Brides Go Viral on TikTok for Unique Wedding Dresses

  • Women on TikTok often go viral for filming themselves in their wedding dresses.
  • Insider spoke to brides who received millions of views sharing the stories behind their outfits.
  • They said they were happy they got such a positive reaction for wearing something unique.

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When 34-year-old Jennifer McCann got married in September 2021, she decided to make her own wedding dress with the sewing machine her father taught her how to use when she was a little girl. 

McCann struggled to find a dress that she really loved in stores, so she bought a white corset, dyed it brown to match her skin tone, and added appliques, lace, and other materials to make it her own. 

A picture of Jennifer McCan and her husband.

Jennifer McCann went viral for making her own wedding dress with a sewing machine.


Anthony Sealey

When she posted a TikTok showing clips of the process, it received over 6 million views.

On TikTok, videos about weddings often go viral and get positive responses. Videos that use the hashtag “Wedding dress” have received a total of 5.1 billion views, and videos using the hashtag “wedding” have amassed more than 49 billion views on the app.

One of the most popular wedding video formats on the platform involves brides sharing a wedding dress that is “unique” and that people haven’t seen before, especially as so many people share footage of their weddings on the platform.

Insider spoke to three brides who went viral on TikTok because their wedding dresses were praised for being different and special. They explained that going viral for your wedding dress can add even more positivity to the day, allowing their self-expression and creativity to be appreciated by people all over the world.

In one case, it even salvaged the memory of the wedding for a bride going through a hard time.

The three women think their dresses went viral for having a story viewers found to be unusual

McCann uploaded her TikTok about making her own dress on September 9, 2021, telling Insider she wanted to encourage anyone looking for dress inspiration on TikTok, giving them a “boost of confidence to make theirs” as well.

A picture of McCann's wedding dress on the mannequin

McCann’s wedding dress as it is in the process of being made.


Jennifer McCann

She said she thinks it got so many views because, “It’s so rare to see someone who takes on such a massive task such as making their own wedding dress.” 

The video also showed the “whole process and the missteps,” such as the moment McCann accidentally turned her corset green instead of brown, which she said she thought made people more interested in watching the TikTok. “Everyone loves a ‘trust the process’ moment.” 

Mayura Kulkarni Tripathi, who is based in Detroit, also posted a wedding outfit video that went viral. Hers showcased the six different outfits she wore to her Hindu-Indian wedding. 

Each of the first five dresses was for a different Hindu ceremony that made up the week-long wedding, and the sixth dress was a more modern style lehenga, which is a skirt outfit worn at South Asian celebrations, for the reception. 

Tripathi in a red lehenga on her wedding day.

The red lehenga Tripathi wore to her main wedding ceremony. Red is a popular color for some Hindu brides to wear.


Mayura Kulkarni Tripathi

Tripathi, 26, told Insider she thinks her TikTok, which has 1.3 million views, received a lot of attention from American viewers who “have not been to a Hindu-Indian wedding.”

She said that “seeing the various outfits and ceremonies was definitely something different,” for these viewers. Many commenters on the video said they were impressed by how beautiful her Indian wedding looked.

Isabella Rapp from Palm Beach, Florida received 2.1 million views on a TikTok where she showed herself wearing the same wedding dress that her mother got married in 31 years ago. 

“My mom preserved it hoping one day her daughter might wear it,” she told Insider, adding, “When I got engaged we opened the box to have a fun try-on session and I immediately knew it was the one.” 

A picture of Isabella in the dress next to her mum

Rapp and her mother on her wedding day.


ANÉE ATELIER photography

Rapp kept all the original details on the dress, including pearls and lace that were imported from France, but also added a sleeker neckline and lining to give it a modern touch. 

Commenters on the video were stunned by the “timeless” dress and the fact it was also worn by Rapp’s mother. Rapp told Insider that while today’s wedding dress market is all about “labels and designers,” it is so “rare it was to see a bride wearing their mom’s dress,” so she decided to showcase the outfit to her 14,000 TikTok followers. 

A photo of Rapp's mother from her wedding.

Rapp’s mother, who got married 31 years ago, wearing the dress at her wedding


Isabella Rapp

The positive feedback helped make their weddings feel even more special 

Rapp, who typically posts lifestyle and beauty tips on TikTok, said, “as a creator, it’s always a dream for your content to go viral, but especially so when it’s something so special to you, like your wedding day!” 

She added, “Social media can be filled with so many opinions and I think I was just so happy to see so much positivity and love for the dress.” 

Tripathi also told Insider it felt nice to receive so much appreciation for her dress and also her culture, “As a bride, we spend so many days and hours picking the perfect outfit. It was exciting to see so many people love the styles I picked, and I also loved that I could showcase my background to so many people.”

Tripathi wearing a green lehenga

A green lehenga Tripathi wore to her “Mehendi” ceremony, which is when henna is applied to the bride’s hands and feet.


Mayura Kulkarni Tripathi

For one bride, going viral on TikTok helped her overcome a difficult time

After McCann’s wedding day, the bride said she “sunk into a


depression

” after having an argument with her maid of honor.

“I couldn’t even look at wedding footage without feeling really down and sad about the whole event. I was also very critical of my dress. I could just see all the mistakes and things that I could have tweaked,” she said.

However, when her video went viral and she received so much positive feedback, she told Insider she was “able to reclaim the narrative and see the wedding in a more positive light.” 

“It helped bring me out of a dark place and I’m extremely grateful for that,” she said. 

For more stories like this, check out coverage from Insider’s Digital Culture team here.