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Every little detail about Pippa Middleton’s wedding dress

Because it was a true lesson in less-is-more and every bride should take note.

When you’re following in the footsteps of a sister who had the royal wedding of every girl’s dreams, it’s hard to compete. But Pippa Middleton’s wedding to former professional racing driver turned hedge fund manager James Matthews was nothing short of a fairytale. And unlike her sister’s wedding, there were no bridesmaids to steal the spotlight!

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Married in the historical 12th-century St. Mark’s Church in Berkshire, England on the 20th May 2017, the streets were barricaded off and the guest list was a star-studded affair (Roger Federer, Princess Eugenie, the groom’s Made In Chelsea reality star brother Spencer Matthews, were all in attendance).

Instead of having her sister, the Duchess of Cambridge, in her bridal party (some say it was against royal protocol while others claim Kate Middleton was concerned about stealing attention away from the bride), Pippa had an entourage of page boys and flower girls (including nephew Prince George and niece Princess Charlotte) as well as her father Michael Middleton, who walked her down the aisle. Kate was still close by, wearing a blush-pink Alexander McQueen dress that was effortlessly demure, but not too showy.

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Kate Middleton with Princess Charlotte and Prince George (Credit: Getty)

But enough about the who, when and where, it’s the ‘what she wore’ details we want to know about.

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Who was Pippa Middleton’s dress designer?

That honour went to British fashion designer Giles Deacon, which in all honesty, came as quite a surprise to everyone. While he has dressed the likes of Cate Blanchett, Sarah Jessica Parker, Solange and his partner, Game of Thrones actress Gwendoline Christie, many times for the red carpet, his designs are known for being outlandish and eccentric. But in stark contrast, what he created for Pippa Middleton’s wedding day was nothing short of traditional and elegant.

“My job was very simple, it was to create the most spectacular, wonderful and appropriate piece I could for her and it all went very smoothly,” the designer shared with People. “I was thrilled with it, really happy.”

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(Credit: Getty)

The wedding dress details

It was hard not to draw parallels between Pippa’s wedding dress and that of her bigger sister’s. Reminiscent of Kate’s Grace Kelly-inspired wedding dress, Pippa Middleton’s wedding dress also featured a modest lace-covered decolletage with matching lace sleeves, a fitted bodice and ball gown silhouette. However, even though she opted for a high neckline, it was Pippa’s tasteful show of skin via capped sleeves (just like those on her famous bridesmaid dress) and a heart-shaped keyhole at the back that gave her gown a modern twist.

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“She has a great eye, she knew what she wanted,” revealed Deacon in an interview with Business of Fashion.

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James and Pippa after saying ‘I do’ (Credit: Getty)

“The bespoke silk cotton lace was hand appliquéd to create an illusion of the dress having ‘no seams’. The lace bodice is embroidered with pearl detailing over an organza and tulle underskirt, which has layer upon layer to enable a floor sweeping movement,” Deacon said of his design to The Telegraph.

How much did it cost?

Wedding dresses aren’t generally cheap to begin with. And when it’s been custom-made by an international fashion designer, well, you can throw that conservative budget out the window. Rumour has it, Pippa’s Giles Deacon couture wedding dress cost AUD$75,000. In comparison, Kate middleton’s Alexander McQueen wedding dress reportedly cost AUD$600,000.

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(Credit: Getty)

The bridal accessories

Pippa Middleton’s veil was made by milliner Stephen Jones. The bespoke tulle veil was a two-tiered floor length design dotted with pearls. It was kept simple so as not to detract from the stunning white lace on Pippa’s wedding dress.

Underneath her veil, the bride wore a princess-inspired maidenhair fern tiara adorned with diamonds and 18-karat white gold. The tiara, as well as a headpiece, was handmade by the Middleton family’s go-to jeweller Robinson Pelham, who also designed Kate Middleton’s bridal tiara and earrings, as well as the tear-drop earrings Pippa wore when she was bridesmaid at her sister’s royal wedding in 2011. Those very same earrings were Pippa’s ‘something old’ on her wedding day.

Pippa’s ivory satin pumps with pearl detailing were a customised version of Manolo Blahnik’s Seneca bridal heels.

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RELATED: Pippa Middleton’s bridesmaid dress

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