Is Jessica Mulroney the woman who will choose Meghan Markle’s wedding gown?

As May 19th draws closer (four month countdown...), speculation is rife as to what Meghan Markle will wear on the big day. Well, we may be one step closer to the big reveal, according to royal reporter Omid Mio Scobie who appeared on ABC news today, revealing that Markle may fly her hair and make-up team from hit show Suits over for the wedding, before talking about the main event - the dress. 

"Sources tell me that Meghan Markle has officially picked a wedding dress designer and had her first fitting at Kensington Palace last week" Scobie then posted on twitter under the username @_mio. "BFF and bridal expert Jessica Mulroney is guiding Meghan though the process and quietly flew in to London on Jan 10, spending four days at the couple’s Nottingham Cottage home. I’m told that they went through a number of options with the designer and Meghan was “incredibly excited” to see things start coming together."

We've had our eye on Mulroney - Meghan's friend, confidante and rumoured style advisor  - for some time. The Canadian stylist and self-defined ‘fashion strategist’, is said to have selected the white coat by Canadian brand Line the Label that Markle wore for the first royal engagement photocall, and regularly advises the wife of Canadian prime minister, Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau, on her outfits for public appearances.

Mulroney and Markle have been firm friends since meeting in Canada where Markle filmed several series of her Netflix series, Suits, and bonding over a shared love of yoga (the duo both practice regularly). Before Meghan shut her personal Instagram, Mulroney was often pictured, including several shots during a girls holiday to Positano in August 2016 (shortly after Meghan and Harry are thought to have started dating). You’ll recognise Mulroney from the closing ceremony of the Invictus games which she attended with Meghan and her mother, Doria.

And, Mulroney’s specialist subject just so happens to be bridal fashion. Rumour has it she advised Meghan on what to wear for Pippa Middleton’s wedding last summer. Alongside her personal Instagram account, she runs a sideline that’s entirely nuptials focused - @JessicaMulroneyWeddings. Launched in February 2017, Mulroney said, via her first post, that she started the account, ‘after four years of working with the most beautiful brides on the most gorgeous weddings’. As well as styling, her wedding credentials include guest editing lifestyle publication Wedding Vacations Magazine and consulting at Kleinfeld, Canada’s premier bridal store which regular features on reality TV show Say Yes To The Dress.

If Mulroney were to take on an advisory role for the Royal nuptials, her instagram surely provides some insights into what we can expect from the dress. A big champion of homegrown talent from her native Canada, Mulroney showcases creations from local designers who create show-stopping one-off pieces, including Paloma Blanca bridal, Christopher Paunil and Ines de Santo. Given her bias towards Canadian labels, it’s likely the stylist would support Erdem as a choice for the royal gown - the Montreal-born designer has been touted as a favourite.

Mulroney’s styling is not, however, exclusively Canada-focused - she has an eye for bridal big players and knock-out designs by Oscar de la Renta, Monique L’Huillier and Zuhair Murad have all appeared on her account. In terms of style, it’s clear Mulroney favours impact; intricate embellishment, delicate lace and waist-skimming silhouettes that flow into layers of tulle - fairytale gowns fit for a princess…

The stylist’s expertise doesn’t stop with the gown. Her instagram describes ‘making bridal dreams a reality’, so as well as advising on all elements of the look - from shoes to jewels (Canadian jewellery designer Maison Birks, a favourite of Meghan’s, credits Mulroney with making the introduction) - she could be called in as secret wedding planner to offer her styling expertise to the overall vision for the day. And, with rumours hotting up that Mulroney is a front-runner to be selected as Maid of Honour, she may well be turning her skilled hand to planning the royal hen do (or bridal shower), too...