The Royal Look

Meghan Markle’s Royal Look

And WHAT a look!

Hannah Rae got to chat with the experts about what it was that made Meghan Markle’s wedding ensemble so thoroughly flawless.

Listen to part one of Hannah Rae’s interview with Tara and Tanya here!

HANNAH RAE: It’s the Jim Brickman show, you’re here with me, Hannah Rae, and I just have to ask: were any of you guys up at 4 AM last weekend to watch the royal wedding? I mean, I know I wasn’t, but I looooved seeing all the photos from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding, especially those of Meghan’s dress and all of the beautiful jewelry she wore, so I’m really excited that we have lifestyle expert Tara Kraft along with jewelry and fashion expert Tanya Dukes here today to tell us all about it. Hi ladies!

So let’s just get right into it: first of all, let’s talk about Meghan’s engagement ring a little bit.

Meghan Markle’s engagement ring

TANYA: Meghan’s ring is incredibly special, totally unique, Harry designed it himself. It’s a three-stone engagement ring, each diamond in that ring has special meaning. The center stone is from Botswana, that’s the place where they spent a lot of time together during their courtship, and then the two diamonds that are on either side, are from Princess Diana’s collection. So it has so much sentimental value for them. And you know, diamonds are so meaningful, they are family heirlooms, and they can be passed down from generation to generation, they’re authentic, they symbolize true love and commitment, the’re rare and everlasting, just like the true love between Prince Harry and Meghan.

HR: And then what about Meghan’s tiara? It was super beautiful.

TARA: Oh, it was completely incredible. I mean, it sparkles, you can see from miles around, practically. It’s a really fantastic piece that the Queen loaned to her for the wedding. And the Queen actually inherited it from her grandmother, Queen Mary, so the piece has been in the family since it was originally made in 1932, so it’s been in the family for generations already.

HR: And so, I know we touched on this a little bit earlier, but we all love a reference to Princess Diana, am I right? So how did Meghan commemorate Diana through her jewelry choices, aside from what was used in the engagement right?

TANYA: Well, she also wore an asprey aquamarine and diamond ring to her reception, and it was Princess Diana’s ring, and really a way to have Princess Diana with them on their wedding day.

The aquamarine ring on both Meghan and Diana

Listen to part two of Hannah Rae’s interview with Tara and Tanya here!

HR: So what jewelry trends do we see coming out of what was selected for the royal wedding?

TARA: So Tanya and I have been talking about this– we think we might see a comeback of TIARAS when it comes to bridal beauty!

TANYA: They’re incredible pieces, and I think that besides being really beautiful and sparkling and dazzling, they even have the power to transform, and you can wear a tiara and then some of them you can also wear as a necklace, or a hairband, or a brooch, so I think that they can be a lot more versatile than some people think.

TARA: Absolutely, so you can wear that tiara on your wedding day, and then wear a piece of it again and again.

HR: So if I was planning my wedding– which I’m totally not, BUT if I was, how would you suggest I could emulate the royal look with a tiara or with any other sort of suggestions you may have?

TANYA: Well, I think the most important thing is to do what Meghan did, which was to put your personal mark on your wedding day when it comes to your jewels and your overall style. I recommend going to a website like realasadiamond.com and looking at beautiful images of diamond jewelry and reading about trends, learning as much as you can, then heading to a diamond retailer to try on pieces, so you can see what jewlery really resonates with you and find that perfect diamond for that special day.

More about Tanya Dukes & Tara Kraft

With over two decades of experience working with—and on—women’s lifestyle brands, Tara Kraft is a bonafide lifestyle expert. For four years, Kraft served as the Editor in Chief of Shape, the #1 women’s lifestyle publication and the 4th largest young women’s magazine. Overseeing both print and digital, Kraft significantly increased the brand’s coverage of fashion, accessories, and beauty, while continuing to produce renowned wellness, health, nutrition and fitness content. Additionally, Kraft simultaneously served as the Editorial Director of Fit Pregnancy and Natural Health magazines, redesigning both for to better appeal to the modern woman. Prior to her appointment as Shape’s Editor-in-Chief, Kraft served as the Beauty and Fashion Director of Star. She also headed up the beauty at Celebrity Living Weekly. Throughout her career, Kraft has made numerous national and local media appearances; she was previously a SAG/AFTRA member. Kraft currently heads up the publishing for Travelzoo, an online publisher of travel, entertainment and local lifestyle deals with over 28 million global members.

Tanya Dukes is a New York City-based writer, editor and stylist. She came to her current career after several years as a corporate attorney. The Columbia Law alum first pursued her journalistic dream when she joined the staff of private jet lifestyle magazine Elite Traveler, eventually becoming the publication’s first-ever Style Editor. During her seven-year tenure she covered everything from hotels to spas to fashion, traveling between Europe, Asia and Africa in the process. Her responsibilities included styling top models in high jewelry and couture from leading fashion brands and covering runway collections in Paris, Milan and New York. Later she became Accessories Editor of Condé Nast’s Brides magazine and was responsible for updating the category’s coverage during a major relaunch of the brand. Tanya also served as Senior Editor for two affiliated publications focused exclusively on the jewelry industry, INDESIGN and INSTORE magazines.  She has been recognized as a leading journalist in the jewelry category and her work has been recognized with the Women’s Jewelry Association Award for Excellence in Editorial and a Folio: Eddie Award.