MomSkoop
Wedding dresses hold a special place in our hearts and memories. Some gowns become legendary, capturing the world’s attention with their beauty, elegance, and unique style.
From royal ceremonies to celebrity weddings, certain dresses have made history and continue to inspire brides everywhere. Here are some of the most unforgettable wedding gowns that left us breathless and changed bridal fashion forever.
1. Princess Diana’s Fairytale Dress
When Lady Diana Spencer walked down the aisle in 1981, the world stopped to watch.
Her ivory silk taffeta gown featured enormous puffy sleeves, a fitted bodice covered in lace and pearls, and a train that stretched an incredible 25 feet behind her.
Designers David and Elizabeth Emanuel created this masterpiece that weighed so much it wrinkled during the carriage ride.
The dress sparked a global trend for romantic, oversized wedding gowns throughout the 1980s.
Even today, brides reference Diana’s iconic look when planning their own fairytale weddings.
This gown remains one of the most photographed and discussed dresses in history.
2. Grace Kelly’s Timeless Elegance
Hollywood royalty met actual royalty when Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier III of Monaco.
Her dress, designed by MGM costume designer Helen Rose, featured a high neckline, long lace sleeves, and a fitted waist that showcased classic 1950s sophistication.
The gown used 25 yards of silk taffeta and 125-year-old lace, making it a priceless work of art.
What makes this dress so special is its timeless beauty that still looks modern decades later.
Kate Middleton reportedly drew inspiration from this very gown for her own royal wedding.
Grace’s dress proves that simple elegance never goes out of style.
3. Kate Middleton’s Royal Masterpiece
Millions watched as Kate Middleton became a princess in 2011, wearing a gown that balanced tradition with modern style.
Designer Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen created a dress with delicate lace sleeves, a V-neckline, and a fitted silhouette that flattered Kate’s figure perfectly.
The lace appliqué was handmade by the Royal School of Needlework, with each rose, thistle, and shamrock representing different parts of the United Kingdom.
The dress sparked an immediate trend for lace sleeves and modest necklines worldwide.
Kate’s choice showed how royal brides could honor tradition while expressing personal style.
This gown instantly became iconic.
4. Meghan Markle’s Minimalist Statement
Breaking from heavily decorated royal tradition, Meghan Markle chose pure, clean simplicity for her 2018 wedding.
Her Givenchy gown by Clare Waight Keller featured a boat neckline, three-quarter sleeves, and absolutely no embellishments on the dress itself.
The beauty lay in the perfect fit and the stunning 16-foot veil embroidered with flowers representing all 53 Commonwealth countries.
Meghan’s choice celebrated modern minimalism and proved that less can definitely be more.
The dress started a movement toward simpler, more streamlined wedding gowns.
Her confident style choice showed brides everywhere that elegance doesn’t require extra decoration.
5. Carolyn Bessette’s Sleek Sophistication
Forget big and flashy—Carolyn Bessette Kennedy redefined bridal style with her secret 1996 wedding to John F. Kennedy Jr.
Designer Narciso Rodriguez created a bias-cut silk crepe gown that looked more like elegant evening wear than a traditional wedding dress.
The minimalist slip dress featured long sleeves, a simple neckline, and cost only around $40,000, modest by celebrity standards.
Carolyn wore it with bare feet in a tiny chapel, creating an intimate, personal moment.
This dress influenced countless brides who wanted sophistication without fuss.
It proved that wedding gowns could be chic, simple, and utterly unforgettable all at once.
6. Audrey Hepburn’s Givenchy Creation
Style icon Audrey Hepburn chose a tea-length wedding dress for her 1954 marriage to Mel Ferrer, shocking traditionalists.
Her friend Hubert de Givenchy designed a white organdy gown with a Peter Pan collar, fitted waist, and playful shorter hemline that showed her ankles.
She paired it with white roses in her pixie haircut and simple flat shoes.
The look was fresh, youthful, and completely different from the heavy, formal gowns popular at the time.
Audrey’s choice encouraged brides to think outside the box and wear what felt right for them.
Today, tea-length dresses remain a popular alternative for modern brides.
7. Elizabeth Taylor’s First Grand Affair
At just 18 years old, Elizabeth Taylor married hotel heir Conrad Hilton in a wedding that rivaled royal ceremonies.
Her Helen Rose-designed gown featured a fitted satin bodice covered in seed pearls and bugle beads, with a full skirt and 15-yard train.
The dress took three months to create and cost $1,500 in 1950, equivalent to about $18,000 today.
Elizabeth looked like a Hollywood princess, and the wedding was broadcast on radio to millions of fans.
Though the marriage lasted only eight months, the dress remained legendary.
It set the standard for glamorous celebrity weddings for generations to come.
8. Priyanka Chopra’s Red Lehenga
Who says wedding dresses must be white?
Priyanka Chopra wore a stunning red lehenga designed by Sabyasachi Mukherjee for her traditional Hindu ceremony to Nick Jonas.
The outfit featured intricate hand-embroidery in red and gold, with elaborate beadwork that took 110 embroiderers working for 3,720 hours to complete.
Red symbolizes prosperity and fertility in Indian culture, making it the traditional bridal color.
Priyanka’s choice celebrated her heritage while introducing global audiences to beautiful non-Western wedding traditions.
The lehenga reminded everyone that wedding fashion varies wonderfully across cultures, and each tradition holds its own special beauty and meaning.
9. Bianca Jagger’s Le Smoking Suit
Bianca Pérez-Mora Macías shocked the world when she married Mick Jagger wearing pants instead of a gown.
She chose Yves Saint Laurent’s famous Le Smoking white tuxedo jacket with nothing underneath, paired with a white skirt and wide-brimmed hat.
The look was rebellious, sexy, and completely unconventional for 1971.
Bianca was also four months pregnant, adding another layer of scandal to the already controversial choice.
Her bold decision paved the way for modern brides who choose pantsuits, jumpsuits, or other non-traditional wedding attire.
This outfit proved that brides could break all the rules and still look absolutely stunning on their special day.
10. Queen Victoria’s White Trendsetter
Before 1840, brides wore their best dress in any color—red, blue, even black.
Queen Victoria changed everything when she chose a white satin gown for her marriage to Prince Albert.
She wore a simple white dress trimmed with orange blossoms and a matching wreath in her hair, creating a look of purity and innocence.
Victoria wanted to support the British lace industry, so her gown featured beautiful Honiton lace.
After her wedding, white became the symbol of bridal fashion throughout the Western world.
Every white wedding dress worn today traces its origin back to Queen Victoria’s influential choice nearly 200 years ago.
11. Sarah Jessica Parker’s Black Moment
Carrie Bradshaw would approve!
Sarah Jessica Parker married Matthew Broderick in 1997 wearing a simple black dress instead of traditional white.
The ceremony took place at New York City Hall in an intimate, low-key celebration with just a few close friends and family.
Her black dress was elegant and understated, perfectly matching her practical, no-fuss approach to the wedding.
This choice showed that weddings don’t need to follow any script or tradition to be meaningful and beautiful.
Sarah’s black dress inspired other brides to choose colors that felt personal and authentic rather than simply following expectations.
Sometimes the most memorable choices are the most unexpected ones.
12. Gwen Stefani’s Pink Dip-Dye Gown
Rock star Gwen Stefani brought punk attitude to bridal fashion with her custom John Galliano gown in 2002.
The stunning dress started white at the top and gradually faded into bright pink at the hem, creating a gorgeous ombre effect.
This hand-dipped dip-dye technique was revolutionary for wedding dresses at the time.
Gwen paired the gown with a matching pink veil, staying true to her signature bold style.
Her wedding to Gavin Rossdale in London showed that brides could inject personality and color into their special day.
The pink gown started a trend for non-traditional colored wedding dresses that continues growing in popularity among adventurous modern brides today.
13. Wallis Simpson’s Mainbocher Blue
The woman for whom a king gave up his throne wore blue, not white, to her controversial 1937 wedding.
Wallis Simpson married the former King Edward VIII in a pale blue silk crepe dress designed by American designer Mainbocher.
The sophisticated ensemble featured a fitted bodice, matching jacket, and a distinctive color that became known as Wallis blue.
She chose blue partly because, as a divorcée, white felt inappropriate by the standards of that era.
The dress was elegant, refined, and perfectly suited to the small, private ceremony in France.
Wallis’s blue gown remains a symbol of choosing love over convention and finding beauty outside traditional expectations.
14. Solange Knowles’s Caped Perfection
Singer Solange Knowles ditched the dress entirely for her 2014 New Orleans wedding to Alan Ferguson.
She wore a stunning white Humberto Leon for Kenzo jumpsuit paired with a dramatic cape that flowed behind her like a cloud.
The outfit was modern, unexpected, and perfectly captured Solange’s artistic, independent spirit.
She completed the look with a gold crown-like headpiece and Puma sneakers painted gold to match.
The entire wedding featured an all-white dress code for guests, creating incredible photos and a cohesive aesthetic.
Solange’s jumpsuit proved that bridal fashion could be comfortable, practical, and breathtakingly beautiful all at once, inspiring countless brides to consider alternative options.
15. Amal Clooney’s Oscar de la Renta Dream
Human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin became Mrs. Clooney in a breathtaking Oscar de la Renta gown in Venice, Italy.
The dress featured delicate French lace, hand-embroidered with pearls and diamanté accents, with an off-shoulder neckline and full tulle skirt.
Oscar de la Renta himself called it one of the most important dresses he ever made before his passing shortly after the wedding.
The gown perfectly balanced Amal’s sophisticated professional image with romantic bridal beauty.
Her choice of such a traditional, elegant dress showed that classic wedding gowns never truly go out of fashion.
The dress remains one of the most talked-about celebrity wedding gowns of the 2010s.