Cecilie Bahnsen for the Unconventional Bride

Cecilie Bahnsen never set out to make wedding dresses. Brides found the label anyway, and by now the ivory and white pieces are the first things to sell every season.

This is a guide to buying one as a wedding dress, written for the person who does not want a conventional gown.

Why brides ended up here

The house makes volume without meringue. A Bahnsen dress has the presence a wedding asks for, and none of the bridal signalling: no corsetry on show, no train for its own sake, no lace that reads as costume. It looks like a very good dress that happens to be white.

That matters practically as well as aesthetically. A main-line dress can be worn again. A dedicated bridal gown almost never is.

What to look at

We currently carry ten ivory and white pieces from the AW26 collection. Two of them are gowns.

The Fowe Gown in White is the most formal thing in the collection, cut in coranita embroidery. The Feline Gown in Ivory is silk satin, fluid where the Fowe is structured, and it also comes in blush pink and grey if you want the shape without the white.

Below the gowns the ivory and white run through dresses, tops and a skirt: the Cleopatra and Freesia dresses, the Flodie dress, the Bala skirt, the Finelle and Fellen tops, the Frina shirt in vintage ivory. For a registry office, a rehearsal dinner, a second outfit, those separates do more work than a gown will.

See everything in the Cecilie Bahnsen collection and across designer dresses.

The practical part

Sizing. UK 4 to 18, true to size. Because the silhouettes carry volume, read the per-size measurements on the product page rather than judging from the image. A Bahnsen dress in your usual size will look larger on the hanger than you expect and correct on the body.

Timing. Order earlier than feels necessary. Ivory and white sell out first and the collection does not repeat.

Alterations. Hem length is the usual change. Take it to someone who has handled matelasse before, because the padded double-cloth does not behave like a plain woven and a bad hem will show.

Care. Specialist dry cleaning. Do not let a hotel pressing service near an embroidered surface. If you are travelling with the dress, hang it the night before and let it drop rather than steaming it.

What it costs

The gowns sit at USD 3,260 and USD 5,340. The white dresses run from roughly USD 2,000 to USD 2,650, and the ivory and white separates start around USD 720. Against a dedicated bridal house that is mid-range, and you are buying something you can wear again.

If you want the look for less

The Uniqlo collaboration carried white cotton pieces at a mass-market price. They are not the same cloth and will not photograph the same way, but for a rehearsal dinner they are a reasonable shortcut. We cover the difference in our guide to the collaborations.

Frequently asked questions

Can you wear Cecilie Bahnsen as a wedding dress?

Yes, and many brides do. The house shows ivory and white pieces in the main collection every season, and they are bought as wedding dresses by people who do not want a traditional gown.

Does Cecilie Bahnsen have a bridal line?

The label has shown dedicated bridal pieces, but most brides buy from the main collection. The ivory and white main-line dresses are the ones that sell first.

How far in advance should I order?

As early as you can. Ivory and white sell out first, collections do not repeat, and you need time for alterations.

Can a Cecilie Bahnsen dress be altered?

Yes, though hemming matelasse needs someone who has worked with a padded double-cloth before. Take it to a tailor who has handled the fabric rather than the nearest one.

How much is a Cecilie Bahnsen wedding dress?

The gowns we carry are USD 3,260 and USD 5,340. White main-line dresses run from roughly USD 2,000, and ivory and white separates start around USD 720.