Looking for the perfect wedding dress can be a daunting task for modern brides-to-be. To make your search easier, Vogue Scandinavia has compiled a definitive list of the best bridal designers in the Nordics. Whether you're seriously searching or just curious, this list will help you say ‘yes’ to the dress
Photo: Courtesy of Malina
Malina - Sweden
While founder Malin Ek Andrén may be better known for her ready-to-wear, her brand Malina's bridal showroom should top the list for brides-to-be in Stockholm. Offering the classic champagne experience with the occasional teary eye, here you will find a variety of dresses suited to both intimate courthouse nuptials and fairytale affairs on castle grounds – all to a price that won't break your budget.
Consider yourself a Pinterest bride with documentary-style photos of unconventional weddingwear saved to your moodboard? Pay extra attention to the brand's latest capsule collection featuring creamy silk fabrics, dramatic draped details, swoon worthy tailoring and dance-friendly short party dresses.
Photo: Ida Fiskaa
ByTiMo - Norway
For years, founder Tine Mollatt helped friends of her romantic ready-to-wear brand ByTiMo custom make wedding gowns for their nuptials. In 2023, however, she expanded the offering launching a bridal line sold exclusively at the ByTiMo bridal suite, in the ByTiMo concept store in Oslo.
The collection, presented as a surprise during the brand's spring/summer '23 fashion show, consists of seven quintessential ByTiMo designs. A wonderful line-up for those working with a vintage aesthetic, the bohemian dresses build on Mollatt's personal archive drawing design inspiration from antique wedding gowns spanning all the way back to the 1800s. Featuring lace inserts, billowing sleeves, and dainty covered buttons, there are even floral pieces for the unconventional traditionalist.
Photo: Courtesy of Rotate
Rotate Bridal - Denmark
Headed up by Copenhagen cool girl prototypes Jeanette Madsen and Thora Valdimars, it is unsurprising that Rotate's bridal offering veers toward shorter hemlines and dresses to last you through the night. Large ruffled sleeves, corseted cupcake-shaped cram silk and blown-up bows have steered the brand's bridal line into becoming a favourite for any party girl's nuptials.
For the brand's autumn/winter '24 collection, Madsen and Valdimars expanded on the lineup of knotted and draped silhouettes. All in all, we believe Rotate bridal collection may be best captured by the flash of disposable cameras, surrounded by Martini glasses, retro cherry-topped wedding cakes and accessorised with a birdcage veil and opera gloves.
Photo: Courtesy of Fékih
Maria Fékih - Denmark
If you're looking for alternative wedding dress silhouettes, Maria Fékih's handcrafted creations made in her Copenhagen studio may be just what you're looking for. Reinventing minimalist designs, Fekih's bridal collections offer discerning Danish customers sleek silhouettes with strategic cut-outs alongside voluminous two-piece quilted designs (perfect for those who plan re-wear). All with retroesque details like drop-waists, 1950s reminiscent jackets, and peplum-detailed waists and ruched shoulder details.
From simple slip-style dresses to bell-shaped ‘New Look’ skirts: this is the spot for brides-to-be who want their modern gowns laced with vintage allure – for the Grace Kellys and Clara Bows among us.
Photo: Courtesy of Abby Waits
Abby Waits - Sweden
Louice Hedin has been designing her embellished wedding dresses – adorned with sparkling crystals, 3D floral appliqués, intricate beading and lace – under the label Abby Waits since 2016. From the get-go, Hedin knew what her brides were after: glamorous cuts, cinched waists and a more-is-more monochromatic aesthetic. A know-how which has led to her designs being vaailable in around twenty stores in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland.
Photo: Courtesy of Viktoria Chan
Viktoria Chan - Sweden
Viktoria Chan is a Swedish designer for the modern bride with an alternative idea of what she would want to wear on her wedding day. Yes, there are classic cuts and impossibly elevated sleek silhouettes on offer in the brand's lineup, but where Chan shines is in creating the unexpected. Sourcing her signature silhouettes and structures, Chan often turns to sculptural elements in architecture and natural movements. Each design is created with versatility in mind, to be dressed up or down, from day to evening, to extend the wear of your wedding dress.
Worried about the fit? Viktoria Chan's wedding dresses are made custom, meaning there are is no need for returns. After one consultation, one fitting, and a four month production process, your made-to-measure gown will find its way to your doorstep.
Photo: Courtesy of Katri Niskanen
Katri Niskanen - Finland
Deliciously draped with sculptural precision, Katri Niskanen’s designs crafted in her Helsinki studio are perfect for the courthouse bride with plans for a city reception. Most often opting for a mid-calf cut, these romantic yet modern wedding dresses put their wearer first, striving to keep brides-to-be comfortable throughout their wedding day.
This is what the Scandinavian Carrie Bradshaw could have worn if she'd opted for those low-key nuptials, leaving any thought of ballgown silhouettes and city library settings behind.