The Most Iconic Wedding Dresses of All Time
Here Are Some Of Our Favorites
From Josephine Baker to Jackie Kennedy these wedding gowns are absolutely breathtaking!
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Wallis Simpson
Wed Edward VIII, Duke of Windsor in June 1937
This silk crepe dress was at the height of fashion when Simpson wore it to marry the Duke of Windsor. The designer dyed the fabric a light shade of blue to match her eyes. He appropriately deemed the hue “Wallis blue.”
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Shirley Temple
Wed Sgt. John Agar in September 1945
Shirley Temple was just 17 years old when she married Sgt. John Agar. She wore a satin wedding gown and large tiara.
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Josephine Baker
Wed Jo Bouillon in June 1947
The Missouri-born entertainer married French composer Jo Bouillon at Château des Milandes, her home in Southwestern France. Baker wore a belted square-neck sheath dress, but her feathered hat and braided updo stole the show.
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Queen Elizabeth II
Wed Prince Philip in November 1947
Less than three months before her November wedding, Queen Elizabeth approved a design from Britain couturier Norman Hartnell. The gown was constructed with duchesse silk satin, white seed pearls, silver thread, intricate appliques, and a silk tulle veil. The tulle train was attached to the dress at the shoulders.
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Elizabeth Taylor
Wed Conrad ‘Nicky’ Hilton in May 1950
Taylor became known for her wedding style—as there would be many looks to choose from through the years. In her first marriage to Conrad ‘Nicky’ Hilton, the actress wore a satin ball gown that showed off her tiny waist and a voluminous veil.
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Kay Banks (Elizabeth Taylor)
Wed Buckley Dunstan (Don Taylor), 'Father of the Bride' (1950)
The same year she tied the knot with the hotel heir, Taylor starred as Kay Banks in the original Father of the Bride. Her on-screen look was more conservative than her real-life wedding day style, but still played up her iconic curves.
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Jackie Kennedy
Wed John F. Kennedy in September 1953
The wedding gown that went down in history as being one of the best of all time almost didn’t happen. Ten days before her wedding to JFK, Jackie’s dress was destroyed in a flood in designer (and Alabama-native) Anne Lowe’s studio. Lowe ended up pulling together the new gown, complete with bouffant skirt and portrait neckline, just in time for what would go down as one of history’s most iconic weddings.
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Audrey Hepburn
Wed Mel Ferrer in September 1954
Pierre Balmain designed Hepburn’s tea-length dress. It featured a high neck and satin sash and was paired with elbow-length gloves. A flower crown gave an ethereal touch to her wedding day style.
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Debbie Reynolds
Wed Eddie Fisher in September 1955
Reynolds wore a lace gown with cap sleeves. A short veil and pearl jewelry completed the young star’s look.
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Grace Kelly
Wed Monaco’s Prince Rainier in April 1956
The wedding gown that’s widely considered the most famous of all time was a confection of silk, taffeta, tulle, and Belgian lace. It took three petticoats (embroidered with little “something blue” bows) to support the bell-shaped skirt.
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Ava Gardner
Wed Frank Sinatra in November 1951
The halter-neck dress was paired with a sheer shawl. A simple, double strand of pearls completed the bridal look.
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Nancy Reagan
Wed Ronald Reagan in March 1952
The future First Lady donned a gray wool suit with a shawl collar.
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Princess Margaret
Wed Antony Armstrong-Jones in May 1960
The long-sleeve, silk organza gown featured a fitted v-neck bodice and pleated, full skirt. Norman Hartwell, who designed her sister’s dress more than a decade earlier, created the look.
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Eartha Kitt
Wed Bill McDonald in June 1960
South Carolina native Eartha Kitt wore a custom chiffon dress trimmed in satin for her at-home wedding to real estate developer Bill McDonald. She finished her wedding day ensemble with a 5-strand pearl necklace, along with coordinating satin hat, shoes, and handbag.
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Nancy Kwan
Wed Peter Pock in June 1962
Actress Nancy Kwan married Austrian ski instructor Peter Pock at the Paddington Registry Office in London. For the simple ceremony, Kwan chose a lace and shantung silk dress with a matching bolero jacket and statement headband.
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Dolly Parton
Wed Carl Dean in May 1966
Parton’s bridal style was short and sweet. A simple tulle veil was the finishing touch.
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Priscilla Presley
Wed Elvis Presley in May 1967
If there was any question what decade the Presleys said “I do,” one only needs to take a look Priscilla’s dress—and hair—to find out. The organza gown with beaded sleeves had a flowy silhouette that was a popular style at the time. It was topped with a three-quarter-length veil.
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June Carter
Wed Johnny Cash in March 1968
Carter chose a short dress in light blue lace with bell sleeves for her wedding to crooner Johnny Cash. Low satin heels and a flower headpiece completed the ensemble.
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Ina Garten
Wed Jeffrey Garten in December 1968
The Barefoot Contessa was 20 years old when she exchanged vows with Jeffrey Garten at her parents’ Connecticut home. An anniversary post shows the bride wearing a floral brocade dress with fur-trimmed sleeves, a single-strand of pearls, and a bow-topped viel.
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Tricia Nixon
Wed Ed Cox in June 1971
For her White House wedding, Nixon wore a V-neck gown with delicate lace and pearl embroidery. The veil cascaded out of a coordinating headpiece.
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Aretha Franklin
Wed Glynn Turman in April 1978
Franklin wore an ankle-length white dress to marry actor Glynn Turman at her father’s New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan. The soul singer completed her wedding day ensemble with a brocade robe trimmed in fur and ending in a train that followed her up the aisle.
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Diana, Princess of Wales
Wed Prince Charles, Prince of Wales in July 1981
The sleeves, the train, the tiara—who could forget this iconic look? The dress was comprised of ivory silk taffeta and antique lace. Diana’s gown was kept under such tight wraps that a back-up dress was constructed on the off chance that the details of this dress were leaked before the big day.
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Caroline Kennedy
Wed Edwin Schlossberg in July 1986
The dress was designed by Carolina Herrera, a favorite designer of Caroline’s mother, Jackie. The silk organza gown had a drop waist, high round neck, and short sleeves.
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Diahann Carroll
Wed Vic Damone in January 1987
The Tony Award-winning actress wore an ivory suit with puffy sleeves and a peplum waist to marry musician Vic Damone in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
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Shelby Eatenton Latcherie (Julia Roberts)
Wed Jackson Latcherie (Dylan McDermott), 'Steel Magnolias' (1989)
Shelby’s off-the-shoulder number featured satin beads up the back and a large taffeta bow. A few year’s later, Julia Roberts would wear a slightly similar look (with fewer florettes) for her role in Runaway Bride.
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Annie Banks (Kimberly Williams-Paisley)
Wed Bryan MacKenzie (George Newbern), 'Father of the Bride' (1991)
Before she was Brad Paisley’s bride, Kimberly Williams played one on-screen in the Father of the Bride reboot. The fitted bodice transformed into a full skirt with a large swathe of lace trim.
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Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur)
Wed Lucas (Leslie Nielsen), 'Golden Girls' (aired May 1992)
Who remembers this TV wedding? We’re not quite sure what was going on between the fit, lace, and those rings in v-formation, but it’s definitely one that’s hard to forget.
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Celine Dion
Wed Rene Angelil in December 1994
Understated is not a word that can be used to describe Dion’s bridal attire. A large headpiece was just the beginning of this unforgettable look. Embroidery, lace, diamonds—every kind of opulence one can imagine was incorporated into the gown’s design.
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Nicole Kidman
Wed Keith Urban in June 2006
The one-shouldered gown with empire waist felt both vintage and modern. The bride wore her hair half up with soft curls falling just below her shoulders.
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Beyoncé Knowles
Wed Jay-Z in June 2008
Tina Lawson, mother of the bride, designed the Houstonian’s dress for her New York wedding ceremony. In this snapshot shared to Lawson’s Instagram page, you can see the Southern mama fixing her daughter’s train before the Carters walked down the aisle as husband and wife.