5 Movie Wedding Gowns That Are Classic & 5 That Are Hopelessly Dated

5 Movie Wedding Gowns That Are Classic & 5 That Are Hopelessly Dated

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most beautiful and the most terrible wedding gowns in film. Let’s get into the good, the bad, the ugly.

#5 - Dated: Betsy’s Dress
“Betsy’s Wedding” (1990)

For a movie all about Eddie Hopper’s daughter Betsy getting married, you would think her wedding gown would be at least impressive. As it is, this ruffled dress is unsightly, and the choice of an asymmetrical hemline only made matters worse. As a cherry on top of this bad cake, Betsy wears a white top hat, suitable only for a backup dancer to an Irving Berlin number performed by Fred Astaire. At least there is a lack of typically ‘80s mutton-chop sleeves, with the designer opting for a sweetheart neckline. Even so, it’s not a good look.

#5 - Classic: Buttercup’s Wedding Dress
“The Princess Bride” (1987)

Modern interpretations of medieval dresses can be very hit-and-miss. Fortunately, this classic ‘80s film gets many things right, including its costume design. Buttercup’s dresses are particularly memorable. Even her soft rose wedding dress worn in her nightmare is lovely. But her actual dress when she is forced to wed the odious Prince Humperdinck is even more striking. Its dreamy soft blue color complements Robin Wright’s blonde hair, and the high waistline flatters her slim form. It is light, elegant, and faithful to medieval fashion while conforming to modern aesthetic tastes. It would be a pity to damage such a perfect dress.

#4 - Dated: Joy’s Dress
“What Happens in Vegas” (2008)

This rom com is not what you would call great, or even good. And granted, this is supposed to be a Las Vegas wedding by two drunken strangers, Joy and Jack. Even so, the costume designers for this film really outdid themselves in the grubbiness and tastelessness of Joy’s wedding dress. This dress resembles more of an off-white thigh-length potato sack than a gown. The cheap fake pearl necklace is not helping, either. It's more like a costume of a wedding dress than anything else. The whole film follows Joy and Jack’s attempts to divorce, deeply regretting their drunken Las Vegas wedding—and that dress, no doubt.

#4 - Classic: Araminta Lee’s Dress
“Crazy Rich Asians” (2018)

You can count on the wealthy Asians in this film to throw an extravagant but beautiful wedding. The film follows Rachel Chu as she attends the wedding of her boyfriend’s best friend, Colin. The wedding itself is gorgeous, but Colin’s fiancée Araminta’s dress is truly awe-inspiring. This gown with its glittering crystal bodice and tiered body gives an almost swan-like effect. Costume designer Mary E. Vogt agreed with the director to show off more of actress Sonoya Mizuno’s figure, and even made the dress completely waterproof so that Mizuno could walk down the river aisle. The results are stunning.

#3 - Dated: Marie’s Wedding Dress
“When Harry Met Sally…” (1989)

Harry and Sally don’t have a good time at the wedding of their friends Marie and Jess. In fact, they spend both the wedding and reception chiefly arguing with each other. But Marie’s dress was a definite disappointment. While the silhouette is not bad, the off-shoulder neckline with the depressed puffy sleeves is uninspiring and generic. But it’s the chalice waistline that turns this dress from boring to truly off-putting. All in all, it feels more like a parody of a wedding gown than an actual gown. No doubt that was the intended effect in this Nora Ephron comedy. But it’s still not ideal.

#3 - Classic: Maria’s Wedding Dress
“The Sound of Music” (1965)

While we had a problem with Marie, we have no such problem with Maria. This classic musical epic is highly influential in many ways, and its costume design definitely merits appreciation. In the Act One finale in particular, Maria finally marries Captain Georg von Trapp in a grand ceremony and an even grander dress. Created by costume designer Dorothy Jeakins, this dress was made out of silk, with a beautiful train, high-collar, and fitted bodice. Jeakins even got an Academy Award nomination for her work. Since then, Maria’s dress has become one of the most iconic wedding dresses in film history. And it’s richly deserved.

#2 - Dated: Margaret’s Dress
“The Proposal” (2009)

There are few redeemable qualities about this particular wedding gown. About to be deported to Canada, book editor-in-chief Margaret proposes to her assistant to get that much-needed green card. Hence, we get a classy but strictly by-the-book wedding. Looking more like a suit than a dress, this outfit is undoubtedly meant to reflect Margaret’s high-powered corporate personality. As it is, though, the gown is flat, too tight, and with an unflattering high-neck. It’s the type of thing you’d expect a villain from a sci-fi movie to wear. Not so much the lead of a rom com.

#2 - Classic: Katniss’ Wedding Dress
“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” (2013)

You don’t expect beautiful or elegant costume design from sci-fi films, especially dystopian ones. So “The Hunger Games”’s costume designers giving Jennifer Lawrence a beautiful wedding dress for her Quarter Quell interview was more than a pleasant surprise. Trish Summerville worked with Indonesian designer Tex Saverio to create Katniss’ dress, meant to reference her PR romance with Peeta Mellark. The result is a stunning gown with organza corset. The dress also serves to foreshadow Katniss’s role as the Mockingjay, a revolutionary figurehead, even turning teal-dark when burned. And to think, this isn’t even for an actual wedding.

#1 - Dated: Cristabel’s Dress
“The Hottie and the Nottie” (2008)

This Paris Hilton rom com is a disaster in more ways than one. A shallow vehicle for Paris Hilton’s beauty should, in theory, lead to some impressive costume design, if nothing else. But Hilton’s party dress for her character Cristabel is nothing less than ugly. Like the other awful wedding gowns, this one looks like it is made out of cheap material and fake satin, and those puffy sleeves harken back to the ‘80s. Spilling red wine on it frankly hardly made it worse and perhaps even made it better. It’s a fright, all right, and thank goodness this wasn’t for an actual wedding.

#1 - Classic: Bella’s Dress
“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1” (2011)

“Twilight” fans had been eagerly awaiting Bella and Edward’s wedding, as well as Bella’s eventual transformation as a vampire. Fortunately, the penultimate film in the franchise delivers in regard to the gown. Author Stephenie Meyer wanted costume designer Carolina Herrera to design Bella’s dress and she got her. Taking over six months to make, the final result is a beautiful satin gown with a lace back and V-neckline. It won not only Meyer’s approval, but Kristen Stewart’s. It’s classy, elegant, and suits Bella’s character well. Much like Bella and Edward, the dress is the perfect marriage between modern taste and classic vintage style.

Which other movie wedding dresses had you in awe—and which ones had your jaw dropping in horror? Let us know in the comments down below!