I know I’m going to catch some hell for this but as wedding-mania happened on Friday and over the weekend, I found that I just didn’t care about any of it. Not even the fashion aspect, because I thought Princess Catherine’s Dress was a bore. Nothing was particularly wrong with it of course, but it just seemed to matronly and conservative for a woman of her age. Marrying into the royal family is of course a big deal and I have no doubt she chose her gown carefully, but she could’ve added a touch of whimsy to her outfit and still looked completely respectable. If she had to wear a safe gown, a white fascinator with shining feathers or a net veil or some other statement accessories could have glammed up the look a bit and made her look more young. But hey, it wasn’t my wedding. 
And speaking of which, when it was my day I had a dress custom made to look look like an old-Hollywood (1930s era) movie star. Jean Harlow in particular. I illustrated the look here along with two other wedding dresses worn that I’ve always found exciting for how different they were. This top one is based on a photo of me on my wedding day. The second one is based on a photo of Dita Von Teese and the third is based on Gwen Stefani.

As for Dita, though her marriage to rocker Marilyn Manson didn’t last (love you, doll, but what were you thinking?) her vintage-inspired style is timeless and her wedding gown, designed by Vivienne Westwood, was no exception. I don’t know that too many people could rock a purple gown with a tri-corn hat, but it’s always refreshing to see brides wearing colors other than white with their hair worn in a less than traditional (think prom night updo) style.

This illustration is based on the dual-color Galliano gown worn by Gwen Stefani when she married her longtime love Gavin Rossdale. With the tulle veil and pouffy skirt, the dress is somewhat traditional in style, but the pink color gives the look a rock and roll edge worthy of its trendsetting owner. 
So there you have it, folks. There are so many beautiful styles of gowns out there that are different without showing too much skin or decked it out in gaudy embellishments. Even if you don’t have a celebrity’s budget (I certainly didn’t) there’s no need to wear a dress that’ll put your guests to sleep. Save that for your personally written custom vows–haha!