Brides searching for something unconventional to wear on their wedding day usually had two options: look for something white in ready-to-wear collections, or go down the custom route. Meredith Stoecklein, the founder and designer of LEIN, was familiar with this dilemma. While she was studying at Parsons, betrothed friends would ask her to design wedding dresses for them all the time. “They wanted a look that felt like they pulled it out of their closet; an extension of their own wardrobes,” she says. “They are dressing up, but they still want to feel like themselves.”

These experiences are what led Stoecklein to launch LEIN, a fashion line that bridges the gap between ready-to-wear and bridal. Similar to Danielle Frankel and Markarian, two indie brands that appeal to modern brides with a keen sense of style, there are plenty of fashion forward looks in LEIN’s latest bridal collection. Their Emmylou tiered dress has a rock n’ roll vibe perfect for downtown brides. The Elsie ruffled jumpsuit is the kind of fun and festive after-party outfit brides love to dance in. And LEIN’s two mini dresses, the Vigneto and a button front suit dress, are sweet and sophisticated options for women tying the knot at City Hall. “My grandmother Dorothy was married  in a baby blue skirt suit,” Stoecklein shares. “She’s my forever muse and to this day the most elegant person I’ve ever known.”

LEIN’s bridal designs vary from $995 – $4,000, but even better, every look is made to measure and ready to be delivered in about eight weeks. Suddenly the idea of having to wait around six months to get your wedding dress seems awfully antiquated, doesn’t it?