Weddings have never been bigger business. Forget saying yes to just one dress, modern brides are now choosing to have multiple outfits to wear for as many celebrations, many of which eschew tradition to reflect a new approach to getting married. This isn't news; in the past few years since Covid, we've seen brides choosing mini dresses, opera gloves, trouser suits and coloured gowns, allowing many non-bridal brands to create pieces to fit such criteria. What is news, however, is that the latest label to fulfil the dreams of contemporary brides everywhere is ALIGNE, which has just released a bridal capsule collection that will make anyone want to say 'I do'.
The British label is, in case you hadn't noticed, almost everywhere at present, thanks to a mix of canny marketing strategies and truly great clothes. Of course, any brand can send its pieces to influencers and celebrities but, when it comes to receiving real endorsements, the fact remains that the product must speak for itself. At ALIGNE, it really does. Under the leadership of C.E.O Ginny Seymour, the brand has cemented its identity as the place to go for well-crafted clothes which suit the everyday needs of modern women. Its tailored jackets have flooded social media feeds, ditto its various denim pieces and, just this week, the brand launched a collection in collaboration with Elizabeth Day, author and creator of the popular How To Fail podcast.
Another recent addition to ALIGNE's offering is its bridal edit, which has taken a small number of pieces from 2024's party collection and reimagined them in brilliant white. There are two short dresses – one a shift style with bow details on the shoulder, one a puff sleeve confection – a peplum top, which would look great with tailored trousers for a city wedding, and the bow blazer, all of which are realised in satin.
Seymour told me that as soon as she saw the above pieces in their original colours – the satin collection was released just before Christmas last year and was a riot of fuchsia and lime green – she knew she wanted to re-release them in bridal white which, looking at them now, makes perfect sense. They're exactly the sort of thing I can see low-key brides wearing, while I'm sure they'll also be incredibly popular with people looking for outfits around the actual wedding day itself.
The prices, too, are in-keeping with ALIGNE's usual collections, which is a refreshing antidote to the limited-edition bridal collections I've seen with unusually high price tags, even from some high street names. This, though, reflects ALIGNE's approach perfectly – it's contemporary, practical, elegant and designed by women for women. When it comes to choosing something to wear to make you feel your very best, it doesn't get much better than that..
Shop: The ALIGNE Bridal Edit
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Ideal for a reception dress, team with embellished heels and some excellent jewellery.
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For brides with a romantic tendency, this puff sleeve mini is ideal. Perfect for an after-party or even for dinner the night before the big day.
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If you're looking for a jacket for your wedding wardrobe, you won't beat this one. Wear over a shift dress for a low-key ceremony and then try with jeans when your days as a bride are behind you.
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Try this with high-waisted tailored trousers in a similar shade for a very chic alternative to a more traditional wedding dress. Add pointed pumps and gold jewels and you're the epitome of a modern bride.
Hannah Banks-Walker is Grazia's head of fashion commerce. She has previously written for the likes of Harper's Bazaar, The Financial Times, Glamour, Stylist, The Telegraph, Red, i-D and The Pool on everything from fashion to curly hair (hi!) to the patriarchy. Not necessarily in that order. Find her on Instagram and Twitter. But please don't look for her MySpace profile, which until now was the last time she wrote about herself in the third person.