Monaco's Royal Wedding
The marriage of Prince Albert II of Monaco to former Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock was the second high-profile royal wedding of the season, and the bride's dress was just as lovely as the gown worn by Britain's Kate Middleton.Seamstresses will appreciate the skills that were necessary to create the Giorgio Armani dress. Sewn in 54 yards of off-white silk-duchesse and even more yards of silk organza, the gown was embellished with 40,000 Swarovski crystals, 20,000 mother of pearl teardrops and 30,000 gold-colored stones. It took 2,500 hours of work to complete Charlene's wedding gown (700 for the floral-motif embroidery, sewn with platinum-coated thread).
Princess Charlene's veil was crafted from over 20 yards of silk tulle, with subtle embroidery that took 100 hours to complete.
Technically, the term "Royal" doesn't apply to the wedding in Monaco -- Princely is a more accurate description for the family's role in the tiny country. But the jewels, the guest list and the celebrations all fall into what I think most of us would consider Royal.
Click on the image for a closer view of Princess Charlene's Wedding Dress, and jump to page 2 for a look at the gown's beading and embroidery detail.
