In Hollywood, the saying may be, “Always the bride, never the bridesmaid,” but not for these stars. It’s actually more common than you think. It turns out that celebrities, they’re just like us! Plenty of stars have given up the spotlight and served as bridesmaids. But, of course, these ladies looked gorgeous doing it.
Whether it’s Rihanna donning a purple dress for an April 20th-themed wedding, Lady Gaga rocking an all-pink ensemble on the beach, or Miranda Kerr wearing a white bohemian frock for her brother’s outdoor wedding, these ladies sure know how to dress. So, let’s take a look at some of our favorite stars swapping out the red carpet for the aisle.
Taylor Swift
Back in 2017, Taylor Swift’s best friend and former Grammy date, Abigail Anderson, officially tied the knot in Martha’s Vineyard. The singer was a bridesmaid and was spotted standing pretty close to the bride, leading fans to believe she was the maid of honor. The bridesmaids stunned everyone in burgundy floor-length gowns.
This wasn’t the star’s first time as part of a bridal party. Swift’s other best friend, Britany Maack, wed with the singer by her side as maid of honor. And although it’s not technically part of the bridal party, Swift has also crashed a few weddings, giving fans a performance of a lifetime. This makes us wonder when it’ll be the singer’s turn to walk down the aisle.
Rachel Bilson
Rachel Bilson looked runway-ready in her bridesmaid gown at her friend’s wedding. The beautiful blush pink gown was floor-length and had an off-the-shoulder sweetheart neckline and a curve-hugging fit. There wasn’t a ruffle or unflattering seam in sight! This dress is truly what bridesmaids’ dreams are made of.
This isn’t the O.C. star’s first rodeo. The actress was also a bridesmaid at her brother’s wedding in 2016. Bilson has yet to walk down the aisle herself. She and Hayden Christensen were a hot item in 2007 and were engaged around 2009, but the couple never made it to the altar. Bilson and Christensen share a daughter, who was born in 2013. Unfortunately, they separated in 2017.
Emma Roberts
When a fashion designer gets hitched, you know the bridesmaids are going to be showstoppers. That’s exactly what happened at designer Kara Smith’s 2015 wedding to photographer Nick Walker when she recruited Emma Roberts as one of her bridesmaids. The actress wore a stunning sleeveless gown with lace detailing and a plunging neckline.
Roberts also rocked a short blonde hairdo, which went perfectly with her ivory-hued dress. While the actress almost made it down the aisle after getting engaged to actor Evan Peters, the pair split in 2019. Since the split, the actress has been linked to actor Garrett Hedlund. In August 2020, the pair announced they were expecting a baby! Congrats, you two!
JoJo Fletcher
While we patiently wait for JoJo Fletcher to tie the knot with her fiancé Jordan Rodgers, we did get a little glimpse of what she’ll look like walking down the aisle. The former Bachelorette was a bridesmaid at her gal pal’s wedding in the British Virgin Islands. Talk about a beautiful location!
Fletcher looked stunning as she walked down the aisle in her champagne Watters bridesmaid dress. If she looked this good as a bridesmaid, we can’t imagine what she’ll look like as a bride! After getting engaged to Rodgers, the winner of The Bachelorette Season 12, back in 2016, the pair finally settled on a date in 2020. However, due to the current pandemic, the couple has decided to postpone their wedding until 2021.
Miranda Kerr
When Miranda Kerr’s brother Matthew married his longtime partner James Wright, the supermodel served as a bridesmaid in the picture-perfect ceremony. The couple tied the knot at Nanna Kerr’s Kitchen in Australia, surrounded by friends and family. Kerr donned a beautiful white dress and a bohemian flower crown for the big day.
But while the ceremony was nearly close to perfect, the marriage, unfortunately, was not. In 2020, the pair announced they were separating. Hopefully, the former Victoria’s Secret model’s marriage to Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel won’t meet the same fate. The pair married in 2017 and share two boys, Hart and Myles. The model also has another son, Flynn, whom she shares with actor Orlando Bloom.
Paris Hilton
Nicky Hilton’s Kensington Palace wedding to James Rothschild was a night to remember. We’re sure you can tell that this wasn’t Paris’s first time as a bridesmaid. The hotel heiress didn’t outshine her sister Nicky, but she looked stunning in her pastel blue gown.
When asked about her bridesmaid dress before the wedding, Paris said, “It’s her day, so whatever she wants me to wear, I will.” She also noted that Nicky has impeccable taste, so whichever dress she chooses, it’s bound to be stunning. Well, Paris was right. The bridesmaids looked beautiful. As for the bride, Nicky wore a Valentino lace wedding gown with long sleeves, a high neckline, and of course, an elaborate train.
Sofia Vergara
That’s one way to practice for your wedding! Before Sofia Vergara tied the knot with Magic Mike hunk Joe Manganiello, she was a bridesmaid at the wedding of one of her closest friends. The Modern Family actress wore a beautiful strapless yellow dress and carried a white bouquet.
While Vergara looked stunning as a bridesmaid, she followed her Colombian roots and decided not to have bridesmaids at her 2015 wedding. “It would be torture,” the actress said on Jimmy Kimmel Live. “How do you pick your bridesmaids? All your cousins are your best friends. The whole wedding would be dressed in the same outfit!” Vergara and Manganiello exchanged vows in Palm Beach, Florida, in a wedding that is believed to have cost nearly $4 million!
Eva Longoria
Leave it to Eva Longoria to make a standard bridesmaid dress look red carpet-worthy! The actress was a vision in seafoam green for her longtime friend Alina Peralta’s wedding in Spain. But it wasn’t just the strapless Jenny Yoo dress that stood out; Longoria’s accessories took the look to the next level. The bridesmaids added bedazzled belts to top off their dresses.
After ending her marriage with former NBA player Tony Parker, the former Desperate Housewives began dating Mexican businessman José Bastón. The two met on a blind date set up by mutual friends and married in 2016. The following year, Longoria announced that she was pregnant with her first child. In 2018, the actress gave birth to a son, Santiago “Santi” Enrique Bastón.
Rihanna
When Rihanna is your boss, best friend, and bridesmaid, you know your wedding is going to be a fun night. The superstar wore a lavender Badgley Mischka gown to her assistant’s Hawaiian nuptials. The wedding was held on April 20th, and the entire bridal party was photographed celebrating accordingly.
After her highly publicized relationship with Chris Brown, the singer has kept her personal life away from the public eye. In 2020, it was revealed that Rihanna broke up with her boyfriend, Saudi billionaire Hassan Jameel. The two had been secretly dating since 2017. Given the fact that the couple was notoriously private, we’ll probably never know why the pair went their separate ways.
Rachel McAdams
Rachel McAdams sure knows a thing or two about weddings, especially since she is the queen of romantic comedies. The actress put her experience to good use when her sister Kayleen asked McAdams to be her maid of honor! The actress looked good doing it too. She donned a gorgeous light blue halter dress and was photographed, shedding a tear when her sister said, “I do.”
The actress herself has yet to walk down the aisle, but she has been in a long-term relationship with Hollywood screenwriter Jamie Linden. The pair are notoriously secretive about their private life, but we do know that the two share a daughter who was born in 2018. The actress and her partner are currently expecting their second child together!
Sarah Jessica Parker
When you ask Sarah Jessica Parker to be at your wedding, you would think that the fashion icon might accidentally upstage you a bit. Imagine how surprised we were after seeing pictures of the Sex and the City actress looking more low-key than ever. Parker looked beautiful in her strapless, orchid-hued dress at her friend Melinda Relyea’s wedding.
The gal pals go way back. The two first met during Parker’s Sex and the City days when Relyea worked as the actress’s assistant. She then went on to become the vice president of Parker’s production company Pretty Matches for 12 years. The wedding ceremony took place at the First Presbyterian Church of Greenwich in Connecticut and was followed by a reception at the scenic Belle Haven Club.
Britney Spears
Pop sensation Britney Spears let her little sister Jamie Lynn take center stage in 2014. I mean, it was her wedding day after all! The former Nickelodeon star wore a lace wedding gown, and Britney looked stunning in a grey bridesmaid dress, proving once and for all that simple is better.
Jamie Lynn is still married to businessman Jamie Watson, and, in 2018, she gave birth to the couple’s first (and her second) daughter. Britney, on the other hand, hasn’t had too much luck in the romance department. The Princess of Pop married her backup dancer Kevin Federline after dating him for three months. Things soon turned chaotic, and the pair divorced two years later. Since 2016, Britney has been in a relationship with Sam Asghari.
Vanessa Hudgens
Sure, Ashley Tisdale was a vision in white at her 2014 wedding to Christopher French, but Vanessa Hudgens stole the show. Hudgens donned a stunning floor-length, blush pink gown, complete with a crown braid. The wedding sure was a night to remember, and Tisdale worked very hard to keep the entire night under wraps.
All the guests met at a secret location and were shuttled to the wedding venue. Security was very tight, and they reportedly took everyone’s phones. The former co-stars have famously remained friends since their High School Musical days, but they’re not the only ones who have remained in touch since the movies wrapped. Hudgens famously dated Zac Effron from 2005 until 2010. She then dated actor Austin Butler in 2011, whom she also met on the musical’s set. Sadly, the couple called it quits in 2020.
Mila Kunis
Not much is known about Mila Kunis’ ultra-secret wedding to Ashton Kutcher, but at least we got a glimpse at their walk down the aisle at Kunis’ brother’s wedding. Kutcher looked dapper in a classic black suit, while Kunis was pretty in blush pink. The actress’s bridesmaid look was complemented by a pair of glittery stilettos and a few pieces of jewelry.
The actress had a lot to celebrate that day. Not only did her brother Michael get married, but Kunis was the one who had set the two up. The bride was actually the one who trained Kunis on how to dance ballet for her 2010 film, The Black Swan. While we would love to have seen snaps from Kunis and Kutcher’s special night, these pictures will have to do.
Jennifer Lawrence
Jennifer Lawrence may be one of the biggest actresses in Hollywood, but on her brother’s wedding day, she was just another bridesmaid. Her yellow J. Crew dress wasn’t exactly the Dior couture we’re used to seeing her in, but she, along with the entire bridal party, looked stunning. They were even featured in a special issue of Martha Stewart’s Real Weddings!
As for why the couple chose yellow for their bridesmaid dresses, they say it all had to do with simplicity. “We kept the day’s colors as understated as possible because we wanted the natural beauty of the land to stand out,” the bride said. The wedding took place in Kentucky on one of the rainiest days in the state’s recent history.
Jessica Simpson
Jessica Simpson was a vision in white at her sister Ashlee’s wedding to Evan Ross on Labor Day weekend in 2014. While white is usually reserved for the bride, Ashlee opted to have her bridesmaids dress in white. The bohemian ceremony took place at Diana Ross’ Greenwich estate, with several stars in attendance.
The enchanting ceremony wasn’t just for the adults! Jessica’s daughter Maxwell was the flower girl, and Ashlee’s son Bronx, from her first marriage to Pete Wentz, walked his mother down the aisle. Four months after the wedding, Ashlee shared that she was pregnant with the couple’s first child! Their daughter Jagger was born in 2015, and, in April 2020, the couple announced they were pregnant again!
Katharine McPhee
Katharine McPhee may have just had the wedding of her dreams, but back in 2012, she was a vision in pink at her older sister’s wedding. The maid of honor donned a light pink gown with a halter neckline and a bedazzled waist. The former American Idol contestant couldn’t contain her excitement, tweeting, “Hope everyone had a gr8 long weekend! I am off to LA tomorrow for many things. One being my sister’s wedding!!”
In June 2019, it was finally McPhee’s (second) turn to walk down the aisle. She married producer David Foster across the pond at the Church of Saint Yeghiche in West London. McPhee and Foster first met when he mentored the singer during her season on American Idol, but the pair didn’t start dating until 2017.
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga was on bridesmaid duty for her two co-workers and best friends Tim Stewart and Sarah Nicole Tanno. The artist is essentially credited for bringing the two lovebirds together, so it makes sense that she was part of the nuptials. So, what did Lady Gaga wear to the wedding? Pink. Lots and lots of pink.
The ceremony took place at sunset on the beach, with each bridesmaid wearing whatever style or color dress she wanted. Sounds like the perfect wedding to me! While the Star is Born actress never made it down the aisle with her ex fiancés, we’re hoping that her current relationship with Michael Polansky will end in wedding bells. We can only imagine the type of celebration she’s going to throw!
Pippa Middleton
No one will ever forget the Royal Wedding or the beautiful maid of honor who was thrown into the spotlight after the magical affair. It may have been Kate’s day, but it seems that her maid of honor stole the show. Kate’s little sister, Pippa Middleton, wore a form-fitting cream Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen gown that showed off her figure to perfection.
From the way she handled her sister’s nine-foot train to her Pilates-toned derriere, onlookers couldn’t stop praising Pippa. She even earned the nickname, “Your Royal Hotness.” The former event planner finally had her turn to walk down the aisle in 2017 when she married hedge fund manager James Matthews. The couple wed at St Mark’s Church in Berkshire, near the Middleton family home.
Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez is a total pro at being a maid of honor. Back in February 2019, the singer was the maid of honor at her best friend, Courtney Barry’s wedding. Then a few months later, in July, Gomez reprised the role, but this time, for her cousin Priscilla DeLeon’s wedding.
For the occasion, the Lose You to Love Me singer donned a black of the shoulder gown with an elegant front slip. She paired the gorgeous dress with minimal jewelry and loose curls. Before the nuptials, Gomez went above and beyond in her maid of honor duties. Not only did she buy her cousin her dream wedding dress, but she also flew the bridesmaids to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for a fun girls weekend.
Keira Knightley
It may not have been a royal wedding, but Kiera Knightly looked stylish while serving as a bridesmaid for her brother’s 2011 wedding in Glasgow, Scotland. The actress donned a 1950’s-style plum dress for the occasion, but the dress didn’t make it through the reception. “I was the worst bridesmaid in the entire world!” she told The Daily Mail.
“I don’t normally spill things down myself, but every single drink went down that dress.” It wasn’t only drinks that spilled on her dress. While sitting with Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa on their talk show, she explained that she spilled a whole plate of curry down the dress as well. She went to the bathroom to clean herself up, but the dress got stuck in the door and ripped down her entire back. Oops!
Naomi Watts
The biggest faux pas a woman can make at a wedding is to arrive in a white gown – unless she’s the bride, of course. But it seems that more and more brides these days are opting to dress their bridesmaids in the once forbidden color. Actress Naomi Watts rocked a white eyelet maid of honor dress to her longtime friend Emma Cooper’s wedding in Australia.
Watts was accompanied by her longtime beau, Liev Schreiber. The two began dating in 2005, shortly after the actress ended her relationship with Heath Ledger. However, 11 years and two sons later, Watts and Schreiber announced their separation. The actress moved on the following year in 2017 with actor Billy Crudup.
Kate Bosworth
Dressed in a silky, black gown and holding an all-white bouquet, Kate Bosworth could have won an Oscar for her role as a bridesmaid beauty. The actress was one of four bridesmaids in her friend Jacqui Louez’s beach wedding in Sydney, Australia, back in 2008. The two friends met in 2005 while Bosworth filmed Superman Returns and Louez worked as her personal assistant.
Bosworth didn’t have to wait too long to have a wedding of her own. She began dating director Michael Polish in 2011 and, by 2013, the couple was already hitched. The couple wed in Montana, surrounded by mountains, family, and friends. Bosworth is a stepmother to Polish’s daughter from a previous marriage and has recently spoken about becoming a mother of her own.
Jessica Biel
Before walking down the aisle at her own wedding to Justin Timberlake, Jessica Biel had some practice as a bridesmaid. The actress wore a brown gown and carried white roses at her 7th Heaven co-star, Beverly Mitchel’s wedding in Italy. As the two friends transitioned from preteens to adults, their lives may have changed, but their friendship did not.
Not only was Biel present at Mitchel’s 2008 wedding, but Mitchel was also there when Biel first fell in love with Timberlake. “It was so cute because they were like—it’s that moment like I like you, I think you like me,” the actress told reporters. “It was very, very sweet. They were definitely flirting.” Then in 2015, the two friends were pregnant at the same time, giving birth just three months apart.
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
The Olsen twins were bridesmaids at their friend Cassie Coane’s wedding. According to E!, The Row designers were just two out of 18, that’s right, 18 bridesmaids at the private ceremony in the Hudson Valley in New York.
The bridal party was filled with some of New York’s most stylish “It” girls, who were given free rein when choosing their bridesmaids dresses, as long as they were stuck to the floral theme. Let’s just say these dresses weren’t your typical matchy-matchy gowns that most brides opt for, and we love it! Mary-Kate donned a kimono-style frock with green shoes and a flower crown, while Ashley rocked a black and white flowy dress. Looking good, you two!
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar and hubby Freddie Prince Jr. may be going strong, but it wasn’t Gellar’s only time down the aisle. Back in 2006, the actress was a bridesmaid for her close friend’s Santa Monica wedding. Gellar wore a knee-length blush pink frock, complete with a black band.
Gellar first met her husband on the set of I Know What You Did Last Summer, and the two were friends before they began dating. In fact, their first date was somewhat of an accident. The couple was supposed to meet a mutual friend for dinner. But when the friend didn’t make her plane, the two went anyway. “We’d had tons of dinners before, and for some reason, it felt different that night.”
Serena Williams
For her second bridesmaid gig in 2019, Serena Williams stunned in a candy pink Azzazie gown in her sister-in-law Hayley Ohanian’s wedding. The dress surprisingly isn’t as expensive as it looks! If fact, it retails for $129, making it one of the less expensive bridesmaid options out there. Williams not only wore a beautiful, affordable dress, but she also rocked a comfortable pair of bedazzled sneakers. Cute and comfortable? Smart move.
Although the tennis player looked gorgeous, it was actually her daughter Olympia who stole the show. The two-year-old was the flower girl, and, according to Williams, she took her job very seriously. The toddler matched her mom, wearing a blush pink dress, complete with sparkly gold shoes.
Cara Delevingne
Cara Delevingne may be used to strutting her stuff down fashion’s hottest catwalks, but in 2014, the model swapped the runway for the aisle when she assumed her bridesmaid duties for her older sister Chloe’s wedding to Edward Grant. Taking a break from her usual street style, Delevingne wore a simple yet elegant navy-blue dress, complete with a messy bun.
To keep the chilly weather at bay, the model also draped a tan boyfriend-style coat over her shoulders. Proving to be ever so helpful, she was also photographed holding her sister’s dress as the family left the London venue. Fun Fact: Grant was present at Chole’s first wedding, as he was the groom’s best man.
Kirsten Dunst
Don’t let her comedy Bachelorette fool you! Actress Kirsten Dunst is actually a perfect bridesmaid in real life. The actress was a bridesmaid to her childhood friend Cindy McGee’s 2017 wedding in Italy. She wore a blush-pink gown and carried a small bouquet made up of green, white, and light pink flowers.
It also looks like Dunst wasn’t the only family member to fly overseas for the occasion. Her parents were also in attendance for their daughter’s best friend’s nuptials. It just shows how close the gal pals are. Maybe we’ll see McGee make an appearance in Dunst’s upcoming wedding to her Fargo co-star Jesse Plemons. The pair began dating in 2016, and Dunst gave birth to the couple’s first child, a baby boy named Ennis.