7 Vintage Wedding Dresses of Celebrities That Look So Classy, We’d Wear Them Today

3 years ago

Choosing that one special wedding dress is never easy. If you can’t find the design of your dreams in modern magazines, try flipping through some vintage celebrity photos. Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Priscilla Presley, and many other famous women of the past wore wedding gowns that looked so stylish and beautiful, they continued to inspire brides around the world for many decades.

We at Bright Side believe that these 7 vintage wedding dresses worn by celebrity women are totally worth being recreated and worn by today’s brides because they look too classy and chic to be forgotten.

Princess Diana, 1981

Princess Diana’s wedding dress is one of the most iconic in history. It was made of ivory silk taffeta and antique lace and was richly decorated with sequins, hand embroidery, and pearls. This wedding gown was also full of hidden surprises. For example, there was a golden horseshoe stitched into the petticoat as a symbol of good luck, and there was also a square of lace attached to the dress that belonged to Queen Mary. The designers, David and Elizabeth Emanuel, also sewed a little blue bow into the waistband so there was “something blue” to bring the bride good luck.

Diana’s wedding dress that, from afar, looked like fluffy meringue, became an inspiration for many brides shortly after the royal wedding and remained an icon in the wedding fashion industry for many years. Brides all over the world wanted their dresses to be made of similar fabrics, have puffed sleeves, and long skirts. In 2021, Diana’s wedding dress went on display at Kensington Palace.

Priscilla Presley, 1967

On the day she got married to the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, Priscilla was wearing a laconic, long, white dress with a see-through top and sleeves decorated with pearls. The dress looked very simple yet classy, and Priscilla actually bought it off-the-rack instead of asking a famous designer to sew a dress for her.

Later, Priscilla confessed that she went shopping for her wedding dress in disguise, wearing a blonde wig and using a fake name to keep things private. She had just 1 fitting of that dress before she bought it and left the store. It looks like Priscilla fell in love with her wedding dress at first sight.

Audrey Hepburn, 1952

This wedding dress never made it down the aisle, but it looks so gorgeous, we believe it belongs on the list. Audrey Hepburn ordered this ivory dress with long sleeves and a bow on the waist from the Fontana sisters based in Rome, Italy. At the time, the actress was preparing for her wedding with a British businessman, James Hanson. They called off the wedding, and Audrey never actually wore this gorgeous dress as a bride, but there is a photo of her wearing it during a fitting.

The actress asked the designers to donate the dress to a bride who could never afford such a luxurious wedding gown, and it was eventually worn by an Italian girl named Amiable Altobella on her wedding day. Later, she said that the dress “brought her luck” and her marriage was happy. In 2009, the dress was sold at an auction.

Princess Margaret, 1960

Here’s another royal wedding dress that belongs on the list of the most iconic wedding outfits. On May 6, 1960, Princess Margaret got married to a British photographer and filmmaker, Antony Charles Robert Armstrong-Jones. For the occasion, the Princess chose a long silk organza dress designed by Norman Hartnell.

Crystal embellishments and decorations were minimal, and the dress brought out the petite figure of Princess Margaret. Even though this dress may look too simple for a royal wedding gown, it is a fine specimen of a laconic and minimalistic dress that puts the woman wearing it at the center of attention.

Elizabeth Taylor, 1950

Elizabeth Taylor was married 8 times, and this is the dress she wore to her first wedding, to Conrad Hilton, the heir to the chain of Hilton Hotels. This classic wedding dress, created by costume designer Helen Rose and funded by MGM, was surely giving some “royal” vibes with its full-length voluminous skirt, classic cut, and pearl embellishments.

This was the only “traditional” wedding gown worn by Elizabeth Taylor. For her weddings that followed, she chose unusual dresses, like a deep green hooded dress, a marigold yellow knee-length dress, and even a cashmere coat.

Jacqueline Kennedy, 1953

The dress Jacqueline Bouvier was wearing to her wedding to John F. Kennedy was created by African-American designer Ann Lowe. The gown was made of ivory silk taffeta and featured a gorgeous curved neckline and a round, voluminous skirt. It’s interesting that the original wedding dress designed by Lowe was almost lost. The workshop of the designer suffered from a flood and the original bridal gown and 9 more dresses they created for this wedding were lost. Lowe and her team spent 8 days reconstructing the dresses and made it in time.

Even though the dress was appreciated by a wide audience, Jacqueline herself later confessed that she didn’t like some details about the dress. For example, she thought that the neckline didn’t compliment her figure and the skirt looked “like a lampshade.”

Grace Kelly, 1956

This is probably one of the most remembered and recognized wedding dresses of all time. The gown Grace Kelly wore to her wedding to Prince Rainier III of Monaco was created by Helen Rose, a costume designer from MGM. The dress featured a fitted lace bodice with a high collar and a tulip-shaped skirt. Elegant and sophisticated, it was the embodiment of dignity and style.

More than 6 decades later, this iconic wedding dress still influences the choices of many brides around the globe. Famous women were also seen wearing gowns resembling that of Grace Kelly. For example, the wedding dresses of Kate Middleton and Nicky Hilton also featured laced bodices and sleeves, as well as high collars. To us, they look very much like Grace Kelly’s iconic dress. Don’t you agree?