Even if you did not wake up extra early to be one of the first to watch the Royal Wedding, you must have seen Catherine Middleton’s wedding dress by now thanks to the photos and tweets exploding over the internet!

I imagined the Royal Wedding dress to be just as it was: long sleeves and a full skirt. Kate’s style indicated that she would most likely not wear anything too deliberately “poufy”, but knowing that all eyes would be on her, she stayed with a regal and traditional wedding gown respectfully appropriate in becoming the future queen of England.

I think it was a very deliberate choice of Kate’s to ask for a gown with lacy, long-sleeves. These gowns are the epitome of classic, elegant glamour, and it all started with Grace Kelly and her impeccable poise in a lacy, long-sleeved gown for her marriage…a look that Ivanka Trump mirrored for her own wedding:



Nicole Richie also had gorgeous lacy sleeves which she paired with a fun, poufy tulle skirt that added an element of whimsy.


{Photo credit: Celebrity Wedding Buzz}

Kate’s dress followed suit with its intricate lace sleeves and took it even further with yards of lace placed subtly on the bodice and skirt. She worked very closely with Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen to design a traditional gown with princess-worthy details yet clean lines and structure, and I think she captured that look in such an elegant way.




Although Kate’s wedding dress was absolutely stunning in its traditional elegance, I am glad to see that she had a second dress, also designed by Burton, for the reception that suited her natural style a little more. The dress was simpler, keeping the full skirt but avoiding lace or beaded details…with the exception of that fantastic belt! I think that belt is so edgy with its sparkly studding and keeps the dress from being too plain.


Will this Princess wedding influence wedding gown choices for Calgary brides…heck, brides around the world? Strapless gowns have been a mainstay of brides for a while now, and although I am not sure how many modern brides would flock to this particular look, lacy sleeved wedding dresses seem to be the natural choice for brides desiring a royal wedding of their own.