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

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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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Dress the Population Blair Embellished Fit and Flare Dress

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$269 SHOP IT Opens a new window

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REBECCA VALLANCE Mireya open-back lace midi dress

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$650 SHOP IT Opens a new window

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RACHEL ZOE Allison off-the-shoulder stretch-cotton poplin mini dress

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$325 SHOP IT Opens a new window

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VICTORIA, VICTORIA BECKHAM Twisted crepe and satin mini dress

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$870 SHOP IT Opens a new window

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ELLERY Ruffled crepe gown

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$1,895 SHOP IT Opens a new window

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MAX MARA Silk-crepe midi dress

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$1,050 SHOP IT Opens a new window

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Hensely Shoulder Strap Column Dress

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$2,295 SHOP IT Opens a new window

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DELPOZO Corolla Fil Coupe A-Line Dress

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$1,700 SHOP IT Opens a new window

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Alexis Venecia Cut Out Dress

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$895 SHOP IT Opens a new window

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MICHAEL MICHAEL KORS Bell Sleeve Lace Shift Dress

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$155 SHOP IT Opens a new window

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ALI & JAY Lily Pond Fit and Flare Dress

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$128 SHOP IT Opens a new window

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Kalita Rooftop Runaway Halter Dress

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$755 SHOP IT Opens a new window

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Shoshanna Guipure Lace Midi Dress

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$395 SHOP IT Opens a new window

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LIKELY Reese Bell Sleeves A-Line Dress

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$198 SHOP IT Opens a new window

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See by Chloé Ruffled Lacy Jersey Dress

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$365 SHOP IT Opens a new window

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Delfi Collective Blake Pleat Loose-Fit Dress

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$195 SHOP IT Opens a new window

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Halston Heritage Cold-Shoulder V-Neck Evening Gown

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$187 SHOP IT Opens a new window

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Zimmermann Tier Embroidered Silk Dress

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$995 SHOP IT Opens a new window

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Cinq à Sept Dulcina One-Shoulder Gown

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$417 SHOP IT Opens a new window

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Self-Portrait Penelope Tiered Lace Gown

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$620 SHOP IT Opens a new window

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Tibi Crepe Bell Sleeve Dress

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$395 SHOP IT Opens a new window

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Theory Walela Crepe and Lace Maxi Dress

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$222 SHOP IT Opens a new window

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

1 of 22

Dress the Population Blair Embellished Fit and Flare Dress

1 of 22

2 of 22

REBECCA VALLANCE Mireya open-back lace midi dress

2 of 22

3 of 22

RACHEL ZOE Allison off-the-shoulder stretch-cotton poplin mini dress

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VICTORIA, VICTORIA BECKHAM Twisted crepe and satin mini dress

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ELLERY Ruffled crepe gown

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MAX MARA Silk-crepe midi dress

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Hensely Shoulder Strap Column Dress

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DELPOZO Corolla Fil Coupe A-Line Dress

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Alexis Venecia Cut Out Dress

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MICHAEL MICHAEL KORS Bell Sleeve Lace Shift Dress

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ALI & JAY Lily Pond Fit and Flare Dress

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Kalita Rooftop Runaway Halter Dress

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Shoshanna Guipure Lace Midi Dress

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LIKELY Reese Bell Sleeves A-Line Dress

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See by Chloé Ruffled Lacy Jersey Dress

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Delfi Collective Blake Pleat Loose-Fit Dress

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Halston Heritage Cold-Shoulder V-Neck Evening Gown

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Zimmermann Tier Embroidered Silk Dress

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Cinq à Sept Dulcina One-Shoulder Gown

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Self-Portrait Penelope Tiered Lace Gown

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Tibi Crepe Bell Sleeve Dress

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Theory Walela Crepe and Lace Maxi Dress

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