A Bride’s Guide to 2023 Summer Wedding Dress Trends

Hey there, stunning summer bride. Your wedding dress called, and it can’t wait for you to try it on. We know how daunting picking the dress can be, so we prepared this guide.

This summer wedding dress guide contains everything there is to know about wedding dress colors, various dress styles, how they complement your body shape, and your color options.

Besides choosing a wedding dress, you will also find this guide helpful if you’re preparing for a themed summer wedding. And with a dramatic twirl, here it is — an exposé on the top trends to inspire the style for your summer wedding dress.

Our Process

Each section in this guide is detail-yet-succinct enough to take you closer to being an expert in wedding dresses without overloading you. Our in-house stylists carefully researched and discussed wedding dress styles, colors, and trends. We also got wedding planners, bridal stylists, fashion designers, photographers, and brides to test our guide.

Brides especially loved this guide because it saved them time — I know I spend many hours choosing my dress for dinner dates, and so do you. That’s not to mention the billable for hiring a professional stylist for that long if you’re planning a budget wedding.

Likewise, bridal stylists who shared this guide with clients also commented that it helped their clients verbalize what they wanted, especially their wedding dress styles. You’ll also notice our pick of the top five wedding dress trends for vogue brides.

Wedding Dress Styles Chart

The OfficiallyMrs wedding dress styles chart has 12 silhouettes — a dress silhouette is how the shape of the dress hangs on your body.

Twelve silhouettes look like a lot, but you’ll soon learn how to tell them apart at a glance. In terms of the cut, silhouettes can be one-piece or two-piece. And in terms of the fit, a silhouette can be fitted, gown, or hybrid. Most brides focus on the fit rather than the number of pieces because it’s more important to express your idea.

Column

This silhouette is fitted from bust to floor. There’s no flare. Column wedding dresses are traditionally one-piece, but a creative designer can modify your wedding dress into a style that brings out your long, slender shape. If you choose the column for an outdoor summer wedding, consider adjusting the dress to give your skin room to breathe.

Sheath

A silhouette for the long, slender look. The bodice of the sheath is fitted from the neckline down to the floor and emphasizes small waists. We recommend this silhouette for tall or petite brides wearing heels. Brides who choose this dress usually add a high slit for comfort and, of course, to enchant everyone on their big day.

Slip

The slip is a dress of supermodels, fluid and elegant. But you don’t have to be a career model to pull off this one. Coming off the column and the sheath, the slip is less fitted. And this is why we love this silhouette, a dress for brides of all body types. You can do without a slit for this silhouette, but a thigh slit is perfect if you’re feeling risque.

Mermaid

This silhouette leaves grooms speechless and in tears at the sight of their brides. People say it’s the emotion of the day. We argue it’s the dress. The mermaid is a long, fitted, one-piece silhouette that flares out at the knees. You’ll love your wedding dress in this silhouette if you’re curvy or have broad shoulders. But don’t take our word for it. Try it on!

A-Line

The A-line is wedding dress fashion royalty. The bodice is fitted from bust to natural waist and flares out to form a triangle, just like a capital A. Brides of all body types can wear the A-line, but you’ll love it if you have a small waist and broad hips. The A-line is also perfect for looking taller – the waist-level fit makes your body appear longer.

Ball Gown

The ball gown is similar to the A-line, but the flare is more dramatic. The bodice is fitted from the bust, and the flare typically starts at the navel, near your natural waist. The difference between the A-line and the ball gown is in the “drama” at the flare. While the A-line relies on your waist and hips to carry the silhouette, the ball gown uses a petticoat, crinoline, or hoop skirt to emphasize the silhouette.

Trumpet

The trumpet is a hybrid dress with a fit that ends at the mid-thigh, halfway above the knees. The silhouette flares out from here down to the floor. Consider choosing the trumpet as an alternative to the A-line if you want to draw attention away from your waist.

Fit-and-Flare

The fit-and-flare has a fitted bodice that ends at the hips and a flare that is just below the knees. A floor-length dress in this silhouette also works, but the consensus among designers is that shorter is better.

Separates

This two-piece silhouette has a fitted bodice that naturally ends at the waist and a separate skirt that flares down to the knees or lower.

Jumpsuit

The jumpsuit as a wedding dress is a novelty to many brides. We think it’s an effortlessly stylish silhouette ideal for brides of all body types.

Pantsuit

The pantsuit has always been an androgynous power dress. This silhouette has something over the jumpsuit: it is versatile. You can choose to go for a classic, elegant, or sexy look, and you’ll own it.

Qun Kwa

The qun kwa is a colorful wedding dress traditionally worn by Asian brides. The two-piece silhouette includes a long skirt and a long flowing jacket. The styling options for the Qun Kwa are limited, but there’s no limit to how creative you can get with the detail.

Wedding Dress Color Options for Summer 2023

The warm summer weather calls for colors that make you feel cool and colors that fit your skin tone. There aren’t any hard rules, but trends we’ve seen favor darker shades for your bridal dress. Here are the top five wedding dress colors we picked for summer 2023 based on trends:

Ivory Color Wedding Dress

Ivory reigns supreme as the color of bridal dresses. There are also a variety of options for this color. Brides love ivory because it is soft, simple, yet sophisticated. The color lets you stay cool during the ceremony and works well with various decor palettes.

We recommend lilac, lavender, cinnamon rose, and burgundy as complementary colors for the bridesmaids’ dresses, but the rules are not set in stone.

Champagne Color Wedding Dress

Champagne feels luxurious and evokes a stylish, confident yet modest look. And like the drink, a champagne color wedding dress leaves you feeling refreshed all day long. We recommend blush pink, rust green, lavender, or baby blue as bridesmaids’ colors.

Cream Color Wedding Dress

Cream is a warm-weather essential and a good alternative to ivory and champagne. This color whispers confidence, and it is a lot easier to work with. We recommend soft lavender, light pink, and turquoise as great complementary colors for your bridesmaids’ dresses.

Rust Color Wedding Dress

Rust is a natural color classic. Lighter shades of this color are perfect for summer wedding dresses, especially if you plan to have a late summer wedding and the main event is outdoors. Consider colors like white, lilac, and mustard-yellow for the bridesmaids’ dress.

The Top 5 Wedding Dress Trends for Summer 2023

Designers draw their inspiration for wedding dresses from the season, inspiration that reflects in the fabric’s style and cut. By studying recent bridal collections, we’ve curated this list of trends that can help you choose a vogue wedding dress.

Necklines

The trend in necklines for summer 2023 bridal dresses are sweetheart, boat, and illusion. As seen in the Savannah Miller and Peter Langner summer 2023 collections, these necklines are practical for the season and enchanting. The plunge neckline, which made an appearance in the 2023 Cymbeline Collection, is another eye-catching option.

Sleeves

The trend to go with is sleeveless, off-shoulder, halter, or spaghetti straps. As usual, summer calls for practical, comfortable dresses, and designers are sensitive to this. We recommend glancing at the Ines Di Santo Spring 2023 Bridal Couture Collection for inspiration.

@inesdisantobridal Who’s here for a bit of sleeve drama? 😉☁️🥂 #inesdisanto #weddingdress #dreamweddingdress #puffsleeves #modernbride ♬ Silhouette Challenge (Instrumental) – DJB

Silhouettes

Fitted silhouettes remain popular for summer 2023 bridal dresses even after setting the tone for 2023 spring bridal dresses. You’re spoiled for options here. A-line is the classic choice, but Mermaid, Slip, and Sheath are equally favored for evoking femininity and elegance. You can check out Dana Harel’s SS/23 Collection for some creative, and gorgeous, examples.

@danaharelbridal We are women… we are unique ✨ Inspo @gowneyedgirl #weddinginspiration #weddingphotography #bridaldress #weddingdress #danaharel #designercouture #iamwoman #iamwomanchallenge #sayyestothedress ♬ I AM WOMAN – Emmy Meli

Bridal Trains

The chapel and cathedral trains are the prime choices among designers who have released their summer 2023 bridal collections. We recommend a sweep train if you have an outdoor event and cathedral for a black-tie summer wedding. Chapel trains are all-rounder. Kaviar Gauche’s “In Full Bloom” Collection can provide some inspiration.

@eddyk_bridal Introducing our new Italia 2023 collection! #italiabyeddyk #weddingdress #bridalgowns #bridestobe2022 #weddingtiktok ♬ Forever – Labrinth

High in Front, Low in Back

It’s open season. The bridal dresses from the collections we sampled were backless. We highly recommend a plunging back dress to evoke that speechless, jaw-dropping reaction on the day you walk down the aisle. Talk about glamorous. Look at the Hermione de Paula 2022 Kado Collection, for example.

High in Front, Low in Back

It’s open season. The bridal dresses from the collections we sampled were backless. We highly recommend a plunging back dress to evoke that speechless, jaw-dropping reaction on the day you walk down the aisle. Talk about glamorous. Look at the Hermione de Paula 2022 Kado Collection, for example.

Summer Wedding Dress Style Dos and Don’ts

There aren’t any immovable rules for styling your wedding dress. The rule of thumb is to keep things comfortable and simple. The experts and brides we talked to recommend these five tips for styling your summer wedding appearance:

Choose Cooling Fabrics

The fabric choice for your wedding dress is personal, generally directed by the silhouette of the dress and any additional style you have in mind. Always try to opt for a cooling, breathable, or sweat-wicking fabric.

Batiste, lace, charmeuse, chiffon, crepe, organza, and the lighter types of satin are great for summer wedding dresses. Each of these fabrics has high breathability, low heat retention, and good moisture-wicking properties. However, they can be hard to work with individually. So, designers combine them for the best results.

Prioritize Comfort Over Glamor

You want to ditch the hosiery and go easy on the heels for your summer wedding. The leg covering is an unnecessary layer between your skin and dress, which can be very uncomfortable in the summer heat. Regarding heels, consider wearing wedges or shoes with chunky heels for comfort.

Balance Out the Colors

Summer is a time for bright colors, but there is such a thing as doing too much. You should balance out the colors for your wedding look – dress, makeup, hair, eyes, and skin inclusive. Doing this helps you maintain consistency and help you avoid looking like a riot.

The right color for your makeup varies with your complexion, as with your dress. Choose a consistent foundation with your natural skin tone as a general guideline. We also think it’s best to stick to your natural palette for your eyeshadow — thumbs up to a color that brings out your eye color.

Update Your Look With Hair Accessories

While it is perfectly alright to wear your hair without extra adornments, hair accessories can add class to your look and complement your wedding dress. We recommend a floral crown, hair vine, or pearl-studded barrettes. But, of course, using hair accessories is a matter of personal style. You should wear something that makes you feel confident and beautiful.

Go Easy on the Makeup

The summer heat plus any ounce of humidity will cause your makeup to move around. There’s not much getting around it. You will likely sweat more than usual, resulting in melting foundation, smudged eyeliner, and smeared lipstick. So, you want to keep your makeup light for the event.

A brilliant makeup artist will know how to make you look natural and fresh throughout the day. An occasional touch-up will be necessary, but that’s something you or your maid-of-honor can do quickly. You don’t have to keep a makeup artist on standby all day (unless, of course, she’s a bridesmaid. In that case, lucky you!).

Makeup artists recommend starting skincare three weeks before the event, starting with oil-free moisturizers to hydrate your skin.

One Last Thing

Dear stunning summer bride, our sincerest wish is that this guide helps you have a more memorable day, one to remember fondly for years to come.

The team at Officially Mrs. curated the summer 2023 wedding dress guide using suggestions from experts and information we gleaned from brides’ experiences. This article also highlighted the creative trends that designers have set for summer 2023 wedding dresses.

Remember, you don’t have to choose a wedding dress solely because of body type, color, or trend. Choose the dress you feel most comfortable and confident wearing from the get-go. Let it be love at first wear.