Steampunk Wedding Dress Styles: Fairytale, Antique, and Burlesque

In this post, we’ll be taking a closer look at the steampunk wedding style, your options as far as steampunk wedding dresses go, and we’ll show you three of our favorite steampunk bridal looks!

Are you a fun-loving bride who thinks outside of the box and wants a somewhat unconventional wedding day? One of the best ways to mix all the glamour that a wedding demands with the fun you’re insisting on is by choosing a steampunk wedding dress. Sure, it’s a few steps removed from the traditional white dress, but who wants to look bland on the best day of their life?

What is Steampunk Style?

We admit that we are total steampunk newbies. Having seen facets of the style on more recent movies like Sherlock Holmes (or for those who prefer a flat out weird flick like the steampunk western action comedy film Wild Wild West), we definitely admire the beauty of the fantastical decor and fashion.

Steampunk is an artistic fashion style that effortlessly blends vintage Victorian with technology elements that just didn’t exist in that era. The style is synonymous with steam-powered machines, spaceships, cars, blimps, and airplanes. Oh, and let’s not forget about the iconic aviator goggles!

The intricate cogs, levers, and sepia toned coloring blend to create an imaginary world of real life fantasy worthy of a a major theme park in California. Perfecting the trend is easy to do as long as you’re incorporating materials like brass, leather, and other metals in the perfect balance.

For more details on the trend, check out this cool steampunk explainer video made by PBS.

Can I Create A Steampunk Wedding?

You sure can!

Elements of the steampunk culture have to be highlighted at the venue as well as in your wedding attire. You and your hubby-to-be will have to get all dressed up in Victorian-punk dress. Ideas for your man might include: suspenders, tall engineer boots, and of course, a long tailcoat.

As for the bride, you’ll be flawlessly dressed in a Victorian-inspired wedding dress, might show off with a metal corset, flaunt some stockings and a garter, and slip on some stunning heavy boots as a final touch!

Why Choose a Steampunk Wedding

These days, it’s becoming more and more acceptable to have non-traditional weddings that stand out for reasons other than just the fabulous wedding cake. Long gone are the days where the standards included tall cakes, strapless Cinderella gowns, and age-old traditions like the garter toss.

If you’re a non-traditional gal with a deep love for all things vintage (not to mention a somewhat over-the-top love for all things geeky), then a steampunk wedding style might be your ideal fit. Rather than being forced to conform to the traditional wedding and its attire, you’ll have the opportunity of showing the world who you really are with an awesome steampunk wedding bash.

How to Choose a Steampunk Wedding Dress

Depending on your personal taste and what you feel most comfortable wearing, you can go for either a short or a long steampunk wedding dress.

Shorter steampunk wedding dress – often accompanied by corset tops, a LOT of ruffles, and a high-low hemline, which aligns with the idea of the cabaret gowns that were high fashion back in the 1800’s. Short steampunk wedding dresses are fun and light, making them ideal for not-so-formal weddings set in summer months.

Long steampunk wedding dress – If you’re getting hitched during the cooler months of the year and you’ll probably prefer a more formal look, and a long steampunk wedding dress might be more in keeping with what you’re after. These steampunk dresses are known for their long ruffled shirts with bustles. They are a lot heavier than their shorter counterparts, so do keep that in mind if you’re opting for a long dress and have a summer wedding in mind.

Top Steampunk Wedding Dresses We Love

Even though there are thousands of breathtaking (and surprisingly affordable) steampunk wedding dresses to choose from, we’ve rounded up three of our favorite looks just to give you an idea of options.

1. The Fairytale Steampunk Wedding Dress

Ever since you were a little girl, you’ve dreamt of a fairytale wedding. You’re all grown up now — and still have a love of all things fairytales! Enter this beautiful ombre steampunk wedding dress from a top rated Etsy designer based in Minnesota. It’s fun and different, and can be paired with all the fairytale steampunk elements you’ve been gawking at. We love the gorgeous silk ombre with glitter tulle peeking from the bottom, matching the hand sewn crystals on the fitted fully boned corseted top.

2. The Burlesque Steampunk Wedding Dress

Highly rated Etsy designer Glamtastik delivers with this burlesque design. If you’re getting married in the summertime, and craving the luscious looks of a long wedding gown, this burlesque-inspired steampunk dress might be your ideal fit. With its heavy-patterned brocade corset and steel hooks up the front (not to mention the lace detail along the bustline), this dress screams steampunk wedding in every sense of the word.

Gold and bronze chains adorn the top of the corset, and with the vintage-buttoned roses scattered over the dress, you’ll capture the wedding look you’ve always been dreaming of. This dress looks amazing in white, but you can customize the colors to match the exact look you’re trying to pull off for your big day. It might look simple (and white) on the surface, but on the right bride, this steampunk wedding dress is an elegant masterpiece.

3. The Antique White Steampunk Wedding Dress

Admittedly, this isn’t the highest quality photo. Yet don’t let that turn you off, they’re not professional photographers after all! DecayCouture fashion designer is from Milano, Italy, and if the reviews received on Etsy are an indication of quality, then you won’t be dissappointed.

For those old-fashioned brides who love the idea of a long tulle skirt, this steampunk wedding dress really captivates! It has all the trimmings that one would expect to see in a wedding dress, but it also has that distinct steampunk corset, complete with lace and print just where you need it to feature.

Although this dress looks fit for an Alice in Wonderland inspired day, it can also work for the steampunk bride when paired with a crazy hat and a pair of aviator goggles to match the wedding style.