MAXINE GORDON picks some wedding dresses fit for a princess ahead of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's nuptials at Windsor.

SECRETS surround the design of Meghan Markle's wedding dress for her marriage today to Prince Harry at Windsor Castle.

But one thing is certain – as soon as the dress is revealed, brides-to-be will be turning to dressmakers to get them to run up something similar for their own big day.

Eleanor Maddison, the new owner of the Andrea Bambridge bridal boutique, in York, says a royal wedding is great for business.

"Lots of brides are waiting to see what Meghan will wear – and want to replicate that in their dress. That's what happened with Kate," she said.

Eleanor makes and sells wedding dresses at the Goodramgate shop. She said most designers would not be able to copy Meghan's dress until they bring out their new collections next year – but bespoke dressmakers, like her, will be able to do so immediately.

"We can reproduce something similar or take an element of the dress and incorporate it."

This is exactly what happened following the wedding of Kate Middleton to Prince William in 2011. Kate's distinctive dress, with lace sleeves (which was reminiscent of Princess Margaret's wedding dress), was an instant hit and set a trend which is still popular today.

So what can we expect from Meghan's dress?

There has been lots of speculation in the media about what design Meghan will go for. Eleanor's instinct is that it will be different from Kate's – so as not to set up a comparison – and will reflect Meghan's classic style.

The dress, she added, will probably have to follow royal protocols too, which seem to suggest that the arms must be covered.

Eleanor said: "We think she will go for a little bit of a sleeve but in a style that is understated. We think it will be a sleek dress, she is really classic in her style and has great dress sense. We think she will go for a great cut, with some detail such as pretty, delicate, applique, as opposed to overdoing it with lace."

Veils are very much back in fashion (and remind us of the gorgeous veil worn by the Duchess of Kent on her wedding day at York Minster in 1961). Eleanor says don't be surprised if Meghan opts for a long veil or train to finish her statement look.

And it will help boost sales. "If she has a veil, sales of veils will go up. If she wears a tiara, girls will want a tiara," said Eleanor.

At her shop, the average cost of a wedding dress – whether bespoke or from a designer – is around £2,000. Meghan's dress is reputedly costing £100,000 – small fry when compared to Kate Middleton's Alexander McQueen frock which was a hefty £250,000.

If you are getting married and want to inject some princess flair into your wedding dress, we've scanned some of the 2018 look books from top designers to suggest some styles that would gain the royal assent.