November 15, 2022  •  8min read

8 Iconic Wedding Dresses for the Classic Bride

Classy wedding dress inspirations

You’ve probably seen them in black and white photos, old school magazines, and on TV – they’re the most iconic wedding dresses ever. From A-list Hollywood stars to international royals and even pop culture icons, these brides looked fabulous when saying their ‘I do’s” with the world witnessing their beauty. 

Most Beautiful Wedding Dresses Inspired by Celebrities

In this article, we’ve rounded the most gorgeous and timeless dresses celebrities wear. Relive the moments and save your favorites for inspiring your own wedding dress ideas, whether you’re planning for your big day or daydreaming about a future wedding.

It’s almost impossible to narrow down the most beautiful wedding dresses worn by our favorite stars. Entertainment stars and Hollywood A-listers were stunning at their nuptials. With that said, some wedding dresses remain iconic years later, which we’ve listed below. 

1. Audrey Hepburn

Even though her bateau neck wedding dress in the film Funny Face may be more widely known, Audrey Hepburn’s own wedding dress was just as gorgeous. She wore the dress in September 1954 and was designed by Pierre Balmain (the same couture house now famous for rock star vests, leather pants and dressing for Kim Kardashian’s bachelorette party). 

The dress features a tea-length gown, a high neck and ballgown sleeves, which she added with classic elbow-length gloves in white. It was the perfect choice for the doe-eyed Hepburn, who recently was riding her fame post-Roman Holiday.

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2. Grace Kelly 

Grace Kelly’s lace and satin dress made by MGM’s wardrobe department is considered one of the most beautiful wedding dresses ever made – and it rightfully is. The dress was an elaborate creation with four separate parts and had rose point lace details, seed pearl accents, a flared skirt and a fitted long sleeved-bodice.

Following her wedding to Prince Rainier in 1956, which earned her the title of Princess Monaco. Her dress has become the symbol of elegant and bridal style. You might also notice that today’s dresses pull inspiration from Grace Kelly’s. 

3. Carolyn Bessette Kennedy

John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s weddings were among the most elusive wedding celebrations of all time. The wedding was so private that it completely evaded paparazzi attention during the 1990s on the coast of Georgia. 

There were only 35 guests and their photographer only released one photo, which later became one of the most iconic wedding photos ever taken. The picture shows JFK. Jr. kisses his wife’s hand while walking down the stairs and leaving their small church ceremony. 

This also revealed Carolyn’s dress, which became the trend for every bride in the 90s. She wore a clean slip dress with a cowl neckline which she accessorized with a simple veil and sheer gloves. After the voluminous wedding dress styles of the 80s, which brides like Princess Diana popularized, this lighter wedding dress marked a new age of wedding dress styles. 

4. Amal Clooney’s Wedding Dress

The star-studded wedding day of George Clooney and Amal Cooney in Venice, Italy, was an event we’ll never forget. The bride, a human rights lawyer and activist, wore multiple gowns and outfits throughout her wedding weekend, but the one that stood out by far was her Oscar de la Renta wedding dress. 

This iconic dress was designed by Amal and Oscar himself and became a timeless and elegant classic. The dress offers a classic lace bateau neckline, embellished bodice, beads with crystals, and a tulle skirt filled with ivory. The gown had an astonishing 14 yards of Chantilly lace in total. 

5. Kate Middleton’s Wedding Dress

This is the wedding dress that launched thousands of imitations. Kate Middleton’s iconic and gorgeous wedding dress was designed by Sarah Barton, the creative director of Alexander McQueen. 

The dress was a perfect balance between a traditional and modern wedding dress. Adorned with ivory satin, lace long-sleeves, appliquéd lace bodice, a low neckline and a full skirt, Kate’s dress was a beautiful compliment to Westminster Abbey in 2011. 

Kate then changed into a second look by Burton for the reception, which was a smooth ivory sweetheart neckline dress with a diamond belt and a circle skirt. She topped off the look with a fuzzy bolero. 

6. Meghan Markle

Meghan Markle’s dress drew inspiration from Grace Kelly for her wedding celebrations. Similar to the Princess of Monaco, Meghan started as a Hollywood actress and turned into European royalty. Her nuptials in 2018 to Prince Harry inspired fanfare worldwide and were watched by an estimated 2 million people. 

Even though people didn’t think the bride would wear something inspired by Grace Kelly (or even like her sister-in-law, Kate Middleton), she stunned the worldwide audience by stepping outside in a simple and elegant dress by Givenchy. The dress had three-quarter sleeves and a beat neck, one of her signature styles. The demure gown was accented with a 16-foot veil embroidered with flowers that represent her two homes; California and Kensington Palace. She later switched into a slinky high-neck dress by Stella McCartney for the reception. 

7. Hailey Bieber

When Googling “The most beautiful wedding dress ever” you might come across Hailey Bieber’s wedding dress. This means that Google’s internal analytics consider the model’s off-the-shoulder design as one of the most-searched looks for a wedding dress today. 

Hailey walked down the aisle in a figure-hugging lace design with long sleeves completed with a veil with “Till Death Do Us Part” inscribed on the bottom. She changed into two flirtier designs for the reception: one bias-cut model design by Vera Wang and the other in a high-neck dress identical to Meghan Marble’s reception gown. Virgil Abloh designed the dress from the brand Off-White which she wore to marry Justin Bieber in September 2019, and the final result was simply extraordinary.

8. Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian’s haute couture was created by Riccardo Tisci, a former Givenchy creative director. It has intricate lace sleeves, a high neckline and strategically-placed panel cutouts, making a sultry and sophisticated look for the Kardashian. The gown was a spectacular custom choice for the reality star’s wedding to Kanye West.

Guntur author at Bali Wedding
Guntur has been writing tips and tricks for weddings in Bali since 2020. He has written everything from preparing a pre-wedding in Bali to the best wedding dress and makeup you should choose for a wedding in paradise.

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