Catherine Middleton's Wedding Dress

[Kellydofc]

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!

No, you're not missing anything. I think that almost every episode that's why I was so excited to see Kate's dress it's just the sort I would want for myself. Please let this be the return of sleeves!

 

[lady of hay]

Music is generally not written in such a way that it can be played at a faster or slower pace to such an extent that it will make any difference. You practice your paces prior to the actual ceremony and then both music and bride will be in harmony.

Catherine would have had "music "rehearsals at the Abbey. I had the same prior to my wedding, not at the Abbey, but at a very large parish church.My processional music was the march from Waltons "Crown Imperial", the middle section from Catherine and Williams recessional music. The organist, who was a close friend , had me practice walking slowly, I'm naturally a quick walker !

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

I always thought that the Bridal party were the one's who had to match the music, not the other way around. The musicians just play and the bride etc. have practiced how to keep pace with what is being played. I think it went very well at W*Ks wedding because it was so great when she arrived at the climax of the music.
I don't want to be annoying about this; but if anybody does know the reason as to why Kate held the hand of her father and William as opposed to linking arms, I would really like to know. It's not a huge deal, I have just never seen that done before.

 

[KristineML]

I don't want to be annoying about this; but if anybody does know the reason as to why Kate held the hand of her father and William as opposed to linking arms, I would really like to know. It's not a huge deal, I have just never seen that done before.

This was done at Sophie and Edward's wedding too.

 

[bethaliz6894]

I always thought that the Bridal party were the one's who had to match the music, not the other way around. The musicians just play and the bride etc. have practiced how to keep pace with what is being played. I think it went very well at W*Ks wedding because it was so great when she arrived at the climax of the music.
I don't want to be annoying about this; but if anybody does know the reason as to why Kate held the hand of her father and William as opposed to linking arms, I would really like to know. It's not a huge deal, I have just never seen that done before.

I would like to know why the held hands and not linked arms too.

 

[LadyCatharine]

IMHO, this hand ceremony and no arm linking was dated back to the middle ages Ancient..I could b wong, if I am , someone will chime in.

 

[Daria_S]

IMHO, this hand ceremony and no arm linking was dated back to the middle ages Ancient..I could b wong, if I am , someone will chime in.

Are you referring to the instance when the Archbishop had their hands under a part of his robe (I don't know the correct name for that part of the vestment, so I apologize in advance)? I think that was the binding of the hands, and that does date back to the Middle Ages, if not before. I know that that particular ritual was big in Ireland in that time period, and have no idea if it carried on from there. I apologize if I just totally confused you.

 

[LadyCatharine]

Are you thinking of 'handfasting'?

 

[Skippy]

Are you thinking of 'handfasting'?

I think that is the correct term, but shouldn't these posts be in the Wedding Service thread rather than in this Wedding Dress one?

 

[Daria_S]

Are you thinking of 'handfasting'?

Yes! Thank you for giving the correct term.

On that note, back to topic.

 

[Lumutqueen]

Duchess of Cambridge's McQueen wedding gown to go on show at Buckingham Palace | Mail Online

 

[Mia_mae]

Duchess of Cambridge's McQueen wedding gown to go on show at Buckingham Palace | Mail Online

Now that will be a big line.
It would be nice if Sarah Burton showed the drawing made for the dress.

 

[mrswhitham]

The article says that the cake will be part of the display. The actual cake?! Didn't they eat it? If not, won't it be rather nasty by October?

 

[dazzling]

The article says that the cake will be part of the display. The actual cake?! Didn't they eat it? If not, won't it be rather nasty by October?

Most likely it would be an artificial version of the original cake or something but not the actual sponge and icing as it wont last for 4 days

 

[KittyAtlanta]

The cake could last forever --- it was fruitcake!

 

[monkeyfish]

Most likely it would be an artificial version of the original cake or something but not the actual sponge and icing as it wont last for 4 days

If they'd had sponge that would be true, but they had a traditional English fruitcake. Those are made well in advance (think a month or more) and steeped in spirits. They literally last for ages. My mother in law makes her Christmas fruitcakes in October, and my husband will make his last until his birthday in February. As an American, it grosses me out, but that's apparently normal.

As someone who makes (american style!) cakes myself as a small business, I can say that the icing will solidify and remain stable for quite a long time. Most of the cakes you see in the windows of bakeries are icing and fondant applied to molds (fake cake forms) but the icing and fondant are real and will last for a long time. You wouldn't want to eat it, of course, but it looks fine.

I don't know exactly what they will be displaying - certainly part of the cake was cut and served at the wedding reception. It may be part of the cake (some upper layers?) or it could be a replica that the baker made. Hard to say, I'm curious to learn more!

 

[Kellydofc]

Duchess of Cambridge's McQueen wedding gown to go on show at Buckingham Palace | Mail Online

I wish I could get to this. I always wish they would do a tour of royal wedding gowns.

 

[expat]

In British countries some families have the tradition of keeping the top layer of the wedding cake to be eaten on the first anniversary. As it is fruit cake steeped in spirits and the icing is fondant it could last for even longer than that. But in this case I should imagine it is a replica made when a choice was being made as to which cake the couple wanted.

 

[IloveCP]

I also want to see the sketch,and her putting on the dress on the wedding day like Mette Marit.

Some weeks before the wedding someone on TV said on the day of the wedding they were going to show who the wedding dress designer is and the sketch.I guess she was wrong!

 

[sunshine_93]

Very stylish dress...it reminds me of the dress of Grace Kelly with a little diference.....modest,but stylish and pretty !

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

People keep mentioning Grace Kelly but I am starting to wonder if it was really inspired by her or not. I have been browsing and have seen a lot of wedding dresses, all after the 1950s, that have lace at the top covering the shoulders and arms. It makes me think that it is just a common style and not necessarily a direct copy or inspiration for Grace.

 

[Super Baroness]

People keep mentioning Grace Kelly but I am starting to wonder if it was really inspired by her or not. I have been browsing and have seen a lot of wedding dresses, all after the 1950s, that have lace at the top covering the shoulders and arms. It makes me think that it is just a common style and not necessarily a direct copy or inspiration for Grace.

My grandmother married in June 1956, and her wedding dress is remarkably similar to Catherine's - buttons down the back, sweetheart neckline, a bit of a collar, full sleeves (not lace though but sheer). If my grandmother's dress had a v-neck, it would be a dead ringer for Catherine's. Unfortunately, I cannot ask my grandmother if she chose her gown before or after the April 1956 Monaco wedding - the timing would be just right but I can't be sure if it was a semi-copycat or simply the 1950s.

 

[Osipi]

My grandmother married in June 1956, and her wedding dress is remarkably similar to Catherine's - buttons down the back, sweetheart neckline, a bit of a collar, full sleeves (not lace though but sheer). If my grandmother's dress had a v-neck, it would be a dead ringer for Catherine's. Unfortunately, I cannot ask my grandmother if she chose her gown before or after the April 1956 Monaco wedding - the timing would be just right but I can't be sure if it was a semi-copycat or simply the 1950s.

This is just my supposition but it very well could be a thing of the 1950s. If you watch fashions from that era, the formal gowns were fashionably strapless and full skirted on the Hollywood stars that were so admired then (Grace Kelly included) and for a lot of women were also considered risque' at the time. What probably happened with bridal gowns to make them more acceptable for church wear was to overlay them with lace or sheer material to give the impression of being more moderately covered yet still alluding to the fashionable ball gown look. The 1950s saw women as being a lot more modest in apparel. The bikini although introduced in 1946 was still something mothers didn't let their daughters wear and the mini skirt was just around the corner still.

 

[lady of hay]

I think we should go some way to acknowledge the work by the ladies of the Royal School of Needlework, who worked on the Carrickmacross lace. The washing of hands every 30 mins must have played hovoc with their skin. Lets hope the were provided with some good hand lotion for when they had finished !!

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

I think there was a lot about Grace's gown to admire, the lace just being one. I like the bow wrap around her waist and the cap. I wonder why Grace's bodice is copied but not the cap. JW

 

[Osipi]

I think there was a lot about Grace's gown to admire, the lace just being one. I like the bow wrap around her waist and the cap. I wonder why Grace's bodice is copied but not the cap. JW

Because the design of the dress was uniquely Kate's. The style of the overall appearance does seem to relate to the Grace era but I seriously doubt that the design in Kate's mind said "lets do Grace's dress". The lace itself as told elsewhere was a very laborious, time consuming commission with a lot of pride behind it and a lot of meaning. Its even been said that lace from a dress of Diana's was incorporated into it. This wedding dress was uniquely Kate.

It was the style of the dress that was reminiscent of Grace, not the dress itself. Take it from me. From the minute William and Kate got engaged, the dress was a major topic and from many of us.. too overdone. The biggest fear was that she'd go strapless as that's the trend. All past royal and some not so royal dresses were brought into discussion... even Grace's. MY vote was for one like Maria in the Sound of Music.

When Sarah Burton was almost a shoo in for the designer, looking at her designs in wedding gowns made a lot of us cringe. What we failed to recognize is this is a person that can make things happen the way the customer wants it to be. Kate knew what she wanted and to be honest, delivered something uniquely her own. Not something that was a Grace copy, not something deemed to a time period but something that meant something to her.

 

[Meadow]

For me Kate's dress just didn't have the wow factor because I have seen it in various forms before, and it lacked sparkle. I have a friend who wore one very similar not handmade lace but it was similar with flowers etc. Even the bridesmaids reminded me greatly of Diana's except I preferred the coloured flowers in their hair rather then the white. I thought she looked nice but all brides do. I actually already guessed her hair, the v neck etc before I even saw her. Glad she stayed true to herself but it is something that has already been seen. As for Pippas dress don't even get me started....

 

[Osipi]

For me Kate's dress just didn't have the wow factor because I have seen it in various forms before, and it lacked sparkle. I have a friend who wore one very similar not handmade lace but it was similar with flowers etc. Even the bridesmaids reminded me greatly of Diana's except I preferred the coloured flowers in their hair rather then the white. I thought she looked nice but all brides do. I actually already guessed her hair, the v neck etc before I even saw her. Glad she stayed true to herself but it is something that has already been seen. As for Pippas dress don't even get me started....

Ahhh but to me that was the beauty of the entire wedding. The wedding was of their choosing. We were just invited to watch.

 

[firebee34]

For me Kate's dress just didn't have the wow factor because I have seen it in various forms before, and it lacked sparkle. I have a friend who wore one very similar not handmade lace but it was similar with flowers etc. Even the bridesmaids reminded me greatly of Diana's except I preferred the coloured flowers in their hair rather then the white. I thought she looked nice but all brides do. I actually already guessed her hair, the v neck etc before I even saw her. Glad she stayed true to herself but it is something that has already been seen. As for Pippas dress don't even get me started....

I rated her gown a B. on an A-F scale
I think what Kate tried to do, was have something somewhat traditional (to please the abbey requirements as well as the royal family guidelines), with her own style, and a crowd pleaser all in one. Not an easy task. I personally thought she would go with a boring sheath with a short train and minimum embellishment. I was plesantly surprised with all the lace and the semi-full skirt. I only wish she had gone for a slightly longer train and some sparkle or maybe pearls to add more texture and interest....

Also, for those that criticize the neckline. It was pretty without being overly sexy.
Similarities to Grace Kelly, but in no way a copy. Well done Kate!

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Because the design of the dress was uniquely Kate's. The style of the overall appearance does seem to relate to the Grace era but I seriously doubt that the design in Kate's mind said "lets do Grace's dress". The lace itself as told elsewhere was a very laborious, time consuming commission with a lot of pride behind it and a lot of meaning. Its even been said that lace from a dress of Diana's was incorporated into it. This wedding dress was uniquely Kate.

Um, I was not specifically talking about Kate's dress in reference to using it as an inspiration; I was talking about all the royal brides who seem to be inspired by the lacey look of Grace Kelly; Nathalie, Marie-Chantal, Marie of Denmark(kind of, not exactly). I didn't say Kate's dress wasn't unique to her; as a matter of fact I think the dress was very much her and has little similarity to Grace Kelly's. I just think that is people trying to find similarities in anything. I was actually pleasantly surprised with the dress she chose especially the neckline which was daring and I applaud her for doing.