The Second Dress Has Its Own Entrance

A bride's ceremony gown has one job, and the dress she changes into for the reception has another: the dancing, the toasts, and the late hours after the vows. Elle has rounded up sixteen reception looks that give that second outfit the same care as the first, treating the evening change as a real fashion moment and not an afterthought. For a Palm Beach ballroom or a Hamptons tent after dark, the idea is simple and appealing: the bride gets a second entrance, in something made for moving. We've always kept track of who wore what and when, and a wedding day now asks that question twice.

With reporting from Elle.