Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick were determined to keep their wedding a secret, which is part of the reason she wore her iconic black wedding dress.
The Sex and the City actress and the Painkiller star told friends and family they were hosting a party at Angel Oresanz Synagogue in New York, but it turned out to be their surprise wedding! To keep the nuptials under wraps, Sarah didn't want to be spotted in wedding dress shops, so she chose the first off-the-rack gown she found – which happened to be her ebony Morgane Le Fay dress.
Instead of deliberately defying the tradition of wearing bridal white, the actress said she was simply "embarrassed" to get an attention-grabbing white frock.
"Oh, I wish it was because I was badass," she said of her black wedding dress on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.
"I was just too embarrassed to spend any time looking for a wedding dress. There was a store that I liked that I knew, and I just went and got whatever they had hanging."
She similarly explained to Marie Claire in 2006: "I was too embarrassed to get married in white, and both Matthew and I were reluctant to have people pay so much attention to us." It had the opposite effect, as her gown – which boasted a rounded neckline, thin straps, a fitted bodice and a ruffled skirt – garnered plenty of attention!
If Sarah ever decided to renew her vows with Matthew in the future, she would choose a more conventional cream princess-style dress. Speaking to Martha Stewart Weddings in 2015, she explained: "Now I would want my dress to have an Oscar de la Renta feel, pockets below the waist, a very fitted bodice, a huge skirt, in taffeta or duchesse satin. That silhouette appeals to me because it's old-fashioned yet can look very modern."
The couple met in 1991 and they tied the knot in 1997. Their son James was born in 2002 followed by twin daughters Tabitha and Marion seven years later.
© Getty ImagesSarah and Matthew strive to keep their family life private, which they have said is the secret to their happy 26-year marriage.
"Well, it’s nothing we ever sat down and discussed. But I think it evolved and I think it’s important," Matthew told The Guardian.
"Once you start talking about your relationship and your feelings in public you’re in trouble. Also, we have children. I don’t want to have my kids reading about our relationship. We try to keep some privacy, a circle around the family, so we can all have as normal a life as possible."
Sarah similarly told the Huffington Post: "We don't air our dirty laundry."
READ NOW: Sarah Jessica Parker details 'mystifying' family traditions with Matthew Broderick and three kids
