While theirs was not a match made in heaven, the wedding between Prince Charles and Princess Diana has gone down as one of the most iconic weddings of the century. Over 750 million people the world over tuned in to see this couple profess their love to each other, and today we still talk about that dress. Here’s an inside look into these iconic nuptials.

Road to the altar:

Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer met at the Spencer family home in 1977. At the time, the Prince and Diana’s older sister Sarah were engaged in a short-lived relationship. It was only in 1980 that the pair started dating and after meeting a reported 13 times, the couple quickly became engaged. Prince Charles proposed with the famous sapphire ring Diana picked out herself that Kate Middleton now wears as her own engagement ring.

They married at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London on July 29, 1981, becoming one of the few royal weddings to occur outside of Westminster Abbey. The last wedding at this venue was between Prince Arthur, the son of King Henry VII, and Princess Catherine on November 14, 1501.

The wedding cost an estimated $48 million (R7 258 560 00), $600,000 (R9 073 200) of which was spent on their security detail alone. An estimated 600 000 people eagerly lined the streets of London in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the princess-to-be on her big day.

The dress:

Diana’s dress was designed by husband-and-wife duo David and Elizabeth Emanuel and featured a fitted, boned bodice with panels embroidered with lace that once belonged to Queen Mary. The dress sported romantic puffed sleeves, a full skirt of ivory silk taffeta, hand embroided in tiny mother-of-pearl sequins and pearls, centering on a heart motif. Her dress was completed with a dramatic 25-foot (7.62 metre) train – the longest in royal history – that could barely fit in her carriage. Her 153 yard (139 metre) ivory silk tulle veil, spangled with mother-of-pearl sequins, was held by the Spencer family’s diamond tiara.

The Press Courier called the dress “the most closely guarded secret in fashion history” as the design was kept so tightly under warps. There were actually three different dresses made in case any details were released before the big day.

On the day, Princess Diana actually had to be sown into her wedding dress because her waist size had dropped dramatically from 29 inches to 23.5inches as a result of her struggles with bulimia.

The ceremony:

During the ceremony, Princess Diana famously altered her vows, opting out of saying she will “obey” Prince Charles.

In another notable moment, Lady Diana was so nervous she actually messed up her husband-to-be’s name, calling him ‘Philip Charles Arthur George’ instead of ‘Charles Philip Arthur George’.

This ceremony was full of blunders. Somehow, Prince Charles forgot to kiss his bride once they said ‘I do’. This is why following their ceremony, Prince Charles and Princess Diana became the first royal couple to kiss on a balcony, unknowingly starting a tradition that is still held today.

The reception:

These royals had not one, not two but a whopping 27 wedding cakes on display during their reception. Created by the Naval Armed Forces, the main one was a five foot (1.52metres) tall fruitcake that weighed 255 lbs (115.66kg) and featured the initials “C” and “D,” the Prince’s coat of arms, and the Spencer family crest as decoration.

Also read: Princess diaries: Diana’s wedding day mishaps

Feature image: Instagram