When I was in college, TLC's signature show, Say Yes to the Dress, was the basis for what I thought wedding dress shopping would be like. The process was fun and glamorous, a day to celebrate with my best friends. Then came the day of shopping as a bridesmaid, accompanying the bride. I found the actual gown selection to be both mentally exhausting and methodical, despite the exclamations, the champagne, and the moments of tears. Would it be too much cleavage to wear to church? Would it cover my stomach? What would my mother-in-law think? She likes the bust of this dress and the train of the other dress, but I can't combine these styles into one dress.

It was exactly this kind of bridal dilemma that New Zealand-based wedding designer Trish Penn (open in new tab) encountered with one of her clients.

"We had a bride who had decided on a dress silhouette, which was our Josie gown (opens in new tab), and she was crying because she couldn't decide between a lace dress or a plain dress," Penn recalls. She was like, 'I don't know what to do.' So I said, 'Oh, well, let's do both and not sacrifice one for the other. The head of the tailor was present for the fitting and said, 'We'll figure it out.'"

Peng and her team Googled reversible bridal dresses, but came up with nothing. The trickiest part for them was finding a way to hide the zippers on both sides of the dress. 'We couldn't find any reversible zippers for the dress,' she said. So we ended up putting a double reversible zipper on one side of her dress. That way, when she flipped the dress at the reception, the zipper was still there, but it was concealed."

Needless to say, the bride was delighted. And Peng proved the concept of a new line of reversible wedding dresses. There are now seven styles available, ranging from strapless ball gowns to slips with wide open backs. Brides can wear their dresses all day without worrying about wrinkling from movement. All the lace incorporated is from France.

In addition, the designer and her team uniquely designed the under layer of the reversible dress so that when the dress is flipped up, the dirty part is not visible. They tuck the [clean] part underneath and tie it off. Then when you flip the gown over, you release that clean layer and put away the dirty layer." Genius.

Peng's two-in-one, plain to lace creations soon hit the press (open in new tab). Bridal stores in New York were especially eager to see her designs, and when the model showed off a reversible gown starting at $4,500, everyone was "taken aback. We were like, "Wow, why hasn't anyone done this before?" It's not rocket science, but we embrace it," she says.

Despite the high praise, Peng says some brides are still warming up to the idea of reversible wedding dresses. 'I think once brides hear about it, they're open to the idea. But reversible wedding dresses are not for every bride. While she won't divulge the exact number of orders, Peng gave a rough estimate and said that all of her suppliers (open in new tab) carry the reversible line, whether it's one or five silhouettes. She said, "If 80 brides would choose a reversible gown, it would be about 20." The designer hopes that the more people hear about two-in-one ensembles, the more it will become a trend that sticks.

Once a bride chooses one of the styles from Penn's suppliers, stores (in Los Angeles and Oakland), and trunk shows, it takes four to six months to create a custom dress. Those who do not live in areas where Peng's designs are available for purchase can call the designer via Skype to discuss the details of their custom dress.

Looking to the future, Peng has plans to open more flagship stores, especially in New York. Our plan," she says, "is to conquer the world.

For more stories like this, including celebrity news, beauty and fashion advice, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for the Marie Claire newsletter.

Click here to subscribe (opens in new tab)