What bride-to-be hasn’t daydreamed about posing for a photo shoot, in the season’s best designer wedding dresses, à la Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City? Some of the best wedding dress moments that come to mind are from the films we’ve seen, and we’re listing the top gowns from our favorite movies! For those looking for bridal inspiration or just a good rom-com to watch, scroll through to see how Hollywood and the movie business do wedding dresses.
Frankenstein (1931)
In the 1931 film, the character Elizabeth (played by Mae Clarke) wears a long-sleeve lace gown, by Vera West, to attempt to escape Frankenstein’s monster . . . that train isn’t the best accessory for fleeing, but it does make for a dramatic look. One woman’s impractical fashion choice is another’s bridal inspiration.
Gone With the Wind (1939)
Designer Walter Plunkett made Scarlett O’Hara’s dress, from the 1939 classic, ill-fitting on purpose. As the storyline goes, O’Hara’s groom, Charles Hamilton, was off to war soon, so the wedding was a rushed one, and the bride borrowed her mother’s gown. How commendable to stay so in-character with the wardrobe choices.
High Society (1956)
This musical remake of The Philadelphia Story would be the last film Grace Kelly performed in before becoming Princess of Monaco. We couldn’t think of a more appropriate dress for her to retire in than this lovely embroidered organza number.
The Father of the Bride (1950)
In the original 1950 film, Helen Rose designed Elizabeth Taylor’s character’s iconic wedding dress. Rose also designed Taylor’s own gown for her wedding to Conrad Hilton, Jr. and that of Grace Kelly to wed Prince Rainier of Monaco.
Father of the Bride (1991)
Annie Banks (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) may have looked over-the-top in her puffy-sleeved and bow-adorned satin wedding gown, but she pared down her look with white tennis shoes from her dad’s brand.
Father of the Bride (2022)
In the latest remake, bride Sophie wears a more modern gown. Her sister designs this silk striped column dress with a square neckline, slight puff sleeves, and a cinched white belt. The overall effect is very sleek and modern.
House Boat (1958)
Sophia Loren and Cary Grant fell in love on the set of The Pride and the Passion, and their chemistry lasted through the filming of this movie as well. While Loren and Grant didn’t wed in real life, their characters in House Boat did, and the character of Cinzia Zaccardi wears this Edith Head dress down the aisle. The high-neck, structured bodice, soutache on net overlay gown with a full skirt was a sight to behold and sold at auction for $12,500.
Funny Girl (1968)
While not an actual wedding scene, Fanny Brice (played by Barbara Streisand) wears this gown, stuffed with a pillow, to perform “His Love Makes Me Beautiful.” The floral-trimmed dress is by Academy Award and Tony Award-winning costume designer Irene Sharaff.
Emma (1996)
In the final wedding scene, Gwyneth Paltrow’s character wears a silk crepe dress with embroidered net sleeves and an empire waist, which became popular after the film’s release. “It’s an honor to launch a trend . . . But the dress is meant for young women with perfect figures like Emma, as the style is not very forgiving,” says Ruth Myers, the dress’s designer, to the Los Angeles Daily News.
Mamma Mia! (2008)
After inviting all three of her possible fathers, Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried) wears this Ann Roth dress to her Greek island wedding.
The Godfather (1972)
Connie Corleone’s marriage to Carlos Rizzi is doomed. But their traditional Sicilian wedding was beautiful, mafia activity aside. Her dress was voluminous and lacy. Plus, that mantilla veil? Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re off to do our best Marlon Brando impression. Ahem: “You come into my house, on the day of my daughter’s wedding. . .”
Great Expectations (2012)
Maybe this isn’t the dress you want to replicate, as Miss Havisham (played by Helena Bonham Carter) insisted on wearing it for the rest of her life, after being jilted at the altar. However, we can’t deny that her commitment to the look makes it worthy of being one of the greatest wedding looks of all time. Costumer Beatrix Aruna Pasztor looked to historic and modern inspiration. “I was very much influenced by Alexander McQueen’s SS13 oyster dress. It’s simple but beautiful and a wonderful example of how material can be used and layered to create a dramatic silhouette,” Pasztor tells Stylist.
Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004)
The second installment in Quentin Tarantino’s thrilling series opens with Beatrix Kiddo’s (Uma Thurman) rehearsal wedding. While it may not be the official ceremony, she’s taken her wedding gown for a premature spin. Dressed in a bow and slide-on sandals, she crushes matrimonial maternity wear at her Texas nuptials. The three-quarter sleeves and lace give this gown a vaguely vintage feel.
Cinderella (2015)
“Cinderella” may be the most mentioned Disney princess when it comes to wedding dresses, so when it came to the 2015 live-action remake, we were expecting big things for Lily James’s character’s gown. To wed her Prince Charming, Cinderella wears a beige, long-sleeve silk organza dress with hand-painted flowers. “Rather than try to make something even better than the ball gown, I had to do something completely different and simple,” costume designer Sandy Powell tells Vanity Fair. “I wanted the whole effect to be ephemeral and fine, so we went with an extreme-lined shape bodice with a long train.”
How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)
Lauren Bacall wears this off-the-shoulder lace Travilla design in the 1953 movie, where she stars opposite Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grable.
Funny Face (1957)
This is certainly not the only time Audrey Hepburn wears a Givenchy wedding dress (she wore one to her own ceremony!), but the white gown with a drop waist and full tea-length skirt has a special place in cinematic wedding fashion history.
The Sound of Music (1965)
To marry Captain Von Trapp (played by Christopher Plummer), Julie Andrews’s character Maria wears a high-collared, formal gown by Dorothy Jeakins.
Sex and the City (2008)
To almost walk down the aisle, Carrie Bradshaw wears this strapless Vivienne Westwood gown that is gifted to her, after she is shot in the dress for a feature in Vogue. A dream way to get a dress, but not a dream wedding for Bradshaw that day.
Out of Africa (1985)
Before being abandoned by her husband, Karen Blixen (portrayed by Meryl Streep) married in a smart suit set with black accents. The silhouette of the skirt is called a “hobble skirt,” which makes it a tad bit difficult to easily walk down the aisle.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn (2011)
Whether you were Team Edward or Team Jacob, no one can dispute that Bella Swan’s long-sleeve, lace-back Carolina Herrera gown was gorgeous.
Come Dance with Me (1959)
Jacques Esterel is the designer behind this tea-length beauty that Brigitte Bardot wears in the Italian-French film from yesteryear.
Bride Wars (2009)
Just two best friends walking down the aisle in Vera Wang dresses—ignore the fact that prior to this moment Liv and Emma were tackling each other on the said aisle because by now all has been resolved.
About Time (2013)
Mary (played by Rachel McAdams) is expecting her first child with Tim (played by Domhnall Gleeson) at the time of their wedding, so she chooses a flowing, unexpectedly red dress, found in a London vintage shop.
Coming to America (1988)
Lisa McDowell (played by Shari Headley) wears a pink, shimmering wedding dress with a very long train and matching veil to wed Prince Akeem (played by Eddie Murphy). “As for the dress, ironically it was made with very inexpensive fabrics—nylon tulle—but again Shari could wear it. And she had dignity and elegance. She wore it as if it was the most expensive dress on the planet. So a lot of it has to do with the romance and the magic of the scene,” explains the film’s costumer designer, Deborah Landis, to Complex.
Marie Antoinette (2006)
In the 2006 Sofia Coppola film, Marie Antoinette (played by Kirsten Dunst) wore a historically accurate and spectacular wedding gown, designed by Milena Canoreno.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
Katniss Everdeen (played by Jennifer Lawrence) reveals her wedding dress from President Snow on television. Before the film was released, everyone speculated as to who was designing the gown. Some thought Alexander McQueen would be taking the reins, but the BAFTA-nominated costumer designer for the film, Trish Summerville, tells The Hollywood Reporter that Tex Saverio from Jakarta is responsible for the look. With layers of organza and thousands of Swarovski crystals, it was perfect.
The Princess Bride (1987)
Phyllis Dalton created Princess Buttercup’s wedding gown, which gives us Medieval and Renaissance inspiration fit for royalty.
The Notebook (2004)
Even though Allie never makes it to her wedding to James Marsden’s character, we’re still glad we get to see what she would’ve looked like. Absolutely dying for that sheer button detail by costumer designer Karyn Wagner.
Love Actually (2003)
Writer and director Richard Curtis originally wanted Keira Knightley’s bridal look in the film to be much “sexier” with a bare midriff. Joanna Johnston, the Oscar-nominated costume designer, advocated against this. “I told Richard, ‘You don’t want a bare tummy going into church!'” she remembers. “So I went for a sheer, layered style instead with petal details underneath; gauzy and multi-layered.” This feathery frock is nearly as memorable as that trumpet flash mob of “All You Need is Love.”
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004)
To walk down the aisle and then not get married, Anne Hathaway’s character, Princess Amelia Mignonette Thermopolis Renaldi, wore this off-the-shoulder, lace gown designed by costumer designer Gary Jones.
Carefree (1938)
Ginger Rogers plays Amanda Cooper in the 1938 movie Carefree, opposite Fred Astaire. Edward Stevenson and Howard Greer designed her frilly wedding day look.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
William Travilla designed the wedding dress for Marilyn Monroe’s character, Lorelei Lee, in this film. The gown featured a high neck, belle sleeves, and a tulle skirt. He also designed the pink strapless gown she wore to perform “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” which sold for $310,000 at auction in 2010!
Runaway Bride (1999)
Take your pick from the many wedding dresses Julia Roberts dons in this movie as a bride with perennially cold feet. Personally, we’re partial to the gown she ultimately marries in: this off-the-shoulder Amsale Aberra number.
Ready or Not (2019)
To design the high-neck lace dress Grace (Samara Weaver) wears to her wedding at the high-brow Le Domas family estate, costume designer Avery Plewes drew inspiration from “commoners” who married into royalty like Grace Kelly and Kate Middleton. The skirt alone features twelve layers of tulle. But don’t be deceived by the magic of this dress: it’s actually a five-piece ensemble that makes it easy for Grace to run through the mansion.
Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
Within the first ten seconds of the Crazy Rich Asians trailer, we caught a glimpse of this gold-torched wedding gown. Costume designer Mary Vogt reveals, though, that the outfit is actually a bodysuit with an attached skirt. It’s one labor-intensive outfit, though. Thirty people spent three weeks constructing the Swarovski-embellished ensemble that Araminta Lee (Sonoya Mizuno) wears down the aisle.
Emma (2020)
With 2020 releases like Bridgerton and Autumn de Wilde’s Emma reignited viewers’ love for the empire waistline. Emma Woodhouse dons a bridal bonnet covered with a veil to her long-awaited wedding to Mr. Knightley.
Monster-in-Law (2005)
The bride looks beautiful in a gorgeous white gown with elbow-length gloves, and so does. . . Her soon-to-be mother-in-law. We may grimace at Jane Fonda’s character’s sartorial pick, but we really do love this Saeyoung Vu Couture ball gown on Charlie (played by Jennifer Lopez).
Marry Me (2022)
Jennifer Lopez’s Zuhair Murad dress is worthy of the superstar she portrays. Costume designer Caroline Duncan confides that she and her team began scouring potential dresses during New York Bridal Fashion Week, “We started sending images of what was happening live and they were putting things in front of [Lopez] and she was gravitating towards the bigger dresses and skirt. There were probably 15 dresses in the contention that everyone was happy to loan.” Finally, Zuhair sent the team two runway samples that had not even been put into production. As soon as Lopez tried on this 80-pound gown, she knew it was “the one.”
Muriel’s Wedding (1994)
“You’re terrible, Muriel!” was oft-repeated throughout the film, but there is nothing terrible about Muriel’s wedding dress. She visited every atelier in Sydney, Australia, after all, to find this gown with an ornately decorated bodice.
Romeo + Juliet (1996)
Never was there a tale of more woe than Juliet and her Romeo, huh? While Juliet (Claire Danes) should have done quite a few things differently in this Shakespearean tragedy, we applaud her unconventional bridal style. Her marriage may be tragic, but that satin buttons and glove combination is rather chic.
Steel Magnolias (1989)
Shelby (Julia Roberts) looked radiant on her big ole southern wedding day. Her bustled satin ball gown is nearly as big as her hair–done by Trudy (Dolly Parton), of course.
The Wedding Date (2005)
The nuptials may have been a near-disaster in this film, but Amy (portrayed by Amy Adams) looks resplendent in this double spaghetti-strapped silk dress.
