Deborah Chan
Meghan Markle's wedding dress, designed by British fashion designer Clare Waight Keller, artistic director of the fashion house Givenchy, is rumoured to have cost $265,000. The dress, which was hand-stitched, featured a veil embroidered with flowers representing the countries of the Commonwealth, the California poppy, and wintersweet, a flower that grows at Kensington Palace. It is believed that Meghan personally paid £100,000 for the dress, which was designed in Paris by a small team of ateliers and required eight fittings.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Designer | Clare Waight Keller |
| Fashion House | Givenchy |
| Cost | Approximately £100,000 ($135,600) or $265,000 |
| Inspiration | Audrey Hepburn, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy |
| Style | Simple, minimalist, sleek, no lace, embroidery, or decorations |
| Veil | Embroidered with flowers representing the countries of the Commonwealth, the California poppy, and wintersweet |
| Something Blue | Fabric from the dress she wore on her first date with Prince Harry |
| Tiara | Borrowed from the Queen's collection |
| Second Wedding Dress | Yes |
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What You'll Learn
Meghan's wedding dress cost
Meghan Markle's wedding dress, designed by British fashion designer Clare Waight Keller, artistic director of the fashion house Givenchy, cost approximately £100,000 (about $135,600). The dress was hand-stitched and featured an open neckline, a small, rounded, neat shoulder, and a sculptural silhouette. It is estimated that the dress took 3,900 hours to design and included eight fittings.
While the cost of Meghan's dress is significant, it is not as expensive as some other royal wedding gowns. For example, it is estimated that Kate Middleton's custom Alexander McQueen gown cost four hundred thousand dollars, and Queen Elizabeth's 1947 Norman Hartnell wedding dress, which is the priciest among British royals, cost the equivalent of $1.6 million in 2025.
There was much speculation about the dress's design and cost leading up to the royal wedding on May 19, 2018. Royal expert Melanie Bromley predicted that the dress would be astronomically pricey, costing "hundreds of thousands of dollars." However, it was also noted that Meghan might want to avoid upstaging her future sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, and that her dress would not be as expensive.
The dress has been described as sleek, simple, and timeless, with some noting similarities to dresses worn by other royal brides, including Angela Brown, Mary Donaldson, and Audrey Hepburn in the film Funny Face. Meghan's dress has also been compared to the style of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, whom Meghan has long admired. The dress is now part of the royal archives and has been displayed at Windsor Castle.
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Who designed Meghan's wedding dress
Meghan Markle's wedding dress was designed by Clare Waight Keller under the Givenchy label. Markle chose Waight Keller because she wanted to work with a female British designer to embrace her new home. She also admired the designer's "elegant aesthetic" and "relaxed demeanour".
The dress was made of double-bonded silk with three-quarter-length sleeves, an open boat neckline, and a train with a built-in triple silk organza underskirt. It was without lace or any other embellishments. The dress was inspired by Markle's affinity for Audrey Hepburn and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, whose iconic wedding looks were known for their simplicity.
The veil, meanwhile, was designed to represent the distinctive flora of each Commonwealth country united in one composition. It was made from five-metre-long silk tulle with a trim of hand-embroidered flowers in silk threads and organza. The veil took longer to create than the dress itself, with embroiderers spending 500 hours completing it.
Waight Keller, who was the first female artistic director of the historic French fashion house, described the experience of designing the dress as "a pleasure to create in this very, very private way". She also noted that she and Markle formed a ""very personal girlfriend relationship" during the process.
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Meghan's wedding dress 'something blue'
Meghan Markle's wedding dress was designed by British fashion designer Claire Waight Keller, artistic director of Givenchy. The dress was made in Paris by a small team of ateliers, and Meghan and Keller met for eight fittings. The dress was simple and classic, with a boat neckline and three-quarter-length sleeves. It has been compared to a number of other famous wedding dresses, including those worn by Angela Brown, Mary Donaldson, and Audrey Hepburn.
The cost of Meghan's dress has not been publicly disclosed, but it was reportedly "astronomically pricey," with one source estimating it to be approximately £100,000 (around $135,600). While it was likely less expensive than the gown worn by Catherine, Princess of Wales, it was still expected to be "featured in the history books" and stand the test of time.
Now, let's delve into the "something blue" detail of Meghan's wedding ensemble. In keeping with the tradition of "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue," Meghan incorporated a sentimental piece of blue fabric into her gown. The fabric was from the dress she wore on her first date with Prince Harry. Meghan's "something blue" was secretly stitched into the hem of her wedding dress by its designer, Clare Waight Keller. This detail was later revealed by Meghan herself in the 2018 documentary "Queen of the World."
In the documentary, Meghan points out the hidden blue fabric, saying, "Somewhere in here, there's a piece of blue fabric that's stitched inside--it was my something blue." This romantic gesture adds a personal touch to Meghan's wedding dress, making it even more special and meaningful.
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Meghan's wedding dress designer inspiration
Meghan Markle's wedding dress was designed by British designer Clare Waight Keller, the artistic director of Givenchy. The dress was simple yet elegant, epitomising timeless minimalism. The pure white sheen of the dress was chosen to evoke modernity, and the fabric, a double-bonded silk cady, was sourced from mills across Europe to achieve a soft matte, yet gracefully luminous effect. The dress featured a boat neckline, three-quarter-length sleeves, and a sculpted waist, with a five-metre-long train.
The design drew inspiration from iconic wedding gowns of Audrey Hepburn and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. The boat neckline was reminiscent of Hepburn's wedding dress in the 1957 film Funny Face, while the sculpted waist and underskirt were similar to Bessette-Kennedy's wedding gown. Markle's dress also channelled Princess Margaret's silk organza dress, designed by Norman Hartnell, for her wedding in 1960. The choice of a contemporary fashion house and a British woman designer was also influenced by Markle's desire to highlight the success of leading British talent.
The dress was estimated to cost around $135,600, with the royal family covering the expenses. The designer, Waight Keller, collaborated closely with Markle, focusing on the bride's personal style and vision for a timeless yet modern gown. The dress was widely praised for its elegance and simplicity, becoming one of the most iconic wedding dresses of all time.
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Meghan's wedding dress compared to Princess Kate's
Meghan Markle's wedding dress was designed by British fashion designer Clare Waight Keller, artistic director of the fashion house Givenchy. The dress was long-sleeved and unembellished, with a simple style that has been compared to dresses worn by Angela Brown, Mary Donaldson, and Audrey Hepburn in *Funny Face*. The dress was not universally admired, with some critics comparing it unfavourably to Princess Kate's dress, and one commentator likening it to a costume from *The Handmaid's Tale*. The dress was expected to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, though the exact figure was never revealed.
Princess Kate's wedding dress, on the other hand, was designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. The custom-made lace long-sleeve gown featured a V-neck and was estimated to cost around $400,000. The dress was widely praised, with some commentators proclaiming it the "victor" over Meghan's dress.
In terms of style, Meghan's dress was noted for its simplicity, while Princess Kate's dress featured more intricate details, such as lace and a V-neck. Meghan's dress was also compared to the dress worn by Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, a style that Meghan had previously expressed admiration for.
Both Meghan and Princess Kate chose to wear tiaras from the Queen's jewellery vault, with Kate wearing the Cartier Halo tiara and Meghan wearing the Queen Mary Diamond Bandeau. Additionally, both brides incorporated a "something blue" into their ensembles, with Meghan stitching something blue into her dress and Princess Kate likely doing the same.
While there was speculation that Meghan might not wear a white wedding dress due to her previous marriage, she ultimately chose a "lily white" gown. In the lead-up to the wedding, there was much anticipation surrounding the dress, with rumours circulating that it would be a custom Ralph & Russo design costing approximately £100,000.
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Frequently asked questions
The wedding dress worn by Meghan Markle is estimated to have cost $265,000 (£100,000).
Meghan Markle's wedding dress was designed by Clare Waight Keller, the artistic director of Givenchy.
It is believed that Meghan Markle personally paid for her wedding dress. However, it was also reported that the royal family would pick up the bill for the wedding, including the dress.
Meghan Markle's wedding dress was inspired by Hollywood and American royalty. The dress was also designed to be "in service to the woman", with a simple, timeless, and elegant aesthetic.
Reactions to Meghan Markle's wedding dress were mixed. Robin Givhan of The Washington Post noted that "it was not a Disney princess fantasy". Desiree Cooper of the Detroit Free Press compared the dress to a costume "straight from The Handmaid's Tale". However, others praised the dress, with Meghan's wedding dress designer, Clare Waight Keller, stating that "there was something about [the gown] that really captured that new journey that [the Sussexes] were going to be on".
