What You Didn't Know About Grace Kelly's Wedding Dress
In what can only be described as a fairytale, on April 19, 1956, American movie star Grace Kelly became a princess when she married Prince Rainier of Monaco (via Town & Country). Referred to as the "wedding of the century," Hello Monaco reports that 600 guests attended, including members from Hollywood's elite. The ceremony was held at a cathedral and the reception was lavish, to say the least. Guests gorged themselves on caviar, lobster, and champagne. The cake was six tiers and weighed 200 pounds. Although the cost of the wedding is unknown, Marie Claire Australia states that it's one of the most expensive royal weddings of all time.
And the wedding dress? Well, the dress is arguably nearly as famous as Kelly herself. Tatler calls it one of the most-celebrated dresses of the 20th century. It reportedly took 30 seamstresses to make and was designed by Helen Rose, an Academy-Award-winning costume designer who had worked with Grace Kelly before (via The Knot). Insider reports that the dress cost $65,200, which would equal $623,000 today.
Grace Kelly's dress has inspired other celebrity wedding dresses
According to The Knot, the now-iconic dress features a high neck, long sleeves, a fitted bodice, and a 3-foot-long train. Moreover, it was made with 125-year-old lace and thousands of hand-sewn pearls (via Brides) Good Housekeeping reports that over 400 yards of fabric were used to create it. As Kelly was one of MGM's biggest stars at the time, they gifted her the dress (per Tatler). As for her accessories, she opted to not wear a tiara and wore a Juliet cap decorated with pearls, lace, and paper orange blossoms.
The veil's fabric ensured that Kelly's face would be visible for both her guests and viewers watching on TV. For shoes, she wore simple pumps with a small heel. Instead of carrying an oversized bouquet, Town & Country states that Kelly went with a small bible and a handful of lilies of the valley. So renowned is Kelly's look that it has been emulated countless times by different celebrities through the years. Per Now To Love, the wedding dresses of Paris Hilton, Kate Middleton, and Miranda Kerr were all inspired by Kelly. The 65-year-old dress is now on display in Kelly's hometown at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.