Why Gabourey Sidibe Isn't Wearing a White Wedding Dress

Gabourey Sidibe has every intention of making her wedding unique to her relationship. Growing up with a mother who was a wedding singer, Sidibe had seen it all, but her relationship with Brandon Frankel redefined what that fairy tale looked like to her. As the cover star of Brides magazine’s latest digital issue, the Empire actress shared her latest wedding plans and what fans can expect to see her wearing for the big day. “The entire time we have been engaged, I’ve always been like, ‘No, we shouldn’t have a wedding.’ Maybe we’ll throw a barbecue, get married in the bathroom, and then we’ll come out and tell everyone we’re married,” she says.

“It cannot be a traditional wedding. Really, it can’t be.”

Anyone who has been through the wedding planning process can attest to the fact that it is indeed exhausting, so getting “married in the bathroom” does sound tempting. However, Sidibe and Frankel’s nuptials will be far from your “typical” wedding — she doesn’t plan on having bridesmaids or a bachelorette party, and she’s dreaming of wearing a dress with African print. “It cannot be a traditional wedding. Really, it can’t be,” Sidibe says. “I don’t want anything done the ‘traditional’ way. Our relationship is very much on our own terms and I want it to be fun, like a true party.”

Now, back to the dress. While upcoming wedding dress trends have included big bows, dramatic trains, and maximalist details for brides, Sidibe’s vision is especially bright. “I definitely don’t need a white dress,” she says in the interview. “Whatever I wear on the wedding day will probably be African print. It might have a little white, so it looks like a wedding dress, but it’s definitely going to be colourful.” Naturally, Sidibe’s been turning to the plethora of resources on Pinterest, as well as fellow actress Danielle Brooks, who got married in January, for inspiration. Brooks’s custom Christian Siriano gown was a unique three-in-one design that turned from a princess gown to a body-con dress to a sleek pants outfit.

“There’s some power stepping into a wedding dress.”

In the Brides digital issue, Sidibe stuns in a selection of dresses that we could absolutely see her walking down the aisle in. She wore a long-sleeved pattern dress by Talla on the cover. She also wore a bright yellow, high-low chiffon dress by Oyemwen, a gorgeous Pantora Bridal gown that features a big bow, and a feather-covered halter cocktail dress by Nerecina Couture. “There’s some power stepping into a wedding dress, and now I need more wedding dresses!” she gushed. See Sidibe and Frankel’s gorgeous shoot for Brides ahead.