If there’s anything that the post-Oscars Vanity Fair after-party has taught us, it’s that everyone loves an outfit change. The transition from day to evening calls for the shedding of rigid formalities. Tradition retreats, and the party-goers emerge, lovers of disco heels and martini glasses whose outfits embody the liberation they feel. In this regard, none, perhaps, is as elite an outfit change as the switch from bridal gown to reception get-up.
For most of us, and especially celebrities, the choice of wedding dress is informed less by practicality, and more by spectacle. This isn’t to say that there aren’t Hollywood brides who opt for loose frocks and above-the-knee shapes. Nevertheless, stars often embrace statement—think Sophie Turner’s full-skirted, Louis Vuitton wonder, or Miranda Kerr’s Grace Kelly-inspired Dior creation, replete with high-neck and floral appliqués on satin.
When it comes to their receptions, however, the game becomes one of balance. How do you choose a gown that’s both breathtaking, and boogie-ready? For some celebrities, silhouettes contract, hems cropping and necklines lowering. Kate Middleton’s second gown, for example, was an exercise in elegance. Swapping the long-sleeved lace of her iconic Alexander McQueen for lustrous satin, the Duchess of Cambridge stepped into another piece by Sarah Burton, featuring a sweetheart neckline and a diamante waist. Gone was the skirt train. In its place, Kate chose a white angora bolero—three-quarter-sleeved and cropped for additional mobility. Meanwhile, sister-in-law Meghan Markle went the route of 1930s glamour. Her Stella McCartney halter-neck gown was lily white and silk crepe, a continuation of the confident minimalism she had practised down the aisle in Givenchy.
Others, of course, consider how to conflate the comfortable with the avant-garde. Case in point: Victoria Beckham, whose asymmetric purple, thigh-high slit gown—featuring a single, rose-adorned shoulder strap—was the very picture of noughties ebullience. Other celebrities have also bucked tradition by indulging in colour. Mandy Moore comes to mind, following up her ballerina pink Rodarte with a sultry black one-piece; so too do stars Chrissy Teigen and Princess Eugenie, whose respective forays into burgundy and blush will no doubt inspire more brides to bring bolder hues to the bridal table.
Below, we round up the most memorable celebrity wedding reception dresses of all time.
