10 Hidden Details You Didn't Know About Princess Diana's Wedding Dress

With fabric specially spun at a British silk farm, flounces of antique lace and a small blue bow sewn into the waistband, the gown checked off three of the traditional requirements. The Spencer family tiara, an 18th century-era heirloom, met the fourth.

A special square of Carrickmacross lace either came from a bag of scraps purchased at auction or a donation from the Royal School of Needlework, depending on who you ask.

Even though no one could see it, the Emanuels attached a 18-carat gold trinket studded with white diamonds to the label of the dress. Another token hitched a ride as well — Elizabeth accidentally left a safety pin in and didn't remember until the next day.

Princess Diana actually spilled some perfume — Quelques Fleurs — down the dress while getting ready, but just tucked the front and hoped that no one noticed, her makeup artist Barbara Daly revealed in Diana: The Portrait.

For David Emanuel, it was a given that the veil extend past the hem of the dress. The whole thing — anchored by her tiara — used 153 yards of tulle.

In the seven months leading up the wedding, Princess Diana's waistline shrunk over 5 inches as she lost more and more weight. (She would later open up about her struggles with eating disorders.) The designers made five different bodices to fit, and ultimately stitched her into the final version that day.

Barely visible beneath the hem of her gown, Diana's silk slippers included 542 sequins and 132 pearls in a heart-shaped design. Hand-painted soles included the initials C and D on the arch, but the heels themselves remained very low. At 5-foot-10, Diana stood at the same height as her fiancé!

A 2005 auction made headlines when it claimed to offer a spare version of the original gown (pictured). While Elizabeth Emanuel insists she never made a copy, the designers did reveal that they created a different dress in case their planned design leaked to the press. The alternate included a much more pronounced V and skipped the lace entirely, but the unfinished outfit later vanished from their studio.