A Look Back at Sarah Jessica Parker’s Black Wedding Dress

Sure, we all know that Carrie Bradshaw married John James Preston (or Mr. Big) in a sweet vintage suit at a demure courthouse ceremony. We also know that Carrie Bradshaw got stood up at the altar (or the New York Public Library) by John James Preston in a gargantuan Vivienne Westwood gown topped off with a bluebird headpiece. But what did Sarah Jessica Parker wear to marry her real-life husband Matthew Broderick? With her iconic Sex and the City character often overshadowing her own persona, SJP’s wedding to Matthew Broderick doesn’t get its deserved dues and attention. Lucky for you, we’re here to fix that!

On May 19, 1997, Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick made it official and tied the knot in one of the most unexpected ways ever: a surprise wedding. Under the guise of a standard party, the couple invited 100 friends to New York’s Angel Oresanz Synagogue to watch them exchange vows in an intimate ceremony, followed by a reception full of show tunes that continued until 2 a.m.

While the unexpected wedding was a surprise on its own, what truly had everyone talking was Sarah Jessica Parker’s black wedding gown. The actress revealed that she originally bought her ruffled, black Morgane Le Fay dress as a way to keep her nuptials low-key. Parker figured that buying an off-the-rack black dress (reportedly the first one she saw) wouldn’t attract any attention, unlike buying a white wedding gown.

“I was too embarrassed to get married in white, and both Matthew and I were reluctant to have people pay so much attention to us,” SJP told Marie Claire in 2006. Ironically enough, it was her black gown that drew the most attention—one that has been ingrained in bridal fashion history for over 20 years and a look that has set trends for brides all over the world.

Though the couple’s 25-year marriage is going strong after three kids, the dress is the only thing Parker regrets about her wedding day. Wearing black is a controversial choice for any bride, but even more so for someone who became a fashion icon for the ages. Talking about her big day with Harper’s Bazaar in 2009, the Sex and the City star told the magazine the one thing she would re-do if she were to renew her vows would be to have a white wedding moment. “I’d wear a beautiful, proper wedding dress like I should have worn that day,” Parker told the magazine. That’s something we’d love to see too, SJP!

As for the secret to her long-lasting marriage, Parker told the Huffington Post it’s all about privacy. “The secret is, we don’t discuss it. To reporters or anybody else. That’s it!” she told the site. “We don’t hold it up as an example and we don’t air our dirty laundry.”