It's about time -- here's your first look at Kate Middleton's Royal Wedding dress ... and it's Alexander McQueen!
Here's everything you need to know about the Sara Burton designed dress, from the official press release:
"The lace appliqué for the bodice and skirt was hand-made by the Royal School of Needlework, based at Hampton Court Palace. The lace design was hand-engineered (appliquéd) using the Carrickmacross lace-making technique, which originated in Ireland in the 1820s. Individual flowers have been hand-cut from lace and hand-engineered onto ivory silk tulle to create a unique and organic design, which incorporates the rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock.
Hand-cut English lace and French Chantilly lace has been used throughout the bodice and skirt, and has been used for the underskirt trim. With laces coming from different sources, much care was taken to ensure that each flower was the same colour. The whole process was overseen and put together by hand by Ms Burton and her team.
The dress is made with ivory and white satin gazar. The skirt echoes an opening flower, with white satin gazar arches and pleats. The train measures two metres 70 centimetres. The ivory satin bodice, which is narrowed at the waist and padded at the hips, draws on the Victorian tradition of corsetry and is a hallmark of Alexander McQueen's designs. The back is finished with 58 gazar and organza covered buttons fastened by Rouleau loops. The underskirt is made of silk tulle trimmed with Cluny lace.
The veil is made of layers of soft, ivory silk tulle with a trim ofhand-embroidered flowers, which was embroidered by the Royal School ofNeedlework. The veil is held in place by a Cartier 'halo' tiara, lentto Miss Middleton by The Queen."
Kate also wore diamond earrings from Robinson Pelham.
UPDATE: Many are comparing Kate's dress to the one Grace Kelly, the late Princess Consort of Monaco, wore when she married Prince Rainier III in 1965. See Grace's gown, plus more Royal Weddings below:
Let us know what you think of the gown below!
