Looking to style-bite Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex’s wedding dresses for your own special day? Two high-end bridal designers reveal how you can get the look.
On May 19th, 2018, Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, married Prince Harry in a lavish Windsor Castle ceremony. It was everything you’d expect from a royal wedding: formal, packed full of celebrities, and looked like it cost approximately eight frillion dollars.
But let’s get real, we cared little for the formalities – although, yes, there was lots of water cooler talk about Reverend Bishop Michael Curry’s speech. All we could focus on was The Dress. And the best part? We were gifted not one, but two gorgeous dresses that we all added to our Pinterest wedding folders posthaste.
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For the ceremony, Meghan opted for a custom Givenchy gown by Clare Waight Keller, and as predicted, she looked *fire*.
Owner of Malvern-based bridal boutique d’Italia, Rajat Tabeck, says, “Meghan Markle’s ceremony dress is outstanding and timeless. With an open boat neckline and long sleeves, Meghan’s elegance radiated. The wedding dress made an immediate fashion statement, focussing on small meaningful details and keeping the dress itself rather minimal and classic.
“The focus of the dress is the graphic open neckline that gracefully frames the shoulders and emphasizes the slender sculpted waist. The lines of the dress extend towards the back where the train flows in soft round folds cushioned by an underskirt in triple silk organza.”
For her star-studded reception, Meghan opted for an elegant Stella McCartney halter-neck sheath dress, and you can bet it looked ridiculously classy. “Meghan looked absolutely stunning and beautiful in her reception dress,” says Tabeck.
“It featured a modern silhouette and a high halter neckline. The custom gown was simple, modest and its elegance was fitting for the new royal. This clean and sleek look made a fashion statement in the bridal industry.”
View d'Italia's stunning wedding dressesWhat to ask for if you want to custom-design a Meghan Markle style wedding dress.
In terms of what to ask for, Meghan’s ceremony dress was minimalist-elegant and featured a bateau neckline, three-quarter sleeves, and a silhouette design.
Your first course of action should be to screenshot a photo of Meghan’s gown and send it to your dressmaker, however, there are other considerations to… consider.
White Lace bridal boutique founder, Janice Thornicroft, has crafted countless bespoke wedding dresses in her time, and says, “For brides looking to have their dress custom made, I think firstly it’s important to know what style suits their body shape.”
You’ll also want to consider your budget when deciding on the fabric of your gown.
“Satin still remains the most traditional fabric used for wedding dresses and works with every body type,” says Thornicroft.
“Meghan’s gown was made of pure silk organza which would probably not be in the average bride’s budget. However, polyester satin, crepe, or organza fabrics could be substituted and would fall just as beautifully as the famous Givenchy gown.”
- Silk fabrics are made from natural silk fibres and breathe better, particularly in hot climates, but they are extremely costly per metre and wrinkle easily.
- Polyester fabrics, being a synthetic fibre, is a less expensive option and is resistant to wrinkles and shrinking.
- Satin is known for its lustrous appearance and feels beautiful on the skin.
- Crepe has a “pebbly” look.
- Organza is crisp and ideal to create full skirt layers.
- Chiffon is floaty and elegant.
- Georgette has a crinkly texture and is more opaque and slightly sheer.
- Tulle is on-trend for full floaty layered skirts.
Where to find Meghan Markle’s halter neck sheath wedding dress.
1. d’Italia (Melbourne, VIC)
d’Italia Melbourne is a high-end dressmaker based in Melbourne’s trendy inner-east, nestled in amongst quaint coffee shops and popular Glenferrie Road eateries. This boutique can make any wedding dress design you’d like – from A-line wedding dresses to sheath wedding gowns and princess style wedding dresses.
2. White Lace (Perth, WA)
White Lace Perth is helmed by Janice Thornicroft, an international dressmaker with 20+ years of experience. Based in Perth, Janice from White Lace creates bespoke wedding gowns designed in conjunction with her bride. Janice can design a sartorial masterpiece for you at a great price, too – fantastic for Perth brides after an affordable wedding dressmaker.
3. Timeless Elegance (Hobart, TAS)
Timeless Elegance Bridal Launceston has an exquisite range of off-the-rack wedding dresses and also offers dreamy custom designs. Popular with brides all across Tasmania, this boutique is a must for brides after halter sheath wedding dresses, flattering trumpet wedding dresses, and mermaid style wedding gowns.
4. Judith Penak Couture (Melbourne, VIC)
Judith Penak Couture Melbourne designs beautiful wedding dresses with her brides, ensuring every last detail is exactly what her bride is after. She handcrafts gorgeous gowns, including column wedding dresses, ball gowns, tea-length wedding dresses, and empire wedding dresses.
5. Strutt Design Studio (Hobart, TAS)
Strutt Design Studio Hobart is known for their incredible customer service, which comes as no surprise – this experienced team have a combined 32 years of experience in the wedding industry. At Strutt Design Studio, you’ll find an eclectic mix of modern wedding dresses and Meghan Markle style, classic wedding dresses.
Where to find Meghan Markle inspired silhouette wedding dresses with sleeves.
6. Charli Couture (Melbourne, VIC)
Perfect for those with vintage or boho-themed weddings, Melbourne’s Charli Couture has an extensive range of stylish boho wedding dresses, each a stunning, beautifully crafted gown. At Charli Couture, you’ll also – rather contrastingly – find elegant gowns with high-quality lace and beading.
7. Pearl Bridal (Brisbane, QLD)
Pearl Bridal Brisbane stocks a wide variety of impressive designer wedding dresses, including magnificent creations from Justin Alexander, Lillian West, and Rembo Styling, among many others.
8. Ronald Joyce Bridal (Adelaide, SA)
Ronald Joyce Bridal Adelaide is a high-end bridal boutique offering a “wide selection of styles, silhouettes, and luxurious fabrics.” Their designs are indisputably beautiful, with quality and style evident in all their elegant wedding dresses.
9. Kayrouz Bridal (Sydney, NSW)
Kayrouz Bridal is home to one of Sydney’s most sought-after wedding dress designers, Berta Balilti, whose dreamy wedding dress designs are known for their “elegance, sophistication, and touch of sassiness.” Experts in high-end bridal fashion, expect stylish, modern wedding dresses with hints of sexiness.
10. Emily May Bridal (Melbourne, VIC)
Based in Melbourne, Emily May Bridal is a bridal boutique with a range of high-quality but affordable wedding dresses. At Emily May Bridal Melbourne, you’ll find classic, boho, elegant, modern, and romantic wedding dresses.
