George Boyle
Wedding dresses are often a topic of fascination, with the world eagerly awaiting glimpses of celebrity nuptials and the accompanying gowns. The most beautiful wedding dresses are typically those that stand out, whether through unique design elements, the incorporation of the bride's personality, or a break from tradition. From Grace Kelly's timeless satin and lace gown to Hailey Bieber's off-the-shoulder lace creation, these dresses have become iconic, inspiring bridal styles for years to come. While some opt for traditional silhouettes, others, like Solange Knowles, make a statement with a sleek wedding jumpsuit. With so many stunning options, the most beautiful title is hard to award, as it is often a matter of personal taste and the impact a dress has on its viewers.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Designer | Chanel, Chloé, Alexander Wang, Zuhair Murad, Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren, Norman Hartnell, Dolce & Gabbana, Vera Wang, Zac Posen, Monique Lhuillier, Off-White, Badgley Mischka, Morgane Le Fay |
| Style | High-neck, strapless, off-the-shoulder, V-neck, fitted, ball gown, jumpsuit, two-piece, mini dress |
| Details | Lace, pearls, beading, embroidery, tulle, silk, chiffon, ruffles, sweetheart neckline, plunging neckline, scalloped edges, cut-out back, long train, veil, gloves |
| Wearer | Hailey Bieber, Grace Kelly, Princess Eugenie of York, Priyanka Chopra, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, Beyoncé, Amal Clooney, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jada Pinkett, Mariah Carey, Lily Aldridge, Vanessa Minnillo, Coco Rocha, Sophia Bush, Solange Knowles, Issa Rae, Naomi Biden, Ellie Goulding, Zoe Kravitz, Sophie Turner, Chanel Iman, Olivia Culpo |
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What You'll Learn
Princesses and queens
When it comes to princesses and queens, wedding dresses are a whole different ball game. The pressure to make a statement and stand out is immense, and the world watches on eagerly to see what these brides will wear.
Princesses
Princess Diana's wedding dress is one of the most iconic royal gowns of all time. She wore a silk taffeta gown with antique lace, designed by Elizabeth and David Emanuel, to marry King Charles III in 1981. The dress featured a 25-foot train, the longest ever worn by a British royal bride, and was embellished with 10,000 micro-pearls. Princess Eugenie's wedding dress also made a statement for a different reason. Designed by Peter Pilotto and Christopher de Vos, the dress featured a low-cut open back to intentionally show off a scar from scoliosis surgery.
Princess Beatrice wore a vintage Norman Hartnell gown previously worn by her grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, when she married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in 2020. The dress was altered with puffed organza sleeves, a modern twist on the original design. Princess Victoria of Sweden wore a modern-feeling Pär Engsheden gown with a detachable train, and a tiara that once belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte.
Queens
Queen Elizabeth II's wedding dress was designed by Norman Hartnell and purchased with ration coupons following World War II. The dress was made with Chinese silk and featured a 15-foot train embellished with over 10,000 pearls. Queen Sonja of Norway's 1968 wedding dress was designed by Molstad and is emblematic of that time—a deceptively simple, A-line gown with a high neck, cape train, and pearl embellishments. Queen Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiary of Iran wore a Christian Dior dress featuring 6,000 diamonds, 37 yards of silver lamé, and 20,000 feathers.
Queen Victoria is said to have influenced the Western tradition of wearing white on one's wedding day. Before her nuptials, it was common for brides to wear colourful, practical dresses that could be re-worn after the wedding.
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Celebrity wedding dresses
Grace Kelly
Grace Kelly's wedding dress is often considered one of the most beautiful and timeless celebrity wedding dresses. When she married Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956, she wore a high-neck, long-sleeve lace gown designed by MGM costume designer Helen Rose. The dress featured a bodice made from delicate Brussels lace and embellished with thousands of hand-sewn pearls, while the silk taffeta skirt boasted a long, elegant train. Grace Kelly's dress set a new standard for elegant bridal style and continues to inspire brides to this day.
Meghan Markle
Meghan Markle's wedding dress is another notable choice. For her royal wedding to Prince Harry in 2018, Meghan opted for a minimal and elegant design by Givenchy's Clare Waight Keller. The dress featured an open bateau neckline and three-quarter length sleeves, with a long train adding a touch of drama. Meghan's choice of a simple and sophisticated silhouette showcased her natural beauty and has become one of the most memorable royal wedding dresses.
Hailey Bieber
Hailey Bieber's wedding dress has also gained significant attention. Designed by Virgil Abloh for Off-White, her off-the-shoulder lace gown with long sleeves and a veil inscribed with "'Till Death Do Us Part" has become one of the most searched and talked-about celebrity wedding dresses. Hailey's choice to collaborate with a contemporary designer and her unique blend of tradition and modernity have solidified her place in wedding fashion history.
Sabrina Dhowre Elba
Sabrina Dhowre Elba, a model and actress, wore not one but three dreamy dresses for her wedding to Idris Elba in Morocco in 2019. One of her custom gowns was an off-the-shoulder Vera Wang ball gown, paired with a veil and intricate diamond earrings. Sabrina's wedding looks embodied romance and glamour, showcasing her fashion sense and making her a style icon for brides-to-be.
Beyonce
While some may find Beyonce's wedding dress underwhelming, it has become iconic due to its simplicity and the story behind it. Beyonce chose to wear a dress designed by her mother, showcasing the importance of family and their shared vision. The sleek and timeless design, paired with simple makeup and a slicked-back bun, created an elegant and classic bridal look.
These celebrity wedding dresses showcase a range of styles, from classic and elegant to modern and unique. They inspire brides worldwide and often set new trends in wedding fashion, demonstrating the impact of celebrity culture on our ideas of beauty and celebration.
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Traditional vs alternative
When it comes to wedding dresses, there is a myriad of styles, colours, and silhouettes to choose from. Some brides opt for traditional gowns, while others prefer to make a statement with alternative looks.
Traditional wedding dresses often feature elegant and classic designs, such as ball gowns, A-line silhouettes, and fitted bodices. These dresses are usually white or ivory, made from luxurious fabrics like silk, satin, or lace, and often have intricate details such as beading, embroidery, or trains. Grace Kelly's iconic wedding dress, designed by MGM costume designer Helen Rose for her 1956 wedding to Prince Rainier, is a timeless example of a traditional wedding dress. The gown, made of satin and lace, with rose point lace details, seed pearl accents, and a flared skirt, has inspired bridal styles for decades.
On the other hand, alternative wedding looks break away from the conventional and embrace unique styles, colours, and fabrics. For instance, Solange Knowles' wedding jumpsuit, which she changed into for the after-party of her New Orleans nuptials, is an unforgettable alternative choice. The sleek one-piece featured a plunging neckline and a statement cape, offering a fresh take on bridal fashion. Similarly, Sarah Jessica Parker's black, off-the-rack ruffled wedding dress by Morgane Le Fay, chosen for her 1997 nuptials to avoid drawing too much attention, remains a memorable choice that still sparks conversation today.
Hailey Bieber's (then Baldwin) wedding dress is another notable mention. Designed by Virgil Abloh for Off-White, the dress combined traditional bridal elements with Abloh's signature streetwear aesthetic. The gown featured an off-the-shoulder, figure-hugging silhouette, long lace sleeves, and subtle embroidery of Off-White's arrow logo. The veil, with its bold "TILL DEATH DO US PART" embroidery, has also become legendary.
While some brides opt for unconventional colours like black or champagne-coloured velvet, others choose to make a statement with their silhouettes. Zoe Kravitz, for instance, wore a bespoke crochet mother-of-pearl dress by Danielle Frankel for her rehearsal dinner, paired with daring bridal biker shorts. Princess Eugenie of York's wedding gown, designed by British fashion designers Peter Pilotto and Christopher de Vos, also stood out with its unique cut-out back design, fitted lace sleeves, and embellished skirt.
Ultimately, whether a bride chooses a traditional or alternative wedding look, the most important aspect is that she feels beautiful and confident on her special day. These iconic wedding dresses, both traditional and alternative, continue to inspire and leave their mark on bridal fashion, showcasing the diverse and evolving nature of wedding dress styles.
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Wedding dress colours
Wedding dresses are often thought of as being white, but they come in a variety of colours and shades to suit different skin tones and styles. The most popular colourways are ivory, all-ivory, and blush, as these are generally considered the most flattering and bridal. However, wedding dresses can also be found in a range of other colours, such as misty mauve, which has a pinkish hue, or champagne-coloured velvet, like the dress worn by Jada Pinkett when she married Will Smith.
Some brides may prefer a warmer or cooler tone to complement their skin, or they may want a dress that makes certain details, like lace, stand out. For example, a slightly darker shade of white can make white lace pop, whereas an all-ivory dress may have an icy, almost blue effect in pictures.
Vera Wang, who designed Mariah Carey's wedding dress, has created some of the most beautiful wedding dresses in the world. These include a whimsical strapless ball gown with a sweetheart neckline and a chapel-length Chantilly lace veil, worn by Issa Rae, and a simple strapless gown with Chantilly lace along the hem and train, worn by Lily Aldridge.
Other notable wedding dresses include Grace Kelly's satin and lace gown, made by the wardrobe department at MGM, which has become the blueprint of elegant bridal style; and Hailey Bieber's off-the-shoulder, figure-hugging lace creation, designed by Virgil Abloh of Off-White, which she wore to marry Justin Bieber.
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Wedding dress styles
Princess Diana
Princess Diana's wedding dress is often considered one of the most iconic. Her gown had a high-neck jacket design adorned with pearls, and it included a 25-foot train, the longest in royal wedding history.
Grace Kelly
Grace Kelly's wedding dress is another example of a beautiful and iconic wedding dress. Her satin and lace gown, made by MGM's wardrobe department, featured rose point lace details, seed pearl accents, a fitted long-sleeved bodice, and a flared skirt. The gown was constructed in four separate parts and inspired many future bridal styles.
Hailey Bieber
Hailey Bieber's off-the-shoulder lace wedding dress is one of the most searched gowns to date. Designed by Virgil Abloh of Off-White, the figure-hugging long-sleeve dress included a veil with "'Till Death Do Us Part" inscribed on the bottom.
Vera Wang
Vera Wang has designed several iconic wedding dresses. One notable example is Issa Rae's whimsical strapless ball gown, which she wore to marry Louis Diame on the French Riviera. Another famous design by Wang is Mariah Carey's regal wedding dress, inspired by Princess Diana.
Other Notable Mentions
Other celebrities with iconic or beautiful wedding dresses include:
- Priyanka Chopra: A Mandarin-collared embroidered column gown by Ralph Lauren, paired with a 75-foot veil.
- Queen Elizabeth: A post-war wedding gown made of fabric purchased with ration cards.
- Zoe Kravitz: A bespoke crochet mother-of-pearl dress by Danielle Frankel.
- Sophie Turner: A custom Louis Vuitton V-neck gown with a cut-out back, fitted lace sleeves, and an embellished skirt.
- Naomi Biden: A long-sleeve ensemble by Ralph Lauren with a high neckline and a lace body overlay, accessorized with a cathedral-length veil.
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Frequently asked questions
It's hard to pick just one, but Grace Kelly's wedding dress is often cited as one of the most beautiful. The gown, designed by MGM costume designer Helen Rose, featured a high neck, long sleeves, and a silk taffeta skirt with a long train.
Some other frequently mentioned wedding dresses include:
- Hailey Bieber's Off-White lace gown, designed by Virgil Abloh
- Princess Diana's dress, which featured a high-neck jacket and pearls, and had a 25-foot train
- Queen Elizabeth's post-war wedding gown, made from fabric purchased with ration cards
- Priyanka Chopra's Ralph Lauren gown, which had a Mandarin collar and was paired with a 75-foot veil
- Princess Eugenie of York's dress, designed by British fashion designers Peter Pilotto and Christopher de Vos
Some celebrity brides have opted for unique and non-traditional looks, including:
- Solange Knowles, who wore a wedding jumpsuit to her after-party
- Sarah Jessica Parker, who wore a black, off-the-rack ruffled wedding dress
- Zoe Kravitz, who wore bridal biker shorts and a crochet mother-of-pearl dress to her rehearsal dinner
Many celebrities have opted for famous designers when choosing their wedding dresses. Some notable designer-celebrity pairs include:
- Vera Wang and Mariah Carey, Lily Aldridge, Zoe Kravitz, and Issa Rae
- Ralph Lauren and Priyanka Chopra, as well as Naomi Biden
- Norman Hartnell and Queen Elizabeth II, as well as Princess Beatrice
- Chloé and Ellie Goulding
- Chanel and Olivia Culpo
