Exactly 10 years ago today on November 21, 2008, the first installment of the Twilight franchise hit theaters. Fans of the franchise were immediately drawn to Stephanie Meyer’s on-screen leads Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). The characters–one human and the other a vampire–fell in love and eventually married in the first installment of Breaking Dawn, which hit theaters in November 2011.
Carolina Herrera was personally tapped by series creator Meyer to custom-design a wedding dress for Stewart’s Swan, an endeavor that required six months of labor and the help of four seamstresses. The gown itself was comprised of French Chantilly lace and included beautiful buttons (152 to be exact on the back and 17 dotting each sleeve).
The gown itself featured a Bardot neckline and a shorter train. “I was of course inspired by Stephenie’s description of the gown in the book, but I added the touch of Herrera and also took into consideration the personality and the style of the bride,” Herrera told Vogue UK in an interview. “A wedding dress is both an intimate and personal for a woman – it must reflect the personality and style of the bride. Bella’s dress is romantic and filled with a timeless sophistication, very similar to the character. In a way, this dress served as a symbol of the character’s coming of age and introduction into womanhood.”
(Credit: Summit Entertainment)
Cullen’s tuxedo also required an immense amount of attention to detail. “No off-the-rack! Never. I drew up my ideal ideas for all the tuxedos. We wanted them to have a vintage feel, that sort of Edwardian turn-of-the-century vibe,” costume designer Michael Wilkinson told MTV. “But at the same time we didn’t want it to look theatrical, we wanted contemporary, young, and fresh. I drew up something that combined the lines of Edwardian formalwear and we made it up in beautiful contemporary Italian wools and gorgeous shirting materials. We had a fantastic collaboration with Brioni. I sent my drawings over to the incredible tailors at Brioni in Italy and they sent back these beautiful suits. That was a really fun.”
The nuptials were shot outdoors in Vancouver, which was supposed to be seen as the Cullen brood’s backyard. The production designer previously explained how the theme itself was a “Midsummer Night’s Dream” over something more haunting considering it was a vampire wedding.
(Credit: Summit Entertainment)
Elements typical to a wedding were substituted with lush, earthy elements like the aisle runner, which was replaced with white flowers and moss. The pews were comprised of wood and also felt to be part of the scenery too as moss and greenery were integrated into the seating.
Of course the breathtaking scene also included a beautiful floral arch, which was set against a melodious backdrop of cascading white wisteria.
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