Fairytales do come true. Just ask Meghan Markle.
Family drama, a media feeding frenzy and wedding jitters were no match for the redheaded royal and his brunette bride.
The playboy prince (as he has been called) witnessed the end of his bachelor days at St. George’s Chapel today when he married his American princess, Ms. Meghan Markle. Standing in front of a crowd filled with the likes of Oprah, George Clooney and Elton John, Harry and Meghan promised to love and honor one another ’til death do they part.
Despite whispers of various designers–the bride surprised everyone with her choice of gown–an elegant but understated dress reflecting the minimal elegance that defines the House of Givenchy. Both Meghan and fashion designer Clare Waight Keller worked together to create a stunning masterpiece made of double bonded silk cady with a soft matte lustre; the result was a stunning sculptural column-like gown. The bonding process and pure white color chosen by the bride made the dress feel classic and refined and wholly exemplified Meghan’s minimalist but modern aesthetic.
The Dress
True to the heritage of House of Givenchy Meghan’s dress had elegant lines that were achieved using six meticulously placed seams. The focus of the white wonder was the bateau neckline that framed the shoulders and emphasized the bride’s happy glow and beautiful features. The sculpted waist was made more dramatic by the lines of the dress. The bride’s train flowed into soft round folds cushioned by an underskirt of organza. And in keeping with the spirit of a modern silhouette, the sleeves were three-quarter length.
In what might come as surprise to some, Meghan refrained from using lace like her predecessor the Duchess of Cambridge. Many felt Meghan’s dress resembled another iconic bride who was a favorite of the former Suits actress–the dress of the late Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. Meghan had long ago commented that the dress was “goals” and loved the simple and sophisticated bridal style of the New York socialite.
The Veil and Tiara
With much speculation not only about her wedding dress but also her tiara, Meghan once again surprised royal watchers with her Queen Mary diamond bandeau tiara. The diamond bandeau is English and was made in 1932 with the center brooch dating from 1893. The brooch was given as a present to then Princess Mary in 1893 by the County of Lincoln on her marriage to Prince George, Duke of York.
The bandeau is made of diamonds and platinum and is formed by a flexible band of eleven sections pierced with interlaced ovals and pave set with large and small brilliant diamonds. The center brooch is detachable and has ten brilliant diamonds.
The tiara held in place the magnificent veil which was also a creation of Clare Waight Keller and was designed with silk tulle and had subtle symbolism. Every one of the hand-embroidered flowers on the trim of the five meter long veil was unique and represented all 53 members of the Commonwealth of nations. The creators of the veil researched the distinctive flora of each country to weave them all together to form the stunning and unique bridal masterpiece.
The Jewelry
The Prince and his duchess have rings designed from Cleave and Company with Meghan’s being fashioned out of Welsh gold while Prince Harry’s platinum band has a textured finish. Meghan’s ring was created from gold that was a gift from the Queen.
Meghan wore earrings and a bracelet from Cartier.
The bride also gifted her closest friends a ‘Kensington’ bracelet from California based designer Zofia Day costing $450. The new duchess commissioned the creation of the solid gold disc bracelets and even presented one to new sister-in-law Kate Middleton.The bespoke bracelets are available to buy now on Zofia Day.
The Shoes
Though they were hidden under her wedding dress, Meghan’s shoes were based on Givenchy’s refined pointed couture design and made of silk and appropriately duchess satin.
Meghan’s bracelet was called Reflection de Cartier and cost $155,000. Meghan’s earrings were Cartier diamond and white gold in the Galanterie collection.
LPA Dress, $56
Joanna August, Nordstrom
Boohoo, $44
The Evening Wedding Dress
Meghan’s second dress of the day was a bespoke lily white high neck gown made of silk crepe by Stella McCartney. The modern column silhouette perfectly represented the bride’s love of trendy yet minimalist style once again. For shoes, the bride wore perennial favorite Aquazurra; she selected silky satin nude mesh pumps with an added something blue in the way of soles painted in the sky shade. Another something blue? Her new and very large aquamarine ring likely from Princess Diana’s private jewelry collection and a gift from the groom.
The jaguar’s license plates read the wedding date E190518. The couple sped off on the sunny evening to meet with more well-wishers at Frogmore House–where they’re likely excited to celebrate and enjoy a little bit of marital bliss into the wee hours.
And they lived happily ever after…
Get an aquamarine ring like the Duchess of Sussex:
