Why two dresses? Monique Lhuillier, a bridal designer, traces the trend in this country back 10 years, to when wedding dresses started becoming bigger and heavier, necessitating a second dress, usually a white, ivory or silver frock with a shorter hemline or slinkier silhouette.

“Brides who buy second Evening dresses are usually women who want it all,” said Elizabeth Hui, a buyer for Bergdorf Goodman. “The traditional over-the-top princess gown for the wedding ceremony, and afterwards, for the reception, a fun, flirty party dress that is more comfortable.”
Amsale, the company that made Ms. Keys’s second dress, started a capsule collection of little white dresses, priced from $900 to $1,200, in 2008, while Badgley Mischka started selling dresses with detachable ball skirts, including a $3,950 gown from its Mark + James line.
As Stacey Bendet, the Alice + Olivia designer who made two custom gowns for wedding dress, said, “From a fashion perspective there’s nothing like making a second entrance.”
Or a memorable exit. Whitney Ranson, 27, a merchandise planner, chose a sleeveless dress by Ms. Lhuillier for her April wedding at a country club in Delray Beach, Fla. But at the end of the night she changed into a short strapless cream dress, which she bought at H & M for $40.



