I started looking through these wedding photos for two reasons: one, Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi were wedding guests and I was wondering “why” and “how” and two, I just like looking at wedding photos. The reason why Bea and Edo aren’t headlining this post is because the bride’s wedding gown was, in a word, FANTASTIC. Arguably the best wedding gown of the year. She was a very joyful looking bride too. Smug bride knew her dress was bangin’.
So who is this bride? Her Royal Highness Lady Duchess Rootintuttin Von Moneybags. No, I jest. Her name is Countess Olympia von und zu Arco-Zinneberg and you can just as easily replace all of those names with $$$$$$. She married Prince Jean-Christophe Napoléon. Yes, of the NAPOLEON family. As opposed to the second cousin of Bubba Napoleon. Countess Olympia is the 31-year-old granddaughter of Robert, Archduke of Austria-Este. Prince Jean-Christophe Napoléon is… well, his Wiki page tries to explain it. He’s descended from Napoleon Bonaparte’s younger brother. Basically, the bride and groom both come from “royal houses” and this was a grand union of two important families. As such, a huge crew of European royals came out for their wedding. They were married in Paris, at Les Invalides. The groom currently works as a hedge fund manager.
As for the wedding gown… it was Oscar de la Renta. Her borrowed/blue accessory were sapphire-and-diamond earrings from her mom. She also borrowed a family tiara (on her mother’s side) for her wedding. The jewels are lovely, but g–damn this is a good dress.
Here’s Princess Bea and Edo. Her dress is… okay. At least she didn’t wear some gaudy green & black cocktail-saloon-dress like she did at Ellie Goulding’s daytime wedding.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
No to the dress.
Yep, a very weird dress. It looks like a costume for a bride from sci-fi movies.
Yeah, I don’t like it at all. Looks strange and uncomfortable.
It would be nice without the cape, maybe. Like this it looks like a tablecloth.
Unique, yes. Gorgeous? Hell, no.
Not a nice dress at all.I guess I am traditional.Her husband looked better.
It’s awful!
i see a doily
I do too. A very expensive paper doily.
I see a bedspread. In a Pacific Island Colonial themed B&B.
But I appreciate that is different and gives us something to talk about.
I really want a close-up of that ring!
I see the sheer curtains in a Daytona Beach motel room.
Love her earrings!
Sorry Kaiser, but that dress is a big no for me, but congrats to the couple.
I too have to say no to the dress. It reminds me of a table runner or some kind of doily one would put on furniture.
That was my thoughts exactly. Where a like button when you need one?
Yes, I agree. My late mum used to do this kind of embroidery and cutwork on th corners of tablecloths, serviettes, doilies and the ends of pillow cases. All our linen was so beautiful, nut as an entire dress, ummm, no.
Yes, I’ve been trying to find a pic to post. As one comment or said, it’s a memorable dress but not to my personal liking.
The tiara looks lovely on her and her hair compliments it. And I did see a pic of her with her dad, the dress was flattering on her figure.
Yes, this sort of cutwork is massively popular as table runners, place mats, etc. in the Middle East.
But I am a bit freaked about how much the bride and groom look alike. It looks like they’re siblings.
I think the bride should be the focus and the dress should complement and flatter her. This thing—it’s a classic example of the dress wearing the woman.
Minx, I agree. It’s just very over powering. You want the bride to be remembered and not just the dress. But that’s just me.
I love wedding dresses with interesting patterns, it’s sort of what I’m looking for with my own dess (but obvs way more budget friendly as I am not a Countess). Not so sure about the capelet thing she has going on, but overall I like it
you people are crazy, this is such a unique and lovely dress! I’m so over “strapless lace mermaid” whatever.
This is why I like it. It’s not something I would wear if I were getting married, but it is a statement dress. It’s kind of like Cate Blanchett to me lol – I often don’t like what she wears, but I appreciate the fashion of it.
Yep! I love it! Very dramatic and fitting for such splashy, fancy wedding. It’s not my personal taste (I would look so stupid in it), but it works for her. Those wedding photos totally caught my eye yesterday. I was hoping this event would be covered here today!!
I love it, and she is joyous! This is the best I’ve seen since Chantal Miller in Valentino, which was years ago. Groom is fine too, of course he’s a hedge fund manager.
Same! I LOVE it! It’s beautiful! I love how the pattern of the dress copies the pattern of the diamonds in the tiara. I thought she looks amazing (and (e’s not bad either! Lol)
Also, it looks like she has the capelet to cover her shoulders for the church, and it can be removed later for the party.
Love it when I saw it yesterday. But like other posters, I remembered the dress not the bride
Patrizio: that was my thought, too, when I read that he’s a hedge fund manager, ‘of course he is’. And my goodness, those Napoleon genes are strong! But this guy is very handsome. And tall!! I really liked the bride’s family jewelry, but that dress–my first thought was how it might feel, like all those tablecloths & placemats I’ve encountered. Ugh, no thanks. How clothes feel is important to me, and that includes fabric not just fit. This dress would not feel good.
There is a lot of room between staples mermaid whatever and my grandma’s tablecloth.
It’s often hard to do unique without the dress looking ugly, and this bride failed at it.
right
I love it for its uniqueness, too. And no buttons or bows. It’s a win, though not my personal style. I’d look like an IKEA lampshade in it.
I’m with you on this Kaiser. It’s something SO different and it really makes an impact. I think it’s lovely.
100%
That’s a dress no one will forget!
Same-I think it’s unique and gorgeous.
I’m with you, Kaiser! It’s creative and different than the usual “Charlotte York’s first wedding” strapless, foofy tulle ball and “lace mermaid dress the bride can’t walk in” creations. Mr. Turtle called it a “(Project Runway) unconventional materials dress,” but that’s part of what makes me love it.
This an amazing dress!
When I first saw a picture of the dress, I was like hot damn, that is the most amazing dress I’ve seen in a long time! After a time and seeing more pictures of her, I go back and forth in how much I like it, but I stick to my original impression. And that’s what a dress should do!
Also, I think it’s crazy that the great great etc nephew of Napoléon is marrying the great great etc niece of his wife Maria. I’m a sucker for royal history so I like it.
I’ll go with unique and agree she looks lovely. It is beautifully styled as well. I find myself hating the shoes and I can’t unsee Granny’s doilies.
When I wear something not quite flattering Mr.Sugar (who has a strong sense of self preservation) always says “ well, that has a lot going on”…that’s how I feel about this dress.
I swear to God I cringe at every strapless mermaid dress.
Agreed! Spectacular. I think she is a vision. And him……Hubba Hubba Ding Ding.
Agreed. Would I wear it? No, then again I don’t have her money. Is it unique and great on her? Yes.
I think the cape is weird. Makes it look very aviary. Like she should have burst out of a big cage to say her vows.
I ABSOLUTELY AGREE!!! It’s such a fantastic dress! So so tired of strapless and generic dresses. She looks amazing, and I’d wear this dress in a heartbeat!
it looks like she’s wearing a FERN.
I usually disagree with you on fashion, Kaiser, but today we are in full agreement! I love this gown!
The clever part is that it is a strapless dress too! That top piece is a “modesty shrug” to make it church-appropriate, and she can take it off for the party. There were other pics online that showed the dress underneath. It’s beautifully styled, the bodice part of the strapless is leaf shaped. The shrug really is unique, though.
What is on her left hip? It has a very strange angle to it.
They look like the Hasburgian versions of Isabella Rossellini and Justin Trudeau.
And yes, that dress is bangin’!
I’m kind of seeing Penelope Cruz in her face.
Ooh, good comparisons! He definitely has Justin Trudeau-ish looks, and her style is very out there, so close to Isabella Rossellini.
Les Invalides is where Napoleon Bonaparte is buried.
That is a stunning dress.
The dress is memorable but I am not a fan.
Well said.
My guess is the capelet is to comply with the ‘no bare shoulders / cleavage in church’ thing that upper class families tend to stick to. I think it is detachable and probably would be discarded for the reception.
It’s interesting and different, that’s for sure, but I don’t like it as a wedding dress. It kind of looks like intricately cut paper. A neat idea, but I prefer something more classic for a wedding.
Kirigami! I had to google it but you are right. That’s exactly what it looks like.
I had my doubts when I clicked on this but the dress is amazing. I love the capelet and wish I had had something like this when I got married. I also love the fabric. I am also tired of the same old wedding dresses, but would love this one regardless.
Lovely. So fashion.
Sorry that dress is hideous.
Overall I like the dress, quite striking….
And nice that Bea is now wearing her coat hung over her shoulders like Meghan – any comments about breaking protocol from RRRs? Thought not….
I clicked off this post for a minute and then clicked back on, trying to see the dress with fresh eyes, and nope. Still think it’s bad and I predict it’s going to age even worse in wedding photos over the years.
I must admit this headline surprised me- I came here expecting to see this dress universally panned. The silhouette looks great on her, but the giant- what is that? lace? lacy palm fronds?- looks even worse than Princess Mabel’s notorious Bow Gown. I think it would have looked much better without the giant lacy palm frond bolero on top. Countess Olympia looks beautiful from the neck up, though. I love the necklace-as-tiara hairdo and the earrings are fabulous!
Yes, I’m trying to visualize it without the cape and it might be a little better. I think a dress should move with the bride and this dress looks so stiff and immovable.
The gallery was probably for the ceremony only and will come off for the reception.
Capelet, not gallery
The dress isn’t my style but it works on her. It’s nice to see something outside of the norm for royalty.
I’m giggling at your breakdown of who these people are.
Dang that is an iconic dress. Superb. They look very happy!
I didn’t know you could get married at Les invalides…such a gorgeous location. But I guess if your relative is married there in the most ostentatious tomb I’ve ever seen, well I guess it’s a good venue. 🙂
Thanks for sharing these photos. Made my day.
I think the dress overwhelms her personally, its really all I can focus on in the photos, but they both look very happy!
Love the dress!
We seem to agree on everything Kaiser…..just, not fashion.
Love the dress. This is not a girl from “say yes to the dress”, with boobs and back fat spilling over a too tight bustier and a mermaid silhouette.
This is an appropriate wedding dress that is also making a statement.
Wow, what a ridiculously judgey comment. It’s a wedding dress, it’s not that deep.
Well, there is a middle ground between a tired Say Yes to the Dress thing and this gown. Obviously the bride loves it, so it’s her call, and she certainly looks happy.
I adore this dress and was really shocked at how many people didn’t. But I also dislike 90% of wedding dresses, what I love is the originality and hutzpah to choose such a dress.
The dress is wearing her. The scale of the leaves/fronds is too big and makes the dress look like it’s hanging awkwardly. If the leaves on the dress were the size as the leaves on the caplet, I think it would been better.
Seems like the dress is very love-it-or-hate-it. I love it! Its just art, I dont know how to explain it but it wows me.
Nope…the dress is unique but gorgeous? To each their own.
I love that she went for it. I don’t like the capelet. I would have LOVED it if there had been more variation in the lace pattern, instead of an allover one. Overall, A++ for ballsiness, B+ for dress overall.
I love it. It’s art. And she can pull it off.
I actually know someone who was at this wedding, surprisingly. I don’t know her well enough to know why and whether she or her husband are connected to the bride and groom. But yesterday on my IG feed a picture of the bride and groom popped up at their reception, they’re both singing on a stage with a band in the background with mics in their hands. I wasn’t sure it was them at first but then realized the bride was wearing the same dress but without the capelet. Underneath it’s strapless and the dress does look way better without the capelet. But at the top the dress’s fabric that makes the intricate design is folding over at her bust line like little dead leaves, I dunno if that makes sense. Doesn’t look great. I can’t direct you to the IG account though because it’s private and I’m not going to screenshot the pic to share it. But I can say the picture was geotagged as Chateau de Fontainebleau so that’s where the reception was. So these people had a way bigger/lavish wedding than Rafael Nadal or Jennifer Lawrence.
It makes sense the ceremony was at Les Invalides, it’s where Napoleon is buried in this ridiculously ornate tomb.
You can see, even in stills, that the bust area looks a little “saggy” for lack of a better word. It seems to fold over; she is small-breasted, and it just doesn’t seem to fit quite right there when she moves/turns. Perhaps it looked “right” when she stood still for fittings?
Either way…I *still* love the dress 😊
Yeah I think the dress is pretty original though I think it looks better without her little cape. But the bust area is “saggy” and the material does fold over in the picture I saw of her singing. But she looked happy and radiant and that’s probably that’s all that matters.
haha, I had a weird moment with this post too. I know this girl, didn’t realize she was news worthy 😂 this was the last place I expected to see her, but good for her!
Holy crap. Wedding at Les Invalides, reception at Chateau de Fontainbleu. Seriously where could you even go from there? So over the top! I wish I could have seen it.
The dress is hideous and looks like cheap material tied together with string…I know it must have cost a small fortune but…it’s a big ass no from me.
As a pedantic Austrian: Austria repealed all royal and noble titles in 1919. We would not recognize her as a countess here, so the headline is factually wrong.
Anyhow I kinda like the dress for what it’s whoeth. It’s new and exciting and interesting to look at. No beaded, strapless taffeta which I am tired of seeing.
This very much.
Hello fellow Austrian!
Out of curiosity I googled her name (I have never heard of her / the Arco-Zinneberg family) and it seems no Austrian outlet is covering this. 😉
Another Austrian here, scrolled down to say that. If she’s a countess, she’s a countess in Germany, not in Austria, even if she was born here (?). Never heard of her before either though.
In the case of the (former) Austrian aristocracy, they basically have a tight knit aristo mafia that extends across Spain, Italy, and London.
Yes, the system of titles may have been officially repealed in Austria, but it would be naive to think for one second that they don’t still operate unofficially and entail a huge amount of privilege in that country. To succeed in certian industries in Austria (or at the very least in Vienna), you need these connections. Sure, they no longer hold legal status, but in reality the system has hardly been eliminated. I get that it is nice to think that it’s no longer a thing, and if you are the average citizen who doesn’t need to come into contact with finance, investment, real estate, PR, or the arts at the higher end, then you would probably think it was not a thing. However it is a thing, a ridiculous, rigged, unfair thing. Hopefully it becomes less and less so.
Ugly dress. Unflattering. Your wedding day you want to feel and look your best, or so you’d think. Yeah a lot of bridal styles are played out, but there are some timeless classics that always work. This looks like a bird costume for a stage play,
Lol! Omg I said basically the same thing before seeing your comment. So true.
Yes- Swan Lake!
Yeah no, that dress is awful, makes her look like some giant bird, or like it was a reject costume from the Black Swan movie.
They have the same face!
It’s a no for me dawg… 🤣🤣🤣
OMG. Is it just me or do they look “cousins”. My God ( forgive me) inbreeding much!!
They look like some of my cousins. But not the inbred side (who surprisingly all have very distinct appearances, but are all short.)
I have noticed this with many couples. And it gets more obvious when they get older. 🙂
There is actual scientific proof out there (I’m too lazy to google it) that we are attracted to partners with similar features…
They look very happy and she obviously loves her dress. Not my style but seems like you either love it or hate it. It’s one of a kind for sure.
The Majorca castle venue for the Nadal wedding looks spectacular. I’m more intrigued by that than the Chateau Fountainbleu. I hope you’ll cover that wedding tomorrow.
Saw it yesterday on TRF and loved it. So different from what we’ve seen lately.
I really like the dress! It’s like Battenberg lace; and I think the fact that the bride is so happy really sells the gown.
I think SHE looks beautiful and obviously so so happy. BUT. Good grief the dress gets an absolute solid no from me. I find the pattern bizarre and overwhelming and almost hideous. Maybe without the cape it would be LESS BAD but the whole thing put together.. it’s quite a nightmare dress in my view.
@Kaiser, Beatrice is the go-to for these random royalish weddings. She was at Amedeo and Lily’s wedding (low down members of the Belgian/Lux royal families) a few years ago. Re-wore the Valentino from W&K’s wedding, without hat and jacket, and looked lovely. She and Eugenie attended the Hereditary Prince Christian of Hanover wedding too.
The Valentino was beautiful on her.
Honestly not a fan of the dress…looks like a paper cut out 😒
Look at Bea, wearing her coat over her shoulders like a Kardashian. Tsk tsk.
Love the dress. It draws the eye.
Interesting. She dressed for a state occasion.
I hate this dress in the large pictures- agree with a lot of you guys that it looks like a tablecloth is devouring her real dress. And that a different pattern, with smaller pieces and more detail, might have worked. But in the thumbnails it looks really good and I can see why Kaiser and so many others love it. That’s when I realized this isn’t a dress for a private family event, like we are used to seeing. Interesting choice.
Good looking couple.
She’s pretty much Austria’s Zara Philips with the main difference being that her grandpa lost his title in 1918. Where does the money comes from?
Except Austria is a republic and using titles like “von und zu Arco-Zinneberg” is forbidden. In Austria she is simply Olympia Arco-Zinneberg. I googled her family and they own a castle / land in Upper Austria, but most of their property seem to be in Bavaria, Germany.
Anyways, the Habsburg – and other former aristocratic Austrian – families still own huge plots of land, forests etc. in Austria, so I’m not worried about their income. 🙂
That’s one of the ugliest wedding gowns I’ve seen – hard to believe it’s de la Renta.
My God is looks so cheap. Unique does not equal beautiful. Whatever your smoking Kaiser, I want in!
This dress looks so cheap…which I know it’s not. It is different compared to the current popular styles in wedding dresses, but unique does not equal good.
Also his Wiki page is very interesting and reminds me that royals are all related in some way. The ppl he is a descendant from is insane.
I Google image-searched her, and it looks like this dress is perfectly on brand for her. It looks like she wears a lot of vintage-inspired dresses and outfits. If anything the wedding dress is less funky than the stuff she’s worn in the past.
https://www.instazu.com/media/2157895294902068336
https://www.instazu.com/media/2059730494481148442
https://www.instazu.com/media/1949233987198587177
https://www.instazu.com/media/2001724950583917641
I like those dresses!
She’s got an interesting style. That third dress, the orange one, looks like it’s got the cutouts from the wedding gown plastered all over it. Love her jewelry game.
My god they’re identical twins.
Love the dress on her, but it definitely is a matter of preference. She reminds me of Eva Green and I feel like both women can wear anything and look good. I bet Lupita Nyong’o could wear this dress and look good too.
This Is one big doily. Reminds me of the red dress Kate wore when Louis was born. That was just the collar, looked like loungewear much more appropriate & comfortable when you just came out birthing a near 9lb’er. This looks like big white swan flexing its wings 🦢
This is a great dress!
I clicked on the link and scrolled down, expecting to be under-whelmed…
But, I was not. This is a fabulous and gorgeous wedding dress. I skim over wedding dress articles because they are boring; there is rarely a style that hasn’t been done, redone, and re-redone to death. Even if the bride looks good and there is a detail or two that is a surprise, it’s still, overall, the same few styles.
[*This, however, is truly beautiful and unique.*]
the dress is ugly in my opinion. Wears her instead of her wearing it.
I like the cut of the dress but not the pattern. Even a smaller leaf print would have made it work.
I like the cut of the dress but not the pattern. Even a smaller leaf print would have made it work.
I can see why people like it, but it looks very stiff to me, in a way that would annoy the bejeezus out of me if I wore it. Lol.
It is SO WEIRD that people like this are still around. Like, Napoleons and Bizmarcks and whatever else.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-7593087/Inside-lavish-wedding-reception-Jean-Christophe-Napoleon-Bonaparte-Countess-Olympia.html
If you look down the pictures on this link, to the photograph of them in the vintage Citroen, she appears to have lost the earring on the right.
Re the dress, it’s memorable, and she obviously feels like a queen in it. They look so in tune with each other.
LOL, Bea wearing her coat over her shoulders – no comments of “too Hollywood”? no?
It doesn’t matter because she’s not Meghan.
Truth! Criticize the Duchess for her style & spending, even when her selections are pre-owned, pre-Harry but silence from the howling masses when the other Royal ladies brazenly copy her style – my, my, my.
Regarding the bride, I’m meh on the dress. Maybe I would like it if it were just a skirt or just a sleeve but as a full gown, it’s just too much.
No comments about how she’s imitating the Kardashians either, I see.
I was gonna comment on the coat over the shoulders thing. I sincerely do think she’s copying Meghan here. Not even lying about it. I don’t care if people think I’m crazy. It’s just very intriguing to me that no one will ever write a headline that says as much about Beatrice, but Meghan wearing a coat dress is enough to make people think she’s copying Kate, lmao.
I think the dress would look much better without the capelet, but overall I’m not a fan too stiff looking.
And sorry Beatrice looks awful. Please let the coat over the shoulders trend die it just looks try hard to me
Did everyone peep that MASSIVE diamond on her finger in the first picture?! Turns out (unless my quick Inspector Gadget investigation skills are wrong) it’s a 40 CARAT heirloom diamond originally belonging to Empress Eugenie. Dear lord! https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/a27056678/diamond-ring-stolen-countess-olympia-von-arco-zinneberg/
But that article says the ring was stolen in April this year. Apparently they got it back? Or is this a different ring?
And wowzers! That is some ring! All of her family jewelry is gorgeous!
I can’t look at the dress because their faces are the same!
The dress is very interesting and fits her aesthetic.
Umm usually right on the money but this is not a good dress.’it’s a doily with weirdo shoulders
She married out of her league… good for her.
Look at how Beatrice is wearing her coat slung over her shoulders, like a certain American Duchess. Also don’t like Beas black t- straps. Wrong style and color with her outfit. Should have worn Meghan’s cognac Manolos. I kind of like the wedding dress and it’s very original, but the proportion of the lace details from the waist down looks kind of off.
Absolutely love. It’s very of the moment and is so pretty on her!
It seems so out of place for some reason in these photos. Like it needs to be at an evening wedding, or a winter wedding, surrounded by twinkle lights and heavy velvets and navy blues and starry nights, or something.
That dress is one of the worst I’ve ever seen. I don’t get it at all.
I like the idea of the dress, but it’s wearing her, and that’s making it look more like a doily than haute couture. A dress like this needs someone with some attitude and edge.
I agree with Mango too, even if it didn’t overpower her it’s not a great dress for a day wedding. It would look much better photographed in candlelight, or even just with a dramatic low light background behind her, like a snowy castle.
I like the dress!
That gown is amazing. I can’t stop looking at it
I’m upvoting Kaiser on this one. Love it!
I’m SO OVER the tacky strapless trend. It’s become so… basic. Like, you can get a white strapless dress *any. where.* Yaaawwwwn.
But this. This is peak Oscar de la Renta and perfect for the occasion. And that veil is pure gorgeous!
Unique doesnt mean beautiful yall. Yes its unique, but not in a good way LOL
Such an ‘important’ wedding and the bride wears an ugly off-the-rack dress accessible to us regular folk. Interesting.
I would have worn this dress in a heartbeat for my wedding and would have had no idea how controversial it would have been with half of my guests thinking it looked like a fancy doily. I think it’s stunning and I love the cape.
Ooh, glad you guys picked up this bit of news! I find Jean-Christophe so attractive. Didn’t know about him until the news this weekend, but he looks like he could be Clive Owen’s younger brother. So fine to me. Oh my!
The interesting thing about his family is his grandfather apparently passed over his dad as the heir of the Bonaparte family in favor of him when he was very young, like 16 or something, because of his dad’s “republican” sentiments. If you Google his dad too, Charles, he looks very different from his son, like an angry scholarly type. Jean-Christophe meanwhile has that raffish/boyish playful sexy quality, and has some of the facial features of Napoleon. Full face, hook nose. I find it funny and interesting he and Olympia made sure to say their marriage is not for political gain. It’s very interesting in terms of the history and politics, and goodness knows what’s going on with “Bonapartists” these days.
Anyway, I liked the wedding dress. Olympia has a very flamboyant style. But will this marriage last? I think he is very attractive. She has the looks of a … librarian or nurse, although she seems to be very smart and stylish. But tbh, I think this is one of the worst matched royal couples I remember seeing. William and Kate basically grew up together. Eugenie and her husband seem well-matched. Jean-Christophe and Olympia are odd and seem to be based on more history than reality. And this was not the best wedding of the past weekend. Rafael had the sweetest, most sincere one. Wonder how this new Napoleonic-Austrian marriage work 30-40 years down the road…
Also, does anyone know what Olympia’s occupation is? He went to Harvard Business School and is in private equity. What does she do?
Yes, yes to a dress to a dress that is bold and beautiful. This is fashion, baby!
The dress is interesting and editorial. She has a unique style, so it works for her. I prefer a more classic dress, but credit where credit’s due!