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Ellie Goulding's first of five wedding dresses paid hidden tribute to Princess Eugenie – photos

The singer had plenty of royal wedding inspiration

ellie goulding eugenie wedding
Nichola Murphy
Deputy Lifestyle Editor
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Ellie Goulding took every opportunity to do an outfit change on her wedding day, swapping her Chloé bridal gown for another four beautiful outfits as she celebrated with her husband Caspar Jopling.

SEE: 12 celebrity bridal dresses with secret messages: Nicola Peltz, Gwen Stefani & more

The singer, 35, and the art dealer, 30, tied the knot at York Minster on 31 August 2019, before heading to Castle Howard, the stately home where Brideshead Revisited was filmed, for their evening reception. From Ellie's subtle embroidery on her wedding dress to her choice of photographer and events company, it's safe to say that her big day was inspired by royals such as Princess Eugenie, Princess Anne and Kate Middleton. 

WATCH: Princess Eugenie's first wedding dress goes on display

On their third wedding anniversary, look back at Ellie and Caspar's jaw-dropping nuptials…

groomsmen for caspar

Caspar's groomsmen were the first to arrive at York Cathedral, with Princess Eugenie's husband Jack Brooksbank amongst them.

caspar groom

The groom, Caspar, looked smart and very happy as he arrived at York Minster in a bespoke Huntsman suit.

ellie goulding camper van

The bride arrived in a blue camper van. Her bridesmaids had arrived just seconds earlier.

ellie goulding entering church

She entered the Cathedral in her bespoke Chloé long-sleeved gown, designed by Natacha Ramsay-Levi. The silk double crêpe white dress was subtly embellished with white glass beads and featured a silk radzimir petticoat, and the intricate design took more than 640 hours to construct.

ellie goulding veil

Ellie's delicate silk tulle veil and organza collar were embroidered with the bride and groom’s initials 'E' and 'C'. It took a whopping 591 hours for the petites mains to hand-make this creation.

ellie caspar

When it came to her main gown for her wedding ceremony, Ellie took lots of inspiration from royalty – not only did she tell Vogue that it was based on elements from Princess Anne and Princess Grace of Monaco's "timeless" wedding dresses, but her chosen frock was also hand-embroidered with White Roses of York. 

SEE: 28 royal brides with historic wedding dresses: Princess Anne, Princess Beatrice & more

READ: Princess Eugenie's pink wedding dress was inspired by this royal

In a subtle nod to her heritage, the badge of the royal House of York was also embroidered on the shoulders and back of Princess Eugenie's second wedding dress when she married Jack Brooksbank in 2018. Perhaps Ellie's decision to include the flowers was a tribute to the royal, who is one of her good friends and was reportedly the matchmaker for Ellie and Caspar.

sarah and eugenie wedding

It comes as no surprise, then, that Eugenie was part of the star-studded guest list, alongside her mother Sarah Ferguson and sister Princess Beatrice.

princess beatrice ellie wedding

Beatrice was spotted with her now-husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. Beatrice pulled out all the stops as per usual, rocking a stunning green metallic dress from the trendy fashion label, The Vampire's Wife. The Queen's granddaughter wore her famous red hair down but accessorised with a black headband, a green clutch bag, a gold cuff, and black dressy shoes. Her makeup appeared as fresh and flawless as ever.

sarah ferguson ellie wedding

Sarah, Duchess of York looked incredible in a navy dress with a lace trim with a black dress coat over the top. She accessorised with a fancy monochrome feather fascinator and a pair of mules. The redhead looked in great spirits as she was photographed arriving, waving to the crowds.

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princess eugenie jack

Jack Brooksbank reunited with his wife Eugenie, who stunned onlookers in a long purple-navy mix floral dress peppered with pink and blue flowers and gorgeous grey heels.

katy and orlando bloom

Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom arrived hand in hand. The singer looked gorgeous in a blue coat and watercoloured dress by Olivia Rubin.

sienna miller wedding

Sienna Miller was one of the first celebrity guests to arrive wearing an Alessandra Rich dress. She was joined by her boyfriend Lucas Zwirner.

cressida bonas az

Prince Harry's ex Cressida Bonas snuck into the cathedral accompanied by her now-husband Harry Wentworth-Stanley.

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READ: Where to buy wedding dresses online in 2022

james blunt and wife

James Blunt and his wife Sofia Wellesley smiled at the crowds and photographers as they arrived at the star-studded nuptials. James looked dapper in a traditional morning suit, while Sofia looked beautiful in a red and white floral and lace dress.

joe wicks wedding

Joe Wicks and his then-pregnant wife Rosie were among the second group to arrive.

jimmy carr

Jimmy Carr and partner Karoline Copping made a surprise appearance at Ellie and Caspar's nuptials.

ellie goulding official pictures

Shortly after they exchanged vows, Ellie and her husband Caspar shared their official wedding photo. It was a candid image of them sharing a kiss surrounded by friends and family, and their adorable flower girls and pageboys as they stood at the front of the cathedral. The official photo was taken by a favourite photographer of the royals - Matt Porteous, who previously photographed The Duchess of Cambridge's 'Back to Nature' garden at the Chelsea Flower Show. 

ellie caspar kiss

Ellie and Caspar kiss for the first time as husband and wife in front of their adoring crowd who have been waiting patiently outside York Minster. 

castle howard© Photo: Alamy

Following the service, guests were transported 15 miles from the cathedral to the lavish stately home Castle Howard for a festival-themed reception!

The high-profile couple took royal inspiration for their evening celebration, too. They used the same events company that organised the wedding receptions of Prince William and Kate Middleton, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and even Pippa Middleton and James Matthews.

View post on Instagram
 

Ellie's bespoke gown wasn't the first thing on her mind when it came to her wedding day look. She explained to Vogue: "I was way too chilled about the dress at the start. I think I was scared and holding out for something really special. I’ve been working closely with my friend and stylist Nathan Klein to select the right shoes and mind-blowing jewellery from Bulgari. In truth, the dresses are so exquisite they really speak for themselves!"

READ: Inside Married at First Sight UK's spectacular wedding venues – including £20k royal residence

MORE: Meghan Markle opens up about secret wedding speech with 'my love' Prince Harry

ellie goulding second dress© Photo: Instagram

Ellie changed into her second gown for her reception, a Stella McCartney off-the-shoulder silk Cady dress, which featured a diamond trim detail.

View post on Instagram
 

The bride then hit the dance floor in a Ralph & Russo ensemble, comprising a bodice of pearls and silk, and an evening skirt.

To party the night away, she then turned to her friend Olivier Rousteing at Balmain. Ellie changed into the mini dress of dreams, saying: "Olivier has made me the most fun dress to dance the night away in."

View post on Instagram
 

The Starry Eyed singer ditched tradition when it came to her fifth outfit, which was a strapless black gown that featured a full skirt and a belt tied at the waist. She wore her hair half up and half down with a pretty plait.

The musician shared a series of snaps on Instagram and captioned her post: "My beautiful dark twisted fantasy." Although she appears to be at her castle venue, it's not clear whether she wore the black frock on her big day or for a luncheon or dinner during her wedding weekend.

MORE: Inside 10 This Morning stars' romantic weddings: Rochelle Humes, Ruth Langsford & more

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