Fashion

Meghan Markle Just Debuted Her SECOND Wedding Dress Of The Day & It's Absolutely Gorgeous

by Sara Tan
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The moment we've all been waiting for is here: We finally learned what Meghan Markle's wedding dress looked like for the royal wedding and boy, was it a shocker (albeit the most gorgeous shocker of all time). The bride wore a stunning Givenchy haute couture gown designed by Clare Waight Keller, the fashion house's artistic director. It was classic and elegant with a long train (which was not out-shined by Markle's even longer veil). But this is certainly not the only gown she is going to wear on this very special day — Meghan Markle's second wedding dress is just as gorgeous as her wedding ceremony gown. Some might even argue that it is a little more exciting than her wedding dress and more reflective of Markle's signature sophisticated style.

Meghan Markle, now officially the Duchess of Sussex, stepped out for the second reception of her wedding (the first was a lunch following the ceremony) dressed in a floor-length bespoke Stella McCartney gown made from silk crepe featuring a halter neckline. She looked absolutely gorgeous, beaming from ear to ear as Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, opened the door of a vintage Jaguar convertible to let her in. Markle wore her hair in a simple updo, leaving her now-famous wispy bangs to frame her face and kept her makeup natural and light, just like she did for the ceremony.

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Richard Palmer, the royal correspondent for The Daily Express in London, tweeted more information about Meghan Markle's evening ensemble, saying, "The Bride is wearing shoes from Aquazurra made in silky satin, with nude mesh, with soles painted in baby blue. Her hair is styled by George Northwood tonight."

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Elle also noticed that Markle changed her jewelry for the reception, wearing an Aquamarine ring with her second wedding dress, which actually belonged to Princess Diana. Grab your tissues.

Harpers Bazaar reported in April that Meghan Markle would wear not one, but two looks on May 19, the second one for the evening reception hosted by Prince Charles. The publication predicted that the evening gown would be sleeker and more sophisticated, a style much like the ensembles Meghan Markle is known for wearing both on the red carpet and in her day-to-day. They were right.

It is normal for a bride to switch out of her wedding gown into something more comfortable, so why shouldn't Meghan Markle? After all, her now sister-in-law, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, did the same thing for her wedding back in April 2011. Kate Middleton opted for a floor-length ivory satin gown with sparkly jewels circling the waist designed by Sarah Burton. She also paired it with an adorable furry cropped jacket.

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For the wedding ceremony, Markle wore her makeup light and natural with subtle pops of color. Daniel Martin, her long-time friend and makeup artist, was responsible for creating her glowy wedding look, reportedly using a mix of Dior and Honest Beauty, two brands he is known for working with. For her hair, she rocked — what else? — a low and wispy messy bun done up by renowned Hollywood stylist Serge Normant. On top of her her messy bun, Markle wore a very epic tiara for the ceremony and an even more epic veil. According to Time, Markle decided to wear "the Queen Mary Diamond Bandeau Tiara, on loan from Queen Elizabeth, for the memorable occasion. The Queen Mary Diamond Bandeau Tiara, made in 1932, has sometimes been seen with a sapphire in the center stone, but Markle opted for a diamond on her royal wedding day."

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While there was no tiara or jeweled embellishments in sight, Markle still looked like royalty as she stepped out of Windsor Castle to head to the second reception. Markle's second wedding dress was distinctively more glamorous (and dare we say, Hollywood) than her Givenchy ceremony gown, presumably because there will be lots of drinking and dancing going on later tonight.

However in true Markle form, the Stella McCartney dress is still very sophisticated and refined. Let's just hope it's comfortable enough to party in!