There's no debate that Grace Kelly had one of the best wedding dresses of all time. The American princess still influences bridal fashion to this day, with notable trendsetters Duchess of Cambridge and Miranda Kerr following suit.
But while the long-sleeved gown by costume designer Helen Rose still makes best-dressed lists, many people forget that the Oscar winner actually wore two wedding looks on that April 1956 weekend.
The day before she wed Prince Rainer III of Monaco at St. Nicholas Cathedral, Kelly said "I do" for the first time in a civil ceremony at the royal palace.
Rose, who also outfitted the actress in four films, designed the two-piece ensemble as well. Covered with hand-run Alençon lace, the taffeta suit paired a tea-length skirt with a fitted bodice and rounded collar. The fabric also featured additional embroidery with silk thread for a brocaded effect.
Unlike her ivory gown the following day, the pale pink outfit fell somewhere between champagne, tan and blush. Sporting a Juliet cap and kid gloves, Kelly looked every bit a bona fide princess.
Of course the stylish star didn't stay in that outfit for long. She changed into another tea-length dress to accept public congratulations at a following press conference. A few hours later, Kelly stepped into her final look of the night: a white silk Lanvin gown accessorized with a delicate tiara and ruby-and-diamond necklace, a gift from her new subjects.
While Kelly's not the only celeb to rock multiple looks on her big day, she definitely helped start a trend.
Caroline is a writer and editor with almost a decade of experience. From 2015 to 2019, she held various editorial positions at Good Housekeeping, including as health editor, covering nutrition, fitness, wellness, and other lifestyle news. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism and dreams of the day Northwestern will go back to the Rose Bowl.
