Sophie, Countess of Wessex wedding dress– In a silk gown coat dress created by Samantha Shaw, former public relations professional Sophie Rhys-Jones looked stunning. The pair exchanged vows at St. George’s Chapel located at Windsor Castle on June 19, 1999. Countess Sophie’s pearl-encrusted bridal gown stood out dramatically from other royals’ wedding dresses.
More than 325,000 pearls and crystal beads were used to adorn Sophie’s dress, some of which bordered the V-neck, sleeves, and skirt. And others that were scattered throughout the material. But unlike many other royal ladies, they weren’t formed in any particular motif. It wasn’t anything like the puffed sleeves and voluminous skirts Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson wore to their 1980s wedding, despite being covered in sparkling embellishments.
The Princess of Wales, Diana wore a bridal dress by David and Elizabeth Emanuel with hand-embroidered mother-of-pearl sequins and gems that formed a heart-shaped motif on the garment.
Princess Catherine chose a dress with floral designs made from lace, and Sarah, Duchess of York wore a Lindka Cierach dress with meticulous beadwork combining numerous symbols, including anchors and waves signifying Prince Andrew’s sailing history.
Sophie accessorised her chic outfit with a floor-length silk tulle veil, which she wore with her stunning diamond tiara, which was previously part of the Queen’s personal collection. The piece of jewellery, which consists of four open scrollwork designs, was created and redesigned by David Thomas of Asprey and Garrard, the Crown Jeweller. Garrard is the jeweller house which designed Princess Diana’s bespoke sapphire engagement ring, which now is Princess Catherine’s engagement ring.
Sophie Countess of Wessex wedding dress was completed with a matching pair of drop earrings and a black and white pearl necklace that were wedding presents from Prince Edward who designed them himself. They were created by Asprey and Garrard, who also created Sophie’s engagement ring.
In January 1999, Prince Edward confirmed his engagement to Sophie after giving her a two-carat oval diamond as the centrepiece of the engagement ring. It is surrounded by two smaller diamonds in the shape of hearts and is estimated to be valued at around £105,000 ($149,000).
