While you might not know the names of some of the people we’re about to discuss, I trust that most people simply enjoy looking at wedding photos, especially wedding photos of well-connected and wealthy society people. The Duke of Wellington’s daughter, Lady Charlotte Wellesley, married a billionaire this weekend. And these are the photos from the ceremony. Lady Charlotte married billionaire financier Alejandro Santo Domingo in Granada, Spain. Their service was held in a 16th century church, Church of the Incarnation in Illora. Charlotte is 25, Alejandro is 39, and his net worth is reportedly around $4 billion. She’s described as a “photographer’s assistant.” So you know what this is. This is less of a marriage and more of a merger between two very powerful and rich families.
Still, the bride looked radiant. My only complaint is that I really think the dress was much too heavy for a May bride. This gown would have looked at home for a November wedding. The gown was designed by Emilia Wickstead, and it featured an off-the-shoulder design and a huge skirt and train. Her veil was polka-dotted? Am I imagining that? You can see more photos here.
Guests at the wedding included James Blunt (who is married to Lady Charlotte’s cousin), the Duchess of Cornwall and Spain’s former king, Juan Carlos. The Duke of Wellington walked his daughter down the aisle and the reception (for the 200-plus guests) was held near the church, at the Duke’s “country estate.” Fun fact: the Duke of Wellington’s country estate is 2,400 acres of land that the Spanish government wants back.
Anyway… pretty dress. It’s just too heavy for a late May wedding. I’m including the Duchess of Cornwall too!
Photos courtesy of Pacific Coast News.
I’m sweating just looking at all that heavy material. Gorgeous couple!
It’s lined in Satin! Does satin breathe?
And the fabric itself is almost like a waffle weave – it’s like blanket material or suiting… very heavy looking texture. Still gorgeous, but too warm looking!
Yes satin breathes. Satin is a weave, not a fabric. Satin can be made out of silk or polyester or whatever, therefore it totally depends on the content of the fabric.
I would love that dress in fall or winter! I didn’t know who was. She’s giving me Taryn Manning vibes. Like if Pennsatucky had money and a chance.
She looks radiant, but you are right the dress looks very heavy. The groom looks like the perfect accessory – very handsome.
That thick and wavy hair is very JFK Junior-esque!
Nothing against bald men, but I always think that a full head of hair goes a loooong way to making a man look younger. He looks appreciably younger than his stated age, I must say.
My better half has a full head of gorgeous, thick, wavy salt and pepper hair and I totally agree!
my father has a full but pure white head of hair (he’s 60 and started prematurely greying at 20) and this is weirdly true esp. since he doesn’t even have a receding hairline.
I mean, white hair is aging but it works much better to have a lot of it than being bald or having obviously artificially darkened hair at senior citizen age. (at least this is what I console myself with when I realise he passed down the greying gene to me, the right side of my head is full of threads of silver now.
+1 love the classical old school design of the dress but yes heavy.
Not a fan of big age gaps but the groom looks much younger than his age and the bride has a mature looking face making them look like they are around the same age instead of father and daughter!
This wedding seems like a throwback to a culture that doesn’t exist anymore. Her title, his money, big age gap. But you’re right about their appearances, and if you told me she was 39 and he was 25, I would believe you.
I like the polka dotted veil 🙂
In know it’s magnificent!!
Is it polka dots or small pearls?
It’s pearls
I love the dress – something a bit different, well executed. I also thought it was heavy for May but it’s not that hot in England in May. Camilla’s dress reminds me of one of the pinterest rainbow layer cakes. Oddly compelling, but really unnecessary.
The wedding was in Granada, Spain.
Whoops. Then yes, way too hot for spain in May, imo. Still like it though. I looks like it would make a cozy bedspread.
I love it too, it manages to be both classic and unique.
I was actually in Granada last week and it wasn’t overly hot. Warm, certainly, but the locals were still wearing jeans and jackets and the mornings were cool.
I was in Granada in April .. locals were wearing boots and leather jackets and we were in light sweaters and dresses 🙂
I quite like the dress also. Shorten the sleeves and it would have been perfect.
I think Camilla’s best accessory is her apparent pleasure in doing things and meeting people. She seems charming and a lot of fun!!!
Oh Camilla, dear duchess. No. The groom is a good looking dude.
Amen!
What the hell is Camilla wearing? And why ?
And why is Camilla wearing white to a wedding
And a long white dress (I imagine it’s a dress) with that.
I’m not the bridezilla kind, but if I were Lady Charlotte I would probably have asked my bridesmaids to go full red wedding on her
“go full red wedding on her” 🙂 🙂 🙂
I think it’s pale yellow. And Camilla really needs to get fitted for a better bra.
I know….white at a wedding?? or any hue light enough to be nipping at the heels of white? Cammie, just no, girl, even if it reminds you of a lovely cocktail.
@HappyMom — agreed. Even if your girls are big and eager or like sleepy puppies, there is a bra for YOU out there, especially when you’re THIIISSSSSRICHHH. NASA can make one for her. Stephen Hawking can advise. But get one made, Duchess, and you’ll look and feel so much better.
Unless maybe Charles is fond of her boudoir-bathrobe nonchalance look.
A bedspread.
That gown is gorgeous…but yes, too heavy for a spring wedding.
Maybe it ‘s a vintage thing? I have to say it’s a museum piece, but it seems either made from or for another era/season.
All brides look beautiful. A lot of dress for a little women. She looks like Monica Geller’s younger cousin from the Bronx. A good time was had by all.
Omg Nancy, “Monica Geller’s younger cousin from the Bronx.” I was lying on my back in bed with my iPad on my ribcage and I choked on my own spit. Please be advised, it’s barely today, no need to be so funny before 9:00 AM.
LOL….sugar rush from my coffee! Happy M Day!!!
Yes! I think the gown is too heavy for the season and too much gown for the bride’s small frame. And the veil seems to light weight to coordinate well with the gown.
And there is one photo of the bride where she could be related to monica geller. Her face and chin have that pointed look….not a good photo of the bride at all.
Pretty, unusual and cleverly classy dress but urgh at the age gap.
i agree! this would look better for a Winter Wedding.
now talking about winter weddings, i remember the wedding of Andrea Casiraghi to Tatiana St. Domingo in Switzerland! with the cape and everything, now that would suit this gown.
by the by, this grooms name is Alejandro Santo Domingo, coincidence or family of Tatiana?
Edit: finally Wikipedia to the rescue. Tatiana is his niece.
so indeed this seems like big name marrying big name.
the bride looks happy though. but would be better serviced with better makeup and less pulled back hair.
This guy is Tatiana’s uncle I think? The Santo Domingo family is large and really rich.
thank you Kaiser and Julaine!
its very dynastic marriage like 🙂 “people you know marrying people you know
i’m not sure if Tatiana or Andrea knows Charlotte before the wedding, but i’s have thought that T&A would be more of C’s contemporary.
it gives me a “my friend is marrying my uncle” vibe. how odd. but love (or other things) are strange mistresses
I think these 2 marriages scream old marrying (a bit) new. Son of a Princess and a Duke’s daughter: they’ve certainly done well for themselves dynastically.
Her uncle.
That was so weird to me that those two did 2 weddings so far apart. I get the need for a civil ceremony and a religious ceremony, but 6 months apart?
It’s not so weird. In my country people have a civil wedding even a year before the religious wedding.
25 to his 39…….let’s just say the divorce won’t be surprising given that agd gap.
Love the dress and veil.
Kate’s Emilia Wickstead dresses/coats are pretty terrible and don’t show off the label at it’s best. I’ve seen a few ladies in the label who look elegantly fabulous.
Kate seems to be a black hole of fashion labels.
Egh, it’s not even 20 years. Plus, these folks are of the super wealthy set, where people regularly mingle with folks from a much broader generational window — the most important thing is bucks and lifestyle, not age.
It’s not the how wide the age gap, it’s the age of the younger partner vs the age of the older partner.
In this case, they are at different stages of life which means unless they work very hard at this marriage, they will easily find that they want different things. It’s cliche for every 39+ aged person who marries someone in their early 20s – despite her age on her wedding date, they’ve clearly been dating since her early 20s.
Therefore when the divorce comes through, it should be no surprise to anyone because it’s happened often enough for it to be viewed as a cliche.
LAK, normally I would totally agree with this, but among the uber wealthy I have to wonder…I mean, for many of us our twenties are about figuring out what we want in terms of career, love, children, travel, etc. In their case, children are a given, careers unnecessary, and travel is an option at any time, no saving for a year to lug a backpack around Europe. Besides, aren’t the aristos all swingers, anyway? Marriage ties two gene pools together but otherwise they can’t live separate lives if they choose?
I’d never heard of this designer until Kate showed up in some dresses made by that design house – and they were pretty much awful every time.
This wedding dress looks very heavy. The veil looks as if it has pearls on it. Not a fan.
She was around, primarily designing for ladies who lunch. I think i first noticed her when SamCam wore her clothes during her last pregnancy.
She’s not a showy designer. Her clothing is quietly elegant, but don’t understand what happens when she designs for Kate. The finishing is appalling, the tailoring is very, very poor etc
Also, i loved her own wedding gown.
http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2011/10/14/emilia-wickstead-wedding-photos/gallery/687956
Oh wow, thanks for the link, LAK! I love Emilia’s wedding dress – classic with a twist…manages to look timeless.
I think that this dress is one step short of being absolutely spectacular, and for me the collar is too big. If it were a bit smaller or slightly different, it would be right at the top of my favorite wedding dresses ever. She wore green shoes that matched the foliage of her bouquet perfectly. Spectactular.
But it would have been more spectacular at Christmas with perhaps some holly in the bouquet.
Agreed. It’s the collar.
I love the back and side views.
Her hairstyle is too severe looking. I saw a few more pics of this dress and her wedding day and at times the wind appeared to be strong enough to blow it upwards , maybe she might have had a good reason for the heavy material. Camilla’s dress is hideous.
Andrea Casiraghi’s wife is Tatiana Santo Domingo, also billionaire’s daughter. Any relation to this one?
Niece.
Technically half-niece as her father is the groom’s elder brother by their dad’s first marriage. I wonder why Tatiana and Andrea weren’t present at this wedding, surely they were invited.
The bride Charlotte’s mother is not only the Duchess of Wellington but also Princess Antonia of Prussia, a great-grandaughter of the last Kaiser of Germany and as noted here a descendant of Queen Victoria.
There are pics of Tatiana & Andrea at this wedding. She had a long black and gold skirt with a black lace top. He had sunglasses on and was smoking a cig. 😉
I was thinking that the material was fine for a May wedding in the UK…but May in Granada?! She must have been so hot! (But, beautiful dress!)
Well, I don’t know any of these people, but the bride looks gorgeous. I LOVE the polka-dot veil!
Camilla, on the other hand. I’m not keen on that multi-tiered dress at all. Also, I guess there’s no rule against wearing those colours to a wedding, but why choose a white and ivory outfit when there’s about a 100% chance that the bride is going to be in either white or ivory? Meh.
She looks lovely. The styling and the dress are just gorgeous. But, yes. This is a Winter look! Far too heavy for Spring!
The veil is stunning, love it
I like all the greenery in her bouquet with only white flowers. Very different and classy looking.
Hang on… In the linked article it says the Duke of Wellington is 95 and a close friend of the Queen’s. Does that mean he had this daughter when he was 70?? Or is she his granddaughter?
He was actually born in 1945, so not 95
The previous Duke of Wellington died not too long ago so they probably mixed up the current Duke and his father.
My god Camilla’s dress is hideous. It looks liked she peed her pants. Yikes.
Dude, all the Santo Domingos are marrying royalty. What’s up with that?
The Illuminati bloodline needs money!
Money
The bride is giving me “Rich Man’s Taryn Manning” vibes……
OMG you totally called it, she looks just like her
She had on black shoes which is something I’ve never seen. And looks like she did (or rather, didn’t do) her own hair and makeup. Wondering if there’s a “real” wedding planned in his home country.
Her shoes are actually a fern green – they match the sashes of her attendants.
Colour of her gown: one picture makes it look cream/ivory but rest of pictures make it look white?
And I wonder about that very yellowly, ivory- coloured, beaded shawl that looks to be draped over her dress in the picture of the partially obscured woman bending over to help her……is that her Train? Or the shawl of the lady helping her? Whatever it is, I think it’s lovely as a shawl.
This is the kind of extreme story that makes me believe in karma and past lives.
Born:
Daughter of a Duke
Beautiful
Healthy
Rich
Earned:
Oxford graduate
Now:
Marrying a Billionaire
Marrying a YOUNG Billionaire
Marrying a HANDSOME, young Billionaire (most Billionaire’s are old, creepy or just plain uggo)
The top of everything, the best of everything, added now – the awesome of everything.
And oh yeah, the retired King of Spain attended the Wedding.
Yes, okay Lady Charlotte. Do enjoy your good karma. You (must have) earned it 🙂
#EverythingEverythingEverything
I love you. 🙂
*fist bumps Liberty* 😉
speaking of Royals and Aristos,
hope you will cover the Swedish royal christening. so many babies!
a photo of happy cousins from Princess Madeleine’s fb as bribe? pretty please?
http://66.media.tumblr.com/217d3a9f001ddb713f775377d3f366eb/tumblr_o7yv8hRdUa1tlryn4o1_500.png
They are adorable!
Love the veil but are those polka dots or actual pearls? Which would be insanely heavy given how they increase so much at the bottom, but they do look like pearls or beads in the picture where her train is being held up.
I think they look like pearls, but if they actually were I think the veil would move differently.
I think it’s a little condescending to simply describe her as a ” photographers assistant” when the Daily Mail article mentions that she is a producer for Mario Testino. He is one of the most famous photographers in the world, and she graduated from Oxford. No need to try and diminish her accomplishments just because she’s marrying a billionaire.
I think considering the circles in which she travels, working for Testino is more of a perk rather than an “accomplishment.” Rich, aristocratic girls have all those types of jobs.
Exactly, fashion jobs aside from actual design – including working under very famous people in the field – are pretty much a compulsory accessory for rich girls – it gives them something to say when people ask what they do, and they’ll never have to be paid more than the pittance those jobs offer since they’re not dependent on them for their income.
If she wasn’t the Duke of Wellington’s daughter no one would be calling her a “producer”. The position of “photographer’s assistant” is appropriate for her level of experience, not diminishing.
He’s pretty much overshadowed by his brother who married the very flashy Lauren Davis (now Santo Domingo) — she founded Moda Operandi and was one of Anna Wintour’s assistants.
This definitely felt like an arranged marriage — before this, he only ever dated young models.
LAWD, that man is drop dead gorgeous.
I think so too! I used to date a Colombian man who looked very similar – tall, lovely cheekbones, roguish smile, nice hair etc. Shame he was such a dog because he was the most attractive man I’ve ever been with.
Is this article just an excuse the criticise someone else’s outfit?
No. But only because when do we ever need an excuse?
Charlotte is also a descendant of Queen Victoria through her eldest daughter Victoria, the Empress Frederick of Germany. Queen Victoria–Victoria–Wilhelm II (The Kaiser)–Crown Prince Wilhelm–Prince Frederick m. Brigid Guinness–Antonia m. Duke of Wellington–Charlotte. Brigid Guinness was the daughter of Rupert Guinness, 2nd Earl of Iveagh. Through the Prussia-Guiness match, was also born Florestine Prinzessin zu Preussen, who married the Hon. James Tollemache in May 2014–James is an old friend of William’s from Eton. (I think it was covered here?) ‘Florrie’ is the first cousin of Charlotte. Charlottte’s sister-in-law is Jemma Kidd who is married to her elder brother Arthur. (Jemma’s family is full of crazy stories if you want to look them up!) Because of her descent from Victoria, Charlotte is in the line of succession to the British throne.
Thanks for this! Had no idea about the Prussian connection or that Jemma Kidd was married to someone in the Wellington fam– I know she had that Mornington title
Prince Charles used to date Charlottes aunt back in the 1970s I think– Lady Jane Wellesley
Jemma and Arthur (the bride’s brother) are now Marchioness and Marquess of Duoro, the courtesy titles for the Dukedom’s heir and his wife. Since the old Duke no. 8 died their young son Arthur is now Earl of Mornington.
I don’t find either of them that good looking. Sure he is attractive by billionaire standards but not handsome IMO. The Santo Domingo family are really going after the title’s. Alejandro’s ex Eugenia Silva is breathtaking, very superficial i know, but she is a beauty.
You had me at “attractive by billionaire standards” and I thank you for my laugh of the day.
Me too.
It’s nigh on impossible to find an attractive, handsome billionaire.
I dunno, Naomi Campbell’s ex — the Russian guy — is pretty good looking. Although is he a billionaire? Maybe that’s it. 🙂
yeah Bluhare. Everyone knows. For every dollar you make over 999 million, you lose ten hairs, grow a hump and are doomed to marry a troll with only one Sport illustrated swimsuit cover to her name i.e. fatties. sad. 🙁
Yah, most would take this billionaire over Mariah Carey’s billionaire, just on face value (so to speak).
🙂
Grnada is an amazingly beautiful place to tie the knots, reading about this made me miss Spain like crazy, 😍
Okay but,about this….. “So you know what this is. This is less of a marriage and more of a merger between two very powerful and rich families.”
—– er, it is possible they are in love. Or lust. Or hot friendly why-the-hell-not jolliness.
Didn’t like the dress at all. Also too heavy for a May wedding in southern Spain.
Must be nice to be born with instant access to billionaires.
The Santo Domingo family is one of the richest in Colombia. Their RE holdings and patronages are everywhere, especially in Cartagena. They don’t “marry down” with the exception of Lauren who has managed to reinvent herself as a society girl.
perfection!!! Love everything even the heaviness. That bouquet is spectacularly beautiful!
I love her dress. So beautiful, timeless and elegant!!!
I LOVE the dress. But yes, it’s too heavy. But the way the fabric falls, and the lining. It’s so luxurious!! Makes me wish Kate had worn something like this.
I got married 29 years ago today (divorced two years later) on a freaky, steamy, 90+ degree day. To this day people remember how crazy hot that afternoon was. Can’t even imagine wearing a dress like that in late May, even in normal late-May weather.
May they have many happy years together!
According to AccuWeather, the high for Saturday, May 28 in Granada, Spain was 78F or 26C. Not sure if this wedding was in the morning, if the church had air conditioning, fans, etc.
My first thought was the fabric looks heavy, but the gown is gorgeous and perhaps the fabric is lighter than it photographs.
I know a circumstance where a winter wedding had to be postponed and the bride wouldnt think of not wearing her expensive dream gown despite the change of season a few months made. I dont know this couple’s story and perhaps the great wealth mentioned means gowns would be remade if that time shift had ocurred.