Today, we're talking all about 2 in 1 wedding dresses you'll love! This is such a fun trend for custom wedding dresses, and brides across the USA are getting in on this!
A two-in-one wedding dress or a convertible wedding dress is such a rad wedding hack, because you can wear pieces of your wedding dress to other formal events (ex: a wedding dress with a detachable ballgown skirt could reveal a versatile jumpsuit or surprise reception dress)!
2 in 1 Wedding Dresses
When shopping for a 2 in 1 wedding dress, there are a few things I want you to be aware of, as a professional wedding gown designer with 10+ years of experience:
- Alterations: A two in one wedding dress could run higher in alterations, as there are more pieces. At Hannah Caroline Couture, we include the price of alterations in your custom quote!
- Make a plan: When deciding on the components of your 2 in 1 wedding dress, you want to be sure you create pieces you'll wear in the future - if that's a priority. I'm a big fan of a two-in-one wedding look that includes a jumpsuit, as they're so versatile (and I love making them with pockets)!
- Strength of stitching: If you're planning for a "tear away" reveal at your wedding reception, be sure the fasteners are STURDY! Make sure the stitching is reinforced, etc.
- Go beyond the skirt: Besides a detachable skirt, you can also do detachable sleeves, trains, straps, etc. It's so fun! It's nice to take off sleeves as they can look beautiful in your wedding photos, but be hard to dance or eat in!
- Go for the drama: If you plan on having a detachable skirt, be sure to get a lot of DRAMA out of that piece! Think layers! Sparkle! Color! Fun! You're only going to wear it for a short while, so make this moment count!
Here's a look at some of my favorite 2-in-1 wedding gowns I've made so far:
Alexi's 2 in 1 Wedding Dress - with Detachable Ball Gown Skirt & Gorgeous Beading
Beautiful bride, Alexi, was married to her sweetheart in the Midwest - South Dakota, to be exact!
Her 2 in 1 wedding dress was a sheath dress with a fully beaded and transparent bodice, and exposed boning, as well as 3D floral appliques.
For her ceremony, she added a detachable ball gown skirt with more beading and a train. We are very detail-oriented at Hannah Caroline Couture, and we made sure that each slit lined up with the other, so that Alexi could have a fun "slit moment"!
We also featured Alexi's 2 in 1 wedding gown in our guide to floral wedding dresses!
Ali's 2-in-1 Confetti Gown
Nebraska bride and HCC runway model Ali was in the process of designing a black and colorful lace wedding dress when she saw the reveal of my new Confetti Gown on social media. At her next appointment, she tried on the Confetti Gown (a high-low dress with a detachable, dramatic ball gown skirt with a long train) and immediately started crying - she had found the one!
We scrapped the original design and made only a few modifications to my Confetti Gown - swapping the neckline to a modified version of our Stargazer Gown, adding a lace-up corset back, and adding a few layers of white glitter tulle to the detachable skirt - to make it perfectly hers.
I had the honor of attending her wedding in 2024 as her personal attendant, and it was so rewarding to hear her guests' reactions to her dress as she started walking down the aisle!
Sarah's Black and Red 2 in 1 Ball Gown
Photography Credit: Moose and Bear Photography
Local bride Sarah fell in love with our Caroline Gown, Nora Gown, and our Cierra Gown, three of our most popular styles, so we combined her favorite parts of each into a dramatic and versatile wedding look for her intimate mountain wedding.
We started with the reception dress, taking the neckline from Caroline, the pleated skirt with slit from Nora, and the sequin mesh fabric from Cierra. We added a lace-up corset back for a flexible, comfortable feel.
Then we added a dramatic ball gown overskirt for her ceremony, taking the shape of the Caroline Gown's skirt, making the cascading ruffle out of the Cierra sequin mesh fabric, and adding a dramatic 4' train in shades of maroon and black tulle.
I also had the honor of going out to Colorado for her wedding in the mountains, assisting as her personal attendant after our time working together on her dress blossomed into a wonderful friendship!
Kyla's Iridescent Sequin Beach Wedding Dress
Nebraska bride Kyla was planning a beach wedding, so she wanted the easy wear of a beach wedding dress without sacrificing the drama of a statement train.
We decided on a 2-in-1 set to give her the best of both worlds! Her look featured an iridescent sequin mermaid dress with a square neckline (inspired by our Confetti Gown) with a detachable, open-front sequin overskirt with a 4-foot long train! Perfect for dramatic photos, but easily removable for the laidback party on the beach after the ceremony.
Jerrica's Stunning Two in One Wedding Ballgown Dress with Detachable Train
Jerrica flew up from Austin, Texas, for her fitting at the Hannah Caroline Couture studio in Omaha, Nebraska! We love working with brides from all over the country!
Jerrica got married in this stunning green tulle ball gown, based on our Jessica Gown. She added a detachable sequin train and removable tulle bishop sleeves.
As shared above, a "statement sleeve" like this looks stunning in photos (can you believe how gorgeous Jerrica is?), but they can be hard to dance in! By making these sleeves removable, Jerrica got her glamorous and romantic look for her December wedding, and was able to dance the night away at her wedding reception.
Lisa's Lace and Tulle Gown with Detachable Train (Heirloom Piece)
Lisa is a local Nebraska bride (so many Midwest brides on this guide!).
She wanted to combine old and new for her wedding gown, incorporating heirloom pieces.
Her mother had made her own wedding gown when she got married, complete with a dramatic detachable ivory satin train. (Isn't it interesting how wedding gown trends come back around?!)
We were tasked with finding a way to blend her mother's satin train with a new gown that represented Lisa. Sourcing materials for this "then and now" gown was a blast, and we hand selected colorful, vintage-inspired lace materials that would complement both parts of the design.
The end result was an off-the-shoulder gown covered in ivory, peach, and sage green floral lace appliques that were individually cut from a lace fabric and layered throughout the bodice and fading into the skirt. They were carefully placed for maximum effect.
The gown had flowy soft tulle bishop sleeves with lace appliqued cuffs and pearl buttons, a romantic lace-up corset back, and the skirt had layers of soft tulle in shades of ivory adding dimension, layered with the colorful lace fabric and additional lace appliques to give the gown a whimsical feel. Don't these photos make it look like Lisa is in a vintage painting?!
Lastly, the appliques were blended into mom's detachable train at the waist and intermingled with the existing lace and ruffles for a look that exuded romantic garden wedding vibes! We also featured Lisa in our green wedding dress guide, here!
Melinda's Gothic Victorian Bustle Dress
Photography Credit: Complete Weddings
Local bride Melinda wanted a modern take on a Victorian bustle, so we added a detachable ruffled chantilly lace train to her gown. Her main dress featured a ruched chantilly lace bodice with exposed boning and lace applique around the midriff, with soft, flowy silk chiffon bishop sleeves and gathered chiffon skirt.
We kept the dress floor-length so she could party in comfort after having the detachable bustle train for her ceremony and photos - a win-win solution!
Maddie's Tea Length Colorful Wedding Dress
Photography Credit: Shutter Moon Photography
Nebraska bride Maddie originally purchased a bustier-style dress online, but wasn't happy with the quality once it arrived. She reached out to me to see if I could create a higher-quality version with better fabrics and while she was going custom, we added a few more personalized touches!
First, we added hand-painted gold lace appliques lifted from her mother's wedding dress to the bodice and waist of her upgraded glitter wedding dress. Then, we added a slightly longer tulle overskirt in shades of hunter green and champagne gold to coordinate with her husband-to-be's wedding outfit.
Her guests raved about her unique, colorful 2-in-1 dress all night!
Mariah's Bridal Jumpsuit with Detachable Tulle Skirt
Photography Credit: Jesi Lee Photography
How stunning does Mariah look in her 2 in 1 wedding look? She was married in a black velvet jumpsuit based on our Sandy Jumpsuit, combined with elements of our Fallon Gown. (How gorgeous are those long lace sleeves?!)
The colorful skirt is made using different shades of blue and purple tulle, trimmed with horsehair to add a cascading effect.
I love this 2 in 1 wedding look, as Mariah will be able to wear her jumpsuit to many different events (a black velvet jumpsuit?! Gorgeous, AND versatile!), and her colorful detachable skirt can be used in a variety of looks to have a "wow" moment!
Torrie's Black and Purple Alternative Wedding Gown
She customized our Barbera Gown with Beaded Tulle Skirt, adding detachable off-the-shoulder lace sleeves and mixing black and purple tulle for her skirt. Her beaded tulle skirt was detachable, so she could remove both the sleeves and tulle skirt for her reception to dance the night away!
Ellie’s 2-in-1 Floral Jumpsuit
Nebraska bride Ellie wanted a classic ivory chiffon gown with a surprise she kept secret from her fiancé and guests - a hidden jumpsuit for dancing the night away! How cute are these pockets?!
Ellie’s look featured an ivory crepe and illusion mesh bodice that combined ivory floral lace appliques and colorful floral embroidery, leading into a fitted crepe pant with pockets.
For her ceremony, she added an ivory silk chiffon skirt and topped off her look with a skirt veil featuring the same colorful lace embroidery along the bottom.
We also featured Ellie's outfit in our round-up of chiffon wedding dress inspiration here.
Theresa's Two in One Black Wedding Gown
Omaha bride Theresa combined and customized our Cierra Gown with our Tiered Organza Skirt to create her dream 2-in-1 black wedding gown! Her organza overskirt featured an open front (because who would want to cover the gorgeous sequin lace fabric in the Cierra Gown?!) and could be removed for her reception.
Looking for more inspiration? Check out Hannah Caroline Couture’s Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok to see which 2-in-1 wedding gowns we’ve made recently!
If you’re considering a custom gown, check out these 12 tips for ordering a custom wedding gown online. Then, learn how to find the right custom dressmaker for your wedding here.
This blog post was all about 2 in 1 wedding dress inspiration.
What to Read Next
I hope these photos have given you plenty of inspiration for your own two in one wedding gown! Here are a few other helpful posts to check out:
- Inspiration for Your Custom Crepe Wedding Gown
- 3+ Otherworldly Celestial Wedding Gown Ideas
- How to Break with Wedding Traditions: Tips & Encouragement for Non-traditional Brides
- How to Find the Right Custom Dressmaker: 18 Questions to Ask to Find the Right Fit
About Hannah Caroline Couture
I am proud to specialize in creating custom wedding gowns for brides of all sizes, with a passion for providing an amazing customer experience whether I get the chance to work with you in person or at a distance. While I love making garments in any size and for any personal style, I get a little extra excited about working with plus-size brides and brides that want to get married in something really unique and non-traditional.
