Royal Weddings From Around the World

Royal Weddings From Around the World

Wedding Date: February 10, 1840

If you're planning on wearing white on your wedding day, you're following the trendsetting example of Queen Victoria. This British monarch started a new bridal fashion when she wore a white wedding gown to marry Prince Albert. At the time of her wedding, it was common for brides to wear wedding dresses in colors, rather than white.

Royal Weddings From Around the World

Wedding Date: June 3, 1937

Talk about giving it up for the one you love! Prince Edward (formerly King Edward VIII) abdicated the throne in order to marry twice-divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson. Eschewing a formal celebration, the bride, in a blue dress, wed in a simple ceremony with just 16 guests in attendance.

Royal Weddings From Around the World

Wedding Date: November 20, 1947

If writing all of your wedding thank-you notes seems like an impossible task, be grateful that you're not Queen Elizabeth II. When she married at Westminster Abbey, the young royal received more than 2,500 presents from people around the world. And we're guessing the couple is still putting their wedding gifts to good use -- the couple celebrated 60 years of marriage with their diamond wedding anniversary in 2007.

Royal Weddings From Around the World

Wedding Dates: April 18, 1956 (civil ceremony) and April 19, 1956 (Catholic mass)

It's no surprise that this romantic union was known as the wedding of the century. Actress Grace Kelly, radiant in a fairy-tale-worthy wedding dress that took 35 seamstresses six weeks to create, exchanged vows in a broadcast ceremony that was watched by an estimated 30 million people around the world.

Royal Weddings From Around the World

Wedding Date: May 6, 1960

Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth II's younger sister, received a wedding present that was truly fit for a princess when she married photographer Anthony Armstrong-Jones. Scottish noble Colin Tennant gave her a parcel of land on Mustique, a Caribbean island -- don't you wish he was on your guest list?

Royal Weddings From Around the World

Wedding Date: November 14, 1973

Queen Elizabeth II's only daughter, Princess Anne, married Lieutant Mark Phillips at Westminster Abbey. The bride wore a Tudor-style wedding dress with a high collar and bell sleeves and the groom wore the full scarlet and blue uniform of his regiment, the Queen's Dragoon. The couple had two children, Zara and Mark and divorced in 1992.

Royal Weddings From Around the World

Wedding Date: June 15, 1978

In a departure from a formal royal wedding, the King of Jordan exchanged vows in a low-key, relaxed ceremony. In an interview with CNN, Queen Noor described her celebration as "probably the simplest royal wedding ever." The bride, in a Dior wedding dress, wed in a straightforward ceremony, followed by a modest reception that included a "brief moment of cutting a wedding cake in a very traditional fashion."

Royal Weddings From Around the World

Wedding Date: June 28-29, 1978

The first wedding for the daughter of Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco and Prince Rainier III was to Parisian banker, Philippe Junot. The couple had a civil ceremony on June 28th and a religious one the following day. Guests at the fairy-tale wedding included some of the mother-of-the-bride's Hollywood friends: Gregory Peck and Frank Sinatra. The couple did not live happily ever after. They divorced in October 1980.

Royal Weddings From Around the World

Wedding Date: July 29, 1981

This royal couple captured worldwide attention when they tied the knot at St. Paul's Cathedral in London -- an estimated 750 million people watched the broadcast ceremony of the wedding. The bride's wedding gown, which was created by British designers David and Elizabeth Emanuel, featured a glamorous 25-foot train.

Royal Weddings From Around the World

Wedding Date: July 23, 1986

For your wedding, it's all about adding the personal touch to your big-day details. Prince Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth II, rose to the occasion for his wedding, giving his bride a ruby engagement ring that matched her red hair. The bride continued the personalized trend, wearing a wedding dress with a 17-foot train that featured an anchor to represent her groom's experience in the navy.

Royal Weddings From Around the World