The Real Reason Sarah Jessica Parker Wore Black On Her Wedding Day

Thanks to her portrayal of fashion icon Carrie Bradshaw in the hit series "Sex and the City," Sarah Jessica Parker has established herself as a celebrity who sets the fashion trends. And while she has given us plenty of stellar looks — Sarah Jessica Parker's best style moments in her 50s still live rent-free in our minds — the truth is that her wedding dress choice was a rather controversial one.

Parker began dating fellow actor Matthew Broderick in the early 1990s, and in May 1997, the two stars got married in New York City. The whole event seemed rather spontaneous, and Parker's wedding dress might just indicate how last-minute the wedding preparations were. Parker ended up tying the knot in a black dress by Morgane Le Fay. However, she revealed that the choice wasn't as intentional as many believe.

"Oh, I wish it was because I was badass," the actor shared during a 2016 appearance on "Watch What Happens Live" (via E! News). "I just was too embarrassed to spend any time looking for a wedding dress. There was a store that I liked that I knew, and I just went and got whatever they had hanging." In 2006, Parker shared with Marie Claire that she had avoided white for a specific reason. "I was too embarrassed to get married in white, and both Matthew and I were reluctant to have people pay so much attention to us. Which is ridiculous, because that's when you can relish the attention, when it's natural. We treated it like it was a big party on a Monday night, and I regret it," she admitted.

While Sarah Jessica Parker's black wedding dress has become a memorable choice, the "And Just Like That..." star admitted that she never really stressed about the clothing for her big day. "I never thought about a wedding dress. Never. Had not one daydream about it," Parker shared with People in 2018. "At one point, I just simply remember thinking, 'God, I really hope he asks me to marry him.'"

However, the actor admitted that today, her wedding dress choice would be entirely different. "If I were getting married today, I'd likely wear cream, just to have that bridal experience," Parker told Martha Stewart Weddings (via Glamour). "Now, I would want my dress to have an Oscar de la Renta feel, pockets below the waist, a very fitted bodice, a huge skirt, in taffeta or duchesse satin. That silhouette appeals to me because it's old-fashioned, yet can look very modern." While white gowns have been the traditional choice, 'anti-bride' is a wedding dress trend where anything goes — and Parker's '97 choice fit right in. Nevertheless, the actor's choice of wedding dress is rare among the rich and famous, as most stars still opt for the traditional look. In fact, the most stunning celebrity wedding dresses of 2026 have all been white.