Princess Diana and Prince Charles.Photo: Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive
Forget Elvis — the marriage capital of the world is adding a royal wedding experience to its roster.
Princess Diana: A Tribute Exhibitionis set to open inside The Shops at Crystals adjacent to ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas next month. The attraction features 12 curated rooms including “Wedding of Century,” where couples can actually tie the knot among thoughtfully chosen artifacts fromPrincess DianaandPrince Charles' 1981 nuptials including a dramatic recreation ofDiana’s bridal gown.
“Over 120,000 weddings are performed in Las Vegas each year, it has become the marriage capital of the world,” curator ofPrincess Diana: A Tribute Exhibition, David Corelli, tells PEOPLE. “So, here we have the ultimate room showcasing artifacts and mementos from the most famous wedding of all time. And we thought, why not create something uniquely special for people to celebrate their love that you can only get here in Vegas?”
The wedding package features a ceremony and private dinner inside the room.
Princess Diana: A Tribute Exhibition.Courtesy Princess Diana A Tribute Exhibition
In a unique twist, guests can also walk on top of the gown’s 25-foot train, which is encased in a glass floor.
Princess Diana and Prince Charles.Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty
DesignersElizabeth and David Emanuelwere tasked with creating the royal wedding gown and took several precautions to keep the dress a secret before the nuptials. According toRoyal Style in the Makingexhibit curator Matthew Storey, the team put scraps of fabric that were not used on the actual dress in the garbage in case any members of the press went looking for clues. When July 29, 1981, finally arrived, Princess Diana arrived at St. Paul’s Cathedral wearing the voluminous ivory ball gown with a sparkling veil.
In addition to including antique lace from Queen Mary as Princess Diana’s “something old,” the wedding dress also included a blue bow inside the bodice as the bride’s “something blue.” Diana put a hidden good luck charm on her dress, too: an 18-carat gold horseshoe trinket studded with white diamonds.
In addition to the replica wedding dress, the custom-built, 10,000-square-foot exhibition houses a collection of over 700 items, including several of Princess Diana’s authentic evening gowns and fashion garments. There are also artist installations, historic royal textiles and a collection of correspondence, gifts and personal items of Diana and the royals.
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The exhibition was created in partnership with Pink Ribbons Crusade, a charity sharing its collection of royal memorabilia to raise funds to fight breast cancer.
Tickets are on sale nowfor the exhibit, which opens on Sept. 2.
source: people.com
