ICYMI, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are getting married at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on May 19, and the center of attention has, predictably, been what gown Meghan will choose. Although we won’t know for certain what she’ll wear until she steps out of the car, here’s all the intel currently available about this very important royal wedding fashion moment.
1. Meghan most likely will wear two dresses on the big day
“The wedding will be split into two, much like William and Kate[‘s],” an insider told Us Weekly, “so both Meghan and Harry will have second outfits.”
According to royal correspondent Katie Nicholl via Vanity Fair, both dresses will be custom-made. Sources reveal that there will be “a traditional bridal gown for the ceremony and reception, and a glamorous, more sophisticated dress for the evening.
“Meghan can’t wait to surprise everyone,” the source said, “especially Harry.”
2. She has already chosen the designer
Sources say Meghan has already chosen her dress and had a fitting. But this should come as no surprise. Of course you’d have picked out your bridal gown less than three months away from your wedding, especially if it is a custom-designed piece, which Meghan’s likely is. The process of buying one (even for a commoner) takes way too long to leave until the last minute.
Sources tell me that Meghan Markle has officially picked a wedding dress designer and had her first fitting at Kensington Palace last week
— Omid Scobie (@scobie) January 19, 2018
3. These are the designers experts think she’ll wear
Ralph & Russo: She wore a Ralph & Russo design in her engagement photos.
Roland Mouret: The designer is a longtime friend of Meghan’s and refused to comment on whether or not he was making The Dress.
Burberry: A leading English fashion house that British designer Henry Holland believes is a top contender. According to the Daily Mail, company executives attended “several meetings” recently to “coordinate what has been described as a ‘major PR strategy’ around a ‘high-profile’ dress.'”
Alexander McQueen: The same designer who made Kate’s gown.
Erdem: A Canadian brand Meghan loves.
Jenny Packham: A British designer who’s another Kate Middleton favorite.
Inbal Dror: Sketches of a wedding dress for Meghan to consider were leaked to the press.
4. Some suspect Erdem is the front-runner
After People reported that the British-Canadian designer was said to be “staffing up” and employing an in-house PR manager, speculation that Erdem could in fact be creating The Dress went wild. Meghan has often worn Erdem in the past, and the romantic designs are a favorite of Kate’s too. Still, the label has not confirmed anything.
5. Victoria Beckham will not be the designer
Fans speculated whether Meghan would wear Victoria Beckham, given the fact she recently wore the designer’s sweater. But all hopes on that front have been dashed. “She looked absolutely beautiful in my jumper,” Victoria told the Guardian. “I’m sure it will be a really fun wedding. But no, she hasn’t asked me to do the dress.”
6. It will be somewhat conservative and very formal
Hey, it’s a royal wedding, so even though Meghan’s style feels fresh and modern, and she takes some fashion risks (like wearing a sheer-bodice design for her engagement photos), her bridal gown will probably be somewhat traditional. “I think that when you’re looking at Windsor Castle as the backdrop, that’s exactly the right note to be hitting,” Royal biographer Katie Nicholl told InStyle. “I’m told … that she wants something that incorporates lace and she’s quite keen on sleeves of some description, which would all suggest that you’re not going to see a sexy, slinky gown à la Pippa Middleton at Kate’s wedding.”
7. Even so, it probably will be romantic
Meghan described her dream wedding gown in a 2016 interview with Glamour. “I have the luxury of wearing beautiful pieces of clothing every day for work, so my personal style — wedding or not — is very pared-down and relaxed,” she said. “Classic and simple is the name of the game, perhaps with a modern twist. I personally prefer wedding dresses that are whimsical or subtly romantic.”
8. There’s no chance it will look like her first wedding dress
Meghan wore a strapless column gown to marry Trevor Engleson in 2011. (The two divorced two years later.) Given the grandeur of the royal wedding and the fact that she’s alluded to wearing sleeves, she most likely won’t go with a look like this one.
9. Despite rumors, chances are it won’t cost more than Kate’s gown
Though there have been rumors that Meghan’s dress will cost hundreds of thousands of pounds and be even pricier than Kate’s McQueen design, that’s probably unlikely. “Kate Middleton’s dress cost Dhs782,338 (150,000 pounds),” Nicholl told Entertainment Tonight. “It was [Kate’s] parents, Carol and Michael Middleton, who paid for that bill. I think it’s very unlikely that Meghan would spend more than that and, in doing so, try and upstage a future queen … I think it’s gonna tick all the right boxes: traditional, elegant, sophisticated, memorable, and fitting.”
10. Harry doesn’t even know which designer Meghan will wear
According to inside sources, the groom-to-be wants to be kept in the dark about the bridal gown until the last minute. “He’s being very traditional,” insiders said via the Daily Mail, “and wants it to be a complete surprise on the day.”
11. BTW, Harry reportedly will wear a military uniform
According to Us Weekly, Harry probably will wear his full military uniform, as he was newly promoted to Captain General of the Royal Marines. This makes sense, as William was also decked out in his red Colonel of the Irish Guards finery when he married Kate Middleton.
H/T Cosmo US