“I never thought I’d get married, so I went very non-traditional with the gown.”
Not all brides want a white gown to walk down the aisle! While it’s long been tradition for women getting married to wear white on their wedding day, that doesn’t always resonate with the bride. And since they get to call the shots on their big day, some brides decide to wear something that’s not quite expected. Celebrities like Kristin Chenoweth and Emily Ratajkowski have opted for something a little different — from pink tulle gowns to pantsuits!
Find out what these stars wore on their wedding day…
1. Kristin Chenoweth
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For her big day, Kristin Chenoweth opted for pink instead of white! Both dresses she wore on her wedding day were baby pink and featured large bows. For the ceremony, Kristen chose a flowing tulle gown and later in the day, she changed into a mini dress and pink high top sneakers.
“I didn’t want to wear white,” she told People. “I went with a sheer nude and Chanel pink overlay with a big bow in the back. Very structured. It has tiny pearl flowers all over the bodice that ombré out to the floor. Simple and elegant. I never thought I’d get married, so I went very nontraditional with the gown. I love it.”
2. Chloë Sevigny
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Chloë Sevigny was two months away from welcoming her first child with her now-husband Sinisa Mackovic when they tied the knot in March 2020. Chloë opted for a fitted black midi dress with a white veil when they said “I do” at City Hall in New York City. While it was a more casual affair, Chloë got the chance to show her true bridal style when the pair got married again in front of friends and family in 2022. That time, Chloë chose a unique sheer ruffled dress from Glenn Martens’s Jean Paul Gaultier haute couture collection.
3. Christine Quinn
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When Selling Sunset star Christine Quinn secretly tied the knot with her husband Christian Richard, she chose a sparkling black ball gown and a sheer black veil. The dress, made by Galia Lahav, went perfectly with her gothic winter wonderland themed wedding.
“I never conformed to the status quo or societal expectations,” Christine told People about her non-traditional gown. “I’ve always enjoyed being bold, different and trendsetting. I’ve always wanted to get married in a black wedding dress, and I’m so happy that my dream came true.”
4. Shenae Grimes
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When Shenae Grimes got married to musician Josh Beech in 2013, she went for a darker look than most brides. The actress opted for a midnight-and-blush Vera Wang gown that featured a tulle skirt. While she’s never explained her unique choice, it’s clear she’s still a big fan of the look as she recently shared an old photo from the wedding — and recreated the exact picture in the same spot.
5. Lydia Hearst
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For Lydia Hearst and Chris Hardwick’s big day, the bride chose a custom ombré fuchsia and white wedding dress crafted by Christian Siriano. The gown featured sheer sleeves embellished with crystals that extended down the bodice and skirt. When Lydia first saw the dress ahead of the wedding, she called it “breathtakingly perfect.”
“Today, I saw my custom @csiriano wedding dress for the very first time,” she wrote on Instagram. “This is the most stunning gown I have ever seen, and it is more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. When I put it on, it brought tears to my eyes. And while wearing it, I couldn’t help but remember my very first date with @hardwick, how I felt the first time he held my hand, and the very moment I knew that I loved him. And now, I can’t help but imagine walking down the aisle and saying ‘I do.'”
6. Emily Ratajkowski
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For Emily Ratajkowski’s surprise wedding to Sebastian Bear-McClard at City Hall in New York City, she opted for something a little more casual. Emily Ratajkowski suited up in an orange pantsuit from Zara that retailed for under $200. She accessorized with a veiled hat — and a pet pug.
7. Kristen Bell
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Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard waited to tie the knot until same sex marriage was legalized in California — and in 2013, they finally got to tie the knot in a courthouse wedding. The couple made things official at a courthouse in Beverly Hills where Kristen wore a simple black top and pants. Reflecting on her decision to keep things casual, Kristen said she had many other occasions where she could get dressed up in a gown.
“I don’t fault anyone who wants a big day — especially girls, [but] we get more than enough attention in our everyday lives. I also wear more than enough party dresses,” Kristen told People.
8. Amber Tamblyn
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When Amber Tamblyn tied the knot with David Cross in 2012, she opted for a marigold frock for her wedding in the woods. She entered the ceremony on a canoe and chose not to pair any shoes with the non-traditional outfit.
“It was marigold, and it had a train in the back that was cream. Like a center-piece that was cut out in the middle,” she told Us Weekly. “There’s nothing really traditional about me.”
9. Kat Von D
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After having an intimate ceremony in early 2018, Kat Von D and her husband, Leafar Seyer, celebrated in a more elaborate affair later that year with family and friends. For the special occasion, Kat wore an elaborate red Adolfo Sanchez gown featuring layers of tulle, a high collar as well as a matching veil and headpiece.
10. Lily Allen
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Lily Allen tied the knot with David Harbour at a Las Vegas wedding chapel, so she opted for something a little less traditional. For the big day, Lily chose a white off-the-shoulder double-breasted mini dress from Dior. She actually had purchased the dress earlier in the day when she went shopping with her daughter.
“Well me and my daughter had gone to a place called Beautiful Brides that morning, to go and try on rental dresses and we found one that was, like, very Dolly Parton-esque, like massive sleeves and diamontes and stuff,” she said while appearing on the Sex, Lies & DM Slides podcast. “I was planning on wearing that, and then me and my daughter went shopping and we went into the Dior store and found this dress. I was like, ‘What do you think of this?’ and she was like, ‘Well, I don’t think you’re leaving this shop without it.'”
11. Cynthia Nixon
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For Cynthia Nixon’s nuptials with her wife Christine Marinoni in 2012, she chose a flowing green Carolina Herrera gown that she says reminded her of an “art deco skyscraper.” When she reached out to the designer, Cynthia says she asked Carolina to not think of her as a bride, but as “a grown-up woman who needs a dress to get married in.”
“I never thought about my wedding dress growing up. Not once,” she wrote in Elle. “I’ve spent most of my life not wanting to get married. But once I finally decided to do it, I knew I wanted a beautiful dress for the occasion.”
12. Meghan King
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For Meghan King’s wedding to Cuffe Biden Owens, she says she ordered many different types of dresses to try but it was a Rasario blazer dress that really stood out to her. She paired the look with lace gloves and blue Manolo Blahnik heels.
“I bought thousands of dollars worth of dresses online — everything from traditional gowns to cocktail dresses off the rack. And, breaking from tradition, I tried all of them on for Cuffe to see,” she told Brides. “We both found ourselves getting caught up in expectations of tradition with the dress when I just decided to wear what felt most like ‘me.'”
