40 Iconic Movie Wedding Gowns, in Photos
Everyone pictures what they'll wear on their wedding day. And whether those future brides realize it or not, a lot of their inspiration comes from what they've seen on the big screen. From Elizabeth Taylor in Father of the Bride to Carrie Bradshaw's Vivienne Westwood confection in the Sex and the City movie, these on-screen brides take the cake for best bridal gowns.
Mae Clarke wore a classic long sleeve lace gown and a long tulle veil for Elizabeth Lavenza's wedding to Henry, the monster's creator. Although her wedding didn't go as originally planned, it worked out in the end.
Katharine Hepburn looked incredible as Tracy Lord in her chiffon ruffled wedding gown in The Philadelphia Story. To top off the look, Hepburn wore a wide-brimmed hat, rather than a veil.
Elizabeth Taylor was a vision in satin and lace for Kay Banks's wedding in Father of the Bride. The actress, who's first wedding to Conrad Hilton coordinated with the release of the film, wore a Helen Rose design for both the film and her real-life nuptials.
For her wedding to millionaire J.D. Hanley, Schatze Page (Lauren Bacall) wore an ornate lace boat neck gown and a sheer white sun hat. The dress is iconic not for its time as the bride of Mr. Hanley, but for her impromptu nuptials with her true love.
From the embroidered short veil to the high collar design, Juliette's wedding dress from ...And God Created Woman is one of the most iconic gowns to date. Surprisingly enough, the dress had a similar feel to the real-life wedding dress that Brigitte Bardot wore to marry the film's director, Roger Vadim, in 1951.
Although Jo Stockton (Audrey Hepburn) was a heartbroken model when she first put on the Hubert de Givenchy short tulle wedding dress in Funny Face, by the end she was floating off with her desired in a truly iconic scene.
For the first half of The Sound of Music, we only see Maria, played by Julie Andrews, in her uniform. But we're treated to an elegant structured satin gown, elaborate headpiece, and simple veil in the second half when her sisters give her away to Captain Von Trapp.
The wedding may not have worked out as planned, but at least Elaine Robinson's (Katharine Ross) elegant peasant-inspired wedding gown looks as good in the back of the bus as it did going down the aisle.
We didn't technically see what Fanny Brice wore to say "I do" to the dashing Nick Arnstein, but Barbra Streisand was wearing an absolutely gorgeous wedding gown for her performance with the Ziegfeld Follies when the two characters fell in love.
It was both of their second weddings, and their children took up the bulk of the church's seating, but the blue brocade wedding dress and matching hat that Helen North-Beardsley (Lucille Ball) wore in Yours, Mine and Ours is almost as sweet as the romantic comedy itself.
Robin Wright certainly looked the part of a princess bride in the 1987 film. For the Renaissance-era fantasy film, the actress wore an appropriately styled gown that was covered in dreamy beading and embroidered details.
What to wear when you suddenly become a princess? Lisa McDowell, played by Shari Headley, nailed her wedding dress to Prince Akeem with a light pink strapless tulle ballgown and gold crown for the ceremony.
George Banks may have lost his little girl, but at least we were all able to lust over the dreamy silk and lace gown that Kimberly Williams wore as Annie Banks. In typical '90s fashion, the bride opted for a full skirt and lots of luxe details.
In one of the four weddings that took place in Four Weddings and a Funeral, Carrie (Andie MacDowell) wore an off-the-shoulder, A-line ballgown with a draped skirt.
In the modern adaptation of Romeo + Juliet, Claire Danes played Juliet and married her Romeo (a.k.a. Leonardo DiCaprio) in a minimalist sleeveless satin gown.
We were happy when Emma Woodhouse finally wed Jeremy Northam. But we were overjoyed with the cap sleeve and empire waist wedding gown Gwyneth Paltrow got to wear for the occasion.
To be honest, Julia Robert's lilac maid of honor dress stole the show. But the off-the-shoulder long sleeve wedding gown Cameron Diaz wore as Kimberly Wallace was a showstopper in itself.
It wasn't the wedding that finally made the runaway bride say "I do," but Maggie Carpenter's (Julia Roberts) full skirt and illusion neckline gown for her wedding to Ike will forever be remembered as she rode off into the sunset on a Fedex truck.
Illusion necklines must have been popular in 1999. For Mia Morgan's wedding in The Best Man, actress Monica Calhoun donned a long sleeve satin gown with an illusion neckline.
As a wedding planner, Mary Fiore (Jennifer Lopez) knows that the devil is in the details. She elevated her courthouse nuptials to Massimo in The Wedding Planner with a boatneck taffeta mini dress and a veiled pillbox cap.
In the Southern wedding of Melanie Smooter and Andrew Hennings, viewers saw Reese Witherspoon walk down the aisle in a simple cap sleeve gown with a white bridal face net. Too bad the ceremony ended with a knock out punch, because this look was stunning.
In My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Ian popped the question with a no-frills, "I don't really know how to say this, will you marry me?" To which Tula responded with, "yeah." The wedding, on the other hand, was much more over-the-top.
It wasn't as much the dress that stole our attention in Love Actually, as Juliet's (Keira Knightley) sheer and feathered coat that topped it. The ensemble was minimalist and modern and perfectly paired with her small feather fascinator in lieu of a veil.
We almost (but not really) wanted to see Rachel McAdams's character, Allie Hamilton, marry Lon so that we could get a better glimpse at the exquisite gown she was planning to wear for the ceremony. The 1940s wedding dress featured front buttons, an illusion neckline, and lots of lace.
As Princess of Genovia, there's no doubt that Amelia Mignonette Thermopolis Renaldi (yes, we have to say her full name) drew inspiration for her wedding gown from past royal brides. The A-line silhouette and lace sleeves give us glimmers of Grace Kelly, while the long train seems to be a nod to Princess Diana.
Charlotte Cantilini (Jennifer Lopez) handle herself well when her monster-in-law mother-in-law, Viola Fields (Jane Fonda), showed up in a bridal gown of her own. However, there's really no competition between the two dresses, as Charlotte's silk taffeta sleeveless gown is exceptional.
Amy Ellis and Ed's English countryside wedding almost didn't take place, but that didn't stop the bride from looking absolutely stunning on her big day. In The Wedding Date, we saw a blonde Amy Adams don a sleeveless V-neck satin gown with a ruffled chiffon train—and a tiara, of course.
It was the dress that started—and possibly ended?—the grand wedding of Carrie Bradshaw and John James Preston. Sadly, the Vivienne Westwood strapless satin ballgown Sarah Jessica Parker wore for the movie never made it to the aisle, but it did have its moment on Fifth Avenue.
When Jane Nichols (Katherine Heigl) put on her 28th dress and finally planned her own nuptials, she opted for a beach wedding. The sleeveless A-line dress she selected may not have been her mother's wedding dress (too soon?), but it looked lovely on her.
What dress is fit for a Grecian island wedding? Naturally, that would be the empire waist, tulle, and blue beaded bohemian wedding gown Amanda Seyfried wore as Sophie.
Jenny's (Jennifer Aniston) winter wedding dress looks magical in a snowstorm, even though we'd imagine she's quite cold. The Marley and Me wedding took place at the very beginning of the movie, pre-Marley.
It isn't normal to spend your wedding night alone, but then again it also isn't normal to marry a time traveler. Rachel McAdams's character, Clare, did just that, but we're glad her groom was at least able to see her in this strapless belted ballgown at the wedding.
Kate Hudson is one lucky girl. She got to portray Liv, who got married at The Plaza in New York City in this stunning strapless drop waist tulle ballgown with a lace bodice and a velvet sash.
There's nothing melancholic about Justine's strapless chiffon wedding dress, which Kirsten Dunst shows off along with her dance moves in the wedding in the film Melancholia.
In Jumping the Broom, Sabrina and Jason say "I do" in a waterfront outdoor ceremony. During which the bride, played by Paula Patton, looked gorgeous in a strapless A-line dress.
We had a great deal of expectations (pun intended) for the remake of Great Expectations. Simply put, Helena Bonham Carter and the wedding dress she wore as Miss Havisham delivered.
Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) wore her fictional wedding dress to the Quarter Quell's opening ceremony upon President Snow's request. The gown was stunning and up to the Capitol's over the top standards—but the best feature only occurred when she twirled.
It may not have been the happiest of marriages, but Daisy Buchanan's (Carey Mulligan) 1920s era wedding gown in The Great Gatsby was simply marvelous. From the jeweled headband to the chiffon cap sleeves, it's no wonder the film's costume designer, Catherine Martin, took home an Oscar for her work.
In a fairytale-like wedding ceremony, Bella and Edward were married in the forest in a scene that only upset Jacob fans. Kristen Stewart wore a stunningly simple long sleeve dress with an elaborate lace back.
Adaline Bowman (Blake Lively) may be ageless, but before her accident, she got married in this period-style wedding dress. Between the lace on the front and the satin sleeves and skirt, we feel confident that this gown would work in any time period.
40 Iconic Movie Wedding Gowns, in Photos
Everyone pictures what they'll wear on their wedding day. And whether those future brides realize it or not, a lot of their inspiration comes from what they've seen on the big screen. From Elizabeth Taylor in Father of the Bride to Carrie Bradshaw's Vivienne Westwood confection in the Sex and the City movie, these on-screen brides take the cake for best bridal gowns.
TBH, we'd wear every single one of these dresses.
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