Vera Wang predicts that Meghan Markles wedding dress will be more modern than sexy
We still dont know many details about Meghan Markles wedding dress.
We dont know who designed it (Ralph & Russo is the frontrunner in the predictions). We dont know what it will look like. We dont know if therell be a veil.
And the maddening thing is, we wont know until the big day, 19 May.
The fun part of that, though, is that weve got a few more weeks of predictions.
And who better to hazard a guess of what Meghan will wear on her wedding day than the queen of weddings, Vera Wang?
First things first, Vera is not designing Meghans dress. Shes officially out of the running – but shes still excited about Harry and Meghan tying the knot.
I get royal wedding mania, Vera told Harpers Bazaar, and its amazing to be able to celebrate a royal wedding with an American – it brings attention to a sense of romance that in our present world we lack a bit of.
AdvertisementAdvertisement
Vera reckons that Meghans dress wont be as princess-y as Diana and Kates, but it wont be too sensual or sexy, either. Instead Vera things Meghan will go for something modern, something with a bit of a twist.
There are two ways for her to go, explains Vera. American or British.
Given her new position, her new status, and her new role, shell very well go British.
Neither full blown royal wedding like Diana or Kate, and neither narrow, sensual and more sexy – I think shell go somewhere in-between that feels a tad more modern.
More: Fashion
Something maybe a tad subtler, not a mermaid but not a full blown royal proportion or anything theatrical. Given that shes not marrying the future king, shell still be a royal, [but] theres a lot to be done between those two worlds.
Sounds interesting, right? Personally were hoping for a Solange style jumpsuit with a cape, but were not convinced that will come to be.
Guess well have to wait and see whose predictions are spot on.
A closer look at the Duchess Of Cambridge's wedding dress
Alexander McQueen's creative director Sarah Burton was the brains behind Kate's elegant – and stunning – lace bridal gown for her wedding to Prince William.
For months speculation was rife on who would be the designer and Sarah had kept a stealthy silence on the matter.
So it was only natural that everyone was clamoring for the first glimpse of Kate in her dress – even it it was shielded in part by the screens at The Goring.
As Kate finally emerged outside Westminster Abbey – with the entire world seeing her dress on TV screens before her husband-to-be had – it was confirmed that Burton was in fact the designer.
She was even on hand to neaten the train – which was 9ft long – on the day and ensure every inch of the dress looked perfect as Kate made her way down the aisle.
It later emerged that Kate and Sarah had been having secret meetings at Hampton Court Palace to discuss the dress – the location chosen due to its proximity to The Royal School Of Needlework, who created the lace for the gown.
It was so hush-hush that staff there were told that the lace they were creating was actually for a period drama.
How much is Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding costing?
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding is expected to cost upwards of £32million.
And you thought your friend's £30,000 wedding was expensive?
Harry and Meghan's royal wedding is taking place on Saturday 19 May, with the world and his wife tuning in to watch the sixth in line to the throne tie the knot – that is, of course, if you're not one of the 2,640 members of the public invited to their big day.
They've had just six months to plan it, announcing their engagement on 27 November last year, but there has been no expense spared.
Wedding planning website and app Bridebook.co.uk has expertly calculated that the overall cost (excluding security) is expected to be over £2,099,873 – that's over 100 times as much as the national average, which is £17,913.
With security costing an eye-watering £30million, suddenly Meghan and Harry have got themselves a £32m wedding.
A total of 800 guests are expected to attend the ceremony and lunchtime reception, followed by 600 at a private evening reception for family and friends. There are also the 2,640 members of the public they've invited to think about, so it's no surprise the wedding is on the expensive side.
Here's a breakdown of Harry and Meghan's wedding costs, in case you're feeling inspired…
Venue – £350,000
Harry and Meghan are tying the knot at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle and luckily, they don't need to worry about paying for the privilege.
While their first receptions is to be held at St. Georges Great Hall, their second reception is being held in a luxurious glass marquee (just like Pippa Middleton had at her nuptials last May) in the grounds of Frogmore House, near Windsor Castle, and these can cost as much as £300,000. Add on catering, security and staff adjoining marquees, it gets pretty pricey.
Catering – £286,000
Catering will be needed for the formal lunch reception for state guests and the intimate dinner reception for close family and friends at Frogmore House. London caterers charge at least £100 per guest for a lunch reception and £300 per guest for a dinner reception, including all food, chefs, staffing and crockery hire.
If Meghan and Harry provide the 2,640 members of the public who they've invited with tea and scones in the grounds of Windsor Castle, that will also set them back a few bob.
Drinks – £193,000
According to Bridebook, the wedding standard is to serve one glass of champagne for every 30 minutes of the drinks reception, in addition to a minimum of half a bottle of wine per person during dinner. They predict around 1,700 bottles of vintage champagne and 650 bottles of fine wine, whiskey and cocktails to accompany dinner and dancing for the 800 plus guests.
While Buckingham Palace's wine cellars – which boast contents worth a reported £2million – will likely provide the champagne and fine wines for the wedding, they will still set the Queen back a few bob. The royal family's favourite champagne is Bollinger and that sells for £80 a go, equating to around £136,000 on bubbles. Throw in a few bottles of Prince Charles favourite 15-year-old Laphroaig Scotch, some of Meghan's favourite wine, Tignanello – the wine she named her former lifestyle blog The Tig after – it adds up pretty quickly.
Dress – £300,000
We are unlikely to find out which designer Meghan has chosen for her wedding dress, but she's expected to spend around £300,000 on a bespoke dress and a tailor-made outfit for the evening.
Flowers – £110,000
There's no secret about Meghan's love of flower – especially peonies.
Considering Meghan and Harry are having their wedding in two locations, the cost of flowers is likely to jump. While us mere mortals would do the sensible thing and use the ceremony flowers during dinner and dancing too, it's likely, with no expense spared, Meghan and Harry will deck all of their wedding venues out.
Photography & Videography- £17,000
The country's top wedding photographers could set you back around £4,500. Meghan and Harry will likely need more than one to ensure all angles are captured, not to mention a videographer so they have the moment on film to watch again and again… and again.
Cake – £50,000
A stunningly-decorated cake from a top cake maker will start from £4,000 and will need to be at least eight tiers to give a slice to each of the 800 guests. Meghan and Harry have chosen Claire Ptak of Violet Bakery in East London and they've gone for a lemon and elderflower buttercream-frosted sponge.
It's also expected Harry and Meghan will go for more than one cake, which will only serve to bump up the cost.
Stationery – £30,000
From save-the-dates to the invitations to name cards, menus and signage around the venue – weddings require a lot of stationery.
Harry and Meghan have used Barnard and Westwood for their beautiful, bespoke invitations, which have now been sent to guests. A 200-piece Bespoke Stationery set from Barnard and Westwood exceeds the £10,000 mark. As the invites, which feature the Three-Feathered Badge of the Prince of Wales printed in gold ink, have gone out to 600 guests, it's a pretty hefty price for invites.
Music – £300,000
Music will feature heavily at their wedding – from bell ringers to the organist and choirs in the church, to musicians for the reception and a top wedding band and DJ. It's even rumoured a top music act like Elton John – or The Spice Girls, even – could perform on the day, although whether they'll charge for the privilege is another thing altogether. One thing's for sure: the best in the business is an expensive business.
Trumpets – £90,000
Prepare to hear the classic Royal Announcement 'dun dun-dun-dun-duuun' coming from 20 bespoke silver-plated fanfare trumpets, all stamped with the Royal Coat of Arms as requested by the Ministry Of Defence. Each of these will set the couple back between £3,000 and £6,000.
Decoration and Production – £130,000
Weddings are all about the wow-factor so expect plenty of amazing lighting and production from the church to the reception to the intimate dinner at Frogmore House.
Wedding Rings – £6,000
Meghan's wedding ring will most likely be Welsh gold – a tradition the royal family have held since 1923: the Queen holds a small amount of gold in the royal vaults. Kate Middleton's wedding ring was created by royal warrant holder Wartski, with ties to Wales, and they are likely to do Meghan's too.
It's expected that Harry will choose to wear a ring, unlike his grandfather Prince Phillip and brother Prince William. Prince Charles, however, does wear a gold band and Harry may follow suit.
Bridesmaids Outfits – £5,000
While Kate only had sister Pippa Middleton as her bridesmaid and then younger flower girls, Meghan is expected to have around three or four, as is the growing trend in both the UK and US, where Meghan is from. A designer bridesmaid dress can cost as much as £1,000 – that's not including all of the alterations that may be needed, which Bridebook has included in its quote.
Flower Girls and Page Boys Outfits – £1,698
Flower girls and page boys are also expected to be in abundance at the royal wedding, with Prince George and Princess Charlotte expected to take center stage. Kate's outfits for her flower girls and page boy outfits were created by Nicki Macfarlane.
Church Fees – £175
Yep, Harry and Meghan will have to pay their marriage fees just like everyone else.
Groomswear – £8,000
Harry is expected to wear a tailor-made Royal Air Force uniform for the wedding – and it won't come cheap. It's also likely he'll wear a custom tuxedo or suit from Savile Row.
Hair and Makeup – £10,000
Hannah Martin of Bobbi Brown and Richard Ward did Kate and Pippas wedding makeup and hair, so Meghan may opt to use them as she has spoken of her love of Bobbi Brown in the past. However, Belgravias Neville Hair & Beauty is also a favourite of Meghans.
Entertainment – £55,000
Anything from a grand fireworks display to photobooths to children's entertainment and even a display from the Royal Air Force could take place at the royal wedding. The budget will need to be big for those impressive stunts that Harry and Meghan will want to wow their guests with.
Wedding Favours – £3,000
It's a given that Harry and Meghan will make their wedding favours personal – but will they take inspiration from America or England? And will they go down the DIY route? Either way, favours for 800 guests won't come cheap.
Toilets – £35,000
Given how many guests are attending their wedding – 800 plus 2,640 members of the public – plenty of toilets is an absolute must. Spend a penny? More like 3,500,000 pennies!
Transport – Free
The Queen's State fleet of three Rolls-Royces, three Daimlers and two Bentleys will no doubt all be in use on the day, meaning they can save a few pounds in the transport department.
The Honeymoon – £120,000
Bridebook predicts that Harry and Meghan will opt for some alone time before the wedding, then whisking their closest friends away for a party-filled holiday to celebrate with them after their big day. It's also expected that Meghan will be paying for the honeymoon as a gift to Harry.
Security – £30 million
The big one: security.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge spent £30,000,000 on security for their 2011 wedding. That's around 15 times as much as Harry and Meghan's whole wedding will cost.
While the wedding might not be in London, security will be just as tight with threats having previously been made to Meghan and thousands of members of the public heading to Windsor to revel in the festivities.
TOTAL – £32,099,873
MORE: Why is Kate Middleton not a Princess when Diana was?
AdvertisementAdvertisement
MORE: Meghan Markles wedding dress more of a showstopper than Kate Middletons frock
AdvertisementAdvertisement