I’ve been thinking about this gown lately, and when our Baguette Iselen mentioned that Laura Ponte had recently suffered an accident (she’s recovering and doing well, you can check out Iselen’s comments on this week’s Bits for an update), I decided it was time to take another look at it.
The Facts
Laura Ponte y Martínez is a Spanish model who worked for Valentino, Lagerfeld, and Ralph Lauren, among other designers. She married Beltrán Gómez-Acebo y Borbón, the son of Infanta Pilar, in September 2004. The wedding was royal adjacent at many points. The groom is King Felipe’s cousin, and the couple had been introduced seven years earlier through Princess Tatiana of Liechtenstein. Sadly, they divorced several years ago.
Below, Laura is shown during her modeling days. You can see she has a dramatic personal style, and that style was expressed quite thoroughly in her wedding ensemble, too.
Her wedding gown was designed by Miguel Palacio. The mousseline silk dress was embellished with a silver hand embroidered “belt” that wrapped low around her waist. It made its way up her back and around her shoulders. The slim fit highlighted her model figure and reflected the silhouette of the 1920s.
She went all in on the 1920s theme with a borrowed lace veil and one of the more interesting tiara treatments ever seen at a wedding. She wore Infanta Pilar’s diamond and sapphire tiara upside down to anchor the veil. That tiara came into the Spanish royal orbit through the Countess of Barcelona. Tiara Mania has an entry on it, so you see it upright here. Here is the original OoS entry.
The rest of the Spanish royals represented very well, too.
The Case for the Dress (actually the whole ensemble)
The Handbag: I love it. Unique, flattering to the bride, and unforgettable. I know it pings “costume” to some, but aren’t all wedding gowns costumes? Chef’s kiss.
LuckeyGirl: Love it. Not many could carry off a high-neck, long sleeve wedding gown, but Laura manages to beautifully. The tiara, veil, and train are just gorgeous additions to a great gown. My only quibble is the placement of the silver ribbon, but it’s not a deal breaker for me.
The Case against the Dress (the whole enchilada, dress, tiara, veil)
OC: The whole enchilada? The gown is beautifully draped and I really enjoy the silver accents. The veil is classic. Beautiful tiara. ALLLLLLL together? So much NEWP. When paired with the sleek gown, the veil looks like Granny’s tablecloth—heavy and overdone. The tiara upside down could be gorgeous but is hidden in the veil details.
LiL: Ummmm…. I don’t dislike it, but I don’t really like it either. The cap thingy on the veil prevents you from getting a good look at the tiara, but it’s not terrible. The gown is rather nondescript, although the silver “ribbon” is quite nice. I dunno. I guess my vote swings towards “Meh.” She herself looks great, though!
