Wedding dress:
The names of the houses that claimed the "paternity" of the wedding dress until Markle stepped out of the car that transported her and her mother to St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle were many and resounding. Ralph & Russo, Stella McCartney, Erdem and Inbal Dror ultimately proved to have lost the battle to the talent that the new Duchess of Sussex recognized in Clare Waight Keller, artistic director of Givenchy. As it is said, the choice was the perfect fit for the future bride since Keller is British, something that the people and the Palace would appreciate, while the Givenchy house perfectly suits her style.
Something that also seems to have convinced Markle to go ahead with Keller was that the designer was the first woman to serve as artistic director in the history of the house and in this way she may have wanted to send a message about female empowerment. Keller's design with three-quarter sleeves at first glance was simple, as it did not contain any trace of embroidery or lace since the bet with history had to be won, making it one of the most timeless royal wedding dresses in the future. Unlike Kate Middleton who chose a V-cut, she went with a closed bodice that revealed her shoulders extremely (bateau neckline) and emphasized her waist wonderfully.
Veil:
The train of the dress may have been only 2.75 meters long, but her handmade silk veil was nearly 5 meters long. It reportedly took 500 hours of work to complete, with seamstresses having to wash their hands every hour to ensure the veil remained spotless until the wedding day. The eye-catching feature - and one that certainly earned the Palace a vote of confidence - was the embroidered flowers on the design, representing the 53 Commonwealth nations, with the addition of two of her favorite flowers: the California poppy to honor her origins and the Japanese spice that grew in the garden of their home at Kensington Palace.
Tiara:
As is the case with royal weddings, the bride-to-be usually borrows her tiara from the Queen's collection. This was the case with Markle, who had the opportunity to choose from the vast royal collection. In the end, she chose a diamond bandeau that had been made for Queen Mary in 1932.
Jewelry:
In addition to her impressive tiara and engagement ring, the Duchess of Sussex completed her bridal look with a pair of diamond earrings and a matching bracelet from Cartier.
Make up & Hair:
Meghan Markle managed to make no-makeup makeup a fashion trend at weddings, since she herself preferred a very natural image. Her close friend and make up artist Daniel Martin used a very light base so as not to alter her natural features and with the same logic he proceeded with the blush and lipstick. The eyes were accentuated with false eyelashes and mascara that deepened her gaze. As for her hair, which was styled by Serge Normant, the expression “carefully disheveled” finds its ultimate meaning in Markle’s hairstyle, with a striking low bun and loose strands making the result less pretentious.
Bouquet:
Like all the details of the famous couple’s wedding, even the bouquet had a personal touch. Prince Harry had selected some flowers from their personal garden at the palace that were included in the bouquet, while to honor his mother, they also added forget-me-nots, which was her favorite flower. Snow peas, miguel, astilbe, jasmine and astrantia completed the floral arrangement along with a sprig of myrtle, as they have done since the time of Queen Victoria.
Wedding Facts
- A piece of the blue dress she wore on her first date with Prince Harry was sewn into the inside of Markle's wedding dress as "something blue."
- Markle made history by being the only member of the royal family to walk unescorted... down the aisle until she met Prince Charles, who handed her over to the groom, since her father did not attend the wedding.
- Their wedding was a red carpet affair, with celebrity guests including the Beckhams, Oprah Winfrey, Priyanka Chopra, Serena Williams, Tom Hardy, the Clooneys, Elton John and the entire cast of Suits, in which Markle starred, among others.
- Of the 10 bridesmaids who attended the wedding, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, children of Prince William and Kate Middleton, stole the show.
- For the reception, Markle changed her dress and wore a halterneck creation by Stella McCartney.
