Catherine Middleton's Wedding Dress

[Maria Jacinta]

I watched the entire wedding on a NOT HD television. It wasn't until I went online and saw the pictures that the details of the train were easy to see. AMAZING and costly embroidery. Read that the embroiderers washed their hands every 1/2 hour and changed needles every 3 hours. All that made me realize why she didn't want to cover up the back with a long veil. I never did see when the blusher was removed. Does anyone have a pix of that moment?

 

[Skippy]

I watched the entire wedding on a NOT HD television. It wasn't until I went online and saw the pictures that the details of the train were easy to see. AMAZING and costly embroidery. Read that the embroiderers washed their hands every 1/2 hour and changed needles every 3 hours. All that made me realize why she didn't want to cover up the back with a long veil. I never did see when the blusher was removed. Does anyone have a pix of that moment?

http://media.oregonlive.com/oregonian/photo/2011/04/9530992-essay.jpg

 

[Osipi]

Well let's try to remember that people are entitled to have different opnions. So my opnion is that they are crazy and blind. JK .....
Cutting edge is not the style you would like to try right on your wedding day. Who knows what she will choose to wear during the wears, but at her wedding she needed to wear something timeless, and that dress definitely is .
Also "housewifey"! strapless and the same fabric from the top to the bottom that's what I define as a that. Impeccable lacing and embroilment are NOT!

If anyone is going to be judgmental about the dress, they have to consider all of it's pieces. If you just see as lace on top of a corset than you clearly miss half of the dress and therefore should not have your opnion considerd

Funny is a lot of these fashionistas are the same that in 15 years will look at their photos and think "WTH was I thinking". Kate won't have to worry about that

The amazing thing about this dress is that it is now most obvious to all of us that Kate very much knew she was walking up the aisle in WA to be married in a very solemn and meaningful ceremony and not walking a runway in a fashion show. Every little detail of the dress had meaning to her and it was very regal along with an air of pure simplicity. Some of the facts about the dress she probably didn't care if others even noticed... she knew they were there and that's what mattered.

Although there will most likely be a flooding of "knock off" Catherine gowns, I think it would be kind of sad to want to copy someone on their wedding day rather than follow Kate's example of making the wedding dress have special meaning to the person wearing it.

I'm pretty sure that Kate also realizes that this dress is now a historic item and will most likely in the years to come be put on display as the bridal gown of Queen Catherine. I think that's probably one of the main reasons why she had a different dress for the evening party. I would imagine that as soon as the dress was removed, it was immediately whisked away to be carefully preserved, packaged and whatever else is done with clothing of this nature.

 

[abbra]

Beautiful Bride, Beautiful Young Lady.

 

[Lenora]

I do not why but Kate's wedding dress reminded me Queen Victoria's regal one,the couple generally is perceived as a strong one unity,as Victoria and Albert were

 

[Sister Morphine]

Queen Victoria's wedding dress and Catherine's look absolutely nothing alike.

 

[Lenora]

Queen Victoria's wedding dress and Catherine's look absolutely nothing alike.

I know,it was rather perceived other meaning,maybe all the atmosphere around and gestures reminded me Victoria's wedding ceremony

 

[maxine256]

Well, I was so disappointed on Catherine´s dress, make up and hairdo. The tiara was lovely and suitable for her and the lace on the dress looked nice. But...
Did she really do her make up herself? She shouldn´t have used the black-liner so much and her face looked terribly dark. She should have definitely had a proper hairdo with her hair up.
The dress - the top looked ok, but she should have had another bra ...
The low part was too big and heavy for such a thin Catherine.
She didn´t looked really happy at the church IMO. I missed feelings and emotions from the wedding.

i agree with you on this.hair,feelings etc

 

[Princess of Durham]

I saw solemnity, dignity and a great deal of joy and happiness and love. If emotion means tears etc., no thanks. I was at a wedding once where the groom was so emotional and crying that it was embarrassing to all and made me wonder if it was from happiness or sheer terror or change of heart.

I'll take dignity and joy and happiness anytime.

 

[royski1]

I started reading this thread a couple of hours ago and I gotta say, I am soooo sick of reading how the dress is like Grace Kelley's. It is in a small way, just the upper part, but the skirt is nothing like Grace's. It has a different shape, one has embroidery, one does not, one opens in the back, showing a lacy underskirt, one does not, one has the look of a beautiful flower, with petals about to open, one does not, etc, etc. IMHO it looks more like Maria's from "The Sound of Music".
BUT it is not any of those dresses. This one is Catherine, HRH The Duchess of Cambridge's and no one's else. By the way, I thought it was breathtaking!! Mostly because she is in it.

 

[anaforrester]

Well, I was so disappointed on Catherine´s dress, make up and hairdo. The tiara was lovely and suitable for her and the lace on the dress looked nice. But...
Did she really do her make up herself? She shouldn´t have used the black-liner so much and her face looked terribly dark. She should have definitely had a proper hairdo with her hair up.
The dress - the top looked ok, but she should have had another bra ...

I Agree. The eyeliner was really over the top, there were these harsh black lines around her eyes.. very out-dated and not flattering at all. I wish she had gone for a softer look, using less black and richer & lighter colors like browns, gold etc The make up could have out-come much more flattering and elegant.

The bodice of both day and night dress are weird on the bust area, specially the night gown.

 

[MRSJ]

Per @RoyalReporter

The new Duchess of Cambridge's wedding dress may go on show to the public, St James's Palace says.
Echofon • 5/1/11 3:46 PM

 

[CordeliaFitzgerald]

It struck me last night that, besides Grace Kelly's and Princess Margaret's, Princess Kate's gown also bears a strong, if subtle, resemblance to Marie-Chantal Miller's wedding gown. (Although Kate's wedding dress handled the embroidery and lace in much lighter, not so obvious and heavy, way.)

I actually think it's a compliment to how stylish Grace was that generations later, royal brides to be are still emulating Helen Rose's design. I don't fault Kate for doing so. It is a great design, I just wish Sarah Burton could have done something that didn't scream "I'm being unoriginal and uninspired!" (Yes, I know Kate isn't into cutting edge fashion, but if you watch "Say Yes to the Dress," you'll notice that there are 100s of original dresses out there that don't scream "knock-off!")

I think my favorite element of the dress is the lace. On the both the skirt and the bodice, it's really beautiful.

(It feels so weird writing "Princess Kate.")

 

[Lexie105]

I feel the same way, the more I see Catherine's wedding dress, the more I love it. She radiated happiness through her smile. We probably all were expecting her to be coming out of the car with a Princess Di dress, but this is Catherine's style and one of my favorite all time royal wedding dress.

 

[anaforrester]

It struck me last night that, besides Grace Kelly's and Princess Margaret's, Princess Kate's gown also bears a strong, if subtle, resemblance to Marie-Chantal Miller's wedding gown. (Although Kate's wedding dress handled the embroidery and lace in much lighter, not so obvious and heavy, way.)

I actually think it's a compliment to how stylish Grace was that generations later, royal brides to be are still emulating Helen Rose's design. I don't fault Kate for doing so. It is a great design, I just wish Sarah Burton could have done something that didn't scream "I'm being unoriginal and uninspired!" (Yes, I know Kate isn't into cutting edge fashion, but if you watch "Say Yes to the Dress," you'll notice that there are 100s of original dresses out there that don't scream "knock-off!")

I think my favorite element of the dress is the lace. On the both the skirt and the bodice, it's really beautiful.

(It feels so weird writing "Princess Kate.")

Say yes to the dress I love this show. Also, you can see on it tons of dresses similar to kate's

Also, the dress doesn't reflect McQueen's style at all. If I saw the dress without knowing who designed it, I'd never guess it would be someone from the maison McQueen. lol
But it's ok, it was nice of Kate doing this tribute to Alexander. He so deserves it.

 

[Amelie]

Can someone help me out here. I thought that Princess Maxima had worn a wedding dress with long lace sleeves as well but it turns out I was mistaken, but I'm almost positive there has been another royal wedding dress in the last 10 years that was lace from the waist up with long sleeves??

 

[MRSJ]

Can someone help me out here. I thought that Princess Maxima had work a dress with long lace sleeves as well but it turns out I was mistaken, but I'm almost positive there has been another royal wedding dress in the last 10 years that was lace from the waist up with long sleeves??

Princess Maries has 3/4 length sleeves and lace...not sure if you are thinking of that one....

 

[ellenw]

I started reading this thread a couple of hours ago and I gotta say, I am soooo sick of reading how the dress is like Grace Kelley's. It is in a small way, just the upper part, but the skirt is nothing like Grace's. It has a different shape, one has embroidery, one does not, one opens in the back, showing a lacy underskirt, one does not, one has the look of a beautiful flower, with petals about to open, one does not, etc, etc. IMHO it looks more like Maria's from "The Sound of Music".
BUT it is not any of those dresses. This one is Catherine, HRH The Duchess of Cambridge's and no one's else. By the way, I thought it was breathtaking!! Mostly because she is in it.

You know, my mother's wedding gown has the exact same bodice as Princess Grace's. Sweetheart underbodice, lace overbodice, covered tiny buttons down the front, tiny lace collar, identical sleeves. Except that my mother's gown was from 1952 - Grace married in 1956. I think that most people have focused on one iconic gown from that era and have forgotten the fashion at-large from that time. Princess Grace's dress didn't come from the ether - it was a product of its time and the incredible imagination of Helen Rose, who used 19th century ballgown techniques to structure that amazing skirt. Now Sarah Burton has used her imagination and a great deal of technique to create the impression of something extraordinarily simple and elegant when she structured that skirt, and they are entirely different dresses altogether. Like you, I think it's unique (and breathtaking, too!).

 

[Amelie]

Princess Maries has 3/4 length sleeves and lace...not sure if you are thinking of that one....

Not Marie's, longer ago than that. thanks though! I'm thinking maybe some of the extended Dutch royals...

 

[Amelie]

Not Marie's, longer ago than that. thanks though! I'm thinking maybe some of the extended Dutch royals...

Can someone help me out here. I thought that Princess Maxima had worn a wedding dress with long lace sleeves as well but it turns out I was mistaken, but I'm almost positive there has been another royal wedding dress in the last 10 years that was lace from the waist up with long sleeves??

I found this photo of Prince Pieter-Christiaan & Anita (Netherlands) Wedding and the dress is similar to Catherine's.

but still not the one I'm thinking of! very frustrating, the dress i am recalling had the lace higher over the back/shoulders but with a wide V neckline coming towards the centre of the bust...

 

[MARG]

It struck me last night that, besides Grace Kelly's and Princess Margaret's, Princess Kate's gown also bears a strong, if subtle, resemblance to Marie-Chantal Miller's wedding gown. (Although Kate's wedding dress handled the embroidery and lace in much lighter, not so obvious and heavy, way.)

I actually think it's a compliment to how stylish Grace was that generations later, royal brides to be are still emulating Helen Rose's design. I don't fault Kate for doing so. It is a great design, I just wish Sarah Burton could have done something that didn't scream "I'm being unoriginal and uninspired!" (Yes, I know Kate isn't into cutting edge fashion, but if you watch "Say Yes to the Dress," you'll notice that there are 100s of original dresses out there that don't scream "knock-off!")

I think my favorite element of the dress is the lace. On the both the skirt and the bodice, it's really beautiful.

I find it hilarious that everyone is dissecting "The Dress" and attributing this bit to that and that bit to this. How about someone attributing it to Kate's dream made real by Sarah Burton.

(It feels so weird writing "Princess Kate.")

Then DON"T because she ISN'T!!!

 

[RubyPrincess168]

I find it hilarious that everyone is dissecting "The Dress" and attributing this bit to that and that bit to this. How about someone attributing it to Kate's dream made real by Sarah Burton.

I agree! Just because it has lace sleeves and bodice doesn't make it a knock off of Grace Kelly's dress! The two dresses look nothing alike IMHO. Marie-Chantal Miller's dress was a knock off of Grace Kelly's dress! I saw more similarities between Catherine's dress and Princess Margaret's dress, but also the dress that the 'Princess Catherine Bridal Doll' was advertised in.

 

[dazzling]

Kate Middleton's wedding dress could go on public display


Read more: Kate Middleton's wedding dress could go on public display

 

[Osipi]

I started reading this thread a couple of hours ago and I gotta say, I am soooo sick of reading how the dress is like Grace Kelley's. It is in a small way, just the upper part, but the skirt is nothing like Grace's. It has a different shape, one has embroidery, one does not, one opens in the back, showing a lacy underskirt, one does not, one has the look of a beautiful flower, with petals about to open, one does not, etc, etc. IMHO it looks more like Maria's from "The Sound of Music".
BUT it is not any of those dresses. This one is Catherine, HRH The Duchess of Cambridge's and no one's else. By the way, I thought it was breathtaking!! Mostly because she is in it.

I like you!

When William and Kate first got engaged and we all started talking wedding dresses, I posted that I thought she'd look good in a dress similar to Maria's. (with picture link and all).

This dress though was purely Kate. I can see why the comparisons "like Grace" "Like whatsherface" and "like this House of Design" and of course people are going to see that... there's only so much you CAN do with a wedding gown.

The ONLY comparison I've NOT heard I think is that she was attired in a fashion similar to a traditional Betazoid wedding.

 

[Mia_mae]

Say yes to the dress I love this show. Also, you can see on it tons of dresses similar to kate's

Also, the dress doesn't reflect McQueen's style at all. If I saw the dress without knowing who designed it, I'd never guess it would be someone from the maison McQueen. lol
But it's ok, it was nice of Kate doing this tribute to Alexander. He so deserves it.

Ana, I also watch the show, but must be missing the ones with similar dresses to Catherine's!

I , even before the wedding, liked long sleeves and can clearly remember complaining to myself after watching every episode "why they always go with the mermaidy strapless one, argh?!".
I must be really behind the episodes cause covered arms is a rarity on that show!

 

[EmpressRouge]

I found this photo of Prince Pieter-Christiaan & Anita (Netherlands) Wedding and the dress is similar to Catherine's.

but still not the one I'm thinking of! very frustrating, the dress i am recalling had the lace higher over the back/shoulders but with a wide V neckline coming towards the centre of the bust...

Luis Alfonso de Borbon and Maria Margarita Vargas, (disputed) Duke and Duchess of Anjou?
http://www.theroyalforums.com/forum...gas-santaella-6-nov-04-a-3993.html#post140349

 

[monkeyfish]

I watched the wedding live on BBCAmerica on Friday and then promptly got offline for the entire weekend due to a previously scheduled trip, so this is the first chance I've had to come to the forums since the day before the wedding.

I have to say that I loved the dress. I thought it was beautifully cut, very well made, and aboslutely suited Catherine to perfection. I was worried about it being Sarah Burton because nothing I'd seen in her collection struck me as even remotely appropriate or at all like Catherine's tastes. Ms. Burton proved herself by clearly listening to her client and working to make a gorgeous gown that was timeless and classic, while still having a slightly modern twist in terms of the silhouette of the bodice.

I was thrilled to see the scroll tiara on Catherine's head, as it was my favorite choice for her. I thought the veil was an odd length - the way it ended around the bustle of the dress obscured the view and so it was sort of a distraction for me. I would have preferred it to have been a little longer.

My only other criticism is that I thought her boquet was a little too small. I certainly didn't want to see something huge and overpowering that would eclipse the gown, but it seemed more like something a bridesmaid would carry than a bride at a royal wedding. I loved the symbolism of the flowers, though.

Overall, I thought the entire outfit was a triumph. The dress fit her beautifully, and Catherine wore the gown, not the other way around. It was appropriate for the venue and the ocassion, yet true to her own taste and style. She handled herself beautifully, as well. I was really very proud of her, for lack of a better way of putting it.

My final comment is this: seeing two people who are clearly in love was the most beautiful part of all. You can't buy or fake that happy glow, and they were bathed in it. Hooray!

 

[MisterMehmet]

cate was perfect bride. i love the wedding and my wife was cry all day. i missed diana.

 

[kate2]

I found this photo of Prince Pieter-Christiaan & Anita (Netherlands) Wedding and the dress is similar to Catherine's.

but still not the one I'm thinking of! very frustrating, the dress i am recalling had the lace higher over the back/shoulders but with a wide V neckline coming towards the centre of the bust...

Do you mean Princess Clare's dress from Belgium? That one also I had a lace top...
http://img272.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=845660332_16_122_201lo.jpg

 

[Sasha3]

Everything about the wedding I liked, can't wait to get a magazine with a close up of Catherine, HRH Duchess of Cambridge's dress would love to see the details of it as I would love to paint a portrait of her in her dress with HRH Prince William Duke of Cambridge, weird now saying that, can't believe it that I was 11 when his parents got married and now 30 yrs later their son's marriage.