By Alison McGill
In the age of viral weddings, bridal style has never been more in the spotlight. Currently sitting on top of the most fashionable bride of 2025 list is model turned fashion TikToker Madeleine White who recently had a literal dream wedding in Santorini earlier this month, an event she had been teasing for months to her five million-plus followers since her engagement in 2023.
@madeleine_white So much to post and I have no idea where to start but here’s a sneak peak of so much more to come @KLassey Productions ♬ original sound – Madeleine White Fedyk
White, who is loved for her creative DIY fashion hacks, wore a custom Viktor & Rolf gown from the Dutch design duo’s 2023 wedding collection. The brand customized the look for White adding 40 hand-made butterflies to the already heavily detailed dress trimmed with 3D rosettes and bows.
White’s additional wedding ‘fits were equally iconic and included an ombré pink tulle gown from Oscar de la Renta (very Glinda) for her rehearsal dinner; a slinky Berta halter gown the reception; and a holographic pink Versace X Fendi mini dress for dancing. This was truly a wedding wardrobe of dreams.
All of White’s fabulous bridal fashion had us reminiscing about the best celebrity wedding dresses of the past 25 years. There have been so many greats, and more than a few absolutely legendary ones. Here are six of the most iconic of the past half-century which continue to inspire wedding style today and well into the future.
Gwen Stefani, 2002
Stefani’s first marriage to Bush X frontman Gavin Rossdale didn’t go the distance, but her 2002 wedding dress did, and it’s still one of the most beloved wedding gowns of all time. The bespoke John Galliano for Dior gown was a pink, dip-dyed silk confection and instantly became a fashion moment almost impossible to top. Discussing her vision for the dress Stefani told British Elle “When I got engaged, I said I wanted my dress to be over the top, but not traditional — I wanted it to be everything.” She went on to loan the dress to London’s V&A Museum saying, “it’s a work of art, it needed to be seen.”
Catherine Middleton, 2011
For her Royal Wedding the Princess of Wales set a new standard in bridal elegance with her Alexander McQueen by Sarah Burton dress, a design that would still look fresh coming down the aisle in 2025. The gown featured the most intricate and delicate lace on the bodice, sleeves and skirting and it was this wedding dress that made the timeless and traditional bridal fabric look fresh again. Catherine’s dress also brought sleeves back to wedding dresses, a design detail that hadn’t been popular since Princess Diana’s wedding in 1981. The nipped waist, peplum and epic nine-foot-long train made this dress one for the fashion history books. Read more about this wedding dress here.
Mandy Moore, 2018
Long before ’70s inspo for weddings was a thing (a trend that gained traction in 2023), Moore delivered a sweet, throwback wedding look when she married musician Taylor Goldsmith in 2018. California cool girl fashion house Rodarte designed her bespoke dream dress, which was made of rose pink, Swiss dot tulle fabric, and featured a high ruffle neckline and tiered ruffle skirt. Moore was a trendsetter in her look not just for the retro-vibes but for choosing a coloured wedding gown at a time when that was most definitely not a thing.
Solonge Knowles, 2014
Never one to be conventional with her fashion looks, Knowles stayed true to her personal style for her wedding day when she married music video director Allan Ferguson. For her wedding ceremony, Knowles wore an architectural caped jumpsuit complete with plunging neckline by Stéphane Rolland which was the perfect outfit to arrive in for her vows as biked to her venue. The look is iconic for its minimalism and uniqueness. She changed into an equally statement minimalist look for her reception—a Kenzo column gown which also had a cape. This is a bride we can thank for pushing fashion boundaries and embodying personal style authenticity on her big day.
Paris Hilton, 2022
When Hilton married Carter Reum in a fabulous three-day wedding fest in California, it was a multiple, couture gown event. Rumour has it Hilton had 45 dresses (!) available to her for her wedding event; she only wore six, and four of them on her actual wedding day. Paris wore four otherworldly wedding gowns. The headliner on the big day was her ceremony gown by Oscar de la Renta. The wedding dress featured a high neckline, lace sleeves, pressed floral lace detailing and a sweeping ball skirt. She accessorized with a cathedral-length veil also detailed with pressed flowers. “I loved Princess Grace Kelly and always thought about how she was so elegant and iconic, and I knew I wanted to be elegant like her when I walked down the aisle,” Hilton shared on an Instagram post.
Sofia Richie, 2023
Richie’s multi-day event in the South of France was one for the books and ushered in the era of viral weddings and the movement towards quiet luxury bridal style. All of Richie’s wedding weekend looks were bespoke pieces from Chanel. For her ceremony, she wore a dreamy lace wedding dress that felt simultaneously vintage and modern. The gown featured a crisscross halter neckline dramatic open back and an A-line skirt detailed with white micro sequins and beads. Richie’s look put us very much in mind of the OG quiet luxury bride Carolyn Bessette who’s 1996 wedding look is as fashionable today as it was almost three decades ago.
