Bram Stoker’s Dracula: Dracula’s Bride

The 1992 Francis Ford Coppola-directed Bram Stoker’s Dracula was a staple in my life in the 1990s. I watched this repeatedly as a tween/teen, and it was very instrumental to my sexual awakening. The real question in my life is: Would I always have grown up to be a polyamorous pansexual if I had never seen the scene where Keanu Reeve’s Jonathan Harker was seduced by all three of Dracula’s Brides including Monica Bellucci? 🤔

In high school and college, I read Bram Stoker’s Dracula along with other books on vampires. In college, I took this phenomenal course called Vampires in Literature. Throughout my academic career, I’ve written many papers about vampires and also given some presentations on both books and movies with vampire characters. With all the film representations of vampires, this specific Dracula movie is still very near and dear to my heart.

An ASOS DESIGN shirred waist button front tiered midi sundress in crinkle in oatmeal on a dress form in front of a green screen. — Bram Stoker’s Dracula: Dracula’s Bride Outfit

Dress: ASOS DESIGN shirred waist button front tiered midi sundress in crinkle in oatmeal

A pale person dressed up as Monica Bellucci's portrayal of Dracula's Bride from Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Hair: Two wigs stacked on top of each other

The base wig: Long Straight Black Wig

The top wig: Natural Black Beehive Wig

A collage of four photos. The top left photo if of some silver netting, a few strands of pearl chain tied together on the ends, and a rhinestone brooch in a star or sun shape. The top right is a close up of those items with the brooch face down. The bottom right image is of the netting wrapped around a beehive wig and held together in the back with some bobby pins. The bottom left image is the same items with a beehive wig on a mannequin head. — The items used for the headpieces. Not pictured: safety pins and bobby pins.

Headpiece: 9 Inch Metallic Silver Veiling, some pearly chain already conveniently tied together, and a brooch I most likely inherited from either my grandmother or my partner’s grandmother.

The back of a pale person dressed up as Monica Bellucci's portrayal of Dracula's Bride from Bram Stoker's Dracula. THe headpiece of silver netting is falling apart. — The back did not hold up even for the photo shoot.

It was held together with bobby pins and safety pins for easy disassembling, but if I were going out and about with it, I would have found a better way to hold it all together.

A selfie of a pale person dressed up as Monica Bellucci's portrayal of Dracula's Bride from Bram Stoker's Dracula. They have fake blood running down the corners of their mouth.

Makeup:

Face: Follow Your Bisque Wet N Wild Megaglo Conceal Correction Stick

FIC-004# Fall in Color Contour Makeup Stick

Brows: Cosmic Brown Glimmerstick from Avon

Eyes: Blackest Black Glimmerstick from Avon

Coal Eyeshadow from the AVON For The Love of Makeup Artist Palette

Very Black Covergirl Lash Blast Volume Waterproof Mascara

Lips: Mystery Mauve Glimmer Lip Liner from Avon

Nails: My own length with Zoya Naked Manicure Buff Perfector

A selfie of a pale person dressed up as Monica Bellucci's portrayal of Dracula's Bride from Bram Stoker's Dracula. Their mouth is open to show fangs and their is fake blood running down the corner of their mouth.

Special Effects: Fangs

Blood: Bloody Mary Fake Blood Makeup Spray

Accessories:

Rings inherited from my partner’s grandmother.

Diamond Shaped Rhinestone Dangle Drop Earrings from Avon approximately 15 years ago.

Prop:

Vintage Avon Cape Cod 1876 Ruby Red Large Wine Goblet filled with a Vampire’s Kiss cocktail minus the dry ice

A pale person dressed up as Monica Bellucci's portrayal of Dracula's Bride from Bram Stoker's Dracula. They are pretending to bite into a baby doll standing in for a baby.

Prop: My baby doll Darcy who I have had since I was the same size she is.

A side-by-side comparison of a pale person dressed up as Monica Bellucci's portrayal of Dracula's Bride from Bram Stoker's Dracula and Monica Bellucci dressed as the character. Words say Bram Stoker's Dracula and Dracula's Bride on the image as well.

I wanted to do this character last year, but I couldn’t get the hair quite right even with buying a hair pad and a braided hairpiece off Etsy. It was only once I saw the beehive wig that I could really visualize it all working out this year. Since that wig is hollow up in the beehive bit, it wasn’t that obnoxious to stack the wig since there was already some packing paper shoved up there to keep the form.