Alexander McQueen Wedding Dresses: The Royal Gown and How to Wear McQueen as a Bride

The most famous Alexander McQueen wedding dress is the gown Catherine, now Princess of Wales, wore to marry Prince William at Westminster Abbey on 29 April 2011. Sarah Burton designed it as creative director of the house. McQueen has no separate bridal line, but its ivory tailoring, lace and corsetry are a natural choice for a bride, and especially for a civil ceremony.

The royal wedding dress, 2011

• Designer: Sarah Burton, creative director of Alexander McQueen from 2010 to 2023.
• Fabric: ivory and white satin gazar, with a bodice of lace.
• Lace: hand-cut lace flowers, the rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock of the four home nations, applied by the Royal School of Needlework using the Carrickmacross technique.
• Train: about nine feet long.

The dress drew on Victorian corsetry, a narrow waist over padded hips, which is McQueen’s own vocabulary. It made the house a name in bridal overnight.

Bridal heritage at the house

Lee McQueen often closed a show with a bride, and his romantic lace finales, from Widows of Culloden in Autumn Winter 2006 onward, are the root of the house’s bridal reputation. Vogue reports that he designed Sarah Burton’s own wedding dress when she married the photographer David Burton in 2004. The great McQueen runway shows explain where the lace came from.

How to wear McQueen as a bride now

Luxury Handbags carries the McQueen ready-to-wear line rather than a bridal collection, and the ivory pieces work for a modern wedding in three ways.

• The bridal suit: the Peak Shoulder Leaf Crepe Jacket with the Leaf Crepe Cigarette Trousers in Light Ivory, for a city hall ceremony.
• Corset and trouser: the Lace Corset in White over Narrow Bootcut Trousers in Light Ivory, for an evening reception.
• The dress: the Gathered Midi Dress in white, for a garden wedding.

Finish with the Lustre Earrings for one point of drama, and a pointed pump; the ivory and black Koko Pump is the house’s most bridal shoe this season. For guests, the McQueen evening gowns cover black tie.

Sizing for a bride

McQueen cuts on the Italian ladder, and corseted pieces are fitted, so order your usual size and plan for a tailor. The Alexander McQueen size guide has the conversion.

Frequently asked questions

Who designed the Alexander McQueen royal wedding dress?

Sarah Burton, creative director of Alexander McQueen, designed the dress Catherine, Princess of Wales, wore at Westminster Abbey on 29 April 2011.

What was Kate Middleton’s McQueen wedding dress made of?

Ivory and white satin gazar with a lace bodice. The lace flowers, the rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock, were applied by the Royal School of Needlework using the Carrickmacross technique, and the train was about nine feet long.

Does Alexander McQueen make wedding dresses?

The house has no separate bridal collection. Its royal wedding dress was a commission, and brides today wear its ivory ready-to-wear: corsets, tailoring and white dresses.

Can I wear an Alexander McQueen suit to my wedding?

Yes. An ivory McQueen suit, a peak shoulder jacket with cigarette trousers, is a strong choice for a civil ceremony and city hall wedding, and it can be worn again afterwards.

What shoes go with a McQueen bridal look?

A pointed ivory pump keeps the line long. At Luxury Handbags the Koko Pump in ivory and black goat leather is the closest McQueen shoe to a bridal heel this season.

Shop the ivory pieces on the Alexander McQueen page, and read the Sarah Burton years.