10 Celebrities Who Skipped The Traditional White Wedding Dress

Have you ever wondered why white is the traditional color for a wedding dress? You can thank Queen Victoria, who like Kate Middleton, set trends with her looks. The British monarch wore white to her wedding in 1840. Before then, white was what young ladies wore when being presented at court (is "Bridgerton" coming to mind?), and brides wore colorful gowns including red, violet, gold, and silver. White was also associated with purity, which was something brides of a bygone era were very concerned with. Over time it has become the expected, the traditional, and the norm in Western cultures.

But there is no written rule that says a classic white dress is a must. From tantalizing bridal leg slits to the dramatic feathers we first saw as a wedding dress trend in 2023, gowns are becoming more of a reflection of the bride's personality. Beyond that, colorful gowns are seen with more and more regularity these days. And why not? As these 10 celebrities who skipped traditional white wedding dresses prove, it's the personal touches that make a day special, not following antiquated traditions.

Julianne Moore absolutely lands a spot on our list of stand-out unconventional celebrity wedding dresses for the Prada lilac slip dress she wore for her 2003 wedding to director Bart Freundlich. The event reportedly took place at their Manhattan apartment with 36 guests. Wearing a poofy white number would not have suited the venue at all. We like the coordinated touches of Freundlich's shirt and tie beneath his cream suit.

When Sarah Jessica Parker wed fellow actor Matthew Broderick in 1997, she wanted to have more of a party feel and not draw too much attention to herself. So she opted for a Morgane Le Fay dress, bought off the rack. If she were to do it all over again, would she pick a black dress? No, she'd opt for white, she later said (via The Today Show). "I'd wear a beautiful, proper wedding dress like I should have worn that day."

We are taking it back 22 years to when Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, tied the knot in 1997. 💍💗SJP is known for her unconventional wedding gown choice as she wore a black ballgown by Morgane Le Fay.#KleinfeldCanada #TimelessTuesday pic.twitter.com/DtU8DEUdbZ

— Kleinfeld Canada (@KleinfeldCanada) October 29, 2019

Need proof that bridal separates are a modern dress alternative? Take a look at Kristen Stewart and wife Dylan Meyer, who both skipped the traditional white wedding dress. For their April 2025 nuptials, held at a Mexican restaurant in LA, Stewart wore a gray skirtsuit, while Meyer chose a sheer white top and skirt combo. Did we expect Stewart to don a Bella from "Twilight" gown? No, this outfit feels much more her.

What do brides in India traditionally wear? The color of prosperity, celebration, and good luck: Red. White, on the other hand, is the color for mourning. So it was no surprise that Priyanka Chopra wore a red lehenga (three-piece outfit) for her Hindu wedding to Nick Jonas in 2018. The gorgeously ornate Sabyasachi gown reportedly took embroiderers nearly 4,000 hours to make. For their Christian ceremony, the bride did opt for a white wedding dress, from Ralph Lauren.

When Kristen Bell married Dax Shepard in 2013, she didn't even bother with a dress, and wore a black top and coordinating trousers. She added a pop of wow with a statement necklace. The couple married at the Beverly Hills Courthouse with a few friends in attendance, meaning that the laid-back look fit with the feel of the day. It was about their love (and laughter), not putting on a big show.

Another bride who chose a black dress instead of traditional white? Avril Lavigne. When the "Sk8er Boi" singer wed fellow Canadian singer Chad Kroeger in 2013, the duo leaned into black big-time for their wedding held in the south of France. The groom wore a head-to-toe all-black ensemble, while the bride chose a custom Monique Lhuillier dress and carried black roses. While the marriage only lasted two years, the dark dress still makes an impact.

If anyone were to make an unexpected statement on her wedding day, it would be Emma Thompson: fearless, outspoken advocate for women and the environment. Not only did the "Nanny McPhee" star's 1989 dress look like it was borrowed from a costume department, it was untraditionally short, and paired with quirky heels and a headpiece that looked bridal in theme, but more like a veil that a child took scissors to.

For her 2012 wedding to Christine Marinoni, "Sex and the City" star Cynthia Nixon didn't peruse racks of bridal gowns. She said yes to a dress that featured on the Carolina Herrera runway. (Can't you just imagine Miranda Hobbes reluctantly attending the show with Carrie Bradshaw?) This wedding dress had an ethereal silhouette, but rather than traditional white, Nixon wore a shade of pale green. While it might feel like a bridesmaid dress color, we think it's an unexpected and elegant option for those who want to skip traditional white.

Elizabeth Taylor may be the poster child for celebrities who skipped the traditional white wedding dress. For her eight weddings, she only wore a white dress for the first one. Among the other bridal looks was a green silk dress with a sheer hood that she wore for her 1959 wedding to Eddie Fisher. And for her fifth wedding, marrying Richard Burton for the first time (they divorced and remarried a year later), she wore a yellow babydoll dress that she boldly accented with a small garden on her head.

Jessica Biel has frequently worn beautiful white gowns on the red carpet, and often ones that have an overtly feminine, bridal feel to them. But when it came to her wedding to Justin Timberlake in 2012? She steered away from traditional white, instead opting for soft pink from designer Giambattista Valli. She told Hello! that she wanted a dress that oozed "romance, romance, romance." Mission accomplished.