PHOTOS - Royal Wedding photo gallery

They are flocking to a wedding designer who has lookalike copies of Kate Middleton’s bridal dress and Pippa, her sister’s bridesmaid dress too.

Despite the recent economic downturn in Ireland, Irish women are spending lavishly on the lookalikes which run into the thousands of dollars.

Marie McElheron  the dressmaker who capitalized on the idea of replicating Duchess Catherine's Sarah Burton designed gown has now found herself overwhelmed with requests from Irish brides-to-be.

Wicklow based dressmaker McElheron told the Evening Herald that women have been flocking to her studio to get a copy of Kate's dress. McElheron added Irish women are incorporating Kate's flair and style into their own designs:

"There are a lot of girls trying to use part of Kate's dress in their own designs now...All parts of it: the lace, the high neck, the sleeves — they are all being incorporated into dresses now."

Kate’s dress is not the only garment from the royal wedding that is impacting Irish brides in Ireland, as McElheron foresees a huge demand in dresses in the style of Pippa Middleton. McElheron revealed "it is going to be very popular even though it's a style that will only work on a certain girl — but it is going to be huge."  

Those who had their dresses bought prior to William and Kate's big day are also trying to cash in on the lace craze spurred by the royal wedding. Speaking to the Herald, McElheron added "even with dresses that have no lace on it, girls, who have already planned their days, are thinking where can they get lace onto the dress."

McElheron points to the dress's similarity to the late Princess Grace's dress, and argues that both dresses will be timeless unlike Lady Diana's from the 80s. Thanks to dressmakers like McElheron, all women in Ireland can feel like princesses on their big day.
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