In our last blog post we explored some very nontraditional weddings. More specifically, we looked at five celebrity weddings that were perfect for Halloween. It was a fun way to show how some couples – famous ones, at that – have broken from the norm to make their wedding whatever they wanted it to be.
That being said, what many want it to be is that perfectly classic fairytale wedding with the bride all dressed in white. In that spirit, let’s flip things back the other way and look at the top 10 absolutely gorgeous vintage royal wedding gowns. After all, who knows how to throw a classic fairytale wedding better than royal families?
As Pop Sugar points out, there is a long and storied history of royal brides from the world over donning beautiful white dresses. These real life princesses’ and queens’ wedding attires are literally what you envision when you think of, “Here comes the bride, all dressed in white.”
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, 1960
The younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth and sole sibling of Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret had the distinction of having the first royal wedding to be broadcast on television. For her 1960 marriage to photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones at Westminster Abbey, she wore a gown designed by Norman Hartnell.
Princess Caroline of Monaco, 1978
A scant 65 guests were invited to Princess Caroline’s lavish 1978 wedding to Philippe Junot, a Parisian banker. The guest list was short, but not short on celebs – Ava Gardner, Frank Sinatra and Cary Grant were in attendance. The 21-year-old Caroline wore a gown designed by March Bohan for Christian Dior.
Queen Silvia of Sweden, 1976
Born in Heidelberg, Germany, Queen Silvia of Sweden married King Carl XVI Gustaf in 1976 and mothered the heir apparent to the Swedish throne, Crown Princess Victoria, in 1977. For her marriage at Stockholm Cathedral the queen wore a simple but elegant Marc Bohan for Christian Dior gown with a 12-foot train.
Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, 1966
The reigning Queen of the Netherlands from 1980 through 2013 (abdicated), Princess Beatrix is the oldest daughter of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld. In June of 1966 she was wed to the diplomat Claus von Amsberg, and Beatrix wore a traditional gown by Caroline Bergé-Farwick of Maison Linette, a couturier to the royal family.
Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco, 1956
At a still young age, Grace Kelly left her home of Philadelphia to seek fame as an actress in New York City, going on to win an Academy Award for Best Actress. Her travels eventually took her even farther, as she married Ranier III, Prince of Monaco in 1956. On her big day Kelly wore a gown designed by MGM costumer Helen Rose.
Princess Diana of Wales, 1981
Here’s a royal princess who really needs no introduction. The Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, who is the heir apparent to Queen Elizabeth II. For her marriage, Princess Di wore a dress from David and Elizabeth Emanuel.
Queen Fabiola of Belgium, 1969
The wife of Baudouin, King of the Belgians, Queen Fabiola was Queen consort of the Belgians for 33 years. In December of 1960 she was wed at a ceremony at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula, and she wore an art deco tiara. Her ermine and satin dress was designed by Cristóbal Balenciaga.
Princess Sofia of Spain, 1962
Born a Greek princess, Sofia became the Queen of Spain upon her 1962 marriage to King Juan Carlos I. Their wedding ceremony was held at the Catholic Cathedral of Saint Dionysus in Athens. As she made her way down the aisle, the soon-to-be queen wore a white gown by Jean Dessès.
Duchess Fergie of York, 1986
A writer, charity patron, public speaker, film producer and television personality – not to mention the whole duchess thing – Sarah, aka “Fergie,” is the younger daughter of Major Ronald Ferguson and Susan Barrantes. For her 1986 wedding to Prince Andrew, Duke of York, she dressed in a gown by Lindka Cierach.
Queen Rania of Jordan, 1993
Known for her advocacy work in the fields of health, education and more, Queen Rania was born in Kuwait and married Abdulla bin All-Hussein, who became the King of Jordan. For their 1993 marriage she wore a dress by British designer Bruce Oldfield.
Cubic Zirconia
All of this talk of classically beautiful wedding gowns is exciting, but let’s not forget about the most important wardrobe accessory: your engagement ring. If you’re thinking about getting engaged but don’t want to overspend on the ring, you don’t have to sacrifice. Choose a Russian Formula cubic zirconia engagement ring from Birkat Elyon for a stone that’s a beautiful as it is affordable.