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‘Bridal couture: from Audrey Hepburn’s Givenchy to Taylor Swift’s Dior

These gowns required hundreds of hours of handcrafted work. Some were embroidered with thousands of feathers and crystals

Jul 14, 2026 - 17:05CEST

Wallis Simpson, dressed by Mainbocher. In 1937, when Wallis Simpson married the Duke of Windsor —the former King Edward VIII, who had abdicated for her a few months earlier— she did not wear white, but a shade of blue that came to be known as 'Wallis blue', created specifically to bring out the color of her eyes. Mainbocher (a US fashion brand created by the couturier Rousseau Bocher, one of the main exponents of American haute couture) designed for her a dress with clean lines, a cinched waist and front buttoning that represented a break from the exuberance of royal weddings at the time. She wore a Cartier brooch studded with sapphires and diamonds and gloves designed to allow her ring to be seen. Decades later, the dress became part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. AFP (via Getty Images)

Grace Kelly (1956), dressed by Helen Rose. For her wedding to Prince Rainier III of Monaco, Grace Kelly wore what many people consider the most influential wedding dress of the 20th century. Helen Rose, a costume designer for MGM who worked on the actress' wardrobe, created it for her as a gift from the studio, requiring weeks of work by over 30 seamstresses. Although technically not an haute couture dress from Paris, the Brussels lace bodice, hand-sewn pearls, high neck, and taffeta skirt represented a before and an after in wedding fashion, and the dress continues to inspire new designs, nearly 70 years later. Express (Getty Images)

Soraya of Iran (1951), dressed by Christian Dior. Christian Dior authored one of the most spectacular wedding dresses ever created for a royal wedding. Soraya Esfandiary wore it when she married the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlaví: A silver lamé design, embroidered with thousands of crystals and more than 20,000 marabou feathers that was so heavy that a few details had to be adjusted during the ceremony. The display of craftsmanship cemented Dior as the great 'maison' for royal weddings in the postwar era. Bettmann Archive (via Getty Images)

Fabiola of Belgium (1960), dressed by Cristóbal Balenciaga. The Spanish aristocrat Fabiola de Mora y Aragón became the queen of the Belgians when she married King Baudouin, and she did so in an haute couture dress that summed up the philosophy of Cristóbal Balenciaga. In an era that favored ornate designs, he instead went for a clean, nearly sculptural silhouette of ivory silk, with a discreet white mink trim. Fabiola completed the look with a long tulle veil and a tiara that allowed the impeccable dress to take center stage. Michael Ochs Archives (Getty Images)

Audrey Hepburn (1969), dressed by Givenchy. When she married the Italian psychiatrist Andrea Dotti, Audrey Hepburn once again placed her trust in Hubert de Givenchy, the designer who best understood her style. Instead of a traditional white dress, he made her a minidress in pink wool with long sleeves and a high neck, paired with an organza scarf covering her hair. Made specifically for her, it was a revolutionary choice at the time, and showed that a bride could be elegant without following convention. Bettmann Archive (via Getty Images)

Silvia of Sweden (1976), by Christian Dior (by Marc Bohan). For her wedding to then-Prince Carl Gustaf, the queen-to-be turned to Marc Bohan, who was then the creative director for Dior. The designer created an ivory silk crepe gown with clean lines and a detachable train, able to combine solemnity and comfort. To top it off, Silvia Sommerlath wore the historic tiara known as the Cameo, a piece inherited from Josefina de Beauharnais that has since become one of the most emblematic jewels of the Swedish royal family. Keystone (Getty Images)

Lisa Halaby (Queen Noor) (1978), dressed by Christian Dior (by Marc Bohan). The US citizen Lisa Halaby became Queen Noor of Jordan when she married King Hussein. Marc Bohan, the designer at Dior, made her a gown with long sleeves, a high neck and a flowing silhouette that observed the protocol of the Hashemite kingdom without renouncing the refined style of French haute couture. In contrast with the excesses of late 70s fashion, this gown stood out for its quiet elegance. Daniel SIMON (Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

Caroline of Monaco (1978), by Christian Dior (by Marc Bohan). At barely 21 years old, Caroline of Monaco chose Marc Bohan to design the dress for her first wedding, to the French entrepreneur Philippe Junot. The designer created a romantic Chantilly lace dress with a Victorian cut that was in contrast with the sohphisticated image the princess would adopt later in life. Dior also created the blue dress she wore at the civil ceremony, cementing a relationship between the 'maison' and the Grimaldi that would extend for decades. Pool MARIAGE CAROLINE DE MONACO (Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

Kate Moss (2011), by John Galliano. For her wedding to the musician Jamie Hince, Kate Moss turned to John Galliano just a few months after he left Dior. The result was a very delicate sequined silk tulle dress with gold accents, inspired by the glamour of the 1930s and Zelda Fitzgerald. Rather than follow a trend, Moss created her own: her bohemian, romantic esthetic became one of the biggest references in wedding fashion that decade.Neil Mockford (FilmMagic via Getty Images)

Kate Middleton (2011), by Alexander McQueen. For her wedding to Prince William, Catherine Middleton selected Sarah Burton, then creative director for Alexander McQueen. The dress, made in ivory gazar satin, had French Chantilly and English Cluny lace made by hand by the Royal School of Needlework. According to newspaper reports, the workers washed their hands every 30 minutes and changed the needles every three hours to preserve the purity of the fabric. The design also concealed a delicate symbolism: roses, thistles, daffodils and clover representing the four nations of the United Kingdom. AFP (POOL via Getty Images)

Lauren Sánchez (2025), by Dolce & Gabbana Haute Couture. For one of the most widely covered weddings of the decade, Lauren Sánchez wore a dress with long sleeves, a high neck and Italian lace, inspired by Sophia Loren in 'Houseboat' (1958). In this photograph, she is wearing one of the other dresses made for her for a wedding in Venice that last several days. Stefano Mazzola (GC Images via Getty Images)

Taylor Swift (2026), by Dior. Taylor Swift chose Jonathan Anderson for Dior to design the dress for one of the most eagerly awaited weddings in recent years. The British designer created a dress with clean lines that marked his debut for the 'maison' and which was made at their workshop in Paris. The dress design has not been made public yet. Above, Swift and Travis Kelce in May, in one of their last public appearances before the wedding. Aeon (GC Images via Getty Images)