Wedding Dress Materials

The quality of the materials used in a bridal gown impacts how the dress moves, feels and breathes. We discuss the importance of quality in our how much does a wedding dress cost guide. One of the key takeaways is that you can’t judge material quality from a picture, you really have to see and feel the material.

Lace

Lace is an iconic wedding dress material. It allows for the creation of various looks and feels for dresses that would otherwise look the same. Here you can find examples of wedding dresses that use lace as a material.

Chiffon

Chiffon is a smooth, thin, lightweight material used in bridal dresses. Chiffon skirts in wedding dresses have become very popular lately. Here you can find examples of wedding dresses that use chiffon as a material.

Crepe

Crepe is thicker but very soft material found in many wedding dresses. Crepe is fairly expensive compared to most other materials. Here you can find examples of wedding dresses that use crepe as a material.

Tulle

Tulle is the other material used in some way in almost all bridal gowns. Tulle is lightweight and transparent making it a popular material for sleeves and tops. Here you can find examples of wedding dresses that use tulle as a material.

Organza

Organza is thin, slightly harder material commonly used in wedding dress skirts. Organza is a difficult material to work with and therefore a bit more rare. Here you can find examples of wedding dresses that use organza as a material.

Mikado

Mikado is thick and hard very elegant material for wedding dresses. It creates shapes well and allows for interesting designs. Here you can find examples of wedding dresses that use mikado as a material.

Satin

Satin is a shiny material that is often used as a secondary material in bridal gowns. Here you can find examples of wedding dresses that use satin as a material.

There are several materials that are used in wedding dresses but almost never as the primary materials so we didn’t list them here. One of the most common is polyester which has completely replaced silk in modern bridal gowns. Polyester breathes much better than silk and as most brides prefer to not sweat during their big day you no longer find silk wedding dresses.

Important note to all brides: materials always look good quality in pictures thanks to Photoshop. It is important to see the material in person if you wish to avoid negative experiences. You can read more important tips in our guide on buying a wedding dress.