Vera Wang Reveals the One Wedding Trend That Comes with a ‘Bigger Freedom’ for Brides (Exclusive)

Brides pay attention: Vera Wang is giving her take on the season's biggests trends, from multiple dresses to the return of lace and the mainstay of minimalism!

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the renowned wedding dress designer, 74,  reveals that the trend taking bridal by storm — wearing one dress for the ceremony, changing into a second for the reception and even a third for the after party — initially seemed a tad overwhelming, but now, she's fully embraced it. 

“I have to say that the biggest trend I've seen — which, at first, was daunting for me — for my clients is that it was more than one dress. It was a dress for the engagement dinner, a dress for the afterparty and it became a series of dresses, “ says Wang, who has designed wedding gowns for Victoria Beckham, Mariah Carey and Hailey Bieber.

“When girls are wearing multiple dresses, it's a very different experience than one dress,” says Wang, whose career has spanned 35 years, adding that she likes the “suitability” of connecting multiple dress styles to various feelings and themes for a bride’s big day. 

So, with multiple changes “comes a bigger freedom from a fashion point of view because you might wear a micro mini to the afterparty. Whereas to the dinner or rehearsal dinner, you might wear a very seductive bias cut,” she continues.

And was the case for Hailey Beiber when she married singer Justin Bieber a second time in 2019. During the ceremony, the model wore a stunning off-the-shoulder dress designed by the late Virgil Abloh. The Rhode founder then changed into two more bridal numbers throughout the evening, kicking off the reception in a custom halter-neck gown by Ralph & Russo before dancing the night away in a silk Vera Wang slip.

Wang notes now “that there isn't one correct dress or way to look. It's not a commodity anymore. It's really about individuality, hopefully, and offering the client a wide range of designs we do ready to wear as well.”  

In addition to her signature wedding line, Wang has notably designed red carpet gowns for the likes of Sandra Bullock, Anne Hathaway and Nicole Kidman.  She is also celebrating her 12^th anniversary this fall with Zales for her Vera Wang LOVE fine jewelry collection.

“I think a lot of technical dresses we've done influence ready-to-wear. So, there's been cross-pollination through the years. But I think that the biggest thing is that girls are more open to exploring multiple fashion looks, which did not exist when I started,” she explains.

Wang also says minimalism is wedding day style she holds high, as well as lace.

“I think another very big trend, and I call it a trend, because there was a time when it didn't mean as much, which is lace work,” Wang says, explaining that while lace was big when she first started, it “went to another place for a very long time.” 

Now, “lace has come back with a vengeance,” especially lace work. “We designed our own laces, placed them in a different way. And I think that I would say it's come back in a big, big way,” she adds.

Wang notes that “no two weddings I've ever done are ever the same — and that implies changes of wardrobe.” No matter what trend a bride embraces, “when you dress for a certain location and you dress for a certain time of year and a certain amount of guests — I found that to be true in my own [wedding] — if you're getting married downtown in a restaurant, it's not going to be the same as you were getting married at St. Paul's Cathedral."