ROYAL COUTURE.....Wedding of Princess Madeleine of Sweden: Valentino Couture Wedding Gown

Mr. and Mrs: Princess Madeleine Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland and her husband, American financier Chris O'Neill --Storkyrkan (The Great Church) Stockholm Sweden

This past Saturday, on June 8th, Princess Madeleine Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland, 30, married wealthy Manhattan banker Christopher O'Neill, 38, at the Royal Palace Chapel and Storkyrkan (The Great Church) in Stockholm, Sweden. Princess Madeleine is the youngest child and second daughter of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden. The King--according to some rumors--footed the bill for the entire thing (not surprised). The wedding was a MAJOR Royal Wedding with over 500 guests, including many Euro Royals, naturally; they LIVE for this stuff (and so do I!).

Madeleine is known as the Swedish Princess with the "Hollywood Starlet" good looks. For most of her life, she was a blond but just a few years ago, she went brunette, I guess signaling her "I'm more serious and ready to get married" phase of her life. She has now met "the love of her life" in London-born, American financier from a wealthy family, the dashing Christopher O'Neill.  

Happy Couple: Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland and her new husband, American financier Christopher O'Neill, in one of their "Official Portraits"

Supposedly, Madeleine and Chris will make their home in New York. Not sure what the Princess will do in NYC but supposedly Chris will continue his financier work (yeah right! He's going to have his calendar full with way too many royal weddings and pr appearances). Speaking of Christopher...he passed up the offer for a royal title, which would have required he become a Swedish citizen, and essentially will remain Mr. Chris O'Neill, no Duke of this or Prince of that.

Now, let's discuss THE WEDDING GOWN:

Sweet Alta Moda: Princess Madeleine in Valentino Haute Couture Custom wedding gown

Hold Up That Couture Train Boys: Princess Madeleine in her Valentino Haute Couture custom wedding gown and Chris O'Neill

Valentino Haute Couture fashion illustration/rendering--provided by the House of Valentino

The Wedding Gown: 
Princess Madeleine of Sweden's wedding gown was a pleated silk organza gown with ivory-colored Chantilly lace detailing. It was designed by the retired Fashion Icon, Valentino Garavani. Talking about working with Princess Madeleine, Mr. Valentino said it had been "just so easy. She is a very lovely girl. She is modern, full of energy and enthusiasm, and she is so beautiful! It has been a pleasure and an honour."  I predicted HERE that The House of Valentino would probably create her wedding gown and I was correct. But it is quite an honor to have the retired designer actually create something special just for you! The Italian fashion house is very friendly with the Euro Royals so it comes as no surprise. The upper section of the bodice was lace with a deep-cut back. Narrow vertical pleats opened up from the accentuated waist, above the wide skirt, which ends with a train that measured over 4 yards.

The Veil:
Madeleine's incredible veil was also made from silk organza and it trailed almost five yards long. The beautiful veil was also edged with tulle scattered with point d'esprit dots and small Chantilly lace orange blossom.
The Price:
In case you are wondering what a gown like this would cost, normally Valentino Haute Couture Wedding Gowns go for about $100,000 and up so...

The Shoes, Hair:
Madeleine wore shoes in ivory white organdie with woven point d'esprit dots and her tiara, which is privately owned, was decorated with sprigs of orange blossom. An oversized bun that sat at the nape of her neck finished off the elegant effect.
The Bouquet:
The bridal bouquet that Madeleine carried consisted of classic white garden roses: Austin roses, Schneewittchen, Winchester Cathedral and Alabaster, as well as lilies of the valley and the traditional myrtle from Sofiero. All the flowers were white, and the bouquet was tied into a round shape.

Wedding Portrait: Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Christopher O'Neill--and their family

Royal Kiss: Princess Madeleine and Chis O'Neill kiss, after their wedding

Click Below for Video of Princess Madeleine Entering the Church in her Wedding Gown:

Click Below for Video of the Newlyweds boarding their boat to take them to the Drottningholms Palace outside Stockholm:

***Up Next: The Royal Guest COUTURE from Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Christopher O'Neill Wedding