Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are married! The royal couple tied the knot at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, surrounded by friends, family, celebrities, and royals. Millions have tuned in across the world to witness the groundbreaking multi-cultural ceremony complete with a gospel choir and eccentric American bishop. Filled with tradition-breaking moments, from the bride walking hallway down the aisle by herself, all the way to the unexpectedly understated wedding gown.
Meghan Markle’s wedding dress was probably the best kept secret of the royal wedding. There was a lot of speculation on who is going to design the gown for the royal bride, including names like British couturier Ralph and Russo, Stella McCartney and even Burberry.
Meghan Markle, now new Duchess of Sussex, surprised everyone when she arrived on the step of St George’s Chapel wearing a wedding dress created by Givenchy’s artistic director Clare Waight Keller.
Image source: express.co.uk
Made with pure white double-bonded silk cady, the dress blew us away with how simple, but elegantly classic it was. Without elaborate beading, lace, and other details featured on previous royal bridal gowns, this dress epitomize a “timeless minimal elegance, referencing the codes of the iconic House of Givenchy.” But while the gown may seem simple in appearance, it is clear that hours and hours of careful, meticulous work went into this creation. Featuring a bateau neckline, a drop waist and long sleeves appropriate for the traditional church ceremony. Stiff duchess silk fabric was the perfect choice for this minimalist design – all darts, no gathers and the skirt that just gently flares out into the pretty trumpet shape.
As the official statement from the Kensington Palace said: “True to the heritage of the house, the pure lines of the dress are achieved using six meticulously placed seams. The focus of the dress is the graphic open bateau neckline that gracefully frames the shoulders and emphasizes the slender sculpted waist. The lines of the dress extend towards the back where the train flows in soft round folds cushioned by an underskirt in triple silk organza. The slim three-quarter sleeves add a note of refined modernity.”
Image source: Cosmopolitan
The almost 16-and-a-half-foot veil was the most impressive part of Markle’s bridal ensemble. Its hand-embroidered floral details represented all 53 countries of the Commonwealth with the addition of Wintersweet, a type of shrub that grows in front of the couple’s cottage at Kensington Palace, and a California poppy, paying homage to Markle’s birthplace. This design was based on Meghan’s wish of having all 53 countries of the Commonwealth with her on her journey through the ceremony. Queen Mary’s diamond bandeau tiara, lent to the bride by The Queen held the veil in place.
Why we absolutely LOVED Meghan Markle’s wedding dress
Inspired by the Givenchy’s muse, and one of the most stylish fashion icons of all time, Audrey Hepburn, this gown is, in true meaning of the word – chic.
In fact, no one has said it better than the Harper’s Bazaar fashion director Avril Mair: “Clare Waight Keller’s debut couture collection for Givenchy was full of the most beautiful, sculpted dresses – they had the kind of grace and dignity that’s often lacking nowadays when everything has to be embellished and decorated to stand out on Instagram. Hubert De Givenchy was all about structure and simplicity: this amazing wedding gown honored that spirit while being entirely and perfectly modern. It’s heaven!”
Meghan Markle wedding dress inspiration – Get the Look
Simple and streamlined, the dress was far from “plain and boring” as some royal wedding watchers described it. In fact, it features a few key bridal trends like collarbone-baring off-the-shoulder neckline and a clean, unembellished fabric. There is no doubt that a lot of designers will be embracing the understated elegance in the following season, but one of our favorite designers is already offering a style that strongly resembles the royal wedding dress.
SHERRI HILL 52511
This stunning Sherri Hill gown is all about chic, moderate elegance and curve-hugging silhouette. If there is one thing wrong that can be pinpointed on the Meghan Markle’s gorgeous dress it’s that it didn’t seem fitted enough. This gown is made with soft and stretchy scuba material, ensuring that the dress follows the lines of your body beautifully and gives you that incredibly alluring “second skin” fit. The fabric caresses your curves in the fitted mermaid skirt, which drapes into a stunning train.
With the elegant simplicity, bateau neckline the 3/4-length sleeves, Meghan’s wedding dress redefined what a dress “fit for a princess” looks like. And this is just the perfect time to embrace simple, streamlined silhouettes, and minimalist gowns that are just ever-stylish and timeless.
