Meet The Designers Making Cool Unique Wedding Dresses

The idea of “non-traditional” bridal expands beyond wedding wear, as consumers push back against outdated norms and constrictions surrounding the day. It’s worth noting that all five designers have size-inclusive brands to bring joy to many people long ignored by the industry during one of their most important — and emotional — purchases. The bridal industry, through its marketing and messaging (and in the term itself) also pushes a heteronormative, cis-gender standard. “As a non-binary person, I don’t feel that ‘bride’ or ‘groom’ really fits me, which is part of why I say ‘celebrant’ instead of ‘bride,”’ says Wiederhoeft, who does find boundless inspiration in “princesses, faeries, and corsets.” “But, it’s a start point and a muse, not an end goal. I think this pathway of very ‘feminine’ ideas can go in so many directions, and it starts to twist that tale-as-old-as-time narrative.”