We all love a good wedding. It’s the celebration of a couple’s love and the end of a long engagement, which is why it’s so important that you don’t settle for just any dress. Your wedding dress should reflect your personality and style, not some cookie-cutter shape or color. We’ve gathered together the best dresses we could find—from classic ballgowns to modern sheaths—to help you find the perfect one.

Wedding Dresses For Older Brides Second Weddings

Just because you’re a little bit older than the average bride doesn’t mean you have to follow any specific rules when choosing an outfit for the big day, so before we get into our latest installment of wedding dress inspiration, we want to make one thing clear. We will give you the same general advice on finding a wedding dress whether you are 18 or 80 years old, but we do realize that if you are 40 or older, it can be difficult to imagine yourself in a dress that is only ever modeled by 22-year-olds online. Because of this, we scoured the web for real weddings with real brides over 40 to use as inspiration for your own dress shopping.

1. Fabulously Flared

Real bride Maeve went for something chic and smart for her wedding to John. Her knee-length ensemble by Irish dressmaker Jean Pouch proves that a short wedding dress can look exceedingly grown up, while the flared bell sleeves and hem give it that feminine, flirty edge.

2. Modern Lace

This real bride kept it classic with a sleek, cap-sleeve gown. The webbing print on the lace adds a contemporary twist, while BHLDN offers a fabulous selection of structured gowns with sleek silhouettes and flattering capped sleeves.

3. Statement Structure

This couple isn’t really a couple believe it or not, as we featured Ivan and Ludmila in a wedding shoot inspiring anyone planning a chic city celebration. But there’s no denying that Ludmila’s look is perfect for any fashion-forward bride-to-be. Those structured puff sleeves in her Nastiya Anikina dress totally pop.

4. Style For Hire

Real bride Donna’s gown suits her so perfectly, we can hardly believe that her groom chose it for her! This Rent the Runway dress was part of an elaborate surprise vow renewal, and we think Lance did an incredible job in selecting it – with its structured lace bodice and waistband embellishment, it’s modern yet unmistakably bridal.

5. With Sequins Please

Real bride Irene chose not one, but two shimmering gowns by BHLDN for her vow renewal to James, her hubby of 50 years, and we love them both! The ceremony and reception dresses both featured a pretty shade of blush pink, but the one-shoulder dress she chose for the evening meal has a little bit more of a party vibe with even more sequins and a skirt of tulle.

6. Just Add Tulle

This real bride went designer with her effortlessly simple Monique Lhuillier gown, adding a sheer tulle cover-up Bardot-style for an extra dose of light-as-air summertime sophistication to complement a sweetheart neckline.

7. Timeless Boho

We’ve long believed that the boho bridal look is timeless, and we can see brides of all ages looking fabulous in Jo’s lace gown and flower crown combo.

8. Custom-Made Character

Karen picked the perfect dress for her elopement with Patrick to the Burren. The sweeping, dramatic (and very romantic) landscape and the old ruins where they had their ceremony was complemented by her modern meets Medieval silhouette which she had custom-made to her personal style.

9. Handsome High-Neck

Married for 55 years, Wendy and David renewed their vows in the dreamy setting of O’Brien’s tower on the Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare. Wendy chose a gorgeous high-neck style with long sleeves which really allowed her lavender and dried flowers flower crown and bouquet to pop against the white of her dress.

10. A Bold Bardot

A bold neckline can really take a short wedding dress to the next level, as proven by real bride Jamie, who found her ensemble at the iconic department store Saks Fifth Avenue.

11. Light Layers

The many layers of lace and silk on real bride Barbara’s dress could quite easily look too fussy, but the structured silhouette, teamed with her undone updo, give it a charming edge.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

three − 1 =

Scroll to Top