Royal Wedding Week: What Will Kate Wear? Options for Royal Wedding Fashion
My good friend Beth Chapman of The White Dress by the shore put together a collection of gowns she thought would be inspirational for Kate Middleton’s walk down the aisle. I have to agree with her– Kate will more than likely wear something classic and conservative, which is not necessary in the same breath as her own style. She is young, upbeat, and tends to gravitate toward modern and fitted silhouettes. So, the question begs– what will she wear on Friday?
1st dress: Oscar de la Renta; 2nd dress: Carolina Herrera
courtesy of The White Dress by the shore blog
As Beth wrote (and we agree), “I felt it imperative that Kate don some sort of sleeve for her Westminster Abbey ceremony. The venue is a 1,000 year old church, where kings and queens are crowned. In respect of tradition, I feel that the coverage is necessary. My hope is that the silhouette that she selects- albeit traditional- will have some shape in the skirt to show off her fabulous figure!” I do agree with Beth that her dress ought to have sleeves– whether they are part of a short jacket she wears and can later remove– or constructed into the gown.
1st dress: monique lhuillier; second dress: modern trousseau; third dress: romona keveza
Brides.com asked some of the worlds most famous designers to sketch a dress for Kate.. here are some of our favorites!
1st dress: Melissa Sweet; 2nd dress: Temperley London
1st dress: Amsale; 2nd dress: Reem Acra
And while the dress that she wears to Westminster Abbey will most certainly have a conservative feel, we can only imagine what she’ll change into for that evening’s intimate dinner party! This is where we expect Kate’s true style to shine, and perhaps, she’ll dawn something more slim and formfitting.
Tomorrow, we’ll talk about our thoughts and ideas for how both parties might look!
xxoo~
A Wedding Story: Saryn + David at the Guilford Yacht Club, Guilford Connecticut
Saryn and Dave married on a hot (!) July 4th weekend near the bride’s hometown of Madison at the Guilford Yacht Club in Guilford, Connecticut. We helped them plan a beautiful purple and aqua wedding with some fun and festive accents! We pulled in a vintage sea theme into their paper story and carried it through out the day. They had the talented married duo, Robert and Kathleen Trenske, on hand to capture all the gorgeous photographs below. Tom Morlock of Vantage Point Films was also there to shoot their video!
Saryn began the day at a family member’s home getting ready with all her bridesmaids, who each wore a different color dress in varying shades of purple and blue. Saryn wore the most beautiful Melissa Sweet gown, “Fern” and accessories from The White Dress by the Shore. Her dress was unbelievably gorgeous!!! A dream dress and she looked stunning. With Dana Bartone & Company on board for hair and makeup, the girls got all gussied and headed over to the Yacht Club.
Elisabeth from BLUSH designed their beautiful florals, from colorful purple bouquets dripping with green amaranthus to a white birch chuppah with clutches of purple flowers and flowing greenery. She really outdid herself and brought their color scheme to life. Little bunches of vibrantly colored ribbons were tied to the aisle chairs that lead to the chuppah near the giant flag pole. The ceremony was emotional, funny, and full of meaningful music— all the things that I think represent Saryn and Dave as a couple. The bride walked down the aisle to a beautiful Spanish guitar solo of Led Zeppelin’s “Over the Hills and Far Away…” We designed a gorgeous aqua program with pretty lavender ribbon. We had purple parasols available for guests to shield them from the hot summer sun, which was not only functional but also quite pretty! At the end of the ceremony, guests blew bubbles as Saryn and Dave recessed up the aisle.
Guests transitioned into a cocktail hour on the great lawn overlooking the marshes with pretty cocktail tables decorated by Elisabeth. Jordan Caterers had a wide faire of delicious passed food for guests to nibble on before it was time to be seated inside the ballroom and under the tent. Signature cocktails were passed and a lounge we created on the side deck was the perfect place for quiet conversation. The tablescapes were colorful and simple, with gorgeous high arrangements in shades of purple, green and blue on top of aqua crinkle linen. We had rolled hemstitch linen napkins and tied them with raffia for a sea grass look. They looked fabulous! Simple tented table numbers backed with aqua paper finished off the tablescape.
Saryn and Dave danced their first dance and enjoyed an amazing evening of delicious food, good wine, and amazing family and friends who flew from all over the US to share in their wedding day. John from Powerstation worked their awesome 80′s playlist and kept everyone on their feet for the night! Toward the end of the night we put together a festive and fun candy station, complete with jelly bans, Swedish fish, swirly pops and chocolate covered gummy bears to name a few. I loved how colorful and fun it looked— perfect for a 4th of July wedding. At the very END of the night, Jordan’s Caterer’s brought out mini sliders and milk shakes for guests to nibble on after a LONG night of dancing to great 80’s music!
The night ended with a sparkler send off…!
This wedding was also recently featured on Style Me Pretty. Amazing! Go here to check it out.
Credit Reel
Photography: Robert & Kathleen Photographers
Venue: Guilford Yacht Club in Guilford, CT
Event Design & Planning: Jubilee Events
Bridal Shop: White Dress by the Shore in Clinton, CT
Caterer: Jordan Caterers
Flowers: Blush Floral Design
Hair & Make-Up: Dana Bartone & Company
Entertainment: Powerstation
Cinema: Paper: Vantage Point Films
Paper: Jubilee Events
Bridal Gown: Melissa Sweet
Bridesmaid Gowns: Jenny Yoo
Cake: Madison Chocolate
Saryn and Dave – congratulations! We couldn’t be more honored to have been part of your personal history, and wish you all the very best in your new life together!
Xxo~
A Wedding Story: Danielle & John in Old Saybrook, Connecticut
Danielle and John were engaged while on a holiday in Paris…. and so it inspired their Parisian fete on June 19, 2010. We took little dainty touches of French style and weaved them through out the day. What can be said about Danielle? Well, she’s beautiful… inside and out… and with her style, charm, and sincerity, she is easily one of the most gorgeous brides I’ve ever seen. Together, they are one of the sweetest, most down to earth couples we’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. Big thanks to Carla Ten Eyck and her amazing team (Katie & Rebecca!) for these beautiful photographs that truly capture the essence and color of the day! All the day of coordination was brilliantly put together by our associate planners Jessica and Diana. Danielle and her beautiful mom, along with her maids, got ready in a suite at the Saybrook Point Inn & Spa. They were made even more beautiful by the talented Jennie Fresa and her Beauty Library team.
Their color story was jubilant and dramatic— shades of hot pink, feather, jadite, lilac, coal and sunflower. At my first meeting with Danielle and John, they showed me this beautiful inspiration board by 100 Layer Cake that stood as the muse for their colorful wedding. She wore the prettiest tea-length, ruffle Melissa Sweet gown from The White Dress by the Shore with aqua heals and a birdcage veil. She even had her hair in a playful English braid. Her maids each dressed in a different color chiffon dress from j.crew and carried bouquets bursting with color and florals like fern, fiddle heads and pink dahlias. The ever talented Elisabeth and her team from BLUSH floral studio created all the beautiful floral decor. Danielle carried a garden bouquet with a mixture of fluffy white flowers like dahlias, peonies and garden roses.
Prior to the ceremony Danielle and John had their first look in this dreamy, lovely, country-side setting. So pretty– even John’s wayward boutonniere!
Danielle and John exchanged vows overlooking long aisle sound, surrounded by nearly 200 of their family and friends. Their friends and family flew in from all over the world to be there for their amazing celebration– including Danielle’s beautiful grandmother. Hot pink rose petals lined the aisle and two elegant branch arrangements in coal colored urns flanked the rock wall. Friends read from Brown Penny by William Butler Yeats. We designed a gorgeous program on mint colored paper inspired by Laduree.
Their reception, held at the Saybrook Point Inn & Spa, immediately followed cocktail hour where guests enjoyed music by their string trio. The ballroom was transformed by Rob Alberti and his amazing lighting in shades of pinks, purple and amber. They had coal colored urns of flowers with rich colors spilled over on the tables dressed in ribbon taffeta. Inspired by a French tea party, gold encrusted bone china adorned the tables with playful mix-matched plates and ornate polished silver. The menu was designed on mint colored stock with hand stamped gold flourishes! Guests took home delicious pink boxes filled with French macaroons from Le Petit France of West Hartford, flavored in raspberry and pistachio.
Guests ate a delicious white buttercream cake provided by Saybrook Point Inn & Spa and a special West Indies’ cake that had been soaking in liquor for amount six months…. no exaggeration! Yum!









Congratulations to you both! We couldn’t be more happier for you and feel more honored to be part of your wedding day (and all the other festivities!). Life has amazing, wonderful things in store for the two of you and we can’t wait to see where it takes you. Big xoxo!
Ceremony & Reception Location: Saybrook Point Inn & Spa | Event Planning / Design / Rentals: Jubilee Events | Photography: Carla Ten Eyck Photography | Gown & Accessories: The White Dress by the Shore Floral Decor & Design: BLUSH floral design | Lighting / Entertainment: Rob Alberti | Beauty: Jennie Fresa Beauty Library | Macaroons: Le Petit France Bakery | Maid’s Gowns: j. crew | Wedding Paper: Jubilee Events
The White Dress by the Shore Sample Sale!

The Saturday from 10AM-4PM The White Dress by the Shore is having an amazing sample sale on bridal gowns from designers Anne Barge, Judd Waddell, Melissa Sweet, Modern Trousseau and Priscilla of Boston! Check out their website for more details!






















