I thought it’d be nice to break up all the regularly scheduled wedding and Bridal Business posts with something that just a little fun! I don’t have a background in fashion in any sense, but am certainly an excellent shopper and can never resist a beautiful dress. Getting to see a bride’s gown on her wedding day is one of the most exciting parts of the entire morning for me; it says so much about who she is and truly sets the tone for the entire wedding party’s style. Because, let’s be honest, even the most beautiful bridesmaid’s dress doesn’t hold a candle to the bride! We’re going back through the past 17 years to look at some of the most iconic dresses from 2000 – now!

5. Gwen Stefani
While this pink ombre gown is not something I’d ever pick for myself, I certainly applaud Gwen’s ability not to conform and stay true to herself as the Queen of Cool. So many people lose sight of that as wedding planning begins and that is why this unique dress made my list! 

4. Lauren Conrad
Whether you were Team Kristin or Team Lauren, I think we can all agree that her dress is the essence of style. Lace bodice with a button up back? Yes, please. And don’t even get me started on that amazing train! The fact that she hired Elizabeth Messina as her wedding photographer is icing on the cake. 

3. Carrie Bradshaw
Okay, okay, I realize this isn’t a real person. But if you’ve ever watched Sex and the City, you basically anticipated for six seasons what Carrie would wear down the aisle. The scene in the movie where she tries on designer dress after designer dress is pretty much every bride’s dream… and I can’t forget those blue Manolo Blahniks! 

2. Olivia Palermo
OP is one of those people that, truly, I have no idea why they are famous. But I do know she has amazing style and I couldn’t wait to see what she would wear down the aisle. Her casual long sleeve top with a tulle skirt was not what I would have ever expected, but was even better than I imagined. She is completely responsible for the tulle trend that has literally saturated the wedding market over the past few years. 

1. Kate Middleton
You knew this had to be number one. Really, this dress doesn’t even need an introduction. It’s lace bodice is the very definition of classic and Kate totally created a resurgence of sleeves when everyone else was going strapless. I have a feeling that this one is going to be very hard to top for decades to come. 

Image Sources [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]