Royal Bride: Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco

When Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier in 1956, the world found the perfect wedding pattern. She and the prince had a civil and a religious wedding, same as their son did in 2011. The 40-minute civil ceremony took place in the Palace Throne Room of Monaco on April 18, 1956, and was broadcast across Europe.

The following day the church ceremony took place at Monaco’s Saint Nicholas Cathedral. Kelly’s wedding dress, designed by MGM’s Academy Award–winning Helen Rose, was worked on for six weeks by three dozen seamstresses. The bridesmaid’s gowns were designed by Joe Allen Hong at Neiman Marcus after Lawrence Marcus visited Monaco.