The most romantic wedding dresses harmoniously blend timeless elegance with contemporary style. When traditional favorites are reinvented with modern touches, the result is astonishingly attractive. Wedding dresses have evolved in terms of silhouettes, necklines, sleeves and hemlines over the decades. Nevertheless, it isn’t uncommon to see interesting trends from the past being reused in wedding dress fashion now.

With more and more brides opting for vintage style wedding dresses, but updating them to suit their modern taste, one thing we know is that our favorite features will never be lost forever.

Today, we will discuss about how old meets new in the world of wedding dresses. We will visit some of the beautiful designer dresses from our collection at Best for Bride, that bring together contemporary styles with timeless classic features. These dresses will appeal to both the modern bride and the bride who favors classic styles for her wedding. So, take a look and don’t forget to tell us which of these are your favorites when you are done.

Fishtail Gown With V-neckline

The mermaid style fit and flare gown is a current favorite with many modern brides. This silhouette allows them to flaunt their beautiful body shape on their wedding day. The characteristic feature of the mermaid gown is that it clings to the body, and draws attention to every natural curve. So, this silhouette is anything but traditional. When it is paired with strapless necklines, the result is often an ultra-modern and extra stylish gown that only a confident bride would be comfortable in. The V-neckline on the other hand, is a timeless favorite. The length and depth of the V has often varied, and it is possible to both look modest or show off your decolletage and cleavage with a beautifully designed V.

This is an elegant masterpiece that has both the modern fishtail feature and the timeless V-neckline. With thin straps that support the neckline, and an embellished bodice that scintillates with crystals up to knee-length, it is a statement gown.

Ball Gown With Illusion Neckline

The illusion neckline is a recent entry into the wedding fashion scene, and ever since it made it’s appearance, brides have accepted it with open arms. The thin sheer layer of fabric that barely conceals the skin that lay beneath it, gives rise to breathtaking effects. This is what makes this feature a winner. Many modern designers make the most of illusion details by extending it to beyond the neckline, the  into sleeves and back as well. It is often seen as a combination that is modest and sexy at the same time. Ball gowns, on the other hand, have always been an age-old classic style. At Best for Bride, we often notice how mothers want to see their daughters in elaborate and heavy ball gowns on their wedding day. On most cases, the bride disagrees (sometimes vehemently!) to this idea. We’ve seen many heated debates and tears at such dress selections where opinions clash.

While the neckline and illusion cap sleeves are sexy and mysterious, the ball gown is still there, although a little less poufy than in the traditional way. Even so, it will be favored by the older generation. Crystal beaded embroidery adorns the bodice and extends into the skirt in tiny clusters here and there. The illusion layer sits atop a stunning sweetheart neckline, that is bound to be a favorite with the modern woman who wants subtle glamour. This dress is just right for a formal church ceremony, and the best part is that the bride will not feel weighed down in a heavy skirt with more layers than is actually necessary to get the shape right. The beautiful illusion details also continue into the back, with a wide V-cut framing the intricate beading at the back.

Princess Seams and Illusion Neckline

Princess seams were details added to the bodice and skirt of wedding dresses in yester-years, so it looked tailored to the bride’s actual measurements. These rounded seams added definite structure and made the dress look fitted. However, it was often a style that extended continuously from the bodice, all the way to the skirt. Adding an illusion neckline and ornate embroidery details on the bodice can add an innovative touch to this classic element, and make it much more interesting.

The sheer bateau neckline and sleeves continue into a pretty sweetheart bodice decked with intricately woven lace details. Artistically placed crystal beading enhances the beauty of the gown, by adding sparkle to the waistline and decorating the lace applique above it. The satin skirt, in contrast, is simple but lustrous and luxuriant, as it softly glides down to full-length.

Fit And Flare Dress With Lace Details

Lace is synonymous with vintage, and a favorite with brides of all generations. However, it is not often suitable at modern weddings, and is usually preferred for traditional style weddings. However, lace is an element that can do wonders to the bridal ensemble, when chosen properly. It renders itself suitable for any style of wedding, when used in the right doses and paired with the right features. When lace appliques tastefully adorn a fit and flare gown, it can be stunning and the onlooker will have a hard time deciding whether the dress is more contemporary or classic.

Another ravishing beauty from the Mori Lee Spring collection, is a gown that adds a touch of timeless elegance to the most modern design. The fit and flare silhouette is embellished from top to toe with fine Alencon lace appliques, and the embellishments on it extend all the way to the sheer train. The dress has a snugly fitted scalloped sweetheart neckline supported by scintillating shoestring straps. The back features a daring deep cut that gathers into a train of fabric buttons that run all the way down to the derriere. Alencon lace appliques frame the back and are truly mesmerizing.

Fit And Flare Dress With Tiered Skirt

Tiered skirts were a big thing in the 1910’s and they perfectly fit the picture for a vintage-inspired wedding. Fit and flare silhouettes, on the other hand, are a contemporary fashion feature. Combining the two together gives you an unusually appealing combination of old meets new, with no compromise on style or elegance. With the fit and flare silhouette, the upper part of the dress allows a bride to show off the figure she is proud of. The lower part that has the tiered skirt, gives the dress an unexpected twist that can also tie it to a vintage theme.

This dress features both the elements, and also has elaborate lace details that make it a work of art. The gently scalloped lace details on the hemlines of each of the tiers creates an exquisite overall look for the dress. Additionally, the entire silhouette up to knee length contains beautiful Alencon lace details created with finesse, and the sweetheart neckline makes it glamorous too.

Draped Bodice And A-line Pick Up Skirt

Many fairy tales have featured pick-up skirts, but this feature was always associated with ball gowns. The pick-up style later disappeared from the scene. It has reappeared now, but this time with a modern twist that is more charming and appealing. The characteristic rolling up of the skirt at specific points, which made it look heavy and difficult to manage, is now updated in an A-line silhouette style. This considerably reduces the volume of the skirt, instantly adding a touch of sophistication to it. When the bodice has a ruched style, with gentle pleats coursing over the torso, there is an almost seamless integration of the bodice with the skirt. The effect is stunning.

This imarvelouslous dress in a modified A-line silhouette with the pick-up skirt detail being its most spectacular feature. A sparkling waistband defines the end of the bodice, which drapes around the body in gentle pleats. This design instantly adds extra inches to a bride, and is a beautiful gown with its strapless soft scoop neckline and simple, but luxurious details.

Lace Gown With Full-Length Illusion Sleeves

Illusion designs have not only braced the neckline, but we often see them on the back and sleeves too. Although the original illusion styles were relatively simple, with just a thin layer of fabric over the chosen area, lace appliques and motifs are more elaborate today, making them splendid works of art. Most wedding gowns with illusion necklines feature cap sleeves, or are sleeveless. However, illusion full-length sleeves have a breathtaking beauty, as you will soon see. When this feature on the sleeves is combined with the traditional vintage element—lace, in the body of the gown, the dress is happy harmony of old and new.

Beautiful full-length illusion sleeves with exquisite beading along the length of the sleeves almost look like a bolero over the ruched sweetheart neckline and bodice. The entire gown is created in lace over satin with the dress featuring a draped design all the way from the bodice to the end of the skirt.

A-line Silhouette And Plunging Sweetheart Neckline

The A-line dress was one of the first design innovations in wedding gowns, introduced soon after women started shedding corsets and dressing up in garments that embraced their natural body shape. Since then, the appeal of this silhouette has only grown. It still continues to be a favorite among brides, with the simple pattern helping them create a sexier look with the illusion of curves. The strapless bodice, has also been on the scene for a while now, but modified sweetheart necklines with a plunging section in the center are a novelty, that only bold brides are ready to consider. However, when the silhouette with long sleeves is updated with the strapless plunging sweetheart neckline, the result is a gown that is glamorous, interesting and most of all, stunning.

This dress from the Sophia Tolli collection shows us how magnificent this combination is. This figure-flattering gown almost snugly fits the torso all the way to the hips, from where it gently flows into a modified A-line skirt. This modest design is contrasted by the plunging sweetheart neckline which goes deep down in the center, albeit with a modesty piece. The dress features a corset-back, but don’t worry about it shrinking you in with it’s tight grip. It is nothing like the corsets women in the Victorian ages wore! Beading and intricate crystal work throughout the length of the gown make it picturesque.

Now tell us, which of these combinations did you like the most? At Best for Bride, you can choose from a wide variety of gowns of different styles. Modern or traditional, classic or contemporary, we have them all. As one of Canada’s most reputed wedding shops, we are here to help you realize your dream vision of dressing up as the most beautiful bride in town, and also having the dream wedding that will forever be remember by your guests. Choose from our extensive wedding gown inventory, by clicking here.