In 1840, Queen Victoria broke royal wedding tradition when she walked down the aisle in a William Dyce ivory silk dress.

Until then, members of the British aristocracy wore gowns woven with gold and silver threads, layered with velvet and ermine robes.

The young, trail-blazing queen is credited with starting the custom of brides donning white or ivory dresses that is still in place today.

Eleanor Thompson – a former curator at the Brighton Museum in England – charts the course of bridal couture over the decades in her new book The Wedding Dress: The 50 Designs That Changed the Course of Bridal Fashion.

From Audrey Hepburn’s Balmain ballerina-style dress she wore to wed Mel Ferrer in 1954 to the John Galliano one-shouldered, ombré pink gown Gwen Stefani opted for in 2002 to marry Gavin Rossdale you’ll be sure to find some bridal gown inspiration of your own.

We provide a selection of some of the most iconic wedding looks.

Prince Rainier Of Monaco and Grace Kelly, 1955

Dress by Helen Rose

Jackie Kennedy, 1953

Dress by Ann Lowe

Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer, 1954

Dress by Balmain

Ed Schlossberg And Caroline Kennedy, 1986

Dress by Carolina Herrera

Kate And Pippa Middleton, 2011

Dress by Sarah Burton

Lady Diana Spencer And Prince Charles, 1981

Dress by David and Elizabeth Emanuel

Princess Elizabeth And Phillip Mountbatten, 1947

Dress by Norman Hartnell