Princess Rajwa wears Elie Saab as Queen Rania opts for Dior
The bride championed an Arab designer on her big day, as international royals put on a show
After weeks of speculation, the new Crown Princess of Jordan Rajwa Al-Hussein unveiled her wedding gown as she married
Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II in
Amman on Thursday.
The bride, formerly Rajwa Al-Saif, wore a classic white gown by celebrity-loved Lebanese couturier Elie Saab. The full-sleeved gown featured a dramatic veil that trailed for several meters behind her, while the neckline stood out for its chic draping.
She accessorized the look with a glittering tiara and matching diamond earrings, along with white strappy shoes, as she held a bouquet with white flowers.
For his part, the crown prince donned a suit that drew inspiration from the design worn by King Abdullah II on his wedding day in 1993. The suit’s sleeves paid homage to the style favored by both King Abdullah II and King Abdullah I.
The reveal follows weeks, if not months, of speculation about what label the royal family would pick for the Saudi national to walk down the aisle in. Luxury labels Dior and Bruce Oldfield were floated by celebrity stylists and fashion magazines around the world, with some industry insiders throwing British designer Sarah Burton’s name into the ring.
Jordan’s ever-fashionable Queen Rania wore a gown by French label Dior that hailed from the luxury label’s fall 2022 couture collection. Meanwhile, the UK’s Princess of Wales was among the high-profile royal guests at the ceremony.
For the highly anticipated occasion, she wore an elegant Elie Saab gown from the brand’s Fall/ Winter 2017 couture collection. The pastel piece featured a high neck, full bell-shaped sleeves, as well as embroidery and lace detailing.
US First Lady Jill Biden, accompanied by her daughter Ashley Biden, wore a lilac gown by Lebanese designer Reem Acra. She was also spotted wearing the dress in April during a state dinner at the
White House.
Denmark’s Crown Princess Mary, accompanied by Crown Prince Frederik, wore an Erdem cream gown with blue floral print. The luxury label was founded in London by Canadian Turkish fashion designer Erdem Moralioglu.
Earlier, the bride stayed true to her Saudi roots at her May 22 henna night by wearing a custom-made gown by Saudi designer Honayda Serafi.
The designer took inspiration from the Al-Shaby thobe of the Najd region in Saudi Arabia, home to the bride’s family. “The brief was that she wanted to wear something very modest and something from Saudi Arabian culture, but with a modern twist. She wanted the piece to be very elegant, and she also wanted it to be white,” Serafi previously told Arab News.
Apart from the references to Al-Saif’s Saudi heritage, the dress also featured nods to Jordanian culture.
Serafi included the sevenpointed white star that is present on the Jordanian national flag, which symbolized the seven verses of Surat Al-Fatiha in the Qur’an. Other details in the dress included Saudi Arabia’s palm trees, which symbolize life and vitality, as well as a verse by famous Tunisian poet Aboul Qacem Echebbi — “When my eyes see you, life becomes right” — etched into the dress in Arabic lettering. “My intention behind designing this dress was to document the eternal love and the history of the royal wedding. And, of course, I have used traditional threads and it is all hand embroidered,” said Serafi.