Catherine Middleton's Wedding Dress

[RubyPrincess168]

As for Grace Kelly's, while it was pretty, it was designed by Helen Rose, wardrobe designer at MGM. The MGM wardrobe department made the wedding dress as a gift from MGM. At the time she was tied to an MGM contract for another 7 years. To get out of her 7 year contract with MGM Grace Kelly had to agree to the wedding being filmed by MGM for worldwide distribution. She later said she regretted the filming intruding on her wedding day. She supposedly didn't care too much for her dress.

It certainly didn't look comfortable, and from video footage I've seen she couldn't move very well in it either. It didn't mesh well with the rest of GK's style so I doubt she had much imput in the design of the dress.

It doesn't surprise me that Catherine's dress is a very classic style that's been around for 50+ years. It's a dress for women who would wear a strapless dress if they could, but can't because of church regulations. So they go with the next best thing - strapless bodice with lace sleeves and shoulders.

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Whether the dress was designed by MGM or not it was a beautiful dress and stands the test of time. Obviously as shown by Kate and Isabella Orsini, it is still inspiring brides almost 60yrs later.

 

[Jaya]

It certainly didn't look comfortable, and from video footage I've seen she couldn't move very well in it either. It didn't mesh well with the rest of GK's style so I doubt she had much imput in the design of the dress.

It doesn't surprise me that Catherine's dress is a very classic style that's been around for 50+ years. It's a dress for women who would wear a strapless dress if they could, but can't because of church regulations. So they go with the next best thing - strapless bodice with lace sleeves and shoulders.

I had noticed the same thing. Kate had some difficulties sporting the gown easily.She appeared to be held down and back a bit by it.and took cautious steps.....Whereas Grace could have done a cartwheel in hers. Kate had a difficult time getting out her vows.[possibly the inside of the gown had a waist pincher and that kept her diaphragm suppressed without accentuating the bosom; there appeared there a steel armour bodice which looked difficult to move in.] I also agree that Kate herself may not have done much of the designing or comtemplation of the design as GK did . While many say the gown can stand the test of time the detailed work could not be seen on camera and as such was not truly appreciated for the beauty and intricacy.

 

[Skippy]

I had noticed the same thing. Kate had some difficulties sporting the gown easily.She appeared to be held down and back a bit by it.and took cautious steps.....Whereas Grace could have done a cartwheel in hers. Kate had a difficult time getting out her vows.[possibly the inside of the gown had a waist pincher and that kept her diaphragm suppressed without accentuating the bosom; there appeared there a steel armour bodice which looked difficult to move in.] I also agree that Kate herself may not have done much of the designing or comtemplation of the design as GK did . While many say the gown can stand the test of time the detailed work could not be seen on camera and as such was not truly appreciated for the beauty and intricacy.

According to me, RubyPrincess168 meant Grace Kelly's dress and the difficulty she had moving in it and not Catherine's dress.

 

[monkeyfish]

First, I reject the notion that Catherine's dress was intended to be a next-best-thing for someone who really wanted to wear a strapless dress and wasn't allowed to do so. I'm sorry, but that's just ridiculous. The style of the lace overlay isn't anything new, and it certainly predates the (imo, trashy) trend of brides going strapless in church.

Second, I don't see anything that suggests that Catherine couldn't move in her dress or had trouble breathing and speaking. Her voice was quiet during her vows...so what? Perhaps she spoke quietly because she was speaking only to the man standing to her immediate right, and so using a stage voice wasn't at all necessary. I thought that the couple tried very hard to make the actual marriage ceremony as intimate as it could be, between them, the Archbishop who was leading them through it, and God. Kudos to them for knowing the point and not viewing it as high theater. I also saw no evidence that she had difficulty moving in her gown, in fact I thought she moved far more naturally and easily in it than Grace Kelly did in hers, which is neither here nor there.

 

[Jacknch]

I'm not sure that either Grace or Catherine had difficulty in moving in their wedding dresses - they were simply walking slowly and very regally. Three layers of tuille and one layer of silk is not heavy and would not leave the wearer wading along as if walking in mud! Perhaps sitting down might have been rather uncomfortable because of the corsetry involved?

 

[KittyAtlanta]

I agree that she moved quite freely and gracefully. For those who wanted to see her "float" in and out of the abbey, that would have been difficult, as there is always friction and drag between the train and carpet. To "float" the floor has to be a hard, polished surface.

 

[Vita]

I as well could not see unease in her movements. I could tell she was nervous and she held her father's arm tightly but once she met William at the alter, I saw her relax immensely. The dress was perfect for Catherine and I am sure she felt beautiful in it and more importantly William-and we ALL witnessed this so there is no controversy-thought she was and told her so! And that is enough for me.

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Catherine seemed more relaxed than Grace on that day. I did catch a glimpse of her shoes and perhaps she was just being careful as not to stumble in them. I don't recall seeing a lot of video of Grace walking in her dress but overall she looked very serious and stoic on her wedding day.

 

[KittyAtlanta]

Marriage is a Sacrament, deserving the utmost in deportment. Also, I don't think Grace walked down the aisle. It was she who waited at the altar for the Prince to walk down the aisle.

Is that right? Someone tell me I was dreaming!

 

[chelly]

I looked it up and someone has clips of it on youtube. and it looks like she waited for him.

 

[Mia_mae]

What!? didn't know that..... definitely prefer the other way around
Grace did look sad and tired at her wedding but I always associated that with the amount of press she had to deal with when she arrived at Monaco (I remember a friends of hers talking to the A&E' Biography about the wedding day).

There is another post asking which royal wedding gown was your favorite, and my first choice was Grace's Kelly so I really was happy with Catherine's choice. I love lace and was really please to see it.

Sorry, but Catherine didn't had ANY difficulty walking down the abbey. She did slowly but no time to rush, people. You know, with millions watching, I would take my time, besides remember behind her was Pippa walking with 2 small girls.
Also, go back and pay attention to the music. It's soo precise they must have practiced many times.

 

[chelly]

Are you not supposed to walk slowly when you are going up the aisle, well you are walking with someone. So that would make it a little difficult to skip to the groom. I didn't think either bride (Grace or Catherine ) had trouble walking to the front. I think Catherine's dress was prettier. Her dress seemed to have more detail.

 

[RubyPrincess168]

YouTube - Grace Kelly's wedding part 2
At about 3:22 you can see Grace & Ranier leaving the church and it looks like she has difficulty with her dress. This is the image that has always stuck in my mind, and to which I was refering to in an earlier post. Upon watching the whole video I see she had a much easier time in the dress, and maybe just moved slowly for the sake of the cameras. (And I love how the announcer pronounces 'Monaco' - is that the right way?).

 

[Daphoenyx]

I've never seen that video, indeed it looks like Grace was being very serious and solemn in her wedding day.

Also, the announcer pronounces Mona'co in an English way... The correct form, in French, would be with the accent in the last "o", like Monaco'.

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

I concur that Catherine didn't have difficulty walking down the aisle. From what I have learned, all the royal brides, Diana, Sarah, and Catherine, had to walk at a certain pace so as to get to the alter at the right time with the music. Kate got to William's side right at the time of the climax of the music. Plus about 95% of her guest would not get to see the actual ceremony unless on tv, so the bride has to walk slow so they can see her.

 

[KittyAtlanta]

It's not the bride's job to get to the altar when the music ends, it is the job of the musicians/organist to pace with them as they walk.

 

[grevinnan]

It's not the bride's job to get to the altar when the music ends, it is the job of the musicians/organist to pace with them as they walk.

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.

 

[grevinnan]

The current issue of Hello has numerous photos from the wedding and the gown looked absolutely lovely. The photos show more detail than even my high resolution, big screen computer does. Well worth the time to browse the magazine.

 

[Mia_mae]

The current issue of Hello has numerous photos from the wedding and the gown looked absolutely lovely. The photos show more detail than even my high resolution, big screen computer does. Well worth the time to browse the magazine.

Tnks for that info. I was trying to decide which magazine I should buy (here the currency makes it 4x more expansive than the actual price so...). I was wondering if Life special issue was a god one also, they tend to have great pictures.

 

[Frideswide]

In past times, what is now called a "blusher" was called a veil. You can't veil your face unless you are wearing a veil. Blusher is simply an evolution in vernacular and I like it.

In England the whole thing is still called a veil, whether or not it's used to cover the face. I've never heard the term 'blusher'. Must be an Americanism.

 

[KittyAtlanta]

I'm quite sure you are correct. On this board was the first time I heard of "blusher," but it could be a regional description.

 

[IloveCP]

When I first saw the dress I liked it,but then I didnt.I realised that it was unoriginal,because everyone was comparing it to Grace Kelly.And also Ive read somewhere that many women say she "copied" their dress.

Im am very disappointed that her dress was not original even though she did look beautiful.

I cant wait until I see Charlenes dress.I hope its original.

 

[KittyAtlanta]

As many of us have said, there's only so much you can do with a traditional wedding dress. This was a traditional dress and was original. None of those other women had a piece of lace belonging to Wills' mother incorporated into it. Also, the lace was specially made: original. The silk was woven specially for the gown: original. The designer had never designed/fashioned for a royal wedding til now: original.

In any case, it didn't have to be original.

 

[charlottestreasures]

I didn't know that a piece of Diana's lace was incorporated into the dress.

The more I look at pictures of the dress from various Commemorative
Issues it becomes even more beautiful

It didn't seem to be show well on camera, from what we seen anyway.

Such exquisite detail and the corset part with bustle, absolutely gorgeous.

 

[KristineML]

The current issue of Hello has numerous photos from the wedding and the gown looked absolutely lovely. The photos show more detail than even my high resolution, big screen computer does. Well worth the time to browse the magazine.

My sister was gushing to me about the Hello pictures earlier tonight. I'm thinking this is the magazine I'm going to get. I'm hoping to get a book someday too.

 

[RubyPrincess168]

The more I look at pictures of the dress from various Commemorative
Issues it becomes even more beautiful

It didn't seem to be show well on camera, from what we seen anyway.

Such exquisite detail and the corset part with bustle, absolutely gorgeous.

I agree it didn't translate as beautifully on camera as it did in the photos. You couldn't see the embroidery at the bottom of the gown, etc.

 

[Mia_mae]

One thing that you couldn't see that well was the color of the dress. Once she arrived at the abbey it seemed so white and once you see the pictures you can see it has a more creamy color to it. actually I still am not sure about this. Anyways I'll try to buy my copy today to see.

 

[tea-n-tiaras]

YouTube - Grace Kelly's wedding part 2
At about 3:22 you can see Grace & Ranier leaving the church and it looks like she has difficulty with her dress. This is the image that has always stuck in my mind, and to which I was refering to in an earlier post. Upon watching the whole video I see she had a much easier time in the dress, and maybe just moved slowly for the sake of the cameras. (And I love how the announcer pronounces 'Monaco' - is that the right way?).

It looked to me as if one of the little attendants might have stepped on her dress a bit and she was looking back to make sure she was free. If that's what happened she covered it well I think she moved very elegantly.

Actually, after watching this video, I love her dress even more than before.

 

[grammas26]

A blusher is a term used for the part of the veil that covers the bride's face. I know it has been in use for over 50 years, because my mother's veil was described that way in the newspaper account of her wedding. I did not use one as my veil was fingertip length like Catherine's. I had a sister wear a fancy hat which was vastly becoming and another sister with a fingertip veil. I thought the look was very nice. Must be an Americanism because I have lived her most of my life and seen several veils described this way over the years.