Catherine Deneuve has played the role of an on-screen bride on two occasions, though she has only been married once in real life: in 1965, when she tied the knot with photographer David Bailey. The French film icon, who turned 80 on October 22, is now starring in the film Bernadette—La Première Dame, a biographical comedy by Lèa Domenach in which she plays the role of Bernadette Chirac, wife of French President Jacques Chirac (the film was released in France in early October, but a UK date has not yet been announced).
Best known for portraying mysterious women of sensual and refined beauty over a career spanning almost seven decades, the French actor (born Catherine Dorléac) has been and continues to be an unrivaled style icon.
Here we take another look at Catherine Deneuve—in the three unforgettable wedding outfits that she wore both in real life and on movie sets. Even after more than 50 years, they still offer plenty of bridal inspiration.
On the set of Vice and Virtue, in 1962
Who is she with? French actor Jean-Pierre Honoré, her partner in Vice and Virtue.
When? 1962.
In this drama by Roger Vadim based on characters from the Marquis de Sade’s works and set during World War II, Catherine Deneuve played her first major role. One of the most famous scenes is the one seen here, when the wind lifted Deneuve’s skirt. It was particularly risqué for 1963, the year the film was released. At the time, director Roger Vadim was Deneuve’s partner and the couple had a son together, Christian Vadim, born in 1963. They broke up in 1965.
The bride’s look: A white mini-dress with lace collar and full skirt, which in this scene lifts provocatively, revealing a pair of polka-dot panties.
Her real-life wedding with David Bailey, in 1965
Who is she with? The British photographer David Bailey.
When? 18 October 1965, in London.
After the end of her relationship with Roger Vadim, Catherine Deneuve married the 27-year-old English photographer in London in 1965. The witnesses were Mick Jagger and Catherine Deneuve’s sister, the actor Françoise Dorléac, who would die two years later in a car accident. They separated in 1967, when Bailey fell in love with the then 17-year-old model Penelope Tree.
The bride’s look: A black above-the-knee dress with a belt and boat neckline.
On the set of Mississippi Mermaid, 1969
Who is she with? The French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo, who played her husband in the film Mississippi Mermaid.
When? 1969.
In Mississippi Mermaid, a drama directed by François Truffaut, Deneuve stars opposite Jean-Paul Belmondo. She plays a decidedly dark character—an unscrupulous con artist who manages to ensnare the weak and emotionally dependent man played by Belmondo. While the reception upon its release was lukewarm, many critics have come to reassess this work. “The film is one of Truffaut’s most personal, passionate, and accomplished films, even something of a manifesto of his vision of life, love, and the cinema,” wrote Richard Brody in the New Yorker in 2021.
The bride’s look: A classic wedding dress with a simple, elegant line and a double ruffle at the bottom.