Here at TWD, we know that experiencing whimsy is all about delight. We are thrilled to share our picks for gowns that will surprise, fascinate, and delight our beautiful brides-to-be.

Whimsy. A turn away from the ironic and embracing pure delight. That moment something in a gown makes you smile before you have quite worked out why. It might be one surprising note in an otherwise serious gown, or it might be an overall vibe coming from interesting contrasts. Embracing that moment of surprise and fascination in your gown is the first step in making whimsy part of your big day’s aesthetic. 

Don’t worry, whimsy is not the opposite of elegant. Some of the most delightful details sit on the most traditional silhouettes. One key trick to tapping into whimsy is proportion: an ordinary element at an unexpected scale, like an oversized bow on an otherwise clean bodice. In current bridal collections that turns up in a handful of recognizable ways:

• Applique and dimensional florals, including florals in color.
• Contrast, whether that means structure paired with enormous volume or a sleek line interrupted by one oversized detail.
• Detachable and convertible elements, where the surprise is the change itself.
• Playful bodices and playful backs, by way of sheer panels, exposed boning, or shaping. 
• Texture that moves: tiered tulle, three-dimensional lace, horsehair trim that keeps a skirt swaying long after you have stopped moving.

Whimsical elements are often subtle, and it shows up as the gown you keep coming back to without being able to say why, or the one that makes you laugh a little when you turn around in the mirror. Notice which gown surprises you, and then notice how much surprise you want. A bride who wants one wink is shopping for something very different from a bride who wants a skirt full of petals. And at TWD, we have both, and many more as well. 

Our TWDetts have selected seven gowns that are an excellent start for any bride-to-be looking to add whimsy to your special day.

Hushed Enchantment: Yvonna

Whimsy does not always announce itself. Sometimes it arrives as the delicate illusion cap sleeves on Yvonna, which rest on the shoulder like something borrowed from a fairy tale and give a small lift to the sweetheart bodice below. The lace catches the light with every step, the ballgown skirt sways the way a ballgown skirt should, and the whole effect settles somewhere between timeless and enchanted. This is the gown for the bride whose delight lives in one quiet detail she keeps finding in every photo afterward.

Petals in Motion: Rayna

Rayna is covered in dimensional petals, scattered across lace and tulle and catching beading and sequins as they go, so that the A-line silhouette flutters like a garden in soft focus. The deeply plunging sweetheart neckline and illusion back keep it from tipping too sweet, and the chapel train carries every petal behind you the whole way down the aisle. Whimsy here is literal and joyful, which is exactly the appeal for a bride who wants her dress to be a riot of flowers.

Cloudward Drift: Enid

Some gowns are architectural and some are atmospheric. Enid is both. The structured Mikado bodice holds a wide band at the natural waist that opens into a deep V at the front and the back, and everything below it gives way to tiered organza with horsehair trim, layer over cascading layer, floating away from the hips. It drifts, it bounces, and it never once feels heavy. The chapel train follows cloud-like and unhurried, for the bride who wants real volume and real levity in the same gown.

Storybook Layers: Billie

Embroidered lace applique climbs across layers of net and tulle like illustrated vines frame margins of an old page. Billie embraces this depth and texture from that layering. Look closely and the pattern keeps offering up more of itself, one small surprise after another. The unlined bodice, sheer illusion side panels, and drop waist lift the A-line silhouette into the present, so the effect is a story being told anew rather than one already finished. Consider this gown if you have been quietly collecting fairy tale images since long before anyone proposed.

Wildflower Hues: Violette

Color is the first thing anyone will mention about Violette, and specifically pastel purple. Floral-printed tulle layers over the A-line skirt so the print ripples and reappears with every step, and the leg slit gives all of it somewhere to swing. Elegant shoulder straps frame a ruched bodice with a deep plunging V-neckline, and a gathered waistband keeps the bohemian softness deliberate rather than shapeless. The bride who lands on Violette usually knows it within seconds of seeing the purple.

Poetic Rebellion: Delia

Take the sleeves off and Delia is one gown. Put them back on and it is another entirely, oversized poet sleeves billowing at the arm above a body cut end to end from cutout lace. The exposed boning and unlined bodice add just enough mischief to keep all that romance light-footed, while the straight neckline holds everything steady at the natural waist. Lightweight jacquard and organza carry it out into a sweep length train. Two deliberate looks in one gown, for the bride who would rather not choose before the reception.

One Grand Gesture: Camia

From the front, Camia says very little. Strapless stretch Mikado, silky and clean as a line drawing, cut in a fit and flare silhouette that stops just short of mermaid. The back is where the delight arrives, with an oversized bow at the waist, sculptural and unapologetically joyful, the single flourish this gown needs and the only one it wants. One exaggerated detail on an otherwise spare dress can carry an entire personality. Worth a look if your whimsy tends to arrive all at once rather than scattered throughout.

See it for Yourself

Whimsy is a phenomenon of movement and scale, which is best experienced first-hand, because photos flatten both elements. Horsehair trim reads as a line in a photo and as a behavior in person. An oversized bow reads as a detail on screen and as a proportion in a mirror. Our TWDettes want to help you explore our collection so schedule your appointment, and come visit us! You can try on your favorites from this look book and explore other gowns that surprise and delight you.