Julia Louis-Dreyfus spoke openly about making her wedding dress, inspired by the dress Princess Diana wore at her wedding to now King Charles III in 1981.
The 63-year-old comedian opened up about her 1987 wedding to husband Brad Hall during an episode of her podcast. wiser than me, which aired on May 23. Her comments came a year after she first revealed that Diana's wedding outfit inspired her dress, as Seinfeld The star originally wore a white dress with a flowy ball skirt and quintessential '80s puff sleeves adorned with ruffles to her nuptials.
During the podcast episode, she confessed that while she wasn't a huge Princess Diana fan, she still thought the late royal's “wedding dress” was shit. She noted that the princess's dress was similar to the costumes from the film. A room with a view (1985), before describing how that outfit inspired her.
“Lady Di's dress had these puffed sleeves with two layers of lace coming out of the cuff,” he explained. “And I totally stole that from my dress, which was kind of a study in everything horrible about the '80s. Well, I mean, that's not fair. It was good, but it was so '80s.”
However, he also acknowledged that “one of the good things about clothing” is that “it identifies with an era.” Additionally, she clarified that she felt like “Cinderella at the ball” in her wedding dress.
Louis-Dreyfus went on to describe how many elements of the look fit better with her wedding to Hall, with whom she now shares two sons: Henry, 31, and Charlie, 26.
“Maybe I feel a little embarrassed when I look at that dress now, but it was the statement of a particular moment,” she added. “The huge sleeves, the heart-shaped neckline, the crown of fabric flowers in my hair. I'm pretty sure Brad was wearing a suit. Anyway, man, he was romantic and I was getting married. And so, okay, I admit it. He was perfect.”
She then shared that when the dress was made, they sewed something special inside, which she said meant a lot to her.
“I had this little dolphin hand-carved in stone, kind of an amulet, like a little talisman,” he explained. “And I asked them to sew it on my dress because I thought it was a good symbol of joy. You know, dolphins are very happy.”
However, according to the veep star, told her designer not to tell her where on the inside of the dress the dolphin pendant was sewn.
“And I still don't know where it is on the dress, which I think is fabulous,” she confessed. “It's in there somewhere. Fortunes whisper sewn with fortunate threads of grace.”
Louis-Dreyfus admitted that “clothes-wise” their entire wedding day was “one big production.” He also recalled how his five bridesmaids wore “fantastic” dresses.
“They had a dropped waist and were heavy linen in a very particular green, a celadon green,” she said of the dresses, noting that they had a “sailor collar,” which the actor also had in the “going away dress.” which he wore after the wedding.
After describing the “cream-colored” dress she wore after the nuptials, she acknowledged how meaningful clothing can be at such momentous events.
“I got carried away a little, but that's what fashion is for, to let ourselves go. We dress up for our rituals,” she said. “The clothes we wear convey importance and are a big part of what makes an event special.”
Louis-Dreyfus' wedding dress was not far from Diana's look, as the princess wore a voluminous wedding dress to her nuptials, as her dress has become one of the most recognizable of all time. Her wedding dress was designed by former husband and wife duo David and Elizabeth Emanuel, while the silk taffeta gown featured a fitted bodice overlaid with panels of antique Carrickmacross lace that originally belonged to Queen Mary. The ensemble also included a sequin-encrusted train that measured 25 feet, which remains the longest in royal wedding history.
There was so much secrecy surrounding the dress that the Emmanuels were asked to create an alternative dress in case the dress was preemptively revealed to the public.
In 2021, Princess Diana's wedding dress was displayed at Kensington Palace as part of a temporary exhibition exploring royal style. This was the first time the dress, privately owned by her sons Prince William and Prince Harry, was on display in 25 years.
