The Three Most Talked About Weddings Ever!
When world-famous celebrities, blue-blood royalty and beautiful people enter the bonds of matrimony, the media starts talking at a frantic pace and everyone stops to stare. When reality TV sensation Kim Kardashian married NBA player Kris Humphries, 10 million watched on television, and silver screen starlet Elizabeth Taylor had eight extravagant weddings. Although many celebrity weddings are hot topics, they don’t compare to these historic weddings.
Grace Kelly and Monaco’s Prince Rainier
Known for her poise and style,
Grace Kelly left the movie business just six years into her high-powered Hollywood career. Billed by the press as the wedding of the century, the film industry and the general public were buzzing as they realized that one of Hollywood's premier starlets was finished making films. Ironically, Grace Kelly first met Prince Rainier on a trip to participate in the Cannes Film Festival and a photo shoot at the Palace of Monaco. Before the 1956 wedding, Grace and her family produced a $2 million dowry to ensure the engagement and wedding would proceed.
When Grace Kelly arrived in Monaco with her family, her poodle and 80 pieces of luggage, 20,000 admirers lined the streets. Their dual-ceremony wedding featured Grace Kelly in a stately gown embellished with antique Brussels lace and seed pearls. In addition to the 10-carat, emerald-cut diamond and two baguette diamonds set in platinum that adorned her finger, the bride carried a fragrant lily of the valley bouquet and wore a Juliet caplet decorated with sweet-smelling orange blossoms. Prince Rainier and Princess Grace had three children, and the couple celebrated their 25th anniversary a year before Grace Kelly suffered a fatal stroke and a traffic accident.
Princess Diana and Prince Charles
It was 1981 and an estimated 750 million people were gathering around their TVs to watch the ultimate royal wedding and the hoard of 600,000 that lined the streets surrounding London’s St. Paul Cathedral. In true 80s style, 20-year-old Diana wore a puffy taffeta dress with an infamous 25-foot train decorated with 10,000 pearls. According to reports, the pair had 27 wedding cakes at their extravagant reception. Although the couple separated in 1992 and divorced only a year before Diana’s tragic death in 1997, their lavish ceremony remains one of the most talked about weddings ever.
Prince William and Kate Middleton
Not to be outdone by his late mother, Prince William’s marriage was lavish, tasteful and publicized as much as any event. Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, donned an ultra-sheer veil, a 1936 diamond tiara from Cartier, and a striking high-waist gown with a fitted bodice inspired by the dress Grace Kelly wore. Known for her classic yet trendsetting wardrobe, Kate’s wedding gown sparked a lace revival with its sheer bodice and beautifully appliquéd skirt. With such a fairy tale wedding, it’s hard to imagine their marriage being anything but perfect.
These historic weddings were the most talked about events at the time, and their enduring impact leads people to keep talking about them and recreating their classical style.
