By Megan Riedlinger
4:03pm PST, Feb 19, 2023
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On the Feb. 14, 2023, episode of "The Drew Barrymore Show," Reese Witherspoon revealed she held onto a piece of movie history: the gorgeous gown her on-screen alter ego, fashion designer Melanie Smooter, wears to her doomed nuptials in the 2002 rom-com "Sweet Home Alabama." In the film's climax, she leaves Patrick Dempsey's Andrew at the altar to rekindle her romance with her estranged husband — Josh Lucas's Jake, to whom she's still legally married — as a storm brews on the horizon. "I remember that scene that we shot in the rain. And I'm in the wedding dress and I run away from my wedding and I run to see Josh Lucas on the beach. And it was pouring down rain, but I remember thinking, 'This is such a crazy amazing moment. I'm going to remember this forever.' And I still have the wedding dress! I do," she said. Costume designer Sophie de Rakoff — who's also worked with Reese on several other projects including "Legally Blonde," "The Morning Show" and, most recently, "Your Place or Mine" — created the dress.
Join Wonderwall.com as we take a look back at more of the most iconic wedding dresses in cinema history…
MORE: The most iconic dresses in movie history
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In 1991's "Father of the Bride," Kimberly Williams-Paisley — then just Kimberly Williams — portrayed Annie Banks, the daughter of reluctant father-of-the-bride George Banks (Steve Martin). On her big day — when her father finally walks her down the aisle — Annie wears a classic, traditional wedding gown designed by Susan Becker featuring a lace bodice, long sleeves and full skirt with a lace hem.
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The 2002 movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" starred Nia Vardalos as Toula Portokalos, a 35-year-old member of a boisterous and meddling Greek family who has trouble getting them to accept her non-Greek husband-to-be (played by John Corbett). Did you expect her gown to be understated? Like everything else attached to her big day, the dress Toula wears — a design by Michael Clancy — was also over-the-top thanks to tons of lace, bows, a really big skirt and more.
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We'll never get enough of Carrie Bradshaw's couture creation! Fans will never forget that dreamy scene in 2008's "Sex and the City" in which Carrie (played by Sarah Jessica Parker) tries on couture wedding gowns for a Vogue photoshoot. She ends up going with this showstopper, a ballgown by Vivienne Westwood (though we were more partial to the Oscar de la Renta). Even though her wedding doesn't go as planned, she at least looked fabulous chasing after that limo.
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Lady Gaga absolutely nailed her role as Patrizia Reggiani in 2021's "House of Gucci." In one scene in the Ridley Scott film, she marries Maurizio Gucci (played by Adam Driver) in the early '70s wearing a gown covered in floral embellishments and a long lace-trimmed veil.
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A tea-length wedding gown? Audrey Hepburn pulled off this Givenchy dress in 1957's "Funny Face." The dress, with its fitted bodice and full, tea-length skirt, was a phenomenon, quickly becoming one of the most iconic dresses in film history. (It also started a tea-length wedding-dress trend!)
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When it finally came time for Bella Swan to marry Edward Cullen in the fourth installment in the "Twilight" film franchise — 2011's "Breaking Dawn – Part 1" — Kristen Stewart needed the perfect dress, so author Stephenie Meyer recruited designer Carolina Herrera. The result? This elegant, long-sleeved silk gown. Carolina told Vogue UK at the time, "In the initial fitting when Kristen put the dress on and looked in the mirror, she was very moved. In that moment she was not an actress or a character in a film — she was a bride, and a happy one at that. It is always very important to make the bride happy, of course, and in this case I was delighted to do so. It was a very special moment for both Kristen and the character of Bella to share." After the film's release, the dress was so wildly popular that it spawned a designer knockoff at David's Bridal that retailed for $799.
MORE: Stars you forgot were in the "Twilight" franchise
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Many bows were needed to bring this Southern belle bride to life! Thankfully, Shelby, played by Julia Roberts in 1989's "Steel Magnolias," had this sweet satin number with plenty of bows and floral embellishments — which she obviously wore with big hair on her big day.
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The 2006 drama "Marie Antoinette" saw Kirsten Dunst sporting dozens of stunning gowns as the titular royal, but when it came time for Marie to wed the king of France, she donned this unforgettable heavily embellished ballgown designed by Milena Canonero. Those bows! That insanely over-the-top pannier! This one was truly fit for a queen.
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Amanda Seyfried wore a gorgeous Grecian-inspired confection in 2008's "Mamma Mia!" She looked like a goddess in her asymmetrical tulle frock and floral-embellished veil.
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Next up is Julie Andrews' ivory satin A-line wedding gown in 1965's "The Sound of Music." Julie's character, Maria, wears this stark white, high-necked, no-frills gown made of Shantung silk while walking down to aisle to wed Captain Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer). It was crafted by Oscar-winning costume designer Dorothy Jeakins and fetched more than $23,000 at auction in 2013.
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Want a peek at a futuristic wedding dress? Katniss Everdeen gave us a great example in 2013's "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire." In the film, Jennifer Lawrence's character sports this couture creation courtesy of resident designer Cinna (played by Lenny Kravitz) featuring an intricately embellished bodice and a dramatic tiered and ruffled skirt.
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Two wedding dresses for the price of one! Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway starred in 2009's "Bride Wars," which centers around two former besties attempting to sabotage each other's nuptials. It featured two very different takes on wedding gowns — with Anne's character, Emma, opting for an ivory off-the-shoulder gown with a mermaid silhouette and Kate's character, Liv, going for a stark white strapless ballgown with a sweetheart neckline.
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The 2018 rom-com "Crazy Rich Asians" featured the wedding to end all weddings. The stunning dress worn by Araminta Lee (played by Sonoya Mizuno) was worthy of her walk down a river aisle. InStyle reported that it took 30 people three weeks to create the gold Swarovski crystal-embellished gown. And the most surprising part? It's technically not a wedding dress but a bodysuit with an attached skirt.
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The original 1950 iteration of "Father of the Bride" featured Elizabeth Taylor in an unforgettable wedding gown. The legendary movie star played Kay, the daughter of Spencer Tracy's Stanley T. Banks. In the pivotal wedding scene, she dons this high-necked lace-covered frock designed by Helen Rose.
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Vivien Leigh wore some phenomenal dresses as Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone With the Wind," but this wedding dress stands apart from the rest. In the film, she has a rushed marriage to Charles Hamilton (played by Rand Brooks, right) and has to wear her mother's wedding gown — hence the imperfect fit. Walter Plunkett, who designed the gown for the 1939 film, actually fit it to Barbara O'Neill (second from left), who played Scarlett's mother, Ellen, to ensure it truly looked like a hand-me-down. Even the details — like those massive sleeves and the heavy silk-satin skirt — matched the era during which Ellen would have tied the knot, making the attention to detail on this gown all the more impressive.
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Anne Hathaway's Mia Thermopolis made the perfect bride in 2004's "Princess Diaries 2: The Royal Engagement." For her walk down the aisle, the Genovian royal donned this elegant off-the-shoulder frock designed by Gary Jones.
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The '50s brought us some very unconventional wedding gowns on the silver screen! Legendary superstar Marilyn Monroe sported one of these unique dresses by Travilla — with its lace bell sleeves and tea-length tulle skirt — in 1953's "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes."
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In 2018's "Fifty Shades Freed," fans got a look at Mrs. Anastasia Grey's wedding dress — a fitted, lace-covered, off-the-shoulder gown with button detailing down the back. Monique Lhuillier, who created the look, told ELLE magazine at the time, "I wanted to make sure it was iconic and very memorable, because once it's in a film, it lives forever. So I wanted to create something traditional but with a modern twist, and really make sure it encompassed Anastasia's personality. I also wanted it to have the aesthetic of my collections, knowing the reason they came to me was showcasing my design aesthetic through the character."
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Grace Kelly donned this unique floral-embellished wedding dress in 1956's "High Society." Legendary costume designer Helen Rose created the look — like many other stunning dresses on this list. (She also created Grace's real-life wedding dress!)
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We had to include a wedding gown fit for a Disney princess! In 2007's "Enchanted," Giselle (Amy Adams) finds herself transported to New York City while on her way to her fairy tale wedding. She ends up dumped in the middle of Times Square in this intricate, royally approved, puffy-sleeved wedding gown.
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Andie MacDowell donned a Lindy Hemming-designed silk ballgown-style wedding dress with bow-trimmed puffy sleeves in 1994's "Four Weddings and a Funeral."
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Gwyneth Paltrow donned this sweet, simple wedding dress in 1996's "Emma," which is based on the Jane Austen novel of the same name. We adored those short lace sleeves crafted by costume designer Ruth Myers.
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It was a super-simple wedding ensemble for Juliet in the 1996 drama "Romeo + Juliet." Claire Danes wore this sleeveless white silk number with button details designed by Catherine Martin. She accessorized with white gloves for an extra dash of formal glamour.
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The 2012 romantic drama "The Vow" featured a very unconventional wedding — complete with an unorthodox wedding gown! Rachel McAdams' character, Paige, not only married beau Leo (Channing Tatum) in a museum — illegally, we might add! — but she also donned this short and sweet pink Betsey Johnson design for their low-key nuptials.
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Uma Thurman was a pregnant bride in 2003's "Kill Bill – Volume 2." This casual, three-quarter-sleeve frock was the perfect choice for her special moment, which was quickly interrupted by a massacre.
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Lucille Ball donned this pretty lace wedding gown — which was created by legendary costume designer Helen Rose, of course — in the 1953 comedy "The Long, Long Trailer." The actress played Tacy Bolton-Collini opposite — who else? — real-life hubby Desi Arnaz.
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Kirsten Dunst's breathtaking gown in 2011's "Melancholia" brought the perfect balance of drama and elegance with its gorgeous layers of white tulle and its delicately shirred bodice.
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Talia Shire donned this long-sleeve A-line gown when she played Connie Corleone — Don Vito Corleone's daughter — in 1972's "The Godfather." The dress, paired with a lengthy veil, was certainly a stunner!
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Drew Barrymore's character in "Ever After," Danielle De Barbarac, donned this stunning frock designed by costumer Jane Law in the 1998 romantic drama inspired by "Cinderella." The elegant handmade gown is now known as the "Breathe" dress.
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You might be surprised to see a look from "Frankenstein" on the list, but the 1931 film included a stunning wedding dress designed by Vera West and worn by Mae Clarke.
