We love a celebrity wedding here at One Fab Day, so we thought we’d do a deep dive to find some incredibly rare celebrity wedding dresses that you won’t have seen before. These stars range from musical icons to acting royalty, but they all have one thing in common – they looked absolutely incredible on their wedding day. Prepare yourself for a few surprises – we’re talking bowler hats, bridal hoods, and gold sequins, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Rare Celebrity Wedding Dresses
1. Madonna
Madonna has been pictured in so many iconic outfits over the years that the voluminous tulle wedding dress she wore to marry Sean Penn back in 1985 has almost been forgotten about! We love how she turned her signature bowler hat into a veil – hey, if a look works for you, you may as well stick with it!
2. Judi Dench
How adorable does Judi Dench look on her wedding day?! To marry her husband Michael Williams in 1971, she wore a gorgeous A-line dress and matching overcoat with fur hood, giving us serious winter wedding envy. Of course, we urge any brides looking to replicate this look to choose a faux fur hood!
3. Ali Hewson
Clearly, Ali Hewson was determined to have bigger hair than her husband Bono on their wedding day! Her look was pure 80s but we love the sweet lace gown.
4. Audrey Hepburn
Just in case there was any doubt that Audrey Hepburn made a beautiful bride, we present this photographic evidence from her wedding to Mel Ferrer in 1954. We love the drama of her puffball sleeves, and doesn’t this neat flower crown look absolutely stunning with her pixie cut? Also can we just say… opera gloves for the win!
5. Brigitte Nielsen
What can we say? We have a soft spot for 80s bridal style! Brigitte Nielsen rocked enormous shoulders, an embellished headpiece and purple eyeshadow for her 1985 wedding to Sylvester Stallone – you’ve got to admire a girl who goes for full-on glamour on her wedding day!
6. Sarah Jessica Parker
We must have seen Sarah Jessica Parker‘s Vivienne Westwood wedding dress from the Sex and the City movie a thousand times, but for the actress’s real wedding to Matthew Broderick in 1997, she wore a black ballerina-style gown! That’s why we love SJP – nobody can accuse her of being predictable!
7. Diane von Furstenberg
Fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg is best known for wrap dresses, but for her wedding to Prince Egon von Fürstenberg back in 1969, she donned a beautiful laser-cut gown with colourful matching sash and trim.
8. Helen Mirren
Helen Mirren was 52 when she married husband Taylor Hackford in 1997, so she’s serving up serious inspiration for mature brides-to-be! We can’t get enough of her gorgeous embellished coat.
9. Angela Lansbury
40 years before she became Jessica Fletcher, Angela Lansbury was the epitome of timeless bridal style during her wedding to Richard Cromwell. You know we can’t resist a flower crown, and the subtle details on Angela’s dress – the lace collar and silk buttons – are so, so pretty!
10. Courtney Love
As celebrity wedding dresses go, Courtney Love‘s is pretty low-key, but then, she did marry Kurt Cobain on a beach in Hawaii! Besides, her knee-length grey lace dress looked positively extravagant next to Kurt’s pyjamas. All about a groom rocking a bouquet of his own though!
11. Betty White
Comedy queen and all-round legend Betty White had already been married twice when she wed Allen Ludden in 1963, so instead of a traditional white dress, she chose a chic skirt suit with cute floral print and matching hat. Wouldn’t this be a gorgeous look for a modern-day civil ceremony?
12. Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston‘s marriage to Bobby Brown was a rocky one, but her 90s bridal style was on point. She wore a fitted mermaid gown with mesh panels and an elaborate cap veil!
13. Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep, if you’ve ever put a foot wrong in the style stakes we certainly can’t remember it! For her on-screen wedding in the movie Holocaust, Meryl wore a smart, long-sleeved, A-line gown with an unusual rolled neckline, and we are all about it.
14. Jada Pinkett Smith
Crushed velvet is exactly what we want from a 90s wedding and Jada Pinkett Smith certainly delivered! We can totally see a modern-day boho bride rocking this look for a winter wedding with rich, red florals.
15. Natalie Wood
Bridal hoods are just so cool, and this lace version, worn by actress Natalie Wood to marry Robert Wagner in 1957, would still be an edgy choice today!
16. Jane Fonda
We honestly can’t think of any celebrity wedding dresses that sum up 60s style better than Jane Fonda‘s look for her 1965 wedding to Roger Vadim! The sexy mini skirt, the mod cut, the contrasting boots – it’s all too good!
17. Céline Dion
We cheated a little on this one, as this is technically a vow renewal dress rather than a wedding dress, but we think it’s clear why! Céline Dion and Rene Angelil’s 2000 bash in Las Vegas was all about opulence, as was reflected in Céline’s off-shoulder gold sequin gown, Cleopatra-esque makeup and XXL earrings. She also later donned a gold crown like the queen that she is.
18. Bianca Jagger
Bianca Jagger is never less than effortlessly chic, and her 1971 wedding to Mick Jagger was no exception. Her racy skirt suit and wide-brimmed, veiled hat just oozed 70s glamour!
19. Rita Wilson
We’re not expecting a return to 80s bridal trends like ruffled peplum any time soon, but we have to admit that Rita Wilson looks super cute on her wedding day in 1988. There was zero chance of being overshadowed by hubby Tom Hanks in this little number!
20. Susan Sarandon
The floral-adorned bridal braid that Susan Sarandon rocked during her wedding to ex-husband Chris in 1967 is too gorgeous not to share. Bonus points for the flawless eyeliner and pretty boho wedding dress, which would be just as cool today.
Can’t get enough celebrity bridal style? Click here to see what our favourite iconic royal brides wore on their wedding day and follow us on Instagram for more!
