London: Final Dress Rehearsal

As with most brides, it’s all about the dress.  Why should Kate Middleton be any different?  As the fashion world speculated for months and anxiously awaited the emergence of Kate from the classic, 1977 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI, the new Duchess of Cambridge did not disappoint!

Kate collaborated with Sarah Burton, Creative Director for the last year at the design house of Alexander McQueen, on her wedding dress design. Dress makers at the house of Alexander McQueen secretly worked for months to create the world’s most anticipated wedding gown of the century.

The final version of the dress was made from ivory and white satin gazar. The skirt resembled an opening flower, with white satin gazar arches and pleats. Hand-cut English lace and French Chantilly lace was used throughout the bodice, skirt, and underskirt trim. The intricate lace appliqué was hand-made by the Royal School of Needlework.

The back of the dress was finished with 58 covered buttons and a 2.7 meter train.  

Kate wore earrings by Robinson Pelham. The earrings were diamond-set stylized oak leaves with a pear shaped diamond set drop and a pavé set diamond acorn suspended in the centre. Inspiration for the design came from the Middleton family’s new coat of arms, which includes acorns and oak leaves. The earrings were a personal gift to Kate from her parents, for her wedding day.

Kate’s regal look was topped off with a silk ivory-tulle veil with hand-embroidered lace flowers and a stunning vintage 1936 diamond “Halo” tiara created by Cartier.  The “something barrowed” was on loan from the Queen.

The wedding shoes were hand-made by the team at Alexander McQueen and were made of ivory duchesse satin with lace hand-embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework.

Each fashion element made for a stunning, polished look appropriate for the future Queen of England!

A special thank you to Geoffrey Robinson Photography.

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