The media and the press have been obsessed, especially this week, about the nuptials of the now Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. After all, how often does a wedding this royal occur in our lifetime?
Well, we did have Victoria, the crowned Princess of Sweden, marry her personal trainer Daniel Westling last year. It was a beautiful event, but the wedding was actually boycotted by several big international news organizations. They were upset that they would not be able to stream the wedding live…and this is probably why we did not hear a lot about the wedding here when it happened.
Still, it was a lovely wedding. Victoria's gown was simple, with a slightly sexy edge by showing her shoulders. Of course, the gown could not upstage the gorgeous crown and veil she wore, rumored to be gifted by Napoleon to Josephine. She looked sublime as a true Swedish Princess.
Of course, the wedding that most of the media has been using as inspiration and comparison for Kate and William's wedding was the wedding of William's parents, Diana and Charles. That wedding was an explosion on national television and was a sight to behold for the rest of the world, curious as to how a royal wedding could look.
Diana's gown was huge…and I mean, quite literally, huge. It was the 1980s, and giant puff sleeves were in. That dress swallowed Diana up, and by today's bridal standards, probably would not have been recommended. Still, for its time, it was very fashionable and women all over coveted the gown's look. Still, one can't ignore the fact that when Diana stepped out of the carriage to enter the church, her gown was crumpled from being stuffed inside.
After both Victoria's and Diana's nuptials, Kate was obviously feeling plenty of pressure. Weddings are stressful enough…to know that the whole world's eyes will be on you, speculating what type of gown you will wear, and that the event will be documented and viewed for all time…well, that can all add up to an overwhelming situation.
Luckily, William worked hard to prepare Kate for the press, taking great pains to protect her as best as he could. The last thing he wanted for the woman he loved would be to meet the same fate as his late mother. Being a part of the royal family has many obligations and difficulties…William wanted to give Kate enough time to back out if she wanted to.
But Kate was a Cinderella that fell in love with her Prince. That is another reason why the media is in love with this story; yes, we want to see the style, the fashion, the elegance and opulence that we commoners can only dream of…but to know that Kate is from the middle class and just naturally fell in love with a Prince in college is very romantic and plays to the public's fantasies. Kate played more on the Cinderella story with her forms of transportation: breaking tradition, Kate arrived to the church by car with her father, but left the church with William in a horse-drawn carriage.
While ideas of Cinderella concoct images of big ball gowns, we are in a more modern age, and Kate is a sleek, fashionable and modern kind of girl – but sweet. I was hoping that Kate would wear some lace, and she did.
The gown was, in every way, the perfect choice for Kate. It fits her like a glove and she looks fantastic in it. The dress does not overwhelm, but simply complements her natural beauty. The lace a sweet, traditional and elegant touch…and in fact, the whole look very much reminds me of Grace Kelly's wedding gown from several decades ago, but with an updated "Kate" twist.
The gown was appropriate for a royal church event, but she was still able to stay true to herself with her gown choice. Her gown was gorgeous and I have no doubts in my mind that every wedding gown designer is going to create their own version of the gown for other princess brides (though perhaps some designers will just make the gowns they made sketches of for Kate before anyone knew who the designer was). I'm so happy that Kate chose Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen. And, I should also add that I thought Kate's sister Pippa and their mother looked fabulous as well.
In the meantime, if you are vying for such a gown yourself, might I suggest either Monique Lhuilliher's Grace (an obvious nod to Princess Grace) or Marina K Couture's Chiara. Both are lacy, classic, and elegant gowns.
If you still want a Disney "Cinderella" dress, however, Alfred Angelo has two Cinderella gowns for the Disney Bridal Collection.
Congratulations to the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge!
