Celebrity Brides Who Were Absolutely Gorgeous
Weddings take A LOT of work. You have to consider venues, food, guests, flowers, table settings, decorations, invitations, place settings, cake, and, of course, the dress. If you're lucky, you have the cash to hire a wedding planner to take all the stress out of your big day, so that you only get to focus on the fun stuff. Naturally, one of the most fun parts of wedding planning is figuring out what to wear when you walk down the aisle. Do you go for a full-on ballgown, complete with poofy skirt and embellished bodice, or do you pick something simple and more elegant than fairy princess? Do you go for white, or do you pick something colorful and against the norm? Celebrities are the lucky ones in that they get their pick of wedding gowns from all manner of high-end designers, but they're not quite so lucky in that their wedding photos get spread around the Internet the minute the ceremony is over. If they scored a home run, this is a good thing, but if you failed big time, it's a mistake that will haunt you forever.
So, let's do our best fashion critic impression and check out the good with the bad, the gorgeous brides from the ones who should've, could've done a whole lot better.
15 GORGEOUS: Emmy Rossum Is Sleek & Sultry
If going big as a bride isn't your thing, take a page out of actress Emmy Rossum's book, who donned this sleek architectural style for her wedding to director and Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail.
The custom design from Carolina Herrara actually went one step further than simply being a nice dress and incorporated the wedding venue into its look! Rossum and Esmail wed at the Guggenheim Museum, and the shape of the building is what inspired the structure of the bodice. Of course, the pretty little details like the tiny row of buttons down the back and the intricate sash added some traditional bridal elements (bringing the “something old” to the something new), but all in all, it was a gorgeous, sexy, modern take that looked dynamite on Rossum!
14 CRINGE: Jada Pinkett Smith's Crushed Velvet Cringe
Some people love this dress and others can't stand it, but for us, this white crushed velvet creation Jada Pinkett Smith wore for her wedding to Will Smith in 1997 rates a “D” for “disappointing."
To be fair, Pinkett Smith was in the early months of her pregnancy with son Jaden Smith, and so we can understand her choice to cover things up a bit in long sleeves and a turtleneck, but the tight silhouette kind of defeats the purpose. Designed by Badgley Mischka, this dress definitely looks like it belongs in the '90s and was probably very fashion-forward when she wore it during the New Year's Eve ceremony, but it certainly hasn't aged well - unlike the Smiths themselves! Pinkett Smith is a natural beauty but this form-fitting dated dress isn't doing her any favors.
13 GORGEOUS: Megan Fox's Beachy Beauty
Now, this is how you dress for a venue! Doing a complete 180 from Emmy Rossum's formal attire, we have Megan Fox who was a vision in this frothy beachy creation from Armani Privé. Destination weddings are great if you've got the bank to back it up, but it always boggles the mind to see brides dressed in formal attire with their toes in the sand. Clearly, Fox knew exactly what she was doing for her 2010 nuptials to actor Brian Austin Green, and proves that sometimes simplicity is key.
The fit of the dress is extremely flattering, and we love that she didn't go over-the-top with hair and makeup, instead of making it look like those seaside waves were her own personal wind machine! A simple bouquet and walking down the aisle sans shoes are the only accessories she needed.
12 CRINGE: Princess Di's Goes '80s & Over-The-Top
Everything about the 1980s was totally over the top, but for Princess Diana's 1981 wedding to Prince Charles, no expense was spared - with disastrous results. Look, we understand that it's a “go big or go home” kind of thing with a televised ceremony that saw the former Lady Diana Spencer marry into the royal family, but this was the pinnacle of '80s excess. With puffed sleeves, ruffles, sequins, embroidery, lace, thousands of tiny pearls, and a train that was a staggering 25 feet long, it was designed to be “something that was going to go down in history” - and indeed it did!
While the dress has certainly gone on to inspire lookalikes, we can't give it a pass because, as one critic said, it's “too much dress, too little princess”.
11 GORGEOUS: Ciara's Luxurious Lace
Now, this is what we're talking about! Bringing a princess-style dress into the 21st century, we have the gorgeous lace creation singer Ciara wore to her 2016 wedding to NFL star Russell Wilson. The custom-made Roberto Cavalli number featured a corset-front dress with a deep V and lacing, sheer bell sleeves, layers of tulle, floral embroidery, glass beads, and Chantilly lace, but the real showstopper was the epic 13-foot train, which reportedly didn't fit inside the church! (Although, sweetly, it did have the initials of her and her now-husband embroidered at the end.)
Adding even more of a princess element, these two tied the knot in a castle, proving that you can get the royal treatment without actually being a royal! Without all the volume of Princess Diana's dress but all the drama and luxury, Ciara showed us how it's done.
10 CRINGE: Julianne Moore Is Lacklustre In Lilac
Look, we're not against going colorful on your wedding day - it's been done beautifully before! Plus, it's your special day, and you should be able to wear whatever you want! Unfortunately, it seems that actress Julianne Moore took that too literally and ended up looking more like a bridesmaid than a bride.
For her 2003 wedding to director Bart Freundlich, the couple kept things very low-key, simply having the ceremony in their Greenwich Village backyard. However, despite being Prada, this dress resembled something a high school student would wear to prom, a feeling that was echoed by the groom's semi-matching shirt and tie. We're all for keeping it casual, especially if you're planning on a budget, but the lack of effort put into the overall look leaves us feeling pretty “meh”.
9 GORGEOUS: Kaley Cuoco's Cotton Candy Confection
Now, this is how you do color! While her marriage to tennis star Ryan Sweeting didn't work out (the couple divorced after 14 months), we can't deny that this cotton candy confection looks absolutely gorgeous on Kaley Cuoco!
The strapless tulle ballgown was a Vera Wang creation and really highlights the TV star's blonde beauty, from the sweetheart neckline to the hand-appliqued Chantilly lace. It may be a little too sugary for some people's taste, but the unorthodox color is offset by the traditional silhouette for the best of both worlds. Being such a bubbly actress, it doesn't surprise us that the ultra-feminine Cuoco wanted something just as girly to match her personality. While this dress is probably tucked away somewhere, never to be seen again, we can only hope she knocks the next one out of the park - she's already engaged again!
8 CRINGE: Tina Turner's Gaudy Green
Looking like the emo girl's prom dress choice, we have this confusing wedding gown picked by Tina Turner. While Turner is undoubtedly a legend who can wear whatever she wants (and usually kill it), this has us wondering what the hell she was thinking. From the stiff-looking black tulle to the lime green underskirt, it looks like Turner picked this from the Hot Topic prom collection and we just can't deal with that.
We've seen black wedding dresses work beautifully before, but this one seems to be trying too hard. And, if it doesn't look like a wedding dress, that's because it isn't! Turner said herself that she spotted the gown at an Armani show and knew she had to have it, even if she never wore it. Then, she decided to do it as her wedding dress and we have fashion disaster history. Sorry, Tina!
7 GORGEOUS: Dianna Agron Goes Boho in Beige
Another wedding dress that doesn't fit the normal bridal aesthetic, we have this beautifully intricate gown worn by actress Dianna Agron on her big day. For her marriage to Mumford & Sons guitarist Winston Marshall in October 2016, the couple traveled to Morocco to exchange their vows, and Agron's outfit choice speaks to the country (and wouldn't look totally out of place at a music festival, either).
The embellished tulle creation was a Valentino design that came straight off the runway and didn't require any jewelry to compete with it, thanks to the multitude of bedazzled sequins. Agron didn't even go with a veil, either, choosing instead to wear a crown of silver stars, which added to the breathtaking etherealness of the actress. The price of such an astonishing piece of clothing? Just a cool $20k!
6 CRINGE: Coco Is Busting Out
Coco Austin has never been the type to dress subtly. She's always been a fan of putting her assets on display, so why would something like a wedding - where she is in the spotlight throughout - throw her off her game?
Unfortunately, what she lacks in subtlety she makes up for in other ways… and while we're all for shaking what your mama gave you, this wedding gown crosses the line into a tawdry territory.
For their vow renewal ceremony in 2011 on their 10th anniversary (which featured such illustrious guests as Snoop Dogg and Tila Tequila), Coco was practically spilling out of her dress, which featured an over-the-top bejeweled bodice, embellished sweetheart neckline, and full taffeta skirt. We're pretty sure she's literally the only one who would even dream of wearing this dress on their wedding day.
5 GORGEOUS: Samira Wiley & Lauren Morelli's Double Bridal Beauty
Giving us two brides for the price of one, we have Orange Is The New Black star Samira Wiley and OITNB writer Lauren Morelli, who met and fell in love on the set!
Showing us that there's no right way to do bridal, both these lovely ladies wore Christian Siriano creations, with Wiley opting for a full-skirted, off-the-shoulder ballgown that had a tiny cut-out to show a sliver of skin at her midriff, while Morelli chose a white jumpsuit with an embellished halter neck and long, flowing cape. We are in love with these two vastly different looks, which are incredible on both women, from Wiley's traditional take with minimal accessories to Morelli's more androgynous choice with an added dose of glam! Clearly, Siriano knew what he was doing when he designed these outfits, just as these two brides did picking them!
4 CRINGE: Emma Thompson's Pretty Awful Patterns
Yes, the 1980s weren't kind to anyone who was photographed in clothes during the decade - take Emma Thompson's ghastly patterned wedding dress when she wed actor and director Kenneth Branagh.
Thompson and Branagh tied the knot in 1989, but despite being near the end of the decade of excess, we still got this pink-patterned creation which looks better suited to a set of drab looking curtains than a wedding dress. The short dress had a jacket-style bodice with puffs of tulle at the shoulder and elbow, and no British bridal attire would be complete without a ridiculous hat. Thompson's fascinator matched the hideous pattern on her skirt while the floppy feather did its best to distract from everything else that was going on. If there's anything to take away from this dress, is that less is definitely more.
3 GORGEOUS: Kate Upton's Tuscan Glam
Another gorgeous look that took inspiration from the wedding venue, model Kate Upton collaborated with the people at Valentino to create the lace, long-sleeved dress she wore for her Tuscan ceremony to MLB player Justin Verlander.
We're so used to seeing Upton stripped down to her skivvies that it was a beautiful change to see her covered up but still dressing to accentuate her curves. The traditional and elegant dress featured Chantilly lace (a popular choice) and a crisscross detail at the bust - and this dress was one of two she wore for her wedding and one of three for the entire weekend! Prior to the wedding ceremony, she wore a tiered red lace Valentino gown for the rehearsal dinner, and for the reception, a custom-designed dress with a swooping low back and embellished with glass beads.
2 CRINGE: Lady Mary Charteris's Avant-Garde Atrocity
Well, when the designer of your wedding dress has also dressed Lady Gaga, you're not exactly looking for understated, are you? While pretty much an unknown on our side of the pond, Lady Mary Charteris is a British socialite and model who wore this sheer, cut-out garment from Pam Hogg, who has dressed Mother Monster herself.
While her model figure means that she can certainly wear this dress, this really isn't a dress anyone should be wearing. Strategically placed satin pieces cover up Charteris' goodies and sheer sleeves give the illusion of coverage, while a tiered tulle skirt adds unnecessary volume to her lower half - and makes it look like she's having trouble walking! Call us old-fashioned, but if your belly button is showing in your wedding gown, you're doing something wrong.
1 GORGEOUS: Ashley Tisdale is Pinterest-Perfect
Nailing every single Pinterest wedding trend without breaking a sweat, we have High School Musical alum Ashley Tisdale, who pulled out all the stops for her 2014 wedding to musician Christopher French.
From the hued bridesmaid dresses that complemented the wedding color scheme to the flower crown to the equally rustic and bohemian bouquets, Tisdale knew what she wanted and went for it. This dress - a lace creation from bridal favorite Monique Lhuillier - would look gorgeous on pretty much any bride, thanks to the ivory shade (which isn't as harsh as white), moderate skirt volume, cap sleeves, and princess cut. Ethereal and classic, Tisdale blended the hottest wedding trends without going too far in one direction, which is what has us so in love with the whole aesthetic!