When we think of the most iconic celebrity bridal dresses, the same ones always come to our mind. So which ones are they? And yes, three of them belong to royal weddings..:)
Lady Di, Princess of Wales
The 1981 wedding of the then 20-year-old Diana Spencer to the heir to the throne, Prince Charles, was watched by millions of people around the world. Even months before the wedding, speculation had already begun about the dress of the bride, who became after the wedding one of the most photographed women in the world. The designers Elizabeth & David Emanuel who were chosen to make the dress mentioned that they had to throw other fabric remnants into bins so as not to give away what the dress would look like. They even had other alternative variations made up in case the press did find out the final form.
The dress that the late Princess of Wales wore is one of the most iconic bridal looks of all time. I don’t think there is anyone in the world who doesn’t remember the voluminous ball gown with puffed sleeves, sparkling veil and record breaking 25 foot train (the train broke records as the longest in the royal wedding history). This dress was specially dyed ivory rather than pure white and was indeed truly fit for a future Queen.
It is said, that the veil was so long that it had to be folded like a bedsheet to make it inside the famous horse-drawn carriage so it created the wrinkles which the bridesmaids had to carefully narrow while holding the veil to the entrance of St. Paul´s Cathedral where the wedding took place. Wrinkles were not the only trouble. The designer duo also shared a story, that Princess Diana accidentally spilled her favorite perfume on the dress creating a stain. Princess was so sad that she was trying the hide the stain with her hand and bouquet of flowers.
Lady Di also went with the tradition while having something old (using antique lace), something new (silk “spun at Lullingstone silk farm in Dorest”), something borrowed (a tiara from the Spencer family collection ) and something blue (a blue bow sewn into the waistband of her dress).
Embed from Getty ImagesKate Middleton
The current Princess of Wales married Prince William on 29 April 2011 in Westminster Abbey. This wedding was the event of the year. Not because the heir of the throne, the future king, was getting married, but because everyone remembered the sad story of the tragic death of his mother, the late Princess Diana, and members of the public around the world wanted to celebrate the joy of him being happy again.
Kate Middleton opted for British brand, the luxury fashion house Alexander McQueen, the dress was designed by designer Sarah Burton, fashion house´s creative director.
According to a statement released by Buckingham Palace, Miss Middleton worked very closely with Ms Burton on the final design. Catherine wanted her dress to be a combination of tradition & modernity. The shape of the dress was inspired by the Victorian tradition of corsetry (which is also a trademark of Alexander McQueen) and we all could see the resemblance to Grace Kelly and Her Majesty The Queen´s wedding gowns, but in a modern, simplier way. Kate train´s may not have been as long as her late mother-in-law´s, but it was still 9 feet long. The back of the dress contained 57 button and the delicate motives from the lace were created by The Royal School of Needlework. The workers washed their hands every thirty minutes to keep the lace and threads pristine, and the needles were renewed every three hours to keep them sharp and clean.
Overall, it was very a traditional dress for a very traditional wedding and has been influencing the bride´s wedding dress decisions for over a decade.
Fun fact – the fist replica of Kate´s dress was completed just five hours (!) after Miss Middleton walked down the aisle at Westminster Abbey.
When I write about Catherine´s dress, I must not forget to mention the stunning dress of Pippa Middleton, Kate´s younger sister. Her dress was also designed by Sarah Burton and was very simple, classic and perfect for the occasion. This dress was very figure-hugging, but thanks to Pippa´s perfectly shaped body, this dress definitely earned its place in the history of bridesmaid´s dresses :).
Embed from Getty ImagesGrace Kelly
The whole world watched in amazement when Hollywood actress Grace Kelly said YES to Prince Rainer III. and women believed, at least for a moment, that the Prince Charming doesn´t have to be a myth from fairy tales…:)
It is being said that the meeting between the future Princess and the Prince of Monaco was embarrassing, to say at least, for Grace. On the day of their fateful meeting, all she had in her closet was a wrinkled and inappropriate dress, strewn with oversized pink and green roses. I guess that every woman is very familiar with the phrase “I have nothing to wear!”. But just imagine having a meeting with the Prince of Monaco. Even fashion icon like Elizabet Taylor would definitelly have a wardrobe problem. As if that weren’t enough, Grace learned just before meeting Rainer that she had to wear the obligatory hat on her head. All she could find were fake flowers, which she hastily had braided into her still wet hair.
However the meeting was really fateful and from what they both later described, when the young Prince saw Grace, he decided to show her around the palace gardens and his zoo. During this short visit, he managed to completely charm Grace – in turn, Grace won the Prince´s heart over with her beauty, witty humor and down-to-earth poise. Their wedding took place on April 18, 1956 and the dress which American actress wore is cited as one of the most elegant and best-remembered bridal gowns of all time. It was made from over 20 yards of silk taffeta, another 20 yards of gros de longre silk and 270 yards of antique Valenciennes lace. The lace veil, flowing into a beaded cap, was in turn made from 80 metres of silk tulle. You might be surprised to learn that Grace´s wedding gown was perhaps as heavy as a knight’s armour. Grace, however, made nothing of it and wore it with such an ease as if she was born for the role of the Princess of Monaco. The designer of the dress was Helen Rose who worked for MGM Studios. Should you wish to see the dress, go to Philadephia Museum of Art, the hometown of Grace Kelly, where the dress has been on display.
Embed from Getty ImagesJackie Kennedy
The most famous First Lady of all time, Jacqueline ‘Jackie’ Kennedy, tied the knot with then Senator John F. Kennedy in 1953. The gown which she wore on her big day was designed by the African-American designer Ann Lowe, who was already quite well-known before this famous wedding as she made dresses for high society ladies. However, once photos of the wedding hit the New York Times, her career skyrocketed.
The dress itself showed Ann’s talents in its full glory – an ivory tissue-silk dress, with a portrait neckline and bouffant skirt with wax flowers paired with an heirloom rose-point lace veil. Although many people (especially brides-to-be in America) loved the dress, Jackie reportedly didn’t like it very much. According to fashion historian Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell, the bride likened the dress to a lampshade. The dress was chosen by her father-in-law-to-be, who wanted to create an American royalty moment and really set up his son as the heir to the family dynasty.
Embed from Getty ImagesAudrey Hepburn
Although Audrey Hepburn is associated with arguably the most famous LBD (little black dress), her fashion influence certainly doesn’t end with Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Her wedding gowns are also considered iconic, and continue to stun more than half a century later.
Actress Audrey Hepburn has worn her wedding dress several times, not only in front of the camera but also off it. Although she ended up getting married twice, she had three dresses ready, but she called off her first planned wedding.
“Fashion came into my life the moment I met Hubert de Givenchy,” Audrey Hepburn said. The designer created the iconic little black dress for the beauty in „Breakfast at Tiffany’s“ movie, but a few years earlier he had also made her wedding dress for the „Funny Face“. The cut with a boat neck and voluminous tulle skirt has not only made fashion history, but also the hearts of brides from all over the world who are still inspired by the timeless model today.
In 1952, Audrey was planning her first wedding during filming „Roman Holiday. She was to marry British businessman James Hanson, to whom she had been engaged for a year, and had already chosen her dress. It was made for her by Italian designers, the Fontana sisters, who had worked on the film and had a renowned fashion atelier in Rome. Stars such as Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly and Jacqueline Kennedy were dressed under the Sorelle Fontana label. However, Audrey Hepburn did not end up getting married in an ivory dress. She called off the wedding before the big day arrived. The dress which she was about to wear was used for a charity case.
After Roman Holiday, the actress became a big star. In 1953, she met actor/director Mel Ferrer. He was twelve years older, twice divorced and had four children, but Audrey Hepburn fell hopelessly in love with him. They said YES a year later. For her big day, the actress chose a dress designed by Pierre Balmain in a so-called tea-length (just below the knee) and with puffy elbow-length sleeves. On her wedding day, the actress also added gloves to accentuate the elegant nature of the dress and a romantic hair wreath. The marriage lasted for 13 years.
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