The princess ballgown wedding-dress fantasy is alive and well.

Princess-inspired wedding dresses have only gained interest since Kate Middleton wed Prince William in 2011 with 27.7 million viewers watching. And Meghan Markle’s and Prince Harry’s 2018 wedding only created further interest — as evidenced by the nearly 29.2 million viewers of that union, noted Kleinfeld director of merchandising Dorothy Silver.

Those royal weddings has modified the entire industry from beaded, shiny styles to classic, timeless and chic gowns, Silver said. “I at all times tell my brides, ‘You need to look back at your wedding pictures 20 years from now, and love the way in which you look.’ That classic timeless elegance is so necessary. You don’t wish to feel trendy.” 

Princess weddings are also offered up by Disney — which animated the fairy-tale narratives many Millennials grew up on — which has an estimated 50 different venues for couples to get married. Roughly 1,500 couples tie the knot on the Disney World Resort every year. Except for the travel and attire expenses, Disney World’s minimum wedding event fee starts at $7,500 and reaches $50,000, depending on the venue, day of the week and event time. 

While some may query if princess fantasies align with women’s empowerment and equality initiatives, Silver said each bride reserves the appropriate to decorate as she pleases.

“It’s every woman’s own dream about how she desires to feel and appear when she gets married. They’ve the appropriate to feel that way,” Silver said. “There’s a pot for each cover. Everybody is different. We see so many differing types of brides who comes from everywhere in the world and everywhere in the U.S. All of them have their dream of how they wish to look on their wedding day — whether that is sort of a Disney princess or Grace Kelly.”

Wearing a princess dress can also be a break from the pandemic-induced ultracasual lifestyle, noted Christine Wettstein, cofounder and director of brand name strategies at Coterie White and Melange de Blanc. “Regardless of what, it’s not on daily basis which you can wear a ballgown. It’s more of a matter of, ‘Why not do it if you happen to can and you wish to?’ Versus fitting right into a mold of a princess bride,” she said.

Concurrently, more-is-more trends, like pajamas with feathers and oversize sleeves, and other over-the-top looks may be found at any price point, she said. “After all, that may translate to a bride’s wedding dress should it’s desired,” Wettstein said.

Justin Warshaw, CEO and inventive director of Justin Alexander, said what to wear for a marriage day boils right down to personal alternative. “Whether it’s a more feminine, princess-y style, or a more structured and modern silhouette, a marriage dress is a mirrored image of the person. A bride should wear whatever she is most comfortable and feels best in on her wedding day.”

Rami Al Ali, who has a signature bridal collection, doesn’t see a conflict between women’s empowerment and being delicate and female. “Empowerment doesn’t just come from appearance. It’s also a life-style and behavior, no matter their background women are still very thinking about looking beautiful.” the designer said.

Enaura’s cofounders Sohil and Nayha Mistry said many Millennial brides grew up with princess stories which can be often related to royalty and glamour. “This could still be appealing regardless of ladies’s rights and empowerment because it represents a romantic ideal and a way of fantasy,” they said.

Mark Badgley and James Mischka said the endurance of the princess bride style is all in regards to the dream or magic of being a bride. “It’s in regards to the wonder, the fascination and the enchantment of walking down the aisle in all of the formality — and that could be a very special type of power.”

Yellow by Sahar’s owner and inventive director Sahar Fotouhi described the princess bride as “the epitome of magic.”

And while lots of women feel empowered embracing their femininity, Fotouhi said there are other ways to rejoice that don’t fit into the princess box. “Some brides may select to specific themselves in a trendy and daring way, and we honor that with our gorgeous wedding suits,” Fotouhi said.