The Most Popular Wedding Dress Styles in Every State

So much of fashion revolves around trends. Whether it’s the latest tech accessory or the newest style of engagement ring, we like to keep up with popular trends here at Shane Co. One of the most popular trends in the wedding industry, of course, is wedding dress styles. 

From the ornate ball gowns of the 1950s to the absurdly puffy sleeves of the 1980s, wedding gowns have always mirrored popular fashion trends, and brides often look to celebrity wedding gowns for inspiration. This got us wondering — what are the most popular wedding dress styles of today? Do they vary from state to state? And what celebrity wedding dresses remain at the forefront of the industry? 

To find out, we looked at Google Shopping data for various wedding dress styles in every state. We also looked at Google search volume for several iconic celebrity wedding dresses. The results show a complex, fascinating industry with particular regional styles. Read on to discover what we found! 

The Most Popular Wedding Dress Styles in Every State

Said to have been made popular by Jackie Kennedy’s gown from 1952, the ball gown wedding dress style has remained the most popular wedding dress style in the United States. This style is the most popular in 13 states, including Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Kansas and Arizona. As you can see on the map, this style is particularly popular with states in the central part of the U.S.

The second-most popular wedding dress style in the U.S. is the princess style, which flaunts an undefined waistline. This is popular in states such as Texas, Florida and Oregon. Other regional trends include long-sleeve wedding dresses in northern states like Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota, and short-sleeve wedding dresses in western states like Colorado and Utah.

The Most Searched Wedding Dress Style in Every Region

Speaking of regional trends, we broke down our results into major regions in the U.S. in order to determine if there are significant distinctions. As it turns out, the ball gown is the most popular in the Midwest and the South. The A-line-style dress, which is described as a “tamed-down version of the ball gown,” is particularly popular in the Northeast, which proves just how popular the ball gown style really is overall.

However, there is a significant variation in the most popular styles in the West. Five styles of dress — A-line, ball gown, asymmetrical, princess and short sleeve — are equally popular in terms of search volume.

Here you can see the breakdown of each wedding dress style in terms of popularity, based on the count of states with the most search volume for that specific style. It makes us wonder what new trends might be on the horizon in the new decade! 

Next, we broke down each state’s most searched celebrity wedding dress style. Which celebrity gowns are Americans searching for the most?

The Most Searched Celebrity Wedding Dress in Every State

Surprisingly, based on our above data, Jackie Kennedy didn’t make the cut. The most popular celebrity wedding dress in the United States was Marilyn Monroe’s. This makes sense to us, as the blonde bombshell was married three times, with three different dresses, and all of them are nothing short of iconic. Residents of states like North Carolina, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Missouri and more are calling up her dresses on Google, perhaps for inspiration for their own gowns.

Some runners-up for the most searched celebrity wedding dress in every state are Celine Dion (most popular in states like Utah, Minnesota and South Carolina) and Pippa Middleton (most popular in Hawaii, Kansas, South Dakota and Vermont). Royals made the list, including Princess Diana and Meghan Markle, and so did celebrity influencers, including Chrissy Teigen and Kim Kardashian. 

What about when we break it down by region?

The Most Searched Celebrity Wedding Dress in Every Region   

As you can see, Marilyn Monroe’s wedding attire dominates the list in every region except the Northeast, which is tied for a whopping nine most popular celebrity dresses. These include Angelina Jolie, Audrey Hepburn, Jennifer Lopez, Kate Moss, Lauren Conrad, Marilyn Monroe, Pippa Middleton, Priyanka Chopra and Victoria Beckham. Clearly, the Northeast likes to grab fashion inspiration from a wide variety of places!

Finally, here is a breakdown of the most popular celebrity wedding dresses in the U.S., based on the concentration of states searching for them the most. We were certainly interested to see that more Americans were searching for Pippa Middleton’s dress than Kate’s, though Pippa did get married much more recently than Kate!

That wraps up our analysis of the most popular wedding dress styles in every state. Are you surprised by any of the results? Does your wedding dress style fit into any of these categories, or do you have another celebrity wedding dress you love? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave us a comment below or send us an e-mail at social@shaneco.com. You can also connect with us on social media (@shanecompany on Instagram and Facebook) to learn more.