Lady Kitty Spencer married businessman Michael Lewis on 24 July 2021 in one of the most lavish society weddings of the decade. The setting could hardly have been more dramatic: Villa Aldobrandini in Frascati, overlooking Rome, provided the sort of monumental Italian backdrop that made the entire celebration feel halfway between an aristocratic wedding and an Alta Moda campaign.

For Spencer, the location was more than decorative. She has spoken about her longstanding affection for Italy, and the wedding became an unapologetic celebration of that connection. Villa Aldobrandini—with its formal gardens, historic architecture and views across the Roman countryside—was an ideal setting for a bride whose style has always sat somewhere between English society and Italian high fashion.

The centrepiece, of course, was the bridal wardrobe created by Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda. Spencer wore several bespoke looks across the three-day celebration, but the ceremony gown was the undisputed star: an ivory lace dress with a high Victorian-inspired neckline, long sleeves, sculpted shoulders and a buttoned front, finished with an extraordinarily long veil. Rather than following the bare-shouldered, minimal bridal trend that dominated much of the period, the gown deliberately embraced formality and historical reference.

There was also a subtle family echo in the silhouette. The high neck, sleeves and romantic proportions recalled elements of the wedding dress worn by Kitty’s mother, Victoria Lockwood, when she married Charles Spencer in 1989. The resemblance was not literal, but it gave the otherwise highly theatrical Dolce & Gabbana design a sense of continuity.

And one gown was never going to be enough. Over the wedding weekend Spencer moved through an entire Dolce & Gabbana wardrobe, including pale blue embroidered tulle, a floral evening look, shimmering gold and silver embellishment and a floral Mikado silk dress. The effect was less “bride changes dress for the reception” and more a carefully constructed fashion narrative running through the celebrations.

The guest list reflected the same mix of aristocracy, fashion and celebrity. Among those attending were Lady Kitty’s sisters Lady Amelia and Lady Eliza Spencer, the Marchioness of Bath, Sabrina Elba, Jade Holland Cooper and Pixie Lott. Kitty walked down the aisle accompanied by her brothers Louis Spencer, Viscount Althorp, and Samuel Aitken.

What makes the wedding particularly memorable years later is that it never tried to look understated. This was not quiet luxury, stripped-back minimalism or an attempt to make a palatial Roman wedding appear “effortless.” It embraced scale: historic villa, couture wardrobe, lace, embroidery, dramatic sleeves, multiple celebrations and an entire weekend built around Italian glamour.

And for once, the extravagance suited the setting. At Villa Aldobrandini, anything too simple might actually have looked underdressed.