April 29, 2011

The Royal Wedding

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As I write this Kate Middleton is sitting in Westminster Abbey next to her husband of only a few minutes and how beautiful does she look? We were all right, the dress is by Sarah Burton and it is stunning. Yards of Ivory and Silk tulle are appliquéd with hand-cut lace flowers; roses, daffodils, thistle's and shamrocks. Kate's shoulders are embodied by hand-cut English and French Chantilly lace which is used throughout. The Ivory and White satin gazar dress itself is a simple clean silhouette, a strapless bodice with a dramatic sweetheart neckline, her waist is dwarfed by a fifties' style skirt and Victorian influenced corsetry, huge; padded at the hips and  with gathering at the back flowing into a train of two meters seventy centimetres. It is fastened with fifty-eight gazar and organza covered buttons tucked into Rouleau loops.

The veil is layers of soft ivory silk tulle trimmed with embroidered flowers and held in place with the Queen's 1936 Cartier halo borrowed for the occasion. Her earrings are inspired by her family's new coat of arms; "diamond-set stylised oak leaves with a pear shaped diamond set drop and a pavé set diamond acorn suspended in the centre". Hidden under her dress are a pair of ivory duchesse satin with lace shoes, handmade by McQueen.

In her hands she holds a bouquet of myrtle, lily-of-the-valley, sweet William and hyacinth. Pippa Middleton wears a gorgeous dress also designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen "It is of a heavy, ivory satin-based crepe, with a cowl front and with the same button detail and lace trims as the Bride’s dress."

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Screen shots from bbc1's live coverage.
Dress source
First image courtesy of Vogue.co.uk

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