Five years ago this week, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg married Countess Stephanie de Lannoy in a wedding (or two) to remember. The last heir of his generation to say 'I do' did it not once, but twice, as he and his bride exchanged vows in a civil ceremony on October 19th and then again in a religious service on October 20th. In between that they held a gala dinner to celebrate their nuptials with royal guests from across Europe filling the Ducal Palace in Luxembourg on the night of the 19th for a glittering celebration. Which means that not only did royal bride, Stephanie, get two wedding dresses she also got a gala gown to go in her marriage wardrobe sandwich. As the happy couple celebrate their wood anniversary (yep, five years is really owning it with the gifts), let's get all sparkly and look back at a gala night to remember...
After a triumph of a cream Chanel earlier in the day, Stephanie got us all ready for the big frock the following day by choosing a gown by her wedding dress designer. The bride was to wear Elie Saab for her religious marriage and she chose him to make her gala look as well.
The dress, in gun metal grey, is a fabulous mix of regal and romance. Stephanie showed she was more than ready for her royal close up by picking a gown with all the interest in the neckline - most of the photos of it were taken as she sat down for dinner so the top had to be the star of the show. The pretty lace dress gives way to a sheer, ruched panel at the neck while there's also a pretty dipped, draped back to keep the interest going.
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This is pretty much pure fairytale princess stuff, with a fitted waist giving way to a gently flared skirt that skims into a mini train (it's a royal wedding, no one is getting away with cocktail here). The colour is strong enough to stand out against the opulence of the Ducal Palace where the gala dinner was given while soft enough to be bridal. There's plenty of glitter on the intricate lace overlay. Oh, and Stephanie added one of her new family's diamond tiaras to the look just to make sure the sparkle quota was filled.
This was a stand out look for Stephanie and helped complete one of the most memorable royal bridal ensembles of the 21st century. Between the subtle charm of her Chanel at the civil wedding and the full on fabulousness of her Elie Saab dress for the religious marriage, this chic gala gown adds just the right note of glamour to produce a trio that any royal bride would be happy to wear. Five years on, Stephanie of Luxembourg's regal wedding wardrobe still stands the test of time.
