22 White Dresses That Aren't Bridal Gowns—but You Can Most Certainly Get Married in

Not all of us are made for wearing a 20-pound heavily embellished wedding gown down the aisle. And that's OK. I, for example, signed on the dotted line in City Hall clad in a black-and-white cocktail dress that I bought literally from the first store I went into during a 40-minute shopping trip for a "wedding dress." And trust me, I have no regrets about it.

Even a couple of years later, when my husband and I had a proper wedding, my dress still didn't come from the Bridal Gowns section of some luxury designer brand. I wanted to wear something chic and versatile, something that wasn't going to end up in a garment bag in my closet never to be worn again. Also, for my fellow City Hall brides: can you imagine commuting on a Monday afternoon sporting a full-on bridal ensemble, veil and long train included? That's what I thought.

But even if you are not tying the knot like I did, opting for a non-wedding white dress on your special day has a lot of advantages, most notably—it probably won't come with a 5-year repayment plan.

Affordability aside, you should probably re-consider the organza mermaid silhouette in exchange for a flowy maxi dress if you are saying your I Do in the middle of summer on a romantic beach in the presence of a few family members and friends.

So without further ado, here are 20 gorgeous white dresses that you can walk down the aisle in and easily re-wear soon after.

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