You’re a sophisticated bride-to-be, planning a chic, nontraditional affair. So when it’s time to choose your wedding gown, why opt for a dated poufy princess look?

Drop that 1,000-page bridal book and pick up your closest fashion magazine – the catwalk is a sure way to find ideas for a sleek and stylish wedding dress that wasn’t designed to be a wedding dress.

Whether it’s Carmen Marc Valvo, Badgley Mischka, Chado Ralph Rucci, Carolina Herrera or Giorgio Armani, nearly every high-end fashion collection contains an elegant white sheath that could be worn on your special day.

With bridal gowns averaging in the range of $800 to $1,500 – and designer bridalwear running up to several thousand – a “regular” designer dress could be an unexpected luxury.

But if you’re on a tighter budget, you can find your inspiration on the runway.

“Don’t let bridal magazines fool you into thinking that you have to have a wedding gown that looks like something a royal or a celeb would wear,” writes Leah Ingram, in her book, “Tie the Knot on a Shoestring.”

“Many stores have lovely white dresses that are formal and as fabulous as gowns can be, but cost significantly less than a ‘gown.’ ”

Non-wedding dresses also are more likely to have modern touches, such as bodices in bold colors or metallic embellishments. White shoes are rarely worn with white dresses, also adding to the contemporary feel.

Still wishing upon a star – and yards of tulle and crinoline? At the recent Bridal Fashion Week in New York, the Walt Disney Co. revealed a collection of gowns inspired by Disney’s most beloved cartoon princesses, including, of course, Cinderella.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 29th, 2007 at 2:08 pm and is filed under Fashion, Modeling, Beauty, Sexy Girls. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.