Rhiannon Hendricks
Grace Kelly's wedding dress, worn during her wedding to Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, is considered one of the most elegant and best-remembered bridal gowns of all time. The dress, designed by Helen Rose, is said to have cost $65,200 to make in 1956, which is equivalent to around $623,000 today. The iconic dress has inspired countless bridal gowns, including those of Miranda Kerr, Paris Hilton, and Kate Middleton. The gown was crafted by a 35-member team, including dyers, beaders, milliners, seamstresses, hand embroiderers, and sketch artists, using a combination of luxurious fabrics and intricate details.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Designer | Helen Rose |
| Year | 1956 |
| Cost in 1956 | $65,200 |
| Cost in 2024 | $623,000 |
| Fabric | Rose point lace, silk faille, silk tulle, seed pearls, wax flowers, peau de soie, silk net, silk taffeta, val lace |
| Veil Fabric | Silk illusion net, rose point lace, pearls |
| Veil Length | 90 yards |
| Number of Parts | 10 |
| Number of People Involved in Creation | 30 seamstresses, 5 other specialists |
| Time Taken to Make | 6 weeks |
| Number of Yards of Fabric Used | Over 400 |
| Style | High-necked, long-sleeved, fitted torso, billowing skirt |
| Height of Heels | 2.5 inches |
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What You'll Learn
Grace Kelly's wedding dress cost $65,000 in 1956
Grace Kelly's wedding dress, designed by MGM costume designer Helen Rose, cost $65,000 in 1956. The dress was a gift to Kelly from MGM Studios, where she had worked as an actress. The iconic gown has been described as "the marital fervour" and has influenced many brides, including Miranda Kerr and Paris Hilton.
The dress was crafted by a 35-member team, including dyers, beaders, milliners, seamstresses, hand embroiderers, and sketch artists. The team worked for six weeks to create the masterpiece, using 25 yards each of peau de soie and silk taffeta, 100 yards of silk net, and 300 yards of val lace for the ivory gown and veil. The veil was designed not to hide Kelly's face, using silk illusion net and finishing touches of rose point lace, re-embroidered with thousands of tiny pearls.
The gown was made in four parts: a bodice with an attached underbodice, skirt support, and slip, which were covered with a skirt and two petticoats, one of them an attached foundation petticoat. A cummerbund and a lace insert in the back completed the look. The bodice, in particular, took two skilled seamstresses one month to re-embroider two pieces of lace together.
The wedding dress of the American actress Grace Kelly, worn during her wedding to Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, on 19 April 1956, is considered one of the most elegant and best-remembered bridal gowns of all time. The high-necked, long-sleeved gown with a fitted torso and billowing skirt was designed in collaboration with Kelly herself, who drew inspiration from costumes in the MGM archives.
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The dress was a gift from MGM Studios
The wedding dress of Grace Kelly, the American actress who married Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, in 1956, is one of the most famous royal wedding gowns in history. It is also one of the most expensive wedding dresses ever made. The dress was a gift to Kelly from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Studios, where she worked closely with costume designer Helen Rose to come up with the design. The two women looked to costumes in the MGM archives for inspiration. A wedding dress from the MGM film 'Invitation' is particularly similar to Grace's dress.
The dress reportedly required six weeks and 30 seamstresses to make. The gown was crafted by a 35-member team, including dyers, beaders, milliners, hand embroiderers, and sketch artists. The elegant gown was comprised of 10 separate parts that the studio's wardrobe department handmade using over 400 yards of fabric. Twenty-five yards each of peau de soie and silk taffeta, 100 yards of silk net, and 300 yards of val lace were used for the ivory gown and veil. The gown is a combination of rose point lace, silk faille, silk tulle, seed pearls, and wax flowers.
The wedding dress cost $65,200 to make in 1956, which is equivalent to $623,000 today. The dress's high cost can be attributed to the expensive materials used, such as the lace and pearls. The dress featured long sleeves and covered the bride's entire front and back. It was made in four parts, including a bodice with an attached underbodice, skirt support, and slip, which were covered by a skirt and two petticoats, one of which was an attached foundation. A cummerbund and a lace insert in the back completed the look.
The wedding attire included a headdress, veil, shoes, and a lace- and pearl-encrusted prayer book, which she carried down the aisle instead of a bouquet. Grace Kelly's wedding dress has inspired countless dresses, including Kate Middleton's bridal attire, and it remains one of the most iconic and influential wedding gowns of all time.
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It was designed by Helen Rose
Grace Kelly's wedding dress was designed by Helen Rose, the costume designer at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) studios. The dress was a gift to the actress from the studio, and it is considered one of the most famous royal wedding gowns in history.
Helen Rose worked closely with Kelly to design the dress, taking inspiration from costumes in the MGM archives. The final design was a high-necked, long-sleeved gown with a fitted torso and billowing skirt. The materials included twenty-five yards of silk taffeta, one hundred yards of silk net, peau de soie, tulle, and 125-year-old Brussels rose point lace. The veil, also designed by Helen Rose, was made of tulle and measured ninety yards.
The dress was crafted by a 35-member team, including dyers, beaders, milliners, seamstresses, hand embroiderers, and sketch artists. It took six weeks and thirty seamstresses to create the gown, which was made in four parts: a bodice with an attached underbodice, skirt support, and slip, covered by a skirt and two petticoats, one of which was an attached foundation. The seamless bodice took two skilled seamstresses one month to embroider together two pieces of lace.
Helen Rose's design for Grace Kelly's wedding dress has inspired countless bridal gowns and is considered one of the most elegant and memorable bridal gowns of all time.
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The dress was made using over 400 yards of fabric
Grace Kelly's wedding dress was crafted using over 400 yards of fabric. The dress was a gift to the actress from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Studios, where she had worked. It was designed by MGM costume designer Helen Rose, who worked closely with Kelly to come up with the design. The two women looked to costumes in the MGM archives for inspiration. The dress was made in four parts, consisting of a bodice with an attached underbodice, skirt support, and slip, which were covered with a skirt and two petticoats, one of them an attached foundation petticoat. The gown was crafted by a 35-member team over six weeks, including dyers, beaders, milliners, seamstresses, hand embroiderers, and sketch artists.
The materials used for the dress included twenty-five yards each of peau de soie and silk taffeta, one hundred yards of silk net, tulle, and 125-year-old Brussels rose point lace. The veil, made of tulle, measured 90 yards. The dress was high-necked with long sleeves, a fitted torso, and a billowing skirt. The seamless bodice took two skilled seamstresses one month to embroider two pieces of lace together.
The wedding dress of Grace Kelly, an American actress, is considered one of the most elegant and best-remembered bridal gowns of all time. It has inspired countless dresses, including Kate Middleton's bridal attire. The dress set the tone for conservative wedding dresses and is one of the most expensive wedding dresses in history, costing $65,200 to make in 1956, which would be worth $623,000 today.
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It inspired countless bridal gowns
Grace Kelly's wedding dress has inspired countless bridal gowns. The dress, designed by Helen Rose, is considered one of the most iconic and elegant bridal gowns of all time. The Hollywood star's wedding in 1956 to Prince Rainier launched her into the realm of royal wedding legend.
The dress was a gift from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Studios, where Kelly was an actress. It was crafted by a 35-member team over six weeks, including dyers, beaders, milliners, seamstresses, hand embroiderers, and sketch artists. The gown is a combination of rose point lace, silk faille, silk tulle, seed pearls, and wax flowers. Twenty-five yards each of peau de soie and silk taffeta, 100 yards of silk net, and 300 yards of val lace were used for the ivory gown and veil. The veil was designed not to hide Kelly's face, using silk illusion net and finishing touches of rose point lace, reembroidered with thousands of tiny pearls.
The dress has been admired, dissected, and imitated many times over the years. It has inspired bridal gowns worn by celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Kitty Spencer, Kate Middleton, and Miranda Kerr. Middleton's wedding gown, designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen, featured a train designed to look like the opening of a flower, with panels spreading out behind the bride in a nine-foot-long train. In 2021, Paris Hilton wore an Oscar de la Renta wedding dress inspired by Grace Kelly's gown.
The influence of Grace Kelly's wedding dress extends beyond celebrity weddings. Brenda Janowitz's novel, 'The Grace Kelly Dress' (2020), explores the influence of the dress over 60 years. It is also said to have inspired the wedding dress of Once Upon a Time's Emma Swan when she married Captain Hook in the musical episode, "The Song in Your Heart".
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Frequently asked questions
Grace Kelly's wedding dress cost \$65,200 to make in 1956, which is the equivalent of around $623,000 today.
Grace Kelly's wedding dress was designed by Helen Rose, the MGM Studios costume designer. Kelly worked closely with Rose to come up with the design, taking inspiration from costumes in the MGM archives.
Grace Kelly's wedding dress was made from 25 yards of silk taffeta, 100 yards of silk net, peau de soie, tulle, and 125-year-old Brussels rose point lace. The veil, made of tulle, measured 90 yards.
