Elizabeth Taylor got married eight different times to seven men
NEED TO KNOW
-
-
The late Hollywood icon wore a variety of colorful dresses for each of her weddings
-
While Taylor opted for a more traditional gown for her first wedding, she eventually went with more bold and casual looks
Elizabeth Taylorhad both an iconic acting career and ahighly-publicized love life.
The famed Hollywood star gotmarried eight times to seven men:Conrad "Nicky" Hilton,Michael Wilding,Mike Todd,Eddie Fisher,Richard Burton(twice),John WarnerandLarry Fortensky.
For each of her weddings, Taylor incorporated herrenowned sense of styleby wearing a myriad of dresses — including a traditional white wedding gown to Hilton in 1950 and a free-flowing tie-dyed dress to her second wedding with Burton in 1975.
In addition to wearing statement looks for each of her ceremonies, she also paired her wedding dresses with interesting accessories like sweeping hoods, floral hair accessories and stunning jewelry.
Here's a look back at Elizabeth Taylor's eight iconic wedding gowns, from her first marriage in 1950 to her last in 1991.
Taylor's traditional wedding dress to marry Conrad “Nicky” Hilton on May 6, 1950
For her first wedding to Hilton at just 18 years old, Taylor opted for a classic wedding dress. She wore a cream-colored satin gown designed by Helen Rose.
The dress featured a corset top, full A-line skirt, long sleeves and pearl embellishments throughout, with an off-the-shoulder sweetheart neckline and a sheer, high-neck overlay. She accessorized with a pearl tiara, veil and floral bouquet.
Rose notably also designedPrincess Grace's wedding dressand Taylor’s on-screen bridal look for the filmFather of the Bride. In fact, that on-screen look partly inspired Taylor’s real-life gown.
Taylor and Hilton's wedding was a star-studded affair. Over 700 guests attended, many of them Hollywood superstars like Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers and Gene Kelly. However, the couple divorced about a year after the ceremony.
In 2013, the dress sold at a London auction for $187,931, according toChristie's.
Taylor's tea-length suit to wed Michael Wilding on Feb. 21, 1962
At her second wedding, to English actor Michael Wilding, who was 20 years her senior, Taylor opted for a more serious and less glamorous look that was also designed by Rose.
Instead of a gown, she wore a sophisticated suit, which featured a tea-length, A-line skirt. The top had a large collar and cuffed three-quarter-length sleeves.
This time around, Taylor skipped the veil and tiara and instead opted to wear flowers in her hair that matched the small bouquet in her hands. She accessorized with a pearl necklace and not much else.
Taylor and Wilding were married for nearly five years before divorcing in 1957. During their marriage, they had two boys together, Michael and Christopher.
Taylor's hooded gown to marry Michael Todd on Feb. 2, 1957
Not long after divorcing Wilding, Taylor married Hollywood producer Michael Todd, who she would later refer to as the great love of her life.
In her 1988 autobiography,Elizabeth Takes Off, Taylor wrote, “God, I loved him. My self-esteem, my image, everything soared under his exuberant, loving care.”
The two married in a small and intimate ceremony at City Hall in Acapulco, Mexico. For the ceremony, Taylor wore a stunning silk chiffon off-the-shoulder gown with a dramatic hood. The result was at once traditional, daring and glamorous.
Taylor didn’t accessorize with much besides her enormous engagement ring: the rock was 29 carats and Taylor referred to it as “my ice skating rink.”
Two of Taylor and Todd’s closest friends attended the wedding:Debbie Reynolds, Taylor’s matron of honor, and Reynolds' husband, Eddie Fisher.
Just a year later, in March 1958, Todd died when his private plane crashed. The actress and Todd shared one daughter, Liza.
Taylor's green silk dress to wed Eddie Fisher on May 12, 1959
After Todd died, Fisher, one of his closest friends, stayed by Taylor’s side to comfort her. It wasn’t long before Taylor and Fisher began having an affair, which was made extra scandalous by the fact that Fisher was married to Reynolds, who was Taylor’s best friend.
A year after Todd’s plane crash, Taylor and Fisher married. Fisher had divorced Reynolds and gifted Taylor a 40-carat engagement bracelet instead of a ring. Taylor converted to Judaism, and the two married at Temple Beth Shalom in Las Vegas in 1959.
Advertisement
Taylor opted for a very non-traditional wedding look, wearing a green silk dress that featured sheer sleeves and a hood with a full skirt.
The couple stayed together until 1964.
Taylor and Reynolds eventually reconciled before the former's death in 2011, and Reynolds later told PEOPLE that she placed most of the blame on Fisher.
“I felt you can’t make a man leave, you can’t make him do something he doesn’t want to do,” she explained. “He obviously chose to leave, didn’t he? She didn’t lasso him. She was just beautiful Elizabeth Taylor. And he wanted her, and he wanted to be her lover, so he left and he was. He was the selfish one. She just gave him what he wanted.”
Taylor's yellow dress to marry Richard Burton on March 15, 1964
About five years after marrying Fisher, Taylor ended things while having an affair with Welsh actorRichard Burton. The two met on the set ofCleopatraand married just nine days after Taylor and Fisher ended their marriage.
For her fifth wedding, Taylor again went a nontraditional route with her dress. She wore a knee-length marigold chiffon babydoll dress with an empire waist, long sleeves and a large collar.
Her hair was done in a long, intricate braided updo decorated with hyacinths and lilies of the valley weaved throughout. She carried a small bouquet of yellow flowers that matched the color of her dress.
Burton gave Taylor a platinum Bulgari pendant instead of an engagement ring, which featured an 18.61-carat emerald and diamonds. She wore it as a brooch during the ceremony.
Taylor and Burton remained married for 10 years before divorcing, making her first marriage with Burton her longest.
Taylor's tie-dye gown to wed Richard Burton (again) on Oct. 10, 1975
Taylor and Burton divorced in 1974 and married again a little over a year later in 1975. They tied the knot for the second time in Botswana.
Taylor’s look was the epitome of 1970s style. She wore an empire-waist, tie-dye Gina Fratini dress that featured all the bright colors of the rainbow.
It was embroidered with beading and feathers with huge, flowing long sleeves. She completed the look with a bohemian updo created with ribbons and flowers.
The second marriage didn’t last long: the two divorced for the second time nine months later, in 1976.
Taylor’s gown latersold at auctionin 2011 for $62,500.
Taylor's cashmere and fur outfit to marry Sen. John Warner on Dec. 4, 1976
For her seventh marriage, Taylor wed Sen. John Warner on Dec. 4, 1976. They had an intimate ceremony on his farm in Virginia.
Taylor wore a purple cashmere dress and added a tweed and fur coat to stay warm. Her matching turban completed the unexpected look.
The two divorced in 1982 but remained friendly.
Taylor's yellow Valentino dress to wed Larry Fortensky on Oct. 6, 1991
For her eighth and final wedding, Taylor tied the knot with Larry Fortensky. The ceremony, which was probably the most lavish one she had, took place atMichael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch in California.
Although Taylor opted against wearing white, her gown still had a bridal feel. She wore a pale yellow, lace Valentino gown that was off-the-shoulder with a plunging sweetheart neckline. A full-tiered skirt completed the look. The bespoke gown was estimated to cost $25,000 and was gifted to Taylor by the designer.
The wedding had about 160 guests, with stars likeLiza Minnelli,Eddie Murphy,Diane von FurstenbergandBrooke Shieldsin attendance.
Five years later, Taylor went through her last divorce and ended her marriage with Fortensky. He later opened up to PEOPLE about Taylor, saying, “I have wonderful memories of my time with Elizabeth, and I will treasure her memory forever. I love her. I always will. And I know she loved me, too.”
She vowed to never marry again, and she didn’t.
Read the original article onPeople
Elizabeth Taylor got married eight different times to seven men NEED TO KNOW The late Hollywood icon wore a variet...
