Deciding on the perfect bridal gown is a lot like finding your future husband—when you know, you know. But a little inspiration never hurt. With 2025 shaping up to be an exciting year for bridal gown trends, we asked Bustle Bridal founder and curator Sarah Jeansonne Wampler for her top trend prediction for the year.

“We are predicting unique waistlines to be everywhere you look this year,” says Wampler. “Brides have been experimenting with necklines in the past couple of years, and we don’t see that trend dying down. But now they’re venturing into different waistlines, which can give such personality to a look.”

Corsetry details and vintage-inspired silhouettes draw the eyes downward, adding visual interest to a wedding dress. Wampler says she is seeing more clients opt for drop waists and basque waistlines, which are flattering in different ways. Drop waists elongate the body and streamline a look, while basque, or pointed, waistlines accentuate curves by drawing attention to the narrowest part of the torso.

Vogue is betting on the drop-waist trend, calling it this year’s “biggest wedding dress trend.” And podcaster and entrepreneur Alex Cooper turned heads in a stunning basque waist dress for her wedding. No matter which style suits your personality and vision for your big day, there’s no denying that waistlines are a fan favorite for blending timeless elegance and trendy design. And we can’t wait to see how brides get creative with waistlines in the coming months.