soft blues, and—new and notably—subtle metallics. “It adds a modern twist that photographs beautifully,” she says. 

Color or shimmer allows a bride the chance to be “playful, to explore fashion as a form of self-expression on one of the most important days of their lives,” says Di Santo. “Whether it’s a detachable cape or a gown with a hint of blush, these elements make it possible for a bride to stand out and feel authentically herself. They strike a balance between tradition and a sense of adventure, which is exactly what modern brides are looking for.”

Quick-Change Reception Dresses

“In 2025, reception dresses are all about versatility and making a statement,” says Warshaw. He notes that “convertible gowns” with detachable skirts, capes, and overskirts that let brides do a quick change-up from the ceremony to the party are key (gone are the days of a full-blown outfit change that takes brides away from the party). “[These pieces] can be removed to reveal a sleeker, more dance-friendly silhouette underneath,” Warshaw explains. Sheer details, jumpsuits, and two-piece sets will also continue to be popular for the post-dinner dance party. 

Vintage-Coded Tuxedos (and Accessories)

A classic black tuxedo or well-fitted suit will always be in style, but Anthony Bolognese, a custom clothier and founder of Capitol Hill Clothiers in Washington, D.C., has noticed an uptick in men looking for “unique black-tie attire” ahead of 2025; these looks are meant to stand out, with a fashion-forward and slightly vintage edge. He’s seen “super-wide lapels with bold accents, gender-bending statement neckwear like a pussybow, rather than a traditional tie or bow tie, and a throwback to Old Hollywood, Art Deco, and ‘20s-inspired silhouettes.” 

“I think the age of ‘this wedding is for her’ is gone. The guys want to show up with vigorous style intentions, too,” Bolognese says. “Think black, white, and gold—a classic Cartier tank, wide lapels, a traditional pleated tux shirt, vintage glasses, and a memorable bow tie.”

Maximalist Menswear

Warshaw agrees that wedding-day menswear is headed in a more formal, opulent, and fashion-driven direction, and believes that bold color will be a factor in 2025, as well. He cites “tailored suits in deep emeralds and burgundies and other nontraditional colors and patterns, such as olive green and cream,” as trends to consider, also noting that the “return of formality is evident with the resurgence of double-breasted jackets.” Similarly to how raised, tactile fabrics will peak in wedding-dress design, texture will also play a significant role in menswear, with tweeds and velvets high on the list, Warshaw adds.

Jarod Walburn, style expert at the Black Tux, calls this menswear maximalism—and says it will be key in 2025. “I see more people experimenting with pattern, color, and fit, and wearing unique accessories—a trend toward variety,” he says. “Some of this is cyclical, but the more you see a style trend, the more comfortable you feel trying it for yourself—especially when the stakes are high, and weddings are pretty up there.” Because more grooms are embracing pattern and texture for their wedding-day looks, it doesn’t feel like as much of a risk as it has in the past.

To bring these looks to life, Walburn recommends adding a cummerbund and button studs to a tuxedo for a little pizzazz. “I love the way a cummerbund shifts the proportions of the tux,” he explains. “It’s very much of the moment, while still feeling classic. And button studs are a simple way to add to the ornamentation of your look.” For a more casual wedding, try “muted, earthy fabric colors like olive or camel suiting, and patterned neckwear,” Walburn suggests. “These may sound like small changes, but the little things really impact the overall feel of your outfit.”

One-Shoulder or Off-the-Shoulder Mother-of-the-Bride Dresses

Brides are getting creative with waistlines in 2025, but their moms are experimenting with necklines, says style expert Lindsey Bernay, who advises mothers of the bride and groom to give one-shoulder or off-the-shoulder ensembles a try. Just make sure the cut of your dress suits the bride’s, since you’ll be posing together for pictures (and you don’t want your necklines to clash or create an awkward line in photos). “For an elegant, timeless look, classic off-the-shoulder dresses or gowns with a stand-up collar are both great choices,” she adds.