This, my friends, is a dream come true. If you saw the title of this post and thought, “What’s The Princess Bride?” then you’ve just made me feel very old and very sad for the gaping hole in your cinematic library. If you said either, “As yoooooou wiiiiiiiishhh,” or, “Inconceivable!,” or “Does anybody want a peanut?,” then I applaud your dedication to great films, and we are allowed to be friends. Anyway, when thinking of costume ideas for this Halloween, I was a bit stuck until Sarah mentioned the idea of Westley (or the Dread Pirate Roberts I should say) and Buttercup, and I knew instantly that I had to make it happen. I. Love. That. Movie.
It was easy enough to get some pirate items together for Todd’s version of Westley (and he was more than happy to shave a creepy mustache), but I knew I was going to have some work ahead of me to recreate Buttercup’s red riding dress. I ended up buying a matronly ’80s red dress (that was four sizes too big) and used the bodice and neckline as my starting point. I used matching red fabric to make new sleeves and a longer skirt for the bodice, and completed the look with a belt made of gold trim. The sleeves were only the second sleeves I’ve ever sewn in my life, so I had a lot of prototypes before making the real thing. I think they look pretty good overall, but I couldn’t lift my arms up very high, so I guess there’s still room for improvement!
I think this forest is the closest thing we have to a Fire Swamp, so it made the perfect location to test out our costumes. My friend Bethany asked if I needed her to dress as an R.O.U.S. (Rodent of Unusual Size) for the Fire Swamp bits, but as hard as the idea made me laugh, I didn’t know where in town I could get an adult-sized possum costume at the last minute. Such a good idea though. The woods we used are a bit out of the way near a trail, so we had to get there on bikes and rollerblades in full costume—we got a few interesting looks to say the least! We also tried to recreate a few of the movie stills. See if you can spot them…
Overall, I’m pretty proud of my Buttercup dress recreation, and it was a secret wish fulfilled to recreate parts of a movie that was so important to both our childhoods. I know that we will cherish these pictures for a long time to come, and I’ll definitely keep the dress around so I can throw it on next time we watch the movie and feel like an extra nerdy fan girl. What movie couple’s costume would you love to recreate for Halloween? xo. Laura
Credits // Author: Laura Gummerman, Photography: Janae Hardy. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.
105 Comments
This is definitely the best couples costume I’ve ever seen! The Princess Bride is one of my favorite movies, and you two look just like Wesley and Buttercup. Also, these picture are fantastic!
xo Mandy
http://www.mandyleighblog.com
Rodents of unusual size? I don’t think think they exist.
(Best costume ever.)
These pictures are AWESOME! good choice guys! My husband and I went as an ROUS (My husband) and Westly as the Dread Pirate Roberts(me) lol
Gorgeous, and SPOT ON! You look great. 🙂
AAAAAAAAH! This is the best movie ever! I’m in love with this idea….The costumes look amazing!
(He’s not dead…only mostly dead.)
This is hands down my favorite post that A Beautiful Mess has ever posted. Ever. Wonderful job on the costumes! What a brilliant idea! This definitely made my day.
OMG I LOVE THAT MOVIE SO MUCH AND THIS HALLOWEEN IDEA. now i need to rope myself a Wes, so i can do this like now.
rising #GIRLBOSS
The princess bride is one of my favourite films! It’s a very nice idea and the photos are gorgeous ! Lovely couple 🙂
I LOVE it! Really well done! I did these costumes earlier this year for a blog series-my girls really loved dressing up and acting out some of the scenes! http://www.craftinessisnotoptional.com/2014/01/the-princess-bride-film-petit.html
as an 18 year old i can thank my parents for introducing me to this moving, and then making me watch it about once every month hahahah 😀 love the costume
LOVE this post! Love that you recreated some scenes! What *fun* you must have had: just too DARLING!!!
Obsessedddd!!! This is awesome 😀 perfect costumes! Love the photos
“As YOOOOUUU WIIIISSSHHH!!” Best costume ever!! One of my favorite movies in the entire world. Beautiful pictures.
Best. Movie. Ever.
WOW! So beautiful and sweet. I love this movie and this made me so happy 🙂
xo,
Grace
styleartandgrace.blogspot.com
AAAHH! I love it! My family’s all time favorite movie. For my wedding rehearsal, my sister even sent our pastor a clip of the Bishop and he surprised us all by beginning, ‘MAWWIAGE….’ It was totally out of character for him and the most awesome memory.
I love the recognizable poses!
This is so gorgeous! x
https://www.marjorievie.blogspot.com
One of my favorite movies but it had never occurred to me to use this as a costume idea!
The creepy mustache part made me laugh. Great couple costumes!
OH MY GOSH
I saw the thumbnail on bloglovin and was like “no… it can’t be” and it was. Inconceivable!
I love everything about this post! Nice recreations! LOVE it!!!
Not only is this an awesome costume and looks amazing, but the photos are gorgeous too!
Love it! Best movie ever! I’m over 40 and still love dressing up for Halloween. So fun! “Have fun storming the castle!!” 😉
what a great costume!!! i love this idea!
xx nikki
http://www.dream-in-neon.com
lajshd;lkasjd;kljas;kldj hhAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH these pictures gave me butterflies! BESt. MOVIe. EVER. <3 and the pic of the hands with the sunlight!!!!!!! :ALKSJD:LKJAS:LKDJALS:KDJKAJ i will never get over this 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀
Love this so much! Personally, my favorite quote is, “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” 🙂
This is fantastic. You are fantastic.
laura you’re hilarious & this costume is the bomb.
Swoon…my heart is so crushing on this post!!!
Love love love this. And you guys look perfect! I would need a wig. Sigh. As you wiiishhhh .. Ugh ah ugh ack 😉 all this lacks is a rolling down a hill head over heels shot!
This. Is. Freaking. Awesome! We love The Princess Bride so much we even have a quote from the movie on the wall above our bed. 🙂
Holy moly this is amazing! A great costume idea, made even better by the fact that Laura and her husband NAILED the look and look so much like the original characters!
That’s awesome! My husband and I are going as Wendy Peffercorn and Squints Paladoris from the Sandlot!
The first thing I thought WAS “This is a dream come true!” And omigosh wow, best couple photoshoot ever! It doesn’t even have to be for halloween!
http://everydayingrace.blogspot.ca/
A thousand times YES.
Aww this is cute!! Really liked this post
http://www.littleblackshell.com
OHMYGOSH!!! I absolutely love this!
Mawwiage… 😉
TRWUUU WUVVVVV
Duuuuude. Laura is a doppelganger for Robin Wright! This is an amazing costume!!
this is so epic.
xo, rn
http://www.rachelnicoleblog.com
Best couple costume EVER!
Omg I love this costume idea and I equally love that movie too! I have watched it over and over again especially as a child. The dress couldn’t be more perfect!
http://www.myfairdaily.com
You guys win most original (and adorable) couple costume!! Love. this.
This made my day… the movie is timeless and these images are adorable. You did a great job on the dress. Red is absolutely divine. Love!
“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”
Love this, 100%. So great!!
You are so stunningly beautiful you could have dressed in anything and it would have looked good but this dress is perfect. You are a beautiful couple. Love the costumes and the photos.
Best freaking costume idea ever. My boyfriend and I both had The Princess Bride as a huge part of our childhoods so this would be just perfect for us. I’ll float the idea by him – thanks so much for the inspiration!
the third to last picture, please print it and frame it because OMG!!!!
simply stunning picture of you too.
absolutely love it.
This is so cute!!
xo
http://www.laurajaneatelier.com
This is such a good idea!!
xo
http://www.iolablog.com/
Amazing pictures with an interesting storyline! Love the red dress too, its beautiful!
Prudence
http://www.prudencepetitestyle.wordpress.com
Ha ha! And, in about seventy years or so, you can go as Billy Crystal’s character and his wife…
This is amazing!! Your dress is perfect, and I love the stills!
I am absolutely IN LOVE with this! Looking at these photos actually made me sad because I don’t have time to whip this costume together this year! Serious props to you.
PS any other Princess Bride themed project you guys put together would be fantaaaaaastic! Just a thought 😉
I love the princess dress – so romantic and feminine. I think I just got an idea for my own wedding…
It was one of my favourite pictures when I was young!!!
http://tarragonain.blogspot.com.es
Love this movie. Great costume idea, wonder if I could convince my husband?
http://palsywalsyblog.blogspot.ca/
I love The Princess Bride too! I’d want to recreate Superman and Superwoman, or Katniss and Peeta from The Hunger Games! Or Shrek and Fiona… there’s too much to choose from 😉
Adorable! And what fun photos. I think your photo shoot would have been more fun than actually going to a costume party in them! I hate to admit this- it isn’t because I’m too young, I’ve just never been a movie watcher- I’ve never seen The Princess Bride, and don’t understand any of your references! But, my curiousity it piqued now! I will have to check it out- perfect Halloween night activity!
No more rhymes now, I MEAN IT!!!
Just brilliant. You are gorgeous and your husband is a striking Wesley!
Love it!! What a cute couple. Looks like so much fun!
You guys look amazing! 🙂
aniqadreams.blogspot.com
Aniqa Dreams
So cute, I love it!!
Laura 🙂
Such a good movie! My couples costume this year is Barbarella and Pygar.
perfection.
I love this costume idea! Have youngsters not seen this movie? They’ve definitely missed out. We went to a Halloween party this past Saturday as Agatha and Zero from The Grand Budapest Hotel. We won 1st place! It’s hands down my favorite couples costume we’ve done now:)
http://thistooisfoundhere.blogspot.com/
You look just like her!! Beautiful!
This is THE best thing ever. Like ever.
Awesome!!! Now I want to watch the movie again (for the forty-fifth time). 😉
I just want to say that I freaking LOVE this idea! It is one of my favorite childhood movies. Y’all look adorable!!!
The dress is spot on! I love it!
Nailed it! You actually look quite a bit like a young Robin Wright, in my opinion – this is perfect!
So great! My husband and I are going as Amy Pond and the Silence (a villain from Doctor Who). All I have to do is wear a flannel shirt and put tally marks all over myself, and my husband has a mask. 🙂
This is AMAZING! I could tell what you were from the instant I saw this! It’s PERFECT! I think I need to dig up the VHS of the movie I know I have somewhere… :p
My husband and I did this a few years ago! Because I don’t sew (at all) I ordered a similar red dress online from a website that sold costumes for Renaissance Fairs.
It’s absolutely beautiful :’) xx
I LOVE The Princess Bride! I almost started off my maid-of-honor speech at my sister’s wedding with the Priest’s speech. But I didn’t think many people would understand the reference (I was wrong because my cousin stole my idea for her sister’s wedding a few weeks later and the crowd loved it.) This is such an awesome costume idea!
xoxo
Taylor
Brilliant! Love that movie. Beautiful photos.
I love everything about this post!!!
So, are you dressed up as Buttercup and Westley, or are you dressed up as Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt dressed up as Buttercup and Westley? 😉
My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.
love it! funnn!
Valentina
http://valentinaduracinsky.blogspot.com/
step one: be super attractive haha- super cute idea!
THIS IS SO GOOD!
“you keep using that word… I do not think it means what you think it means.”
Thanks for the smile! Happy Halloween!!!!
LOVE this costume idea! In your stills I was looking for westley rolling down a hill – when Buttercup suddenly realizes she’s pushed her love down a giant hill and dives headlong after him. Amazing!
great couples costume! 🙂
xo
alysamadisun.blogspot.com
This is perfect! Almost makes me want to dye my hair blond again to try this myself. Thanks for the great idea.
Cute costume idea. I loved this book and the movie as well.
http://wherebeautymeetsbrains.blogspot.com/
Love, love, love, love, love! Is there a more quotable movie? Inconceivable. I I think I must now go as Inigo Montoya someday! And what a great idea for a group/family costume, toos – so many great characters!
Wonderful! It’s one of our favorite movies of all time as well, and you did a fine job with the dress and pirate garb.
Your costumes are my very favorite costumes I have ever seen. I am overcome with jealousy. I hope you get some of the pictures framed. You both look amazing!
Jenni
So cute! Great costume idea!
SO GOOD!! love love love!
This is so brilliant and perfect! Definitely one of my favorite couple’s costumes!
That is an awesome costume!!!! Love it. We had a reading from the Princess Bride at our wedding a couple of years ago so it would be fun (and totally appropriate) for us to steal this couple costume idea.
you guys need to stoppppp! this is so awesome!
Soooooo much awesome in one post. *that moustache, tho* 🙂
Beautiful photos!
Best post ever. This was amazing. You both fit the part. ‘You’re sick, I’m humor you.’ and ‘We are men of action. Lies do not become us.’ 🙂
This was awesome!! You both fit the parts perfectly!! ROUSes? I don’t think they exist.
Would you ever be willing to sell and/or make another version of this? 🙂
Where did you get this dress?! I have been looking for a buttercup dress for years and have yet to find one that I loved as much as I loved your dress!