Regency dahling! That was the dress code at The Queen’s Ball: a Bridgeton Experience which I attended over the weekend in Montréal. This had been on my list of events to attend since April but I kept having other engagements preventing me from doing so.
Would you believe me if I told you I attended this event alone? Well, you bet I did. When no one else can make it, be brave and just attend events on your own and seize the chance to make friends while you’re there – which is what I did!
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Now let me take you on the journey of how I got to my Bridgerton Experience.
First up, the dress!
I knew since April that I wanted a regency dress similar to Kate’s stunning green dress. It looked easy to wear, comfortable and accommodating of a larger belly. I also wanted something rally long to add some elegance.
Amazon.ca offered several options but all of them seemed to be coming from China, which meant a 4-6 week delivery time frame. I ended up finding a seller on Amazon.com who offered a shorter shipping and handling time frame but were I not as pressed for time, I would have definitely given this option a try.
https://theankaraqueen.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/42f616_5067f7ea0a8c4965af73d4384850bccfmv2.pngBe warned that the dress is not green as in this photo. As seen from my dress, it’s more turquoise. It is still beautiful nonetheless but just not green.
I hated the flimsy buttons that came with the dress and the size Large I ordered was way too big in the chest area and around the waist. I took the dress to a tailor to take it in and replace the buttons with a full zipper – also preferable when you live alone, haha.
The fabric is also very light and the dress is not lined but I saw its potential once I would have my hair and makeup done.
Fast forward to the day (July 1st) and after getting my hair done (not without some setbacks such as using the wrong type of extension for the look I was going for) and my make up slayed, I ironed my dress, wore my earrings, accentuated my head with a tiara and…
A diamond was made!
I arrived right on time for the evening and immediately spotted beautiful people dressed up in their Regency best!
Yes, some people missed the mark in terms of theme/dress code but nonetheless, they looked beautiful.
At the entrance, I noticed some ladies taking photos in front of the main sign and offered to help them take photos and in turn, they helped me take some of myself.
There was a bar serving drinks named after the series. There were stations were you could get portraits taken of yourself regency-style.
I was one of those she was impressed by and was handed a card informing me of such and inviting to go get my portrait done.https://theankaraqueen.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/42f616_426c28a64efd47e1aee020a4e2fcdd75mv2.jpgThere was a beautiful booth for photos and soon we were escorted to a second hall where the actors entertained us with beautifully choreographed dance as well as dance classes for the crowd.
Everything was so beautiful and I love how they got us involved throughout. We even had a Bridgerton-inspired line dance, haha!
The Queen did such a fantastic job and her mannerisms were exactly like the Queen in the series.
I was able to exchange social media handles with her as well as one of the other actors and hopefully we stay in touch.
Now on to outfit details!
My tiara and gloves can be purchased HERE and HERE respectively.
The tiara actually saved me from a hair disaster so I recommend you carry one with you everywhere you go 🙂
This seller also sells my same dress on their store in case the other link is sold out.
Here is a less-dressy option of the Kate Sharma dress and I actually saw someone wearing it at the ball.
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I also found some Etsy sellers who sell the Kate Sharma dress.
This seller offers the dress in multiple colours, including a custom colours of your choice. They are more expensive but I imagine you would be getting a much better quality.
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Here is another Kate Sharma dress style in case you don’t particularly fancy the one I wore to the Bridgerton Experience. This was actually my second choice of dress for the ball.
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If you’re more into Daphne Bridgerton Dress, then I would recommend this Daphne Bridgerton Dress, which comes in many colours!
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Should you be trying to upstage Her Royal Highness herself, then why not try this Queen Charlotte regency ball gown.
Do be careful because you may end up on the queen’s blacklist, showing up to her ball dressed like this.
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Here is another less formal Victorian/Regency style dress.
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As for the men, Regency shirts such as this are a must underneath whichever pants, petticoat/long-tail coat you plan to wear.
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Please note that a regency tie is different from your usual ties. These are Victorian Cravats darling.
Take a look at this silk one HERE for reference.
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And there you have it!
So would you attend an event where the dress code was Regency?
Hopefully this post would serve as useful should the opportunity arise.
XOXO
The Ankara Queen