Image credit: German Larkin. From Sofia Richie and Elliot Grainge’s star-studded wedding in the South of France

Perhaps it was the influence of quiet luxury, or merely an extended bucking of tradition, but the celebrity brides of 2023 chose wedding dresses that spoke a softer language. Gone were the heavy embellishments and prodigious skirting of eras past. This year, the bridal memorandum bore the term ‘minimal elegance’, and with each ceremony—in Jordan, the South of France and Mallorca—stars highlighted the idea in red; theirs were visions spun from bare-faced silk and satin.

Danielle Frankel—the cool bride’s worst-kept secret—may have been the designer on everyone’s lips last year, but 2023 was an exaltation of one Vivenne Westwood. It was an honour, model Georgia Fowler told us in February, to be able to wear a gown from Westwood’s final collection; the late Dame and so-called godmother of punk passed away in December 2022, and her funeral, held this year, was attended by a host of fashion royalty. So too did Barbara Palvin choose Westwood to exchange vows with longtime beau Dylan Sprouse in the Hungarian countryside in July, donning a square-necked, corseted dress that “made her feel like a princess”. 

Elsewhere, brides leaned into an Old World sensibility. Sofia Richie Grainge sought the expertise of the Chanel petites mains for a slew of looks for her wedding week in Antibes. She floated down the steps of the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc in a halter neck, hand-beaded lace gown; her cathedral veil glistened with resin droplets, scattered dew-like all over. Fellow Mediterranean bride Joey King sported a strapless Oscar de la Renta frock, blanketed in flower-petal paillettes, while Princess Iman of Jordan matched mother Queen Rania in high-necked Dior, with a Chaumet tiara to boot.

As the year comes to a close, we look back on the best celebrity wedding dresses we’ve published in 2023. Here, bridal inspiration from the stars. 

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Image credit: Cedar & Pines. From Inside Taylor Hill’s Western-inspired wedding set amid the Colorado Rockies

Taylor Hill in Etro

“Etro literally took everything that was in my brain and transformed it into reality. The gown is truly the dress of my dreams. It is elegant, but gives a nod to boho with its stunning material, movement, and beading.”

Image credit: Reduster. From Barbara Palvin Sprouse wore Vivienne Westwood to marry Dylan Sprouse at their Hungarian countryside wedding

Barbara Palvin in Vivenne Westwood

“It was the best choice. The dress made me feel like a modern princess.”

Image credit: Samm Blake. From Model Jessie Li’s intimate New York wedding was inspired by English country gardens

Jessie Li in Jimmy Choo

“His incredibly talented team managed to bring the dress down from a size 6 to a size 0 in one day and have the dress delivered to my door less than five days later. I was floored and was so honoured to be able to wear that dress for my ceremony. I felt like a real princess.”

Image credit: German Larkin. From Sofia Richie and Elliot Grainge’s star-studded wedding in the South of France

Sofia Richie Grainge in Chanel

“At my first fitting at the Chanel salons in Paris, I immediately envisioned the dress I wanted to get married in: a beautiful lace-embroidered halter gown with a long train,” Sofia told Vogue. “Within the dress are subtle details, including an embroidered heart to represent the love that Elliot and I share, as well as a blue embroidered S&E on the inside of the dress above my heart.”

Image credit: Chad Moore. From Inside cult Downtown designer Sandy Liang’s two weddings in Queens and Coastal Maine

Sandy Liang in Sandy Liang

“If a princess were a fabric, this would be it. One of my core inspirations will forever be Marie Antoinette by Sofia Coppola. I wanted to channel that energy into my wedding look. I’m used to always being behind the scenes, so it was so much fun to be the girl getting dressed up.”

Image credit: Getty Images. From Princess Iman of Jordan wears Dior at her sunlit royal wedding

Princess Iman of Jordan in Dior

Princess Iman of Jordan wore a high-necked gown from Dior at her wedding to New York financier Jameel Alexander Thermiotis, along with a Chaumet tiara—in regal fashion, of course. 

Image credit: Alice Mahran. From An exclusive look inside Georgia Fowler’s wedding, where she wore custom Vivienne Westwood and Danielle Frankel

Georgia Fowler in Vivienne Westwood and Danielle Frankel

“It was a true honour to wear a design from her final collection. I had wanted to wear Vivienne Westwood for my big day for as long as I can remember. I always loved the brand, Vivienne herself and all it stands for. Her wedding dresses have the perfect mix of timelessness, sexiness, and elegance.”

Image credit: Alice Mahran. From An exclusive look inside Georgia Fowler’s wedding, where she wore custom Vivienne Westwood and Danielle Frankel

“We thought we should add a touch of youthful fun to it though, “[so] Danielle added in some custom accents—a neck scarf and a cut-out in the bodice. Tell me I would have chosen a tulle petticoat dress for my wedding and I wouldn’t have believed you, yet Danielle’s design was so perfectly me—and perfect for the farm location too.”

Image credit: Norman & Blake. From Joey King and Steven Piet’s Mallorca wedding channelled ‘The Great Gatsby’, with a Spanish twist

Joey King in Oscar de la Renta

“Because it was so windy during the ceremony, we did add a bit of texture. I’m so lucky to have my team that I’ve been working with for so many years be part of this day.”

Image credit: Getty Images. From Inside Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa’s royal wedding, where the bride wore Elie Saab

Princess Rajwa of Jordan in Elie Saab

Saudi Arabian architect Rajwa Al Saif wed Prince Hussein of Jordan in early June, at a ceremony attended by international sovereigns including Kate, Princess of Wales, and Princess Beatrice. The bride wore a minimal long-sleeved design by Elie Saab, pairing her look with a pair of d’Orsay flats. 

Image credit: courtesy of Naomi Watts. From Naomi Watts wore an exquisite white lace dress for her New York courthouse wedding

Naomi Watts in Oscar de la Renta

Actress Naomi Watts wed Billy Crudup in a low-key courthouse ceremony, but still dressed up for the occasion, choosing a lace Oscar de la Renta gown. Together with an understated bouquet and gold sandals, she looked the picture of a summer bride—proof that looking chic on your big day doesn’t need to involve a princess skirt or heels. 

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