Kate Middleton's wedding dress by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen

Catherine Middleton arrives for her wedding to Prince William at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011, in London.

/ Getty

(CBS) It's the one question everyone was asking, and we didn't find the answer out until the last second - but we now know the designer of Kate Middleton's wedding dress.

The gown is a design by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen's fashion house.

Pictures: Kate Middleton's dress
Pictures: Sarah Burton's designs
Complete coverage: The royal wedding

"Miss Middleton chose British brand Alexander McQueen for the beauty of its craftsmanship and its respect for traditional workmanship and the technical construction of clothing," the palace said. " Miss Middleton wished for her dress to combine tradition and modernity with the artistic vision that characterizes Alexander McQueen's work. Miss Middleton worked closely with Sarah Burton in formulating the design of her dress."

The dress is made of French Chantilly lace and English Cluny lace throughout the bodice, skirt and underskirt. The dress, made of ivory and white satin gazar, was designed to emulate an opening flower. The train measures almost nine feet long.

The lace applique for the bodice and skirt was hand-made by the Royal School of Needlework. Individual flowers were hand-cut from lace and hand-engineered onto ivory silk tulle to create the dress' design, which incorporates the rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock. The back of the dress was finished with 58 gazar and organza covered buttons fastened by Rouleau loops.

Video: England's Royal School of Needlework
Embroidering royalty

"It has been the experience of a lifetime to work with Catherine Middleton to create her wedding dress, and I have enjoyed every moment of it," Burton said in a statement. "It was such an incredible honour to be asked, and I am so proud of what we and the Alexander McQueen team have created. I am delighted that the dress represents the best of British craftsmanship."

Middleton's veil is made silk tulle with a trim of hand-embroidered flowers. It is held in place by a Cartier "halo" tiara, lent to Middleton by Queen Elizabeth II. The tiara was presented to Princess Elizabeth (now the Queen) by her mother on her 18th birthday.

The bride's earrings, diamond-set stylized oak leaves with a pear-shaped diamond set drop and a pave set diamond acorn suspended from the center, are by Robinson Pelham and were inspired by the Middleton family's new coat of arms. The earrings, which were made to match the tiara, were a personal gift to Middleton from her parents for her wedding day.

Her handmade shoes, also by McQueen, were composed of ivory duchesse satin and lace.

What do you think of Middleton's dress? Answer our poll and explain your thoughts in the comments.

26 Photos

Kate Middleton's dress

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[emilyrecommends]

Kate's wedding gown is simple, timeless and elegant but did it make it to our top 12 ultimate dream wedding gowns? Hmmm... let see! http://www.emilyrecommends.com/12-ultimate-dr&-wedding-gowns

[flodiggs]

Everyone keep comparing Kate's dress to Grace Kelly's, but I have just seen Princess Margaret's gown and the two are almost identical!

[sherryper]

I just called dress times and best dress ?
http://www.wedding-now.com/category/wedding_dresses
prices and actually did talk to a Chinese woman.
She confirmed everything they said on the website and did say they were out of China.
The pictures that you posted make me even more nervous because the Maggie
dress was so pretty and the pictures posted look way off! I am so interested to
see what happens! I will keep my fingers crossed!

[poulkristiansen]

It was refreshing to watch a wedding that was classy and dignified, unlike most of the weddings shown on TV today where an overweight, obese or pregnant bride waddles down the aisle (with one or more of her children as attendants) squeezed like a salami into a strapless dress that accentuates her back fat, flabby arms and tattoos and where the guests clap and whoop it up after the end of the ceremony.

I think her appearance was flawless. Given the protocol and etiquette requirements of the venue, her dress was chic, understated, elegant and regal, but also updated and contemporary. Her hair, makeup and jewelry were also spot on and even the tiara was not too much.

Princess Diana's dress looked like it had been designed by a 12 year old girl and sewed by one of the seamstresses at Disney World. All those frills, bows and lace and those big puffy sleeves, not to mention that ridiculously long train almost made the dress look tacky. Everyone says it was the 80's, but I remember watching her then and thinking it was one of the ugliest things I had ever seen.

I'm no great fan of the Britrish, but Americans could learn something about the right way to conduct themselves at these types of events.

[craigthespeedster]

To pull off simple, elegant and classic is no easy task. However Kate evolved as the most stunning bride in a most gorgeous gown which was well fitting for the occasion. I just cannot understand why some peopel expected her to be "over the top" in something glitzy, gaudy and completely inappropriate. It was a lovely gown for a lovely girl. Best wishes to you Kate and William.

[IoUSA]

Of course, she looked VERY beautiful BUT not a stunning dress. ANY beautiful woman with a figure like that could pull it off....

I expected DRAMA!!!, was quite let down...ESPECIALLY by her entrance. NO ONE could every wear Diana's dress but Diana. Kate's dress is safe, predictable, not future Queen-like and most definitely NOT really a princess dress. BORING BORING BORING...we have all seen this one before....

BIG YAWN....

[honest_pols]

MUCH OF THE WORLD'S PROBLEMS AND CLASS CONFLICTS
STEM FROM ROYAL WANNABES' IMPARTING WRONG VALUES

To kill and die for a fancy, expensive, wedding gown?

"Lord, what wh0res these mortals be!"

The waste and greed are indeed not helpful and destroying humankind.

There are many far better ways to expend time, energy and resources, to benefit our seriously damaged environment and lifeforms herein, than emphasizing material wealth and luxurious lifestyles - especially during these economically-disastrous times.

It is interesting to note that:

Royalty and the like throughout history, was/is empowered, enriched, and supported via the forced toils, slavery, exploitation, pain, suffering, injuries and deaths of royalty's subject peasant/victims.

In most cases, overthrowing monarchies, by beheading of kings, queens, princes, etc, and distributing the wrongfully and obscenely-accumulated assets to the victims of "royal parasitism", would serve as only small and token justice for the hundreds and thousands years of injustice perpetrated against the victims of "royal parasitism".

DISRESPECT FOR AND OVERTHROW OF ROYALTY, SHOULD BECOME THE ORDER OF THE DAY!