Nicola Peltz’s wedding look still comes up in fittings because it proves how much a plain gown can carry. She married Brooklyn Beckham on April 9, 2022, in a custom Valentino Haute Couture gown with a square neckline, wide straps, a column silhouette and a long train, finished with handmade French lace gloves, an ornate veil, platform heels and loose, ’90s-style hair. Very little of that is about decoration. It’s about proportion, fabric weight and one or two accessories doing the talking. Below I’ve broken the look into twenty wearable versions for different venues, seasons, budgets and bodies, each with the shoes, accessories and hair I’d put with it.
Recreating a Couture Column on a Real Budget
A couture gown is cut on one body over many fittings, and you won’t get that from a photo. What you can get is the handful of decisions that make the look work. When a bride brings me this reference, I ignore the label and measure the details instead.
- Neckline depth: a square neck that sits just above the bust reads elegant; drop it lower and it becomes a different dress.
- Strap width: roughly two fingers wide gives that strong frame without looking like a tank top.
- Fabric weight: hold the fabric up and let it drop. If it folds in heavy, slow lines, it will hang like the original. If it flutters, it won’t.
- Seam count: the fewer visible seams in the skirt, the longer the line.
Many off-the-rack column gowns can be altered toward this look. Straps can usually be widened with self-fabric, and a neckline can often be squared off. Adding a train is harder, which is why a detachable one is often the cheaper route.
1. Square Neck Column Wedding Dress
If you want to get closest to the original, start with a square-neck column. The fabric decides whether it looks couture or flat: substantial silk, heavy satin or structured crepe hangs in a clean line, while thin satin clings and shows every seam. Wide straps carry the weight and frame the neckline. Ask whether the bodice has internal boning or a shaped waist seam; without one, a column can look shapeless once you sit. Pointed ivory pumps, pearl or diamond studs and a cathedral veil with fine lace edging finish it. Loose hair stops the structure looking stiff. It suits grand rooms, estates and gardens alike.
2. Silk Satin Wedding Dress With Train
Silk satin is what gives a plain gown its expensive look, because the sheen moves with you and needs no beading. A fitted bodice, straight column skirt and a train that starts near the lower back keep the line long. The trade-off is honesty. Silk satin shows every seam, every line of underwear and every crease from the car, so I’d put budget into tailoring and smooth foundations first. Closed-toe satin platforms, a fine diamond tennis bracelet and small drops are enough. A long veil adds the ceremony moment, and natural makeup keeps it quiet. Evening ballrooms and candlelit coastal dinners show the fabric best.
3. Wedding Dress With Lace Gloves
The French lace gloves were the romantic note against Nicola’s plain Valentino gown, and they show how one detailed accessory can change a simple dress. Start with an unembellished square-neck gown in matte crepe or silk satin, then add elbow-length ivory gloves in fine floral lace rather than heavy applique. Skip the necklace and wear studs so the neckline and gloves stay the focus. Satin platform sandals give height under the long skirt, and a lace-trimmed veil links the lace at your hands to the lace behind you. Smooth, loose waves keep it relaxed. Before buying gloves, I check where the lace ends on the arm; it should stop where the gown’s line looks longest, usually just above the elbow.
4. Wedding Dress With Detachable Train
A detachable train gives you the ceremony drama without dragging it through the reception. Pair a fitted square-neck column with a separate overskirt or train fastened discreetly at the waist or lower back, in the same fabric and the same dye lot so it reads as one piece. The fastening is what I test hardest. Hooks and snaps should take the pull of someone stepping on the train without tearing the bodice. Wear a cathedral veil, structured satin heels and diamond studs for the vows, then take off the train and veil and add a small metallic clutch. One gown, two looks, one set of alterations.
5. Wedding Dress With Lace Caplet And Veil
A lace caplet softens a sleek sleeveless gown and covers the shoulders for a church or a cool spring ceremony. Start with a fitted silk or crepe gown with wide straps and a clean column skirt, then layer a sheer floral-lace caplet that blends into a matching veil. If the caplet and veil come from different makers, I hold both together in daylight; two ivories that don’t match look grey next to each other. Pointed satin pumps, diamond studs and a slim bracelet finish it. Keep the hair low and simple so the caplet lies flat. Take it off before dinner for a modern reception look.
6. Wide Strap Wedding Dress
Wide straps are the most comfortable part of this look, and the most practical one for fuller busts. A square-neck bodice with straps sitting over a supportive internal corset holds everything without a strapless bodice gripping all night. Strap placement matters: set too wide, they slide off the shoulder; too close, they cut the neckline into a narrow box. Balance the fitted top with a straight skirt and a short chapel train. Ivory platform pumps, a long single-layer veil and small pearl earrings complete it. Skip a big necklace, which breaks the crisp neckline, and wear a slim bracelet or a sentimental ring instead. Straight hair with soft ends keeps the ’90s feel.
7. Low Back Column Wedding Dress
Keep the front clean and let the back surprise. A square neck, broad straps and a fitted column skirt make a quiet front view, while a soft scoop or a geometric opening at the back adds a modern contrast for the walk down the aisle. Low backs need their foundations decided early. I’d choose a backless bra or built-in cups during the first fitting, because the back can’t be cut properly until you know what’s underneath. A sheer cathedral veil, crystal studs and stable satin platforms suit it. A loose updo or smooth half-up style keeps the back visible.
8. Crepe Wedding Dress With Chapel Train
Matte crepe is the practical cousin of glossy silk. It keeps the sculpted silhouette, forgives more on the body and creases less in a hot car. A square-neck dress with a lightly corseted bodice, wide straps and a column skirt falling into a manageable chapel train suits smaller venues. Block-heel ivory pumps make grass and gravel easier. A plain fingertip veil, pearl studs and a structured mini bag finish it. Soft waves and fresh makeup keep the heavier fabric from looking severe. Crepe also works across seasons, since it looks substantial without layers of decoration.
9. Corset Satin Reception Wedding Dress
For the reception, a fitted satin dress with an internal corset takes over from the ceremony column. Nicola’s own later looks included bias-cut silk-satin Versace gowns, a sleeker direction after the main Valentino. Choose a floor-length design with a softly draped neckline, a defined waist and a narrow skirt that still lets you move. A corset should hold you up, not hold you in. At fittings I have the bride sit, eat a snack and dance a little; if she can’t breathe through all three, the boning is too tight. Platform sandals, sparkling drops and a compact silver or ivory bag finish it, with loose waves or a high ponytail.
10. Bias Cut Slip Wedding Dress
A bias-cut slip is the easiest second look if you love the sleek side of Nicola’s wardrobe. Heavyweight silk satin skims the body and pools at the floor, with a soft cowl or clean scoop neck and slim straps. Bias-cut fabric drops as it hangs, so the hem can grow over the weeks before the wedding. That’s why I schedule the final hem as close to the day as the seamstress allows. Ivory platform sandals, diamond drops and a small beaded clutch suit it, with smooth waves, a low bun or a sleek ponytail. A cropped satin jacket covers you on a cool evening.
11. Vintage Satin Wedding Dress
A vintage feel can sit inside the minimalist mood without turning into costume. Look to the clean evening dresses of the 1990s: a satin column with a fitted corset, straight neckline and floor-skimming skirt. Swap lace gloves for sheer tulle ones for a subtler retro touch. Platform pumps, vintage-style diamond studs and a compact satin bag finish it. Leave the hair loose with face-framing layers and turned-under ends rather than a set style. A long plain veil keeps it ceremonial. The line between archival and fancy dress is usually the hair, so if the hair reads period, keep the dress plain.
12. Cathedral Veil Wedding Dress
A very long veil turns the simplest dress into a full aisle moment. Start with a fitted square-neck column in silk satin or structured crepe, then add a cathedral veil that runs past the train in fine tulle with a narrow lace edge or scattered flowers. Keep everything else small: pearl studs, a slim bracelet and supportive platforms. Brushed-out waves contrast with the veil’s scale. Long veils pull backward, so I ask the hairstylist to anchor the comb into a hidden pin base and plan who will take it out before the reception. Save it for a long aisle or a spacious room; in a tight space it bunches.
13. Platform Heel Wedding Dress
Platforms give height and protect the long proportions of a column dress, and they’re far steadier than a stiletto of the same height because the front lift reduces the actual slope. A structured square-neck gown with broad straps, a close skirt and a detachable train sits over ivory satin platforms with an ankle strap or closed toe. Hem the gown in those exact shoes, or the skirt either pools or catches the toe. Lace gloves, studs and a long veil finish it. If very high heels hurt, a lower platform with a wide block heel keeps the effect. It helps petite brides and anyone carrying a heavy train.
14. Petite Column Wedding Dress
Petite brides can get Nicola’s long line by controlling proportion. A square-neck column with straps scaled to your shoulders, a waist seam at your natural waist and a smooth skirt with few seams keeps the eye moving up and down. The strap length and bodice depth are where off-the-rack gowns go wrong on a short torso, and an inch taken out of the straps often fixes the whole shape. Comfortable platform pumps, a narrow cathedral veil and small diamond earrings suit it. Keep lace trim fine. A detachable chapel train is easier than a long fixed one, and hair worn down with a little volume softens the neckline.
15. Plus Size Column Wedding Dress
A plus-size column works when the structure and the fabric cooperate. A square-neck bodice with wide straps, internal boning and proper bust support does the shaping. Very stiff fabric stands away from the body and adds width, so I’d look at silk-backed crepe or substantial satin that glides over curves instead. A gently shaped waist and straight skirt keep the clean line without a tight fit. Block-heel platforms, elbow-length lace gloves, a long veil and sparkling studs finish it. Talk about sitting comfort and undergarments at the first fitting, not the last. Fit matters far more than the size on the label.
16. Modest Square Neck Wedding Dress
For more coverage, keep the square neckline and add fitted long sleeves with a softly structured column skirt. Opaque crepe for the gown with sheer lace at the cuffs nods to Nicola’s gloves without a separate accessory. A shallow square neck still reads modern. Sleeves on a column need room at the elbow and bicep, or the whole bodice lifts when you raise your arms to hug someone, so I always check that before the hem. Closed-toe satin heels, pearl earrings and a chapel veil over a low bun complete it. Covered buttons on the sleeves or back add a quiet traditional detail.
17. Beach Estate Wedding Dress
A Palm Beach-style estate needs a gown that can take heat and outdoor ground. A lightweight silk-crepe column with a square neck, wide straps and a detachable train stays cooler than heavy satin. Choose block-heel platform sandals rather than stilettos, which sink into lawns. A single-layer veil catches the breeze without getting heavy, but in strong coastal wind I’d ask the hairstylist for extra pins or a shorter veil for outdoor portraits. Pearl drops, a fine bracelet and loose waves styled back from the face finish it. Keep the train on for the ceremony, then remove it for cocktails and dancing.
18. Courthouse Column Wedding Dress
Minimal bridal style suits a courthouse or civil ceremony naturally. An ankle-length square-neck column in ivory crepe, with wide straps and a precisely fitted waist, keeps the reference without the couture train. Pointed slingbacks, a structured top-handle bag, pearl earrings and a short tulle veil complete it. In colder months, a tailored white coat keeps the shape visible. A smooth low bun or a polished bob finishes it. The shorter hem handles city steps and restaurant floors far better than a floor-length gown, and I’d hem it to just clear the ankle bone so the shoes show. It also suits a smaller budget.
19. Wedding Dress With Dramatic Train
For a major entrance, combine a plain bodice with an architectural train. A silk-satin column with a square neck, wide straps and no embroidery sits under a detachable train that spreads behind it in a clean, sculptural shape. Add a cathedral veil with restrained lace edging, hidden platform heels, diamond studs and a low-profile bracelet, with loose waves or a sleek centre part. Sculptural trains rely on someone arranging them, so I’d brief a bridesmaid or the planner to set it before the aisle and before every portrait. Ask for a strong bustle for later. It needs space to read properly.
20. Personalized Something Blue Wedding Dress
Personal details make a minimal gown feel like yours. Nicola’s mother added a hidden message and a blue detail inside the Valentino gown, a good idea for anyone who wants meaning without visible decoration. Start with a square-neck satin column and add embroidered initials, a short handwritten message or a small blue ribbon inside the lining. Ask the seamstress to place it where it won’t press against skin, usually on a lining panel at the hip or inside the hem. Lace gloves, platforms, diamond earrings and a long lace-edged veil complete the outside. A scrap of fabric from a family garment sewn inside works too.
Lace Gloves at the Ring Exchange
Gloves look wonderful until someone has to put a ring on your finger. Decide how you’ll handle it before the rehearsal, not at the altar.
- Pass the left glove to your maid of honour just before the vows, along with your bouquet. Fine lace slides off more easily if you loosen each fingertip first.
- Ask for a small opening at the ring finger. Many glove makers can add a slit along the inner seam so the ring goes on over bare skin.
- Choose fingerless or open-backed gloves if you’d rather not think about it at all.
I’d take them off for dinner too. Lace and sauces don’t mix, and your new ring deserves to be seen in the reception photos.
Silk Satin Shows Everything, So Plan Around It
A plain satin gown has nowhere to hide marks. Water can leave rings on silk, so keep drinks and damp hands at arm’s length and don’t scrub a spill; blot it and leave it. Sitting in a car crumples the skirt, so I spread the back of the skirt out behind you and travel with a handheld steamer for a quick touch-up before the ceremony. Ask your photographer to do portraits before dinner, while the fabric still looks freshly pressed.
Her Proportions, Your Body
The formula behind Nicola’s look is short: a structured neckline, a clean column, good fabric and a couple of chosen accessories. Lace gloves, platforms, a long veil, a detachable train or a hidden message then make it personal. It adapts to a ballroom, a beach estate, a courthouse, a garden or a small indoor ceremony. Copy the proportions that suit your body rather than every detail of hers. With careful tailoring and restrained accessories, a Nicola-inspired wedding dress can feel sophisticated, comfortable and completely your own.
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