But that was not the only royal link for Holly Ramsay. The 26-year-old revealed to Vogue that her gown was directly inspired by the Princess of Wales herself, in addition to another royal known for her immortal glamour. ‘I knew I wanted to wear something very traditional and quite modest, with lace. I’ve always loved Grace Kelly and Kate Middleton’s gowns: that beautiful high neckline, super feminine,’ she told Vogue.
The revelation comes after she hinted that Catherine was on her bridal mood board at the Sports Industry Awards last year, telling the Daily Mail: ‘I’ve always been a huge fan of Kate Middleton’s 2011 wedding dress, and the lace, and how traditional it is, so I took a lot of inspiration from her.’
Kate Middleton opted for a lace gown by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen when she tied the knot with Prince William in 2011
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Indeed, Holly’s Elie Saab look is a perfect homage to the Princess of Wales’ own wedding day couture. The lace number with its sheer shoulders makes a striking parallel to the gown that the future queen selected for her big day in 2011, which was designed by Sarah Burton, then the Creative Director at Alexander McQueen.
The dress, which featured lacework by the Royal School of Needlework (who christened the combination of stock patterns ‘Kate’s Lace’ following the royal wedding), instantly went down in history. Karl Lagerfeld wrote that ‘the dress is classic and goes very well in the Westminster decor. It almost reminds me of Elizabeth’s wedding, the royal weddings in the ‘50s.’ The legendary designer added: ‘The proportion of the train is good. The lace is very pretty. I like the veil a lot.’
Like Catherine, Holly also chose white flowers for her bridal bouquet. She chose a bunch of ranunculus by the London florist Rob Van Helden, while her bridesmaids (sisters Megan and Tilly and sister-in-law Bethany) were given bouquets of calla lilies. Holly, like many brides nowadays, also selected more than one dress for her big day, changing into the wedding gown worn by her mother, Tana, when she tied the knot to Gordon Ramsay in 1996.