More often than not, celebrity weddings are as much about the wedding dress as they are about the pomp and circumstance. 

But Zendaya, Dua Lipa, Taylor Swift and Bettina Anderson have embraced more of a wait-and-see approach to the big reveal. Instead of splashing photos of their designer gowns all over social media for fans to commend or criticize, the four brides have taken a beat.

After tying the knot with Callum Turner on May 31, Lipa waited a few weeks before revealing that Chanel‘s Matthieu Blazy created her elaborate gown.

Anderson took a similar approach after making things official with Donald Trump Jr. in the Bahamas. Although she teased the wedding weekend with a video after the ceremony, she waited a few weeks before identifying Safiyaa’s Daniela Karnuts as the designer behind her two wedding dresses. The 39-year-old, first-time bride donned a Carolyn Bessette Kennedy-inspired slipdress to exchange her vows, then later changed into a two-piece ivory double silk organza.

After last weekend’s festivities at Madison Square Garden, Swift has yet to share photos of her custom Dior haute couture wedding gown publicly — or any of her other wedding weekend attire. The luxury house’s creative director Jonathan Anderson told WWD that the experience was “emotional” and the pair became friends in the process. He dressed Kelce, too, while Christian Louboutin handled the custom footwear for the bride and groom. Cartier set up the 14-time Grammy winner with the glittery jewelry.

Zendaya upped the privacy level even further, revealing no details about her dress or secret wedding to Tom Holland, even after AI-generated versions of the gown circulated last month. She did, however, sport several white designer ensembles while doing publicity for her film “The Drama.”

So why wait? Designer Mark Ingram, who also owns a high-end bridal boutique, sees the trend as a shift from the oversharing that is synonymous with weddings. “It’s called savoring something and keeping it to yourself, before you put it out into the world,” he said. “It’s a great metaphor for these times and the era that is coming.”

That could be welcome news, given that the average American spends more than 10 hours online each day, according to a national survey commissioned by Optimum last year. The irony of high-profile celebrities requesting some privacy is not lost on “Dekonstructing the Kardashians” author MJ Corey, who described the trend as “a classic case of the tension-release strategy.” Highlighting this major wedding season for pop culture, Corey noted that Zendaya’s latest film, “The Drama,” was released amidst the rumors of her marriage. Although the actress plays a bride in that lead role, her real-life wedding photos have not been shared publicly, and her stylist Law Roach said the AI ones don’t even come close.

Why Swift & Co. are holding out could be more complicated. Corey, who is also a psychotherapist, said, “The fact is, it’s a well-documented psychological phenomenon: resistance creates desire. Fans want to feel as close to the objects of their fascination as possible. So when these major celebrities build anticipation for the big reveal, it extends ‘The Moment’ of the wedding and perhaps also serves the brand they worked with for the dress.”

Suggesting that red carpet culture has brides feeling like they have to race to announce their designers, celebrity and bridal stylist Micaela Erlanger said keeping that detail private “shifts the focus back to the bride and the raw emotion of the moment.” And many of the more than 2 million couples who wed annually in the U.S. may very well take notice.

“This will absolutely influence brides. We’re going to see women leaning into secrecy with their own inner circles to create that high-impact, surprise moment on the big day,” she said. “This also gives stylists the freedom to encourage brides to prioritize how a dress makes them feel, rather than bowing to trends or label prestige.”

Ingram said that he was “loving” that these four very public figures decided to be private about releasing details about their weddings. “It’s a huge statement. Everything has been overshared for the last few years especially when it comes to private and serene events like weddings — even by the guests,” he said.

Swift’s and Kelce’s decision to make their wedding a no-phone zone earned high marks from Ingram, who noted the move gave them more control about what and when information about their wedding would be released. “I work with brides daily in the store. Before they even look at themselves in the mirror in the dress, they’ve got the phone out,” he said with a laugh. “Let’s process something in real time. Let’s enjoy the moment.”

Another bridal designer, Hayley Paige, who is planning for their September wedding, said, “There is so much pressure to turn every moment into content. A lot of brides are simply giving themselves permission to linger a bit longer as a bride. They are taking a beat to savor a single day — or weekend — that took many months or sometimes years to prepare for.”

And they aren’t caving into social media expectations. “We all know how quickly the internet consumes a moment and moves on. Holding onto your dress reveal lets you control the cadence…as opposed to racing toward an algorithm no one really understands anyway,” Paige added.

Another wedding dress designer, Lela Rose, applauded the “wonderful shift toward brides wanting to be fully present in the moment, rather than presenting every detail in real time. Holding back the dress reveal allows for an element of surprise and intimacy on the wedding day itself, and lets the bride share that experience first with the people in the room before it’s shared with the world.”

Rose expects others to follow suit. “Whether it’s Taylor, Dua Lipa, or Bettina Anderson, this approach gives brides permission to make choices that feel deeply personal and a bit more private, even within a very public life. It’s a way of reclaiming a sense of intimacy and magic around the dress and the day.”

Kelly Cook, chief executive officer of the 180-unit plus retail chain David’s Bridal, said Swift’s keeping her dress under wraps reflects how couples are becoming more intentional about how — and when — they share their wedding story. “She’s waiting to reveal her wedding dress the same way she drops albums — no leaks, no spoilers, just pure surprise! The dress is in witness protection until she says ‘Go.’”

Kleinfeld Bridal’s head of communications, Jennette Kruszka, said Swift’s no-photos-yet policy may prompt some brides to limit the guests, and who can take photos during the ceremony. “This gives couples greater control over what is shared on social media, and allows professional photographers to capture cleaner, more unobstructed ceremony photos without a sea of smartphones in the background.”
 
Either way, she added, “celebrities will continue to shape bridal trends through both their fashion choices and the way they approach their weddings.”

Designer Alon Livné suggested, “This building of anticipation and sense of exclusivity can become a new trend — less content, more mystery.”

And celebrity watchers will have more wedding gowns to keep an eye out for. Weddings are in the works for the actress Sienna Miller and Oil Coleman; Los Angeles Lakers Walker Kessler and Miss America 2025 Abbie Stockard; former “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Yolanda Hadid and Randall Kendrick.