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Nicole, the chiffon and the lace bride

By Nicole Lampert (Daily Mail)
Updated: 2006-06-23 10:26

The stunning couture dress, made by Balenciaga, as modelled on the catwalk

A flowing column of delicate chiffon and lace, this is the ultra-feminine full-length wedding dress chosen by Nicole Kidman for her marriage to Keith Urban on Sunday.

The stunning couture dress, made by Balenciaga, was ordered late last year when Urban proposed, and has been custom made to her specifications.

Her version, which will be in cream and feature a slip to make it more modest, is an almost surprisingly girlish choice for the actress, who has just celebrated her 39th birthday, but undeniably very much in keeping with the fairytale day that she is planning.

The bride and groom have gone to huge lengths to try and keep every detail of their wedding secret.

But even they could not hide the erection of a 30sq metre marquee on the grounds outside the Cardinal Cerretti Memorial Chapel in they Sydney beachside suburb of Manly.

The pair will have a Catholic ceremony after Miss Kidman, 39, had her ten year union to Cruise annulled and, in keeping with the faith, they have vowed not to spend the night together until they are man and wife.

The happy couple have been determined to keep their ceremony as low-key as possible.

Despite 38-year-old Urban's estimated ￡5million fortune, his family flew to Sydney on a budget airline.

Miss Kidman's hen night on Wednesday consisted of a girly night in at her sister Antonia's nondescript suburban house with a group of girlfriends where they ate a Chinese takeaway.

Music at the 35 minute ceremony will be kept simple with a string quartet, albeit from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, while the religious readings have been organised by Miss Kidman's mother Janelle.

Guests have even been told not to hand the couple any lavish presents - saying they would prefer that money should be donated to charity.

And the day after the wedding Miss Kidman's family will host a traditional Australian barbie for the couple's closest friends.

But with a guest list which includes Miss Kidman's actor friends King Kong star Naomi Watts, Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman, Renee Zellweger and her ex-husband Kenny Chesney, who is a friend of Urban, as well as media mogul Rupert Murdoch, it was never going to be an entirely simple affair.

The flower bill for hundreds of white orchids is set to top ￡50,000 while the cake, from the Sweet Art cake shop will cost ￡1,500.

The food will be prepared by celebrated Australian chef Luke Mangan, a pal of Jamie Oliver's.

Mangan, a TV chef and local celebrity, is favours Antipodean delicacies like seared scallops and fish like barramundi. He has plenty of experience of big events - he recently provided the wedding banquet in Denmark when former Sydney estate agent Mary Donaldson married Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark.

Miss Kidman had several fittings for her dress which she started trying to find just a few weeks after Urban's Thanksgiving day proposal, she consulted with the label's designer Nicholas Ghesquiere on finding the dress of her dreams.

They agreed that he would adapt the bias-cut, intricately stitched column dress, which is part of the spring summer 2006 collection. Nicole's wedding dress was completed in conditions of great secrecy in May and shipped out to Nicole in Nashville, where she has set up home with Urban. She is apparently 'swept away' by its delicate beauty, and the empire line flatters her tall dancer's figure.

He has also designed the dress for her sister Antonia, who will be the maid of honour.

Miss Kidman's two adopted children from her marriage to Cruise will also play a part in the wedding. Isabella, 13, will be a bridesmaid while her son Connor, 11, will be one of Urban's ushers.

The two arrived in Sydney on Wednesday chaperoned by Cruise's sister Cass on a private jet from Tokyo where the actor has been working.

The new Mrs Urban and her husband will honeymoon at the exclusive Wakaya resort in Fiji. They have booked out the entire resort, which was also the place where Rolling Stones star Keith Richards fell out of a coconut tree causing brain damage, for a week at a cost of ￡80,000.

Although Miss Kidman and Urban are convinced their marriage is forever, the pair have signed a prenuptial agreement, as revealed yesterday by the Mail.

Urban will get ￡350,000 for every year of marriage - but the agreement will become void if he binges on drink or drugs.