WEDDING FLOWERS: Green
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Showing posts with label Green. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Green. Show all posts

Prince Carl Philip & Sofia's Wedding: Royal Guests, Part 1

Hello again! As we reconvene after a day of royal wedding watching to continue our coverage of the Swedish wedding, don't forget to scroll down for the bride, groom, Swedish royal family, and how to see it again. Check back as official photos have since been added. (And if you're looking for the Windsors and Trooping the Colour, click here.)

Mattias Edwall / Kungahuset.se

We've got royal guests to tackle today. This is Part 1 of the Royal Fashion Awards: Guest Division, and we're hanging out with the other Nordic royals in attendance, from Norway and Denmark, plus a couple friends from Germany.

Biggest Tiara Double Take
Princess Ursula of Bavaria
Princess Ursula has a baby Spencer Tiara! It's always interesting to see what jewels the Bavarians turn up in, because they've sold some of their major pieces in recent years. This one gave me Diana déjà vu, big time.

Biggest in Hair
Princess Anna of Bavaria
I feel like none of the photos convey how big this updo was, but it certainly caught my eye on the broadcast. It almost disappeared her petite diamond fringe variation tiara, which comes from Anna's own family (the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburgs).

Most Predictable Repeat
Queen Margrethe of Denmark
Hello again, birthday dress, your skirt is looking particularly dashing in this shot. Daisy also gets a Most Predictable Tiara award, because she does love the Baden Palmette Tiara for weddings. Hearts and all, you know.

Worst in Repeats
Queen Sonja of Norway
Oh look, it's the Big Bird gown, back for the trillionth time in its millionth year. It bums me out, wearing such a workhorse dress for such a special occasion. No amount of diamonds and pearls can save it, not even Queen Maud's Pearl and Diamond Tiara.

Most in Need of a Different Tiara
Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Princess Märtha Louise of Norway
Well, I've been spoiled. The Norwegian princesses gave us some tiara shake ups at the last two Swedish royal weddings, and now they've gone and worn their regular small tiaras (the Diamond Daisy and King Olav's Gift Tiara), and...pffft.
Mette-Marit's skirt was from Temperley London, and her top from Nina Skarra
We do have some interesting additional gems - you just knew Mette-Marit would be the one with a heart pin on the back of her sash, didn't you? - and I do like the idea of a ball gown skirt with different tops. But the men are leading the pack here.

Nearest Miss
Princess Marie of Denmark
I was on board with this right away. Great color! Her great diamond floral tiara! And then I saw that her stomach had gills.
Dress by Alberta Ferretti

Most Undecided
Crown Princess Mary of Denmark
On the one hand, this is my favorite of the three outfits she's worn to Swedish royal weddings. On the other hand, that's not saying much, as I don't think they've been among her top appearances. This I just find curious.
I love the big skirt and the way the colors of the sash and the pearls (her wedding tiara with added pearls, and her wedding earrings) go with it, but the fact that it is heavily embellished down the front with embellishment that you can't really see is kinda weird. Perhaps a remix is in the future. (Bonus points for extra sparkle in the updo, though.)

Later today, we'll take a look at the remaining royal guests. Until then...

Who's your best dressed of this lot?

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated, SVT video, Mattias Edwall/Kungahuset.se

Prince Carl Philip & Sofia’s Wedding: The Swedish Royal Family



The Swedish royal family has a history of turning up the sartorial volume significantly when it comes to big events. Did they succeed at their prince’s wedding? Well…yes and no. Let’s give out some awards and discuss:

(Hint: Click the tiara names to go to their individual entries!)

Best in Predictable
Queen Silvia
I predicted she would wear the Leuchtenberg Sapphire Tiara, most of us predicted she would wear the Leuchtenberg Sapphire Tiara, she wore the Leuchtenberg Sapphire Tiara. And HUZZAH for that, because it is and remains a sparkly wall of diamonds with gorgeous blue at the top, and you can’t go wrong with that.
She added it to a dress in light lilac silk satin with embroidery of lace, sequins, and stones, all of which was a little bit on the shiny side for me. (Silvia in anything embellished and shiny: also predictable.)
With Sofia's parents. Photo: Mattias Edwall/Kungahuset.se
The King wore the mess dress model 1878 uniform of the Admiral of the Fleet with insignia from the Order of the Seraphim, the Order of Vasa, and the Order of the Sword. His medals are Gustav V's Jubilee Medal II, Gustav VI Adolf's Commemorative Medal, the Order of the Polar Star, and the Order of Vasa.

Best in Surprises
Crown Princess Victoria
I asked for some tiara switcheroos, and BEHOLD: the Connaught Tiara, worn for the first time by Victoria. I wanted to see that one on the bride, but I’ll settle for it on anyone!
With Sofia's sisters. Photo: Mattias Edwall/Kungahuset.se
Victoria wore a custom dress from the H&M Conscious Collection – also a surprise because, well, H&M at a royal wedding?! Victoria’s a big supporter of the company but even at that, this one surprised me.
Was it a good surprise? It’s growing on me, I’ll say that. It has the grand scale we’ve come to expect, even if it does appear to be covered in tire tracks. Both Victoria and Prince Daniel were wearing the Order of the Seraphim, and Daniel also wore the Order of the Polar Star.

Best of the Family
Princess Madeleine
I could give this to Madeleine just for getting all dolled up when she’s about to pop, but this isn’t a sympathy best; this is a WOW under any circumstances. This soft apricot pink Elie Saab was smoothly adapted for her maternity needs and her diamonds had all the necessary sparkle. As expected, she stuck with her Modern Fringe Tiara, which I'm guessing is the one she finds most comfortable. She added the Vasa Earrings, huge diamond numbers that date all the way back to the Vasa dynasty, and which are probably anything but comfortable.
Madeleine wore the Order of the Seraphim and Chris O’Neill wore the Order of the Polar Star. They brought Princess Leonore with them, and she topped today’s heirloom baby clothing stakes by wearing a dress that goes all the way back to King Gustaf VI Adolf, her great-great-grandfather. (Leonore seemed fascinated by the tiaras during the ceremony. I think this kid and I would get along.)

Best in Honeybadgers
The Haga Princesses
Princess Christina (in the mulberry dress) and Princess Désirée (in hot pink)
Listen, I think I’m a bit in love with the Haga Princesses, a.k.a. the four sisters of the King. Princess Margaretha is the best dressed here, in her fabulous Aquamarine Kokoshnik Tiara, but the rest of them could clearly care less what we think, and I just can’t help but love ‘em a bit for that attitude. Honeybadgers don’t care, man! Princess Christina doesn’t care that I’m tired of her picking the Six Button Tiara over and over again. Princess Désirée doesn’t care that she’s sporting the Cut Steel Tiara with what is basically a hot pink caftan.
Princess Birgitta (in the trousers) and Princess Margaretha
And Princess Birgitta REALLY doesn’t care that she’s not, in fact, headed to a beach soirée around her Mallorca home. She’s gonna wear her palazzo pants with a fur tossed on top as the only concession to her northern location, and she doesn't care what you think! I mean, this is basically a jumpsuit with the Baden Fringe Tiara. Don’t you have to love it, just a little bit, at least?? Come on. The absurdity, it’s delicious.

Coming up later: the international guests. Until then…

Who was your best dressed Swedish royal family member?

Photos: via Getty Images and SVT video, Mattias Edwall/Kungahuset.se

Prince Carl Philip & Sofia’s Wedding: The Pre-Wedding Dinner

The party is starting! Ready your jumpy claps!

This evening, wedding guests gathered for a short boat ride on the way to the venue for the pre-wedding dinner. Only a couple of the international royal guests were present, but the headline family members certainly did give us some things to discuss...

Prince Carl Philip and Sofia Hellqvist
I wondered if Sofia would continue the trend of wearing Elie Saab for her pre-wedding event, as her soon-to-be-sisters-in-law both did. And I was close: she wore Zuhair Murad, a.k.a. almost Elie Saab! (Also the groom was present. He wore a tux.)
Many of us have been hoping we’d see more of Zuhair Murad on the royal red carpet, and I think this couture dress certainly delivers. Just enough sparkle, and with a train (which looked like it was detachable) added to the back to give it a little extra royal oomph.
And the blue is divine on her, no? I love it. What a great start to the event!

The King and Queen
{SCREECH} Well, that escalated quickly. Let’s just say that something had to come in third place on the list of Silvia's best mother of the bride and/or groom pre-wedding outfits (it's a very specific list)...call it the sacrificial lamb?

Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel
Okay, this is better! Victoria’s sparkly, slinky number is perfect for this and also for her next Great Gatsby-themed party (I figure there’s no point to living in a palace if you’re not going to throw the occasional Gatsby party, right?).
Crown Princess Victoria wore Jenny Packham, the original model from a bridal collection (the Packham bridal collections always have dresses that are great more uses than bridal, though). She also had a brooch in back in her updo, and you know I luv her for that.

Victoria, Daniel, and Crown Princess Mette-Marit
With many royal guests arriving tomorrow, it was a lovely surprise to see Victoria and Daniel bring part of the Norwegian contingent: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Princess Märtha Louise, and Ari Behn. Crown Prince Haakon joined the party by car a bit later. Mette-Marit repeated the Giambattista Valli dress she wore to Queen Margrethe’s birthday dinner earlier this year.

Princess Märtha Louise and Ari Behn
Apparently seeing that his wife was intent on a tasteful beige dress, Ari Behn decided someone had to shake things up and tossed a sash around his waist. Sure, man, why not?

Princess Madeleine and Chris O'Neill
Also skipping the boat ride in favor of arriving by car, Princess Madeleine breezed by in a basic but sort of ethereal maternity dress.

Lastly, a couple aunts and an extra international royal couple, just for good measure:

Princess Birgitta, doing her Birgitta thing.

Princess Margaretha, doing her Margaretha thing. (What more can you say?)

Prince Leopold and Princess Ursula of Bavaria...doing their thing. A very sequin-y floral thing, which is a curious combo.

All in all, not a bad start to a wedding weekend. This entry may be updated later on, and feel free to add more in the comments!

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated, Expressen video

Royal Flashback of the Day: June 11

Add another couple to the guest list for Carl Philip and Sofia's wedding: Billed-Bladet reports the Greek royal court confirmed that Prince Nikolaos and Princess Tatiana will be in attendance. This is encouraging news, I'd say, because Tatiana has turned in some A+ ensembles at past Scandinavian royal weddings. Let us examine:

Wedding of Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Christopher O'Neill, 2013
Her ensemble for Madeleine's wedding is my least favorite of these options, despite the fact that it is the only one with a tiara (the Antique Corsage Tiara), but in this case, that means it's still quite good. Even though it is a basic overall look, the fit and draping on this dress are dreamy. As they should be, for a bespoke gown from Armani Privé.

Her two previous appearances came prior to her own wedding. She had no tiara to wear, but she also had no order sashes to worry about, and she made the most of her appearances without those occasionally pesky ribbons.
Wedding of Prince Joachim of Denmark and Marie Cavallier, 2008
A purple gown has my heart no matter what, but all the pleated texture on this one was truly best showcased in those pre-sash days. This is from Angel Sanchez, who would later design Tatiana's wedding gown, and it was also worn by actress Nicolette Sheridan.


Wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Daniel Westling, 2010
It takes a LOT to best a purple gown for me, but then you have THIS RIGHT HERE. This is Carolina Herrera, and it is majestic. A sash worn here would have conflicted with the dress embellishment, so it was a perfect choice for a royal wedding guest appearance before her own wedding.
It even has a train! Such jumpy claps.
You can wrap these both up and put them in my imaginary princess closet, please and thank you.

Photos: via Getty Images, Gilt, Angel Sanchez
Royal Events of the Day: June 9

Royal Events of the Day: June 9

After their mixed bag evening concert appearance marking the 100th anniversary of the 1915 Constitution and women's suffrage, the Danish royal family united themselves in millinery and tried again on Friday. A more universally successful outing this time, I think:

Queen Margrethe turned up in her birthday suit, and I mean that literally, as this is the suit she wore for her big birthday celebrations this year. It's been put in her regular wardrobe rounds, which is great because a) she looks fab and b) I get to keep calling it her birthday suit.

Crown Princess Mary showed off the versatility of her wardrobe, as she is prone to do, by taking reused pieces and remixing them into a new ensemble. I find myself wishing that the white coat was a color other than bright white, but that's a piddly complaint for a great look.

And though she plonked her hat on her head at a most unfortunate angle, Princess Marie was also standard but nicely put together on the whole. Rounding out the royal crew was Princess Benedikte, elegant in pink, and her look can be seen in this gallery. Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim were there as well. They wore suits.

While we're in Denmark, one other big event happened this weekend: Princess Isabella baptized a ferry which was renamed in her honor on the island of Samsø. It's the first time she's taken the lead on her own official engagement. Naturally, she brought along a lady-in-waiting for some support:
Very handy when your lady-in-waiting doubles as your mum, I would think. And like her mum, she's clearly already received her membership to Team Updo. Fancy bow and all!
Isabella even received a gift of jewelry for her troubles, a mother of pearl bracelet and necklace with multiple pendants. It's no Festoon Tiara, but it's a nice gift for a young princess.

The mother/daughter team was dressed a little more casually for the event than we usually see when royals christen ships (hats, that sort of thing).
But then again, most royal ship christenings are not directly followed by fishing, strawberry picking, and hanging out with a variety of wild animals. When in Rome, etc.

Photos: Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images
Royal Garden Party of the Day: June 3

Royal Garden Party of the Day: June 3

The Duchess of Cornwall hosted a garden party at Buckingham Palace yesterday in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Women's Institute. As is only fitting given the honored organization, Camilla was joined by a group of fellow royal ladies ready to brave a little wind and get their garden party on.
And as is only fitting since this quartet includes some of the loveliest Windsors that we don't talk about nearly enough, we shall take this opportunity to lavish some much-needed attention on them (and their gems!).

Navy and cream is a good combo on Cams, no? It's hard to go wrong with the classics. I love the larger of her two diamond and pearl chokers, I like her Diamond and Sapphire Butterfly Brooch (which is as far into the realm of bug jewelry as I am willing to go, MÁXIMA ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME) and I like that she also wore her Women's Institute Badge. And you know the hat's a good one when even Crown Princess Mary owns a similar model.

The Duchess of Gloucester wears this light blue ensemble a lot - in fact, she wore it to another garden party just a few days ago - but I can't say I blame her. It is simple yet flattering.
And most importantly, it's a good background for plenty of sapphires, diamonds, and pearls. Go Birgitte, go! She always seems to have something interesting going on the jewel department, and it's a crying shame that she ends up in the background at so many royal gatherings. Just think of all the sparkly fun we could be missing...

Princess Alexandra looks like a walking garden party, which is as it is always is and always should be.
No slouch in the gem department herself, we've got diamonds and pearls and a classic diamond flower brooch that has a sister in the collection of her cousin QEII.

And finally, the Countess of Wessex. I thought I stole this Emilia Wickstead horse print dress for myself, but I suppose as long as she keeps wearing it, we're good. LURVE.

P.S.: Later that evening, Cams got her tiara on! A surprise Tiara Watch is over at the Jewel Vault for your delight. Spoiler alert: Dame Joan Collins was involved.

Photos: WPA Pool via Getty Images

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