Princess Kate

Big new is the British press today: Prince William and Kate Middleton have (finally) officially announced their engagement. HRH and Waity Katie, as the tabloids so nicely dubbed the Prince’s girlfriend of 8 years, will marry in the spring or summer of next year. So the bookies are already all over this story, with 13th August 2011 being the hot date to put your money on. ‘Experts’ on all aspects of wedding planning are being quizzed: “Where will they have it?” “Who will be invited?” “What flowers will they choose?” “What flavour will their cake be?” and, most importantly, “Who will design The Dress?” (yes, capital T, capital D, as this dress is bound to set trends for bridal seasons to come).

Even though it has been less than 3 hours since the official announcement, names are already been thrown about by reporters. The first hot tip that I’ve picked out of the scrum so far is Brazilian-born, London-based label, Issa, who Kate is already a fan of. I posted pictures of the Issa spring/ summer 2011 collection during London Fashion Week in September, you may remember my love of the Grecian looking toga-like gowns in bright colours. To refresh your memory, this was my favourite look of the collection:

I find myself feeling quite excited about these pending nuptials, as recent readers will know how fond I am of a wedding. I imagine that the Princess-in-waiting will choose something simple and classic that won’t look dated in years to come. I can’t really see Kate in an over the top Princess Diana style wedding gown, more something subtle with a hint of detail, possibly in the form of a lace overlay. A tiara or magnificent jewels will of course be included in the royal ensemble. I’m trying to find something to illustrate the idea I have, and I have just come across this image from Monique Lhuillier’s Fall 2011 Bridal collection. LOVE it!

I have also found myself drawn back to Lhuillier’s sketch interpretation of Twilight’s Bella Swan wedding dress. This is the exact shape I mean, and, minus the bow at the waist, how gorgeous would Kate look in something similar to this?