10 Throwback Pics From Old Hollywood Star Weddings That Are Beyond Captivating

Although all weddings are special in their own way, there's something truly captivating about the star-studded Old Hollywood weddings from decades ago. It's not only the unconventional celebrity wedding attire that left a mark on us, as many stars back in the Golden Age of Hollywood really experimented with their wedding looks. But, because so many of them married multiple times — we're looking at you, Liz Taylor and your eight fabulous wedding dresses — there are just so many breathtaking ensembles from which to choose. It also seemed to be an era when wedding outfits were based more on personal style, as opposed to falling in line with what the current bridal trends were at the time. 

While the Old Hollywood days are long gone, and, sadly, the majority of these people are no longer with us, their stunning wedding day looks live on in photographs. We may never have another Marilyn Monroe or Grace Kelly, but their cultural impact will never be forgotten. After all, if Audrey Hepburn wasn't the first to wear a pink minidress to her own wedding, who else could have possibly done it and looked so chic in the process? In other words, prepare to be both captivated and inspired, even if getting hitched isn't on your to-do list.

While in Cannes to promote her film, "To Catch a Thief," Grace Kelly met Prince Rainier of Monaco, leading to a nearly year-long courtship. When the two tied the knot in 1956, Grace Kelly's gown, a lace wedding dress still inspiring brides to this day, designed by Helen Rose, a costume designer for MGM, stole the show. It took over 30 seamstresses, 300 yards of lace, thousands of seed pearls, and over 100 yards of silk, tulle, and taffeta to create the gown. Today this work of art is valued at $600,000.

Unlike many Hollywood stars who go all-out for their weddings, when Mia Farrow married Frank Sinatra in 1966, it was last minute. "We decided to be married about 20 minutes ago," Sinatra told The New York Times (via WWD). With no time for planning, Farrow got married in a silk two-piece suit with a cropped jacket that she already owned, and wore a simple lacy dress for the reception that cost only $27. 

When Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton got married for the first time — they famously married in 1964, divorced in 1974, married again in 1975, then divorced in 1976 — they spared no expense. Taylor wore a yellow minidress by designer Irene Sharaff, who was the genius behind Taylor's wardrobe in 1963's "Cleopatra." Her hair was adorned with white hyacinths, and because Taylor loved jewels, she wore a Bugatti brooch and matching earrings made of emeralds and diamonds that Burton had gifted her. It's estimated the jewelry cost $150,000 at the time.

In 1947, Josephine Baker married the French orchestra conductor Jo Bouillon. While Baker's wedding dress was fairly simple, especially compared to the outfits she wore during her performances, it was nonetheless chic and gorgeous. But it was her large white feather hat that really tied the look together. As Baker was a close friend of Christian Dior, it's assumed the dress and hat were his designs, but there's no documented proof that was the case.

When Audrey Hepburn got married for the second time in 1969, she decided to ditch the traditional white gown. Instead, when Hepburn said "I do" to Dr. Andrea Dotti in a town hall ceremony in Switzerland, she did so in a long-sleeved pink minidress with a funnel neck and matching headscarf — all of which was designed by her friend and frequent collaborator Hubert de Givenchy. Hepburn completed her look with white tights and white flats, creating the perfect style to usher in the fashion trends of 1970s that were right around the corner.

To further prove that Old Hollywood stars really did things differently than those of today, when Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart got married in 1945, they did it in rural Ohio, of all places.  Bacall wore a simple two-piece tan skirt suit with her hair down and her bangs swept to the side, while Bogart also wore a suit with a white carnation on his lapel. Bacall's look was right in line with her signature refined style. 

Although Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio tried to keep their January 1954 wedding somewhat on the DL, when one of the greatest baseball players to ever play the game marries one of the most famous women in the world, there's bound to be loads of fanfare. For their San Francisco City Hall wedding, Monroe wore a dark brown wool suit with a fur collar and decorative brooch at the neck. The look was a modest choice for Monroe, but her signature glam shined through.

When you've had seven husbands, eight weddings, and you're Elizabeth Taylor, there's going to be more than one memorable wedding dress. In fact, when it comes to Old Hollywood wedding dresses, ranked by timelessness, this gown that Taylor wore when she married Conrad "Nicky" Hilton in May 1950 finds itself near the top. Taylor's dress was designed by MGM costume designer Helen Rose and featured a traditional silhouette that truly embodied Hollywood glamour.

Although Audrey Hepburn was only married twice, she hit it out of the park with each of her wedding dresses. While her pink minidress by Givenchy from 1969 was a reflection of the fashion of the time, her white tea-length Balmain dress with puffed sleeves and a sash at the waist that she wore when marrying Mel Ferrer in 1954 was the embodiment of its own era. To complete her look, Audrey Hepburn's iconic bangs were on full display and she wore a crown of white roses.