Meghan Markle Wedding Dress: Designer, Veil And Second Dress Story

Few wedding dresses in modern history are talked about as much as the Meghan Markle wedding dress. On 19 May 2018, Meghan walked into St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in a gown so simple and elegant that brides around the world are still copying it today. This is the complete story of that famous dress — the designer, the fabric, the veil with its hidden flowers, the borrowed tiara, the bouquet picked by hand, and the second dress that almost everyone forgets.

The Givenchy Dress With The Famous Boat Neckline

The ceremony gown was designed by Clare Waight Keller, the British designer who was then the artistic director of the French fashion house Givenchy. She was the first woman to hold that job at Givenchy, and the wedding dress made her name known in every home in the world. Meghan reportedly chose her because she wanted a British designer, a timeless look, and a designer who understood quiet elegance rather than showy decoration.

The dress itself was made of pure white silk cady, a rich fabric with a soft matte finish that photographs beautifully. It had a wide boat neckline, also called a bateau neckline, which ran gracefully across the collarbones and opened at the back. The sleeves were three-quarter length, the waist was gently sculpted, and the skirt fell in soft, clean lines to a modest train. There was no lace, no beadwork and no sparkle anywhere on the gown — a brave decision for a royal bride, because it meant the dress had to be perfect in its cutting alone, with nothing to hide behind.

Underneath, the dress was built like a piece of engineering. Reports described a triple layer of silk organza under the skirt to hold its smooth shape, and every seam was finished to couture standard. The look took hundreds of hours of work by a small team working in near secrecy, because the designer of the dress was one of the best-kept secrets of the whole wedding.

The Five Metre Veil With 53 Hidden Flowers

If the dress was simple, the veil was the opposite — it carried the biggest hidden message of the day. The veil was five metres long, made of fine silk tulle, and around its edge ran hand-embroidered flowers representing all 53 countries of the Commonwealth, one national flower for every nation. Meghan reportedly asked for this herself, as a way of honouring the Commonwealth family she was joining.

Hidden among the 53 were two personal choices. One was wintersweet, a flower that grows at Kensington Palace, where Meghan was then living. The other was the California poppy, the state flower of her home state, so that a piece of her own story travelled down the aisle with the royal one. The embroidery reportedly took hundreds of hours, and the workers are said to have washed their hands every thirty minutes to keep the delicate white fabric perfectly clean while they sewed.

The Tiara Borrowed From The Queen

On top of the veil sat the Queen Mary bandeau tiara, lent to Meghan by Queen Elizabeth II. The tiara was made in 1932 for Queen Mary, and at its centre sits a sparkling diamond brooch that dates back to 1893. Meghan wore it in the modern bandeau style, low across the forehead line, with her hair drawn into a low, soft bun beneath it.

Her jewellery stayed deliberately small, so the tiara could shine alone. She wore delicate Cartier earrings and a fine Cartier bracelet, and of course her engagement ring — the ring Prince Harry designed with a centre diamond from Botswana and two side diamonds from Princess Diana’s collection. Her shoes, kept mostly hidden under the gown, were reported to be elegant pointed silk pumps.

The Bouquet Picked By Hand

One of the sweetest details of the day was the bouquet. It was a small, gentle posy of spring flowers, and Prince Harry reportedly hand-picked several of the flowers himself from the couple’s private garden at Kensington Palace the day before the wedding. Among them were forget-me-nots, which were Princess Diana’s favourite flower — a quiet way of including his mother in the day. The bouquet also held scented sweet peas, lily of the valley, jasmine and other seasonal blooms, tied with a raw silk ribbon.

The Second Dress By Stella McCartney

For the evening party at Frogmore House, Meghan changed into a second wedding dress that many fans love even more than the first. Designed by Stella McCartney, it was a white halter-neck gown in silk crepe with an open back — modern, fluid and made for dancing. Where the ceremony dress was classic and covered, the evening dress was relaxed and confident. Two dresses, two British designers, two completely different moods in one day.

The second look also carried a hidden touch of tradition. Meghan’s evening shoes were reported to have soles painted in soft blue, giving her the classic something blue every bride needs, alongside the something borrowed of the tiara and the something old of the tiara’s 1893 brooch.

What Did The Dress Cost?

The true price of the Meghan Markle wedding dress has never been officially confirmed, and anyone who gives you an exact figure is guessing. Reports at the time estimated the gown and veil together cost a six-figure sum, as would be expected for a handmade couture piece from a Paris fashion house with hundreds of hours of embroidery in the veil alone. What is certain is the value it created: within days, high-street copies were selling out, and the boat neckline became the most requested bridal style of the year.

How The Dress Changed Bridal Fashion Forever

Before May 2018, wedding dresses were getting bigger — more lace, more beads, more drama. Meghan’s dress stopped that trend in a single walk down the aisle. Bridal designers reported a rush of brides asking for plain silk, clean lines and boat necklines, a style change the industry still calls the Meghan effect. The lesson of the dress is simple: when the cutting is perfect and the bride looks like herself, a dress never dates. Photos of it look as modern today as they did on the day.

How To Copy The Meghan Look For Your Own Wedding

You do not need a royal budget to borrow the ideas. Look for a boat neck or bateau neckline gown in plain silk, crepe or mikado, with three-quarter or long sleeves and no heavy decoration. Choose a long, simple veil — you can even ask a seamstress to embroider one meaningful flower at its edge, your own version of the Commonwealth idea. Keep jewellery small and classic, wear your hair in a low bun, and choose natural makeup that lets your skin show. Bridal shops now stock many Meghan Markle wedding dress inspired styles at ordinary prices, because this clean look has become a permanent part of bridal fashion.

The Wedding Morning: How The Look Came Together

On the morning of the wedding, Meghan prepared at Cliveden House with her mother Doria Ragland beside her, while her hair was styled by Serge Normant and her makeup kept soft and natural by Daniel Martin. The whole beauty plan followed the same rule as the dress: nothing heavy, nothing that would hide the woman inside it. That is why, years later, the photographs still look fresh — there is no thick makeup to date them and no fussy dress detail to place them in one fashion season. Friends of the couple have often said Meghan wanted to look like the best version of herself, not like a different person, and every choice of that morning, from the sheer makeup to the plain silk gown, served exactly that idea.

Key Takeaways

• The Meghan Markle wedding dress was designed by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy, in pure white silk with a boat neckline and three-quarter sleeves.
• Her five metre veil held embroidered flowers from all 53 Commonwealth countries, plus wintersweet from Kensington Palace and the California poppy.
• She wore the Queen Mary bandeau tiara, made in 1932 and lent by Queen Elizabeth II, with small Cartier jewellery.
• Prince Harry reportedly hand-picked flowers for her bouquet, including forget-me-nots, Princess Diana’s favourite.
• Her second wedding dress for the evening party was a white halter neck gown by Stella McCartney.
• The dress started the Meghan effect — a lasting bridal trend for plain silk, clean lines and boat necklines.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who designed Meghan Markle’s wedding dress?
A: The ceremony dress was designed by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy. Her second dress for the evening reception was designed by Stella McCartney.

Q: What neckline did Meghan Markle’s wedding dress have?
A: A wide boat neckline, also called a bateau neckline, with three-quarter sleeves. The simple silk style became a major bridal trend after the wedding.

Q: How long was Meghan Markle’s wedding veil?
A: Five metres long, with hand-embroidered flowers representing all 53 Commonwealth countries around its edge, plus two personal flowers of her own.

Q: How much did Meghan Markle’s wedding dress cost?
A: The price was never officially confirmed. Reports at the time estimated a six-figure sum for the handmade couture gown and embroidered veil together.

Read More: Meghan Markle’s Marriages: The True Story Behind The Three Weddings Claim