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Princess Diana Wedding Attire Auctioned

5 December 2011 By

An exact ‘just in case’ replica of Princess Diana’s famous wedding dress and accompanying shoes have sold at auction for the grand sum of £84,000.

Commissioned by Princess Diana herself, the back-up dress was made by David Emanuel, who was also responsible for the original lavish gown.

It had been in the possession of Madame Tussauds in London before being sold to a private collector for £48,000 by a fashion museum in Chile.

The size 6.5 shoes that complete the gown are also identical to those worn at the 1981 Royal Wedding. As part of their intricate design they include an interwoven C and D on their sole. They were sold for £36,000 by their original designer as Diana’s mother had not paid for the spare pair.

Speaking of the shoes, auctioneer Kerry Taylor said: “They are identical to the ones Diana wore for her wedding – absolutely the same. She could have changed the left or the right and you wouldn’t notice the difference. They were made in case her first pair got stained or damaged, or something happened to them on the day.”

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Royal Wedding Ring Design is Top Seller

4 November 2011 By

Fans of the Royal’s have been clamouring to buy a replica of Kate Middleton’s famously stunning sapphire engagement ring.

Even retailers have been surprised at the extreme demand for the jewellery item. Shoppers have been storming to Marks and Spencer’s to purchase some Royal Wedding magic. Catherine’s ring replica is being sold on sale by them for a mere £18. It has become their bestselling piece of jewellery ever, with around 200 of its “Platinum Plated Royal Ring” being sold every week.

Design Manager Accessories at M&S, Kate Crossey, told the Telegraph: “Despite the big day being over, customers seem to be holding on to the Royal trend as we continue to see sales grow”.

Debenhams is another major retailer to see major profit from Royal wedding fever – their replica version, retailing at only £6, has also their fastest-ever selling jewellery item.
Public demand for the ring has also been fuelled by the Duchess’s growing status as a style icon. The original engagement piece however would be a far reach for most budgets, since it boasts 14 diamonds and an 18 carat sapphire.

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Beach Weddings Now Available in Bournemouth

21 October 2011 By

Following being granted council permission to conduct weddings on the beach, the seaside resort of Bournemouth in Dorset is taking their first bookings at a specially made chapel.

Now that the official paperwork has been completed, the Beach Chapel will be open for weddings between April and October.

The Bournemouth Beach Chapel is the first in the UK to be able to offer couples the opportunity to have a legally binding marriage ceremony on the beach. It is hoped they will be able to lure couples to celebrate their nuptials locally rather than flying off to sunny destinations such as the Caribbean, Maldives and Europe.

In order to comply with UK law, a marriage ceremony must be conducted in a “permanent covered building”. This caused a debate over whether or not the beach chapel met these guidelines and delayed its approval.

Nevertheless, the official green light has finally been achieved. Packages start from as little as £999, making a Bournemouth beach wedding substantially more affordable than a beach wedding abroad, not to mention the cost of having to fly guests to a chose resort.

Filed Under: Destination Weddings, English weddings, Planning, Wedding Tips & Trends, Wedding Venues Tagged With: , ,

McCartney Ties the Knot

10 October 2011 By

A registry office in London’s Marylebone that had once served as the venue for former Beatle Paul McCartney’s marriage to his first wife Linda 42 years ago, held host to a small civil service on Sunday for his wedding to American-born Nancy Shevall.

The date chosen for the wedding coincides with what would have been the 71st birthday of John Lennon, lending a poignant air to the proceedings.

Paul’s brother Mike served as best man and guests included fellow Beatle Ringo Starr. This time, as opposed to his second marriage, McCartney’s family come out in support of the union.

Following the service, a small reception was held in the back garden of Sir Paul’s house in St John’s Wood, which is situated nearby the famous Abbey Road studios where the majority of the Beatles songs were recorded.

A friend of the iconic musician commented on the proceedings: “The wedding is in keeping with the way Paul and Nancy have conducted their entire relationship – low-key, understated and fuelled by goodwill. Neither of them wanted a huge fuss.”

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Royal Wedding Sets World Record

16 September 2011 By

The Royal wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on April 29 at London’s Westminster Abbey has now entered the Guinness Book of World Records after being watched by 72 million online viewers.

It has earned the title of ‘Most Live Streams for a Single Event’ in their annual publication.

In addition to this award, the balcony kiss between William and Catherine at Buckingham Palace on their special day was recently voted the UK’s best loved TV moment in a poll by Samsung Freesat+ PVR.

The newlyweds thrilled the crowds and a worldwide TV audience which is estimated to have reached two billion with their now-famous kiss.

William turned to his beautiful bride and said: “Kate, shall we? Shall we kiss. Come on, OK? The kiss.”

After they briefly touched lips, William stood back, smiled, and asked her: “That OK?”

The crowd however cheered for more by chanting “kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss”, prompting the prince to say to Kate: “Another kiss! One more? Let’s give them another one. I love you. One more kiss – go on, come here.”

This second kiss lasted 1.25 seconds before the Duchess pulled away with a big smile on her face for the assembled crowd lining The Mall below.

William is then said to have ended their public display of affection, saying: “That’s it, no more, I’m embarrassed.”

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Eric Clapton Performs at Daughter’s Wedding

14 September 2011 By

Famous guitarist and blues singer Eric Clapton gave his daughter Ruth away in marriage and also officiated as the wedding singer on the special day.

Ruth Patricia Clapton and her fiancé Dean Bartlett tied the knot at St Mary Magdalen Church in Ripley. The celebration that followed was an intimate event in a marquee on the grounds of Clapton’s Surrey mansion, with 150 guests in attendance.

His three daughters Julie, Ella and Sophie from his current marriage to Melia McEnery, acted as flower girls.

Vidal Sassoon-trained hairdresser Ruth, once labelled Eric Clapton’s ‘secret’ daughter, surprised her groom by singing Use Somebody by The Kings of Leon, with her superstar father performing backing.

A friend of the couple said: “She’s got a good voice and has sung with her father before.”

Ruth’s mother is former record studio boss Yve Kelly. She had a year-long romance with Clapton when she was working for Beatles’ producer Sir George Martin on the island of Montserrat in the Eighties.

Ruth, 26, has been dating aspiring architect Dean Bartlett for the past three years. The newlyweds are now on a honeymoon cruise aboard Clapton’s yacht in the Adriatic.

A guest commented: “It was a delightful family wedding and with Clapton playing at the reception, you couldn’t have found a better wedding singer anywhere in the world.”

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Fashion Icon Lagerfeld on Royal Wedding

9 September 2011 By

Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld has given his critique of the Royal Wedding fashion in an interview with a French television network.

On the positive side, he praised the integration of Duchess Catherine into the Royal family and said it has helped stir people’s interest in them again: “Royalty is very trendy. People are excited by it. There is no political ideology for the moment, so they have to turn to something they can identify with.”

He was impressed with Catherine’s choice of gown, designed by Sarah Burton, for her special day: “It’s a bridal gown of very refined detail, much more refined than the one Diana wore. Catherine’s dresses are always very elegant. It’s very pretty and relatively classic with a little touch of the 1950s that recalls Marilyn Monroe or Queen Elizabeth II’s dress. The lace is pretty, especially the embroidered veil, and the tiara not too high. It’s ravishing and the length of the train is perfect.”

Unfortunately, eccentric Lagerfeld made some searing remarks about the general fashion sense at the Royal nuptials, claiming the event was dominated by women with “bad proportions, ugly hats and short skirts on fat legs.”

Filed Under: Celebrity Brides, Celebrity Grooms, Celebrity Wedding Gossip, Celebrity Weddings, English weddings, Royal weddings, Style, Wedding Dresses Tagged With: , , , ,

Michael Winner Set to Tie the Knot at 75

12 August 2011 By

Film director and food critic Michael Winner is to marry Geraldine Lynton-Edwards, his on-off girlfriend of over 40 years. The announcement ends his reign as Britain’s most confirmed bachelor.

Winner, who has previously been romantically attached to Jenny Seagrove and Jill Ireland, met his bride-to-be in the 1960’s after she auditioned for a role in his debut film, The Square.

The couple then embarked upon an on-off relationship, but it was only in 2002 that the pair got more serious, with Geraldine moving into his 47 room Holland Park mansion.

Originally engaged in 2007, the notorious man-about-town Winner had warned his partner: “Don’t hold your breath for marriage.”

When asked about the change of heart, Winner commented: “Michael [Caine] said if I got down on one knee I’d never get up. It just suddenly happened, after nine years together. We had a conversation and that was it. It was something she wanted and I wanted.”

The wedding, planned as a low key event with a few close friends and family, is to be held in Chelsea with Michael and Shakira Caine set to be the witnesses. The couple are then planning to honeymoon in Portofino.

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Replica Pippa Bridesmaid Dress In Hot Demand

5 August 2011 By

Celebrity wedding gown replicas are all the rage these days – the latest high profile copies have now been launched by Debenhams.

The retailer has unveiled a £170 version of Pippa Middleton’s gorgeously elegant white bridesmaid dress, made famous at this year’s premier Royal wedding between her sister Kate and Prince William.

The original design was created by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen. Luckily, the Debenhams version will cost a fraction of the price that the sought after designer would charge.

Debenhams claims they have been “inundated” by customers in hot pursuit of an affordable version of the stunning dress.

Alain Mehada, Chief Personal Shopper at the Debenhams Oxford Street store, commented: “The ivory dress worn by Pippa is the most requested by far… Both men and women everywhere were instantly talking about Pippa, so naturally brides-to-be will want to emulate her classic look – both for themselves or their bridesmaids.”
Debenhams have also released their own version of the green Alice Temperley dress which Pippa wore to the Royal reception.

Ladies who are interested in the gowns need only to join the ‘lady-in-waiting’ email list by sending their details to ladyinwaitinglist@debenhams.com.

Filed Under: Celebrity Weddings, Culture, English weddings, Royal weddings, Style Tagged With: , , ,

Zara Philips Wed’s Rugby Star in Edinburgh

2 August 2011 By

Dressed in a stunning ivory silk gown, the Queen’s grand-daughter tied the knot with rugby player Mike Tindall in a low key ceremony in Edinburgh on Saturday.

The dress has been revealed as a Stewart Parvin creation, which come from Minchinhampton’s boutique shop The White Room in Gloucestershire

Owner Rachel Partridge had contacted Zara Philips’ office after hearing about the upcoming wedding. She spoke of her amazement on finding out that her boutique had been chosen to provide the magnificent gown: “We opened a year ago and didn’t ever expect to be involved in a royal wedding.”

The bride also wore a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes and a tiara loaned from Princess Anne to exchange platinum wedding bands with her sportsman groom.

Guests at the wedding enjoyed a sit down dinner of seafood and Scottish venison. Surprisingly, the event also featured karaoke, including a turn from Prince William singing the Bon Jovi song “Livin’ on a Prayer”.

The party continued into the early hours, although Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh left the festivities sooner.

Filed Under: Celebrity Brides, Celebrity Grooms, Celebrity Weddings, English weddings, Famous Wedding Guests, Royal weddings, Wedding Dresses Tagged With: , , ,
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