Not forgetting the mother of the bride, Galliano also produced a beautiful creation for his sister Rosemarie. The deep-red, kneelength dress with a hand-embroidered rose detail was also created in the designer’s Paris atelier and delivered to Dior’s flagship store in Sloane Street, London, where the mother of the bride was invited to choose the handbag and shoes of her desire, courtesy of her little brother John! The relationship with the designer and his family is clearly a deeply respectful and loving one. “He is always generous to his family,” says his goddaughter. And they are in contact with each other as much as possible, given how busy he is. This is not the first dress Galliano has made for her; in fact, her first communion dress was also created for her by her uncle – and, in the past, that dress has been loaned to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London as part of an exhibition. The guest list at the wedding included fellow doctors and army officers from all over the world who flew over especially for the wedding. The wedding ceremony, which was presided over by Monsignor Paul Bear, was followed by a solo rendition of William Gomez’s Ave Maria, sung by Gibraltarian singer Andrea Martin. A guard of honour awaited them at the doors of the cathedral – comprised of officers of the 40th Regiment Royal Artillery. The Royal Gibraltar Regiment had generously loaned the swords for the guard of honour, which ended the wedding service in such style. The wedding had been over a year in the making, with the assistance of Gibraltar wedding and event planners Hour Weddings. With over three years’ experience helping couples get married in Gibraltar and Spain, Hour Weddings’ owner, Monica Coumbe, has served as the main contact point for the UK-based couple, ensuring that all the elements of this wedding were in place. The groom, Oliver, was equally resplendent in full ceremonial military attire – a navy blue uniform, white gloves, red sash and sword. Thrilled with their decision to hold their wedding in a place that meant so much to her family and which has such a great military history, the couple said of Gibraltar, “It ticked all the boxes for us!” Later, they honeymooned in Morocco. And the dress? Well, that will be packed away in its box for now, and one day you may see it at an exhibition somewhere in the world! A gift from a loving uncle and a worldrenowned designer. hourweddings.com
CONFETI
55