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Mariah Carey has opened up about a meaningful detail from her iconic 2005 We Belong Together music video. The stunning wedding gown she wore in the video wasn’t just a piece of costume design—it was actually the same dress she wore for her 1993 wedding to Sony Music executive Tommy Mottola.
In a recent episode of Vevo Footnotes, Carey shared that rather than buying a new dress for the video, she decided to use the Vera Wang wedding gown she had from her first marriage. She explained the decision as both a practical and symbolic choice. “Since I was going to do a scene with a wedding dress, rather than spend tons of money on a new one, we just used the one I had lying around!” Carey said, referring to the iconic gown from her wedding to Mottola, which ended in divorce in the late 1990s.
By the time We Belong Together was filmed, Carey had long since divorced Mottola. The music video for the hit single, which became a massive success, marked a major comeback for Carey after her split from her previous label. The song spent an impressive 14 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, cementing its place as one of the longest-running chart-toppers in history.
In discussing the video’s creative vision, Carey highlighted how the wedding dress scene stood in stark contrast to her earlier, sleek black two-piece outfit in the video. She credited the label for giving her the creative freedom to explore a theatrical concept, which she believes helped the video resonate with fans.
“I’m really happy that the label believed in me and let me have this big, dramatic video. And I’m happier that it resonated with a lot of people who are still enjoying this song today,” she reflected.
As part of the celebrations for the 20th anniversary of her landmark album The Emancipation of Mimi, Carey is releasing a special extended edition of the album. This reissue will feature remixes, previously unreleased tracks, a cappella versions, instrumentals, and live recordings. Fans will be able to enjoy this special edition in a two-LP vinyl package, set to be released on May 30, 2025.