When it comes to costuming on-screen weddings, the dress does more than decorate the bride; it drives the plot and dissects the character. What does a vintage silhouette suggest about its wearer’s psyche? How might a corseted bodice signal constraint — or even a coerced union? Costume designers often lean into heightened, sometimes satirical gowns when dressing on-screen brides-to-be, but their choices extend beyond plot or punchline. They ripple outward, shaping real-world bridal trends that may be subtler in execution, but no less show-stopping at the altar

This wedding season, five different costume designers brought five different bridal aesthetics to the screen—with each corresponding dress completing its own unique narrative. 

Cassie’s maximalist gown in the mid-season premiere of “Euphoria” refuses to to pick a focal point; Margot Robbie brought her inner Barbie to the altar near Thursgross Grange, “Something Very Bad is Going to Happen” brings the motif of “something borrowed” to the dress itself, and “People We Meet on Vacation” dresses two grooms to the absolute nines. Despite each project’s varying approach to style and silhouette, all of the attire uses exaggerated features to communicate something about its wearer. Below, we have dissected the easiest-to-replicate facets of Hollywood’s most extravagant dresses, so you can bring a piece of cinema to your own wedding, should you so choose. 

The Wedding Topper

In “The Drama,” costume designer Katina Danabassis, opens in new tab opts for a classic bridal look for Emma (Zendaya), sourcing a boned-bodice gown with a white taffeta skirt from the moderately priced retailer Jenny Yoo. With a square and scoop neckline, illusion insets, and a sexy scoop back, the dress is ideal for brides wanting a head-turning but classic look. “[The Lawrence dress] just is the quickest read [of a] very iconic and classic timeless wedding look,’ Danabassis says, characterizing the looks as “simple, elegant, but sort of going sort of big and understated at the same time.”

Jenny Yoo Lawrence Scoop Neck Bridal Gown

Jenny Yoo

Buy For $1,475

Danielle Frankel Guinevere Gown

Net-A-Porter

Buy for $9,900

Halfpenny London Victoria Dress

Halfpenny London

POA

The Perfect Princess

Between the bedazzled nip slips and high-as-hell slit, Cassie’s wedding dress had viewers thinking, “Is that even allowed?” But in the “Euphoria” universe, the answer is always, of course, yes. Season three’s costume designer Natasha Newman-Thomas, opens in new tab showed no restraint in her more-is-more approach to Cassie’s custom wedding day look, opting for a custom-made gown with Sabrina Carpenter's level of corseting from the New York-based label Wiederhoeft, which has been worn by everyone from Lady Gaga to Sydney Sweeney herself. Between the thigh-high slit, beadwork, train, veil, and corset, the dress incorporates so many elements that it’s hard to imagine it existing in the real world. Yet each detail is executed with remarkable precision by Jackson Wiederhoeft, creating a modern look that riffs on classic design. If you are looking to bring a little red carpet glam to the altar, check out the designer's more palatable array of made-to-order garments.

Wiederhoeft Wasp Corset in Matte Satin

Wiederhoeft

Buy for $4,500

Wiederhoeft Draped Mini Skirt in Off-White Beads

Wiederhoeft

Buy for $3,990

Annie's Ibiza Pearl Aphrodite Gown

Annie's Ibiza

Buy For $7,985

Groom Glam

Colin Wilkes, opens in new tab took a not-so-traditional approach to dressing her grooms for the LGBTQ+ destination wedding that brings the romantic leads of “People We Meet on Vacation” together. And while much attention has been paid to Poppy’s chartreuse silk dress at the rehearsal dinner, the happy couple steal the show with their inspired all-white looks. Nam (Tommy Do) sports a shirtless white tuxedo with a pearly white dupatta-style scarf, while David (Miles Heizer) opts for an all-white tuxedo, bowtie, and white leather loafers. Taking cues from red carpet dressing, a no-shirt suit is a bold look grooms can opt for, while scarves—wrapped around the neck or draped across the collarbones to trail down the back of your outfit—can elevate looks for both men and women.

Brunello Cucinelli Linen blazer

MYTHERESA

Buy for $4,300

Sassi Holford Ava Gown

Sassi Holford

POA

Suit Supply Off-White Tailored Fit Havana Tuxedo

Suit Supply

Buy For $818

Brontë Barbie

Queen of the period romance, Jacqueline Durran brought all of the drama to Cathy’s larger-than-life wedding gown in “Wuthering Heights.” It may be a blink-or-you ’ll-miss-it moment in the film, but it’s made a mark on the bridal scene. With its off-the-shoulder puff sleeves, corseted bodice, and heavy pleated skirts, it’s become a fixture of every romantic-with-a-capital-R bride’s moodboard. 

Saint Bridal Couture Rowyn

Saint Bridal Couture

Buy for $3,750

Danielle Frankel Priscilla strapless bustier

Net-A-Porter

Buy For $3,990

Danielle Frankel Drew strapless taffeta gown

Net-A-Porter

Buy For $8,990

Something Borrowed

In “Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen,” costume designer Courtney Mitchell, opens in new tab literalises the idea of ‘something borrowed’ by placing Rachel (Camila Morrone) in a duchess satin gown inherited from her future mother-in-law. At first, the dress reads as suffocatingly traditional: a voluminous skirt, long train, and high lace décolletage evoke the weight of family expectation—but the dress Rachel ends up wearing is far more chic. Once layers are stripped away, something strikingly modern and on-trend is revealed: a sculpted basque-waist silhouette with a snatched waist. 

For brides, it’s a compelling case for transformation: consider reworking a vintage or inherited gown rather than starting anew. Whether it’s removing sleeves, reshaping a neckline, or cinching the waist, the most beautiful wedding dresses aren’t always the ones you buy new, but the ones that evolve with the times.

Eva Lendel Artie Gown

Eva Lendel

POA

Vivienne Westwood Bridal Nebula silk gown

Mytheresa

Buy For $16,770

Viktoria Labay Butter 2 Dress

Loho Bride

Buy For $8,200