Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby walked into Oslo Cathedral as a modern-day Cinderella on 25 August 2001. She didn’t choose a stereotypical ‘princess’ type of wedding gown, instead opting for a more subtle and understated gown by Ove Harder Finseth. Finseth and seamstress Anna Bratland worked together to create the gown.
Mette-Marit worked with the designer to create a gown that was an interpretation of the fashion that Queen Maud once wore as a way of paying tribute to her husband-to-be’s great-grandmother.
[getty src=”157131298,157788527,158070541″ width=”384″ height=”594″]The custom made dress was made of white silk crepe and tulle with a square cut top, long sleeves, corset waist, and a skirt that slightly flared out. The gown featured a six-metre (20 foot) silk tulle veil which was longer than the two-metre train on the dress. The long veil was held in place by the Diamond Daisy Tiara that was gifted to her by her new in-laws, King Harald and Queen Sonja.
The dress was praised in the Norwegian media after the wedding with Aftenposten saying it was “a dream in silk and tulle.” Designer Tine Solheim told VG that the dress was the perfect dress for Mette-Marit’s personality: “The dress was completely Mette-Marit. It is completely simple and clean, and it harmonizes with the bride.”
Mette-Marit may have walked in as a commoner, but she exited the cathedral as the Crown Princess of Norway – looking every inch the princess she had just become.
There is more on this historic royal wedding in our book. Royal Weddings: A Collection is available on Amazon as an ebook or paperback.
