Miss Middleton chose British brand Alexander McQueen for the beauty of its craftsmanship and its respect for traditional workmanship and the technical construction of clothing.  Miss Middleton wished for her dress to combine tradition and modernity with the artistic vision that characterises Alexander McQueen’s work.

The dress epitomises timeless British craftsmanship by drawing together talented and skilled workmanship from across the United Kingdom.  The dress design pays tribute to the Arts and Crafts tradition, which advocated truth to materials and traditional craftsmanship using simple forms and often Romantic styles of decoration.  Ms Burton’s design draws on this heritage, additionally giving the cut and the intricate embellishment a distinctive, contemporary and feminine character.

The design

The lace appliqué for the bodice and skirt was hand-made by the Royal School of Needlework, based at Hampton Court Palace.  The lace design was hand-engineered (appliquéd) using the Carrickmacross lace-making technique, which originated in Ireland in the 1820s.  Individual flowers have been hand-cut from lace and hand-engineered onto ivory silk tulle to create a unique and organic design, which incorporates the rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock.

Hand-cut English lace and French Chantilly lace has been used throughout the bodice and skirt, and has been used for the underskirt trim.  With laces coming from different sources, much care was taken to ensure that each flower was the same colour.  The whole process was overseen and put together by hand by Ms Burton and her team.

The dress is made with ivory and white satin gazar.  The skirt echoes an opening flower, with white satin gazar arches and pleats.  The train measures two metres 70 centimetres.  The ivory satin bodice, which is narrowed at the waist and padded at the hips, draws on the Victorian tradition of corsetry and is a hallmark of Alexander McQueen’s designs.  The back is finished with 58 gazar and organza covered buttons fastened by Rouleau loops.  The underskirt is made of silk tulle trimmed with Cluny lace.

The Fabrics

French Chantilly lace was combined with English Cluny lace to be hand-worked in the Irish Carrickmacross needlework tradition.

All other fabrics used in the creation of the dress were sourced from and supplied by British companies.  The choice of fabrics followed extensive research by Sarah Burton and her team.

The Royal School of Needlework

The Royal School of Needlework (RSN), based at Hampton Court Palace, assisted the Alexander McQueen team in accurately cutting out the delicate motifs from the lace fabrics and positioning the lace motifs with precision into the new design.  The lace motifs were pinned, ‘framed up’ and applied with stab stitching every two to three millimetres around each lace motif.  The workers washed their hands every thirty minutes to keep the lace and threads pristine, and the needles were renewed every three hours, to keep them sharp and clean.

The RSN workers included existing staff, former staff, tutors, graduates and students, with the youngest aged 19.

The RSN’s work was used primarily for the train and skirt of the Bride’s dress, the bodice and sleeves, the Bride’s shoes and the Bride’s veil.

We thought you looked absolutely stunning Kate.

A beautiful pair of diamond drop earrings to match her tiara completed the radiant bride’s look.  For more beautiful wedding jewellery to make you feel like a princess, visit the Girls Love Pearls website.  Coming soon, our own version of Kate’s stunning bridal earrings.

Maria Sharapova announced recently that her boyfriend, L.A. Lakers star Sasha Vujacic had popped the question and this week she’s really showing it off.

The tennis star has hit the streets and been snapped a number of times sporting a very large diamond sparkler, reports US magazine. Ms Sharapova has been seen proudly flaunting her sizable diamond ring, as the couple walked hand in hand while out for a relaxing midday lunch.

“He completely surprised me! I’m so lucky and very much spoiled,” Maria told US magazine. Sasha, a Serbian-born basketball star, proposed on Oct. 19 at his home in Manhattan Beach, California.

Maria is reported to have said that it was a “very special and obviously a very memorable evening in my life.” The 23-year-old Grand Slam champ adds, “It’s something I’ll always remember, it was very sweet.”

Maria has said that she and her 26-year-old fiance aren’t rushing into any wedding plans just yet, though. “We’re taking our time. Right now we’re just happy to be engaged,” she says. “We’re both very focused on what we do and we travel a lot. We’re just happy to have each other.”

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It has been reported Wayne and Coleen Rooney could planning to renew their wedding vows.

According to Digital Spy, a source claims that the England and Manchester United striker has accepted some new rules laid down by his wife after reports of his alleged infidelity last month.

The source apparently claimed Coleen suggested they walk down the aisle again and Wayne seemed happy with the idea.

However, it seems as though his fellow footballers may not be invited to the wedding vow ceremony and attending the event. “She’s banned some of Wayne’s mates from attending. She feels they were involved in covering up the rumours about him being a love-cheat,” the informant is said to have continued.

The reports suggest that Coleen has also been told by Wayne that she can spend as much as she wants on the occasion.

The couple originally got married in 2008 and have a son named Kai.

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Brothers & Sisters star Dave Annable and actress Odette Yustman, have married at an intimate ceremony this past weekend. According to Us Weekly, they were married on Sunday in Ojai, just north of L.A, with over 200 guests and family members at the wedding ceremony.

Yustman donned a Monique Lhuillier gown and wore 10 carats of diamond earrings and 30-carat diamond and platinum barrettes from Neil Lane.

Dave popped the question two years ago on Valentine’s Day and says it was the best decision he’s ever made. “I [proposed] at a place where we fell in love,” the actor is reported to have said at the time.

“It was in Santa Barbara [California], and I surprised her with her parents and my parents after [the proposal]. We went to the restaurant…and our parents were there waiting. It was pretty rad! She was very surprised.”

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Chantelle Houghton has made no secret that she’s desperately in love with ex-husband Preston. According to sources, the pair were reported to have spent the night together after leaving the Big Brother house.

However, the former Ordinary Boys front man is reported to have said that’s rubbish. ‘I think my friend “A. Source” has been getting the wrong end of the stick once again,’ Preston has apparently quipped on Twitter.

Chantelle, 27, has made her feelings clear and Preston, 28, acknowledges that they still have a lot to discuss. ‘We need a bottle of wine and time alone!’ he says.

And if, after getting to know one another again, they do decide to retie the knot, Chantelle is more than prepared. She still has her wedding ring and even the wedding dress. ‘Two weeks before I went into the house, I got my wedding dress dry cleaned,’ she reveals.

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Russell Brand and Katy Perry’s forthcoming wedding is the celebrity wedding most people would like an invitation to, according to a new survey carried out by One Poll in August on behalf of Mercure hotels.

The pair saw off competition from other celebrity couples including Prince William and Kate Middleton, and Hollywood stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, with more than a quarter (26%) of the 2,000 people asked opting for their wedding.

The 34-year-old comedian, originally from Essex, is said to have proposed to the 25-year-old ‘I Kissed A Girl’ singer in India on New Year’s Eve with their wedding is expected to take place later this year.

Second place went to Prince William and Kate Middleton with 13% of people nominating them, despite the fact they are not even engaged yet.

Bringing up the rear were former One Show host Christine Bleakley and Chelsea footballer Frank Lampard who only got 3% of votes cast.

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Hilary Duff has married Mike Comrie in an intimate ceremony in Santa Barbara.

The 22-year-old singer and the 29-year-old ice hockey player exchanged vows in front of 100 family members and close friends at a private mansion in Montecito.

The ceremony was held at sunset and the bride walked down an aisle strewn with rose petals and candles.

Hilary donned a strapless mermaid-style Vera Wang gown while Mike wore a simple tuxedo. Hilary’s sister Haylie served as the Maid of Honour and her mother gave her away.

“It was one of the most beautiful weddings I’ve ever seen,” a guest told UsMagazine.com. “Absolutely stunning. They thought of every last detail and it was an incredible sight.”

Speaking of her now husband Hilary recently said: “I’ve never met anyone who can say a bad word about him. He’s generous, caring and sunny. We just laugh our heads off.”

Mike proposed to Hilary while they were on holiday in Hawaii in February. They have been dating since 2007.

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Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr have secretly got married. The duo recently confirmed the news to People.com, but details on where and when the wedding took place are still scarce.

Supermodel Kerr, 27, let the news of the wedding slip, when she had to back out of a July appearance at Australian department store David Jones, to go on her honeymoon. “David Jones very graciously released me during this period so we could celebrate an intimate ceremony and honeymoon together,” Kerr says in the statement.

Kerr and Bloom, 33, met in 2007, became friends and started dating soon after. They confirmed their engagement in June 2010.

Kerr was most recently by her new hubby’s side when he collected his honorary degree from the University of Kent in Canterbury, England.

No other details about the very hush-hush ceremony were forthcoming, nor is anyone divulging where the comely couple are planning to spend their honeymoon.

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But with all the stories of celebrity love rats and scandals, it seems that Myleene’s having second thoughts about getting married at all.

Having previously said that they would probably have a spontaneous beach wedding, recent events surrounding celebrity marriage scandals have made the 32-year-old think twice about making the commitment.

Myleene told a UK magazine she has been affected by several recent celebrity marriage scandals, admitting “You do wonder if it could happen to you. My mum keeps asking me when I’m going to get married, but I don’t think it’s going to happen any more!”

The former Hear’Say singer – who has a two-year-old daughter with Graham – adds, “When I look at all the celeb couples splitting up, I think it’s time to return to the basics.”

Despite the change of plans, the couple are definitely still together.

Myleene still calls Graham her best friend. “He knows me inside out and he still loves me, so that’s got to be a bonus, right?”.

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Amanda Silverman told news agency, The Associated Press, that Cruz, 36, wore a John Galliano dress at the ceremony, which only family members attended.

The couple, both from Spain, appeared together in Woody Allen’s film Vicky Cristina Barcelona in 2008. Cruz won a supporting actress Oscar for her role in the romantic comedy.

Bardem, 41, was named best supporting actor at the 2007 Academy Awards for his role in the crime thriller No Country for Old Men.

The couple first acted together in Spanish comedy Jamon Jamon. The movie, which won a Silver Lion award at the 1992 Venice Film Festival, also marked Cruz’s debut in a feature film.

Speculation that the couple were about to tie the knot had been growing in Hollywood in recent weeks.

Ms Cruz was spotted wearing what appeared to be an engagement ring in October 2009.

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Check out this season’s special offers in association with the UK’s top wedding magazines, Girls Love Pearls are teaming up with Perfect Wedding Magazine and offering a free pair of pearl stud earrings up to 20% discount off selected bridal jewellery.