KATIE’S TOP 10 15 BEST ROYAL WEDDING DRESSES OF ALL TIME
15. Princess Madeleine in Valentino (Sweden, m. Christopher O’Neill, 8 June 2013)
The only thing I can say I hate genuinely about this dress is that it never sat right off her shoulders. It looked like it was slipping and sliding all day. Other than that, wow, this dress is gorgeous. The color is beautiful, combined with that fantastic tiara and gorgeous veil. Lace but not too much lace. Absolutely beautiful!
14. Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby in Ove Harder Finseth (Norway, m. Crown Prince Haakon, 25 August 2001)
I love a simple wedding dress, and Mette-Marit really hit it out of the park with hers. I love that she was involved with the design. I love that she accessorized really minimally to let the dress and that fabulous veil shine. The only thing I’d like to have seen is a bit more bling in the tiara, but she still looked absolutely beautiful!
13. Countess Olympia von und zu Arco-Zinneberg in Oscar de la Renta (France/Austria, m. Prince Jean-Christophe Napoleon Bonaparte, 19 October 2019)
This dress is so far out of my comfort zone, but it is absolutely fabulous. So quirky, so intricate - I’m in love! It’s classic Oscar de la Renta and it fits her beautifully. I’m not a fan of what the cape does in the chest area and I would never, ever wear this myself but it’s a work of art! Absolutely fabulous!
12. Camilla Parker-Bowles in Anna and Robinson Valentine (United Kingdom, m. The Prince of Wales, 9 April 2005)
I think this is stunning for a second wedding. The color, the gold accents, the classic Philip Treacy headpiece - absolutely magnificent. It looks bridal without being juvenile, and it’s gorgeous while still being appropriate for the occasion. I’ve always loved it!
11. Crown Princess Victoria in Pär Engsheden (Sweden, m. Daniel Westling, 19 June 2010)
The combination of the simplicity of Victoria’s gown with the Cameo tiara and that gorgeous, intricate bouquet is exquisite. The Cameo needed something simple to let it shine and Victoria and Engsheden did not disappoint. The color and material were perfection and this is how you do an off-the-shoulder short-sleeved look! Combined with no necklace to really let the whole look shine, this is one of my favorites!
10. Beatrice Borromeo in Armani Privé (Monaco, m. Pierre Casiraghi, 1 August 2015)
This is the first of three (yes, three) mentions of Beatrice Borromeo on this list. She’s gorgeous and would have made a beautiful bride wearing a trash bag but this dress is something else. It’s classic bridal with just a touch of high fashion and I love it. That lace is so, so delicate, only someone as graceful as Beatrice could have pulled it off. Her veil is gorgeous and although I missed a tiara, she’s literally sparkling in the delicate, shimmery fabric!
9. Catherine Middleton in Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen (United Kingdom, m. Prince William, 29 April 2011)
What a love affair the world has with this dress, the modern icon of all wedding dresses! It would have been easy to overwhelm Kate’s figure with a full skirt, but Sarah Burton nailed the proportions perfectly. The lace is exquisite from her neck to her shoes. I love how she brought back lace sleeves in bridal fashion. The peplum detail on the back of the skirt is incredible. It fit her like a second skin in the best way and she looked every bit the fairytale princess walking down the aisle. Her veil was just the right length, too - not too long but not too short. It’s no wonder this is the new iconic wedding dress!
8. Meghan Markle in Clare Waight-Keller for Givenchy (United Kingdom, m. Prince Harry, 19 May 2018)
I’ve said before that I love a simple wedding dress, and Meghan did not disappoint. The boat neckline was so flattering on Prince Harry’s bride, and the color and fabric were just the right combination for her. I stood on the Long Walk during their carriage procession, and I could see Meghan coming from a mile away because she was literally shimmering in the sunlight. I wish it was better tailored - my only true grievance - but everything else was gorgeous. And that veil! What can I say about that veil? It literally sparkled in the sunlight going up the stairs to the chapel. I can’t say enough - and the fact that it included a patch of the dress they wore on their first date? My heart!! If this was better tailored, it would have been top 5.
7. Princess Eugenie in Zac Posen (United Kingdom, m. Jack Brooksbank, 12 October 2019)
The first reception dress of the list! Eugenie’s ceremony dress was pretty, but not my style. This, however... how could one go wrong with a pale blush cape dress that fit her perfectly? She looks like an ethereal goddess, like she’s descended from the clouds to grace us with her presence. The color is magnificent, the fabric so delicate. I don’t know how it’s possible to look so beautiful and so comfortable at the same time, but Eugenie and Zac Posen really pulled it off. This was such a pleasant surprise when comparing it to her ceremony dress - I loved it!
6. Beatrice Borromeo in Valentino (Monaco, m. Pierre Casiraghi, 25 July 2015)
Never in my life could I have imagined myself picking a purple wedding dress in a list of favorites, but here we are. Beatrice’s civil wedding dress was everything one could have expected from her - delicate, feminine, with an almost fairy-like quality that many couldn’t even dream to pull off. She literally looks like a goddess. The lace overlay cape was something out of a dream, and the natural flow of the skirt is magnificent. I love that the lace detail up top matches the lace detail at the bottom. Ethereal is the word I would use to describe this dress - absolutely heavenly!
5. Elisabetta Rosboch von Wolkenstein in Valentino (Belgium, m. Prince Amadeo, 5 July 2014)
The delicate details of this dress are everything! I love the matching neckline with the sleeve structure and the chest/mesh detail. I especially love how those details match the veil outline. I usually don’t like mesh paneling very much, but Elisabetta pulled it off beautifully. The simplicity of the skirt is complemented by the gorgeous overlay. Plus, there’s something so gorgeously simple about the twist in her hair that I just adore. The skirt is flattering and of the right proportion, and I love how vibrant the white is. This is truly one of my favorites - so delicate and feminine!
4. Claire Lademacher in Elie Saab (Luxembourg, m. Prince Felix, 21 September 2012)
Y’all know I wasn’t going to get through this list without my main man Elie Saab. This dress is truly a masterpiece, a piece of premier artistry. The lace detail is simply unparalleled, and it being head-to-toe does nothing to detract from the magnificence that is Princess Claire and Elie Saab. I love the high neckline and the minimalistic jewelry. Plus, that tiara with her dark hair and that gorgeous veil? *chef’s kiss* magnificent. Absolutely otherworldly.
3. Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy in Elie Saab (Luxembourg, m. Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, 20 October 2012)
God, what a dress. What can I even say? That lace? Incredible. The skirt? Fantastic. The train? Phenomenal. Veil? Unreal. I really don’t have anything technical to say about this other than good Lord, it is out-of-this-world, show-stopping fabulous. Stéphanie’s usual style is not my favorite but it’s truly all forgiven because she pulled out the big guns with this royal wedding dress, the epitome of what a royal wedding dress should be. The only thing that heightens this above Princess Claire’s Elie Saab masterpiece is the color - it’s so gorgeous, so flattering, I have no words. Also, I’m a sucker for this kind of veil - mounted on the back of her head and thin enough to be transparent. The whole thing is mesmerizing - an absolute work of art.
2. Beatrice Borromeo in Armani Privé (Monaco, m. Pierre Casiraghi, 1 August 2015)
Beatrice’s second reception gown rounds out my favorites of hers from her wedding week. I love the simple lines of this dress - the v-neck is so flattering and I love that the straps are thin without being too thin. The A-line cascades down through the skirt beautifully, the belted waist ties the full thing together. The construction is truly magical, a genuine workpiece. I can’t talk about this dress without discussing the cape-like effect of the back. She looks like she is walking through the clouds with the gorgeous wispiness of the cape. I love that the pieces are separate, and I can only imagine what they looked like in motion. Armani truly outdid himself with this - it was perfectly constructed from top to bottom. A true masterpiece.
1. Lady Gabriella Windsor in Luisa Beccaria (United Kingdom, m. Thomas Kingston, 18 May 2019)
And finally, last but certainly not least - the inspiration for my future wedding dress if I ever get married. Lady Gabriella stopped me in my tracks when I saw this dress. Literally, I was walking and looking at my phone, and I stopped short when I saw it. The cape is just divine, that’s the only word I can use to describe it. It’s like Beatrice’s second reception dress, but kicked up a notch with that absolutely inimitable lace overlay. The skirt is proportioned beautifully, and I love how it flatters her figure without suffocating her. The shoulder/cape detail is heavenly. I could stare at this dress all day long, it is so magnificent. It is delicate and feminine with magnificent construction, structured and lined beautifully with an element of softness and romance that cannot be paralleled. It’s no wonder this is my favorite royal wedding gown of all time. It’s just extraordinary. I’ve done my best to explain in words but I simply cannot. This dress is incredible. Heart-stopping, show-stopping, jaw-dropping magnificent.
94 notes
·
View notes