These are the easy ones. Floor length with nothing boned, nothing that takes three people to get into, nothing you cannot sit down to dinner in. Bias cut silk and satin slip dresses that move when you do, lace maxi dresses with puff and cap sleeves, a linen gown for heat, a silk satin slip for low evening light. The dress brides choose for a beach or garden wedding, an elopement, a city hall ceremony, a second reception, or simply because they want to feel like themselves in something beautiful rather than armoured into it.
Some are ready to wear and some are cut for you by the designer, so there is a long white dress here whether your date is next month or next autumn. Book a morning with us in Santa Monica, join a live virtual shopping session from wherever you are, or have one sent to you to try at home. See also silk slip wedding dresses and second look dresses.
White maxi wedding dresses, answered
What is the difference between a maxi dress and a wedding gown?
Construction, mostly. A maxi dress falls from the shoulder or the bust with little or no internal structure, so it moves, it packs, and you can dance in it without thinking. A gown is built: boning, lining, underlining, sometimes a corset. Both reach the floor. If you want to forget what you are wearing, start here.
Which maxi dress suits a beach or garden wedding?
Bias cut silk and linen, in that order. Silk moves in wind and photographs beautifully as the light drops; linen handles heat and creases in a way that reads as intentional rather than careless. Keep the train slight or skip it on sand, and choose ivory over bright white outdoors.
Can I wear a white maxi dress as my wedding dress?
Brides do it constantly, and for a courthouse ceremony or an elopement it is often the better choice. What makes a dress read as bridal is the fabric and the fit rather than the price: good silk or good lace, in white or ivory, cut close enough to look deliberate. Add a veil or a cape and the signal is unmistakable.
How far ahead should I order?
It depends which half of the page you fall for. The ready-to-wear dresses dispatch within 5 to 7 business days, so a few weeks is plenty. The made-to-order gowns are cut for you over an estimated 3 to 6 months, so start those at least six months out and allow another six to eight weeks for alterations.
Can I try on white maxi wedding dresses in Los Angeles?
Yes, and this is the page where trying before buying changes the most, because a dress with no structure in it either suits your frame the moment you turn around or it does not, and no photograph will tell you which. We keep a run of them at 145 Bay St in Santa Monica. Book a private fitting, or read our bias cut guide to silk slip wedding dresses.