Lyla Dejesus
Meghan Markle wore two wedding dresses on her big day, one for the ceremony and another for the evening reception. The first dress, designed by Clare Waight Keller, artistic director of Givenchy, was a simple yet modern and fresh design, featuring a custom veil embroidered with the 53 flowers of the Commonwealth. The second dress, designed by Stella McCartney, was a bespoke lily white high-neck gown made of silk crepe, with a halter neck, an open back, and a train. Markle's choice to have two dresses followed in the footsteps of Kate Middleton, who also wore two gowns on her wedding day.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of dresses | 2 |
| Reason for two dresses | To have different looks for the first and second portions of her wedding |
| Designer of the first dress | Clare Waight Keller |
| Designer of the second dress | Stella McCartney |
| Type of first dress | Traditional bridal gown |
| Type of second dress | Evening gown |
| Details of the first dress | Simple, modern, and timeless |
| Details of the second dress | Revealing, lily white, high neck, halter neck, open back, train |
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What You'll Learn
Meghan Markle's wedding dress designer
Meghan Markle wore two wedding dresses on her wedding day. The first dress, worn for the ceremony, was designed by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy. Markle chose Waight Keller because she wanted to highlight the success of a leading British designer and because of the designer's elegant aesthetic and relaxed demeanour. The dress was made in Paris and featured a simple, sleek design with a boat neckline, three-quarter-length sleeves, and a train. The dress was made of silk with a triple silk organza underskirt.
The second dress, worn for the evening reception, was designed by Stella McCartney. This dress was more revealing, featuring a high halter neck and an open back. It was made of silk crepe and had a train that Meghan carried as she walked.
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The dress' timeless minimal elegance
Meghan Markle wore two wedding dresses on her big day. The first, designed by Clare Waight Keller, artistic director of Givenchy, was a "very modern and fresh design", according to the designer. The dress was made of double silk cady and featured a custom veil embroidered with the 53 flowers representing the Commonwealth's 53 countries.
The second dress, worn to the evening reception, was a bespoke lily white high-neck gown made of silk crepe, designed by Stella McCartney. It featured a halter neck, an open back, and a train. Meghan carried the train as she walked to the car that would carry her and Prince Harry to their reception.
Markle wanted her dress to remain a secret until the moment she stepped out of her car at St. George's Chapel, following royal tradition. She chose a female designer to create a dress that felt reflective of the world, and specifically chose a British designer to embrace her new home. She worked closely with Waight Keller, particularly on the veil, and the two became close friends.
The dress was designed to be timeless yet modern, with a simple and clean look. It was not a classic bridal dress, reflecting Markle's vision of the world and the kind of woman she is.
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The designer of her second dress
Meghan Markle wore two dresses on her wedding day. The designer of her second dress was Stella McCartney. The dress was a bespoke lily white high neck gown made of silk crepe. It featured a halter neck, an open back, and a train.
McCartney described the experience of designing the dress as "one of the most humbling moments of my career". She also stated that she was "proud to represent British design".
There was much speculation about who would design Meghan's wedding dress. Markle wanted her dress to remain a secret until the moment she stepped out of the car at St. George's Chapel, which is traditional for royal brides. Sources close to Markle said that she was having two dresses custom-made for her wedding: an elaborate yet traditional bridal gown for the ceremony and reception, and a glamorous, more sophisticated dress for the evening.
The designer of Markle's first wedding dress was Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy. The gown was made of double-bonded silk cady and featured a bateau neckline, structured three-quarter sleeves, and a sculpted waistline that fell into a train. It was designed to convey "modernity through sleek lines and sharp cuts" while paying homage to the history of the Givenchy house.
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The dress' similarities to other royal dresses
Meghan Markle's wedding dress choices were compared to those of other royal brides, including Princess Eugenie, Princess Margaret, and Kate Middleton. Markle's first wedding dress, designed by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy, was noted for its simplicity and minimalism, a departure from the opulent lace and crystal embellishments of past royal bridal fashion. Similarly, Princess Eugenie's second dress was described as having a "not-so-white" colour, also breaking with tradition. Markle's second dress, designed by Stella McCartney, was a halter-neck sheath gown with a high neckline and a modern, sleek silhouette. This choice was likened to Princess Margaret's Norman Hartnell silk organza dress, which was also known for its simplicity.
In terms of overall style, Markle's wedding dresses were said to be following in the footsteps of Kate Middleton, who also had two gowns: one for the day and one for the evening. Markle's choice to have two dresses allowed her to follow royal tradition with her first dress and express her personal style with her second, more glamorous gown. This mirrors Princess Eugenie's approach, who also used her second dress to showcase her fashion sense with a pop of colour and intricate details.
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The accessories she paired with her dresses
Meghan Markle wore two dresses on her wedding day: one for the ceremony and one for the evening reception.
For the ceremony, she wore a dress designed by British designer Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy. The dress was made of silk with three-quarter-length sleeves, an open bateau neckline, and a train with a built-in triple silk organza underskirt. The dress was designed to be timeless, modern, and minimalist, with sleek lines and sharp cuts. The bride's veil, also designed by Waight Keller, was embroidered with flowers representing the countries of the Commonwealth, the California poppy, and wintersweet, a flower that grows at Kensington Palace. Markle also had a 16-foot-long veil. She paired her dress with the Queen Mary Diamond Bandeau tiara, which she did not wear during the evening festivities.
For her evening reception, Markle changed into a second dress, a bespoke lily white high-neck gown made of silk crepe, designed by Stella McCartney. The dress had a halter neck, an open back, and a train. She accessorized her look with a pair of Aquazurra heels made of silky satin, with nude mesh and soles painted in baby blue.
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Frequently asked questions
Meghan Markle wore two dresses on her wedding day to Harry, Duke of Sussex, because she wanted to wear something "glamorous and less restrictive" for the evening reception.
Meghan's first wedding dress was designed by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy. The second dress was designed by Stella McCartney.
Meghan's first dress was "simple and modern", made of double silk cady. It featured a 16-foot veil embroidered with the flora of the 53 Commonwealth nations. Her second dress was a "lily white high neck gown made of silk crepe" with an open back.
