Lost Kilos and Valentino's Dogs on the Silk: the Secrets Behind Princess Magdalena's Wedding Dress

Behind every royal wedding dress that looks perfect in a photo lies a chaos no one sees. The wedding dress of Swedish Princess Magdalena, who married British businessman Chris O'Neill in June 2013, hides a few anecdotes more interesting than the splendor itself.

The gown was signed by Valentino Garavani - pleated silk organza with ivory appliqués and "Chantilly" lace, a boat-shaped neckline, a richly embroidered section around the waist, and a train a full four meters long. On paper, flawless. On the wedding day, however, Magdalena felt the dress was too big: nerves before the ceremony had made her lose weight, so the Italian tailors had to alter it at the last moment as the church bells rang. As the story goes, "the poor tailors were tearing their hair out."

The second anecdote is sweeter. During the fittings in Paris, Valentino's dogs - his famous pugs - sprawled out right across the expensive silk fabric, to the horror of the tailors. The princess herself described the whole process as "a lot of fun," which is easy to say when it's not your job to keep the fabric clean.

The details round out the picture: King Carl Gustaf's "Fringe" tiara, adorned with myrtle blossoms, teardrop-shaped diamond earrings, and a bouquet of white garden flowers and lily of the valley. Classic royal aesthetics - but the loveliest part of the story isn't the precious stones, it's the fact that even behind a royal wedding there are nerves, lost kilos, and a few dogs that won't budge off the dress.