A wedding gown can always turn heads, whether it’s over the top or low-key and discreet. That’s especially true when it comes to movie characters wearing wedding dresses. Often, they’re even more extravagant and memorable than real-life wedding gowns would be because movie-makers have the budgets and connections that most real people only dream of.
It’s no easy task to rank movie wedding dresses, but we’ve compiled this list based on the style of the dress, its significance for the character, and what it symbolizes. Keep reading to find out which movie wedding dress comes out on top.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
The wedding dress that Toula Portokalos ends up wearing in My Big Fat Greek Wedding isn’t exactly what dreams are made of. Complete with bows and frills and puffs, it’s a far cry from the minimalist dresses that are on trend today. But it still makes this list because the dress perfectly captures the essence of Toula’s family, and by extension, her decision to embrace their presence in her life.
The film follows Toula’s struggle with dealing with her overbearing Greek family as she falls in love with a non-Greek man. It wraps up nicely by showing that Toula can have both—a happy marriage with a man she loves and the Greek traditions that she grew up with.
Bridesmaids
Another dress that we probably wouldn’t want to have anything to do with in real life but is still iconic as far as movie wedding gowns go is the designer frock that Lilian wears to marry Doug in Bridesmaids. Much like Toula’s dress, it’s completely over the top and outrageous. Thankfully, Lilian manages to shave off a few fills before she gets married.
We love this dress because it symbolizes how Helen doesn’t know Lilian as well as Annie does (who never would have encouraged her to buy the dress). The fact that Lilian hates it also shows that she hasn’t changed, despite her friendship with Helen.
Monster-In-Law
As an actress who has appeared in her fair share of rom-coms, Jennifer Lopez is no stranger to throwing on a wedding dress for a movie. There have been a few that she wore which have been memorable, but our favorite would have to be this chic frock she wears in Monster-in-Law.
Elbow-length gloves are certainly a traditional addition to the gown, but if anybody can pull them off, it’s J-Lo. Like other viewers, we were also so happy to finally see Charlie in a wedding dress after putting up with so much from Kevin's mother.
Runaway Bride
The very plotline of Runaway Bride lends itself to a selection of wedding dresses. Playing Maggie, a woman who has a habit of leaving her grooms-to-be at the altar, Julia Roberts had the chance to wear a few wedding dresses while making this classic ‘90s rom-com.
Out of the dresses her character is seen in, this one makes our list because it’s what she wears when she finally completes the task of getting married. In other words, this is the dress that Maggie gets her "happily ever after" in.
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
All wedding dresses are magical, but there’s something doubly enchanting about royal wedding dresses. That goes for real life, films, and TV shows. A few royal characters have tied the knot throughout movie history, but one of the most memorable princess gowns was the one worn by Princess Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries 2: The Royal Engagement.
The dress is so regal with its lace design. It also signifies the end of Mia’s journey from shy high school student in the first film to the star of the show at the end of the sequel.
Bride Wars
Audiences have criticized Bride Wars for portraying two female main characters as so shallow that they would throw away a 20-year friendship over a wedding venue. While the film, starring Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway, is problematic in some ways, both Liv and Emma’s dresses have made it onto our list.
The characters wearing them may be deeply flawed, but these dresses are iconic purely because of the style they radiate. Many fans have noted that the dresses capture each character’s personality, with Liv’s dress being extravagant and Emma’s being understated.
Crazy Rich Asians
The wedding dress seen in Crazy Rich Asians is a fairly recent addition to the movie wedding dress hall of fame, with the film only being released in 2018. But this dress is so extraordinary, and so unlike any other dress that we’ve seen in movies and television history, that it has to make our list.
Like the wedding itself, this gown is completely over the top and symbolizes the new world that Rachel is getting into by being in a relationship with the wealthy Nick Young.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1
Like some of the other films on this list, the movies in the Twilight Saga have come under fire for the problematic themes and messages that they contain. If we can separate the films from the fashion for a moment, the wedding dress that Bella wears to finally marry Edward deserves a place on this list.
The dress is fairly plain from the front, but the back features an intricate design that gives it an extra touch of style. It also suits Bella to a tee.
Coming To America
In western culture, traditional wedding dresses are white. Being pink, the wedding dress that Lisa wears in Coming to America is a breath of fresh air. Zamunda is a fictional country, but we get the impression that wedding dresses don’t have to be white in this culture, seeing as neither Lisa nor Amani (the first woman who intends to marry Akeem) wears a white dress.
Not only do we love the fact that Lisa’s dress isn’t white, but that its strapless design and huge skirt is quintessential of a fairytale princess, which Lisa is becoming by marrying Akeem.
Sex And The City
Carrie Bradshaw wears two wedding outfits in the Sex and the City movie. While the understated vintage suit is what Carrie chooses first, and what she ultimately marries Big in, the Vivienne Westwood gown is among the most iconic wedding dresses in movie history.
The dress embodies high fashion, which is also what Carrie’s character is all about. Although she’s more comfortable in the vintage suit, you can’t deny the fact that few other people could pull off the Vivienne Westwood the way a fashionista like Carrie can.