When pop megastar Celine Dion married her longtime manager Rene Angelil on December 17, 1994,
it was as if Canada was witnessing its very own royal wedding. After all, Dion was one
of the most famous singing sensations in the world, and she hailed from Quebec,
becoming a star in Canada long before the rest of the world knew and loved her. Angelil was also
a native Canadian, and the country took pride in this union between one of its most famous natives
and the man who helped bring her that fame. And perhaps the most memorable part of Dion's
grand fairytale wedding was the over-the-top and unique wedding dress worn by the famous bride.
Dion was only 26 years old when she married the 51-year-old Angelil,
but it was deemed a union meant to be as all of Canada watched the extravagant
nuptials live on television. The couple stayed together for more than 20 years,
until his death in 2016, and they raised three children together.
"For first, first time in my life, I felt like I was needed."
Celine Dion met Rene Angelil when she was only 12 years old after one of her siblings
sent a recording of a song she wrote to the well-known Canadian music manager.
Angelil took on Dion as a client, mortgaging his home to finance the launch of her career
and reportedly taking her and her mother on tour to Japan and Europe.
Because he was an adult, their relationship was platonic and professional for many years
as he took her from Canadian and European fame to worldwide stardom. By the time Dion
turned 19, their relationship developed into something else, and they went on a real date,
beginning a romance that would lead to a more-than-two-decade marriage and
three children. However, they initially kept their romantic relationship a secret for five years.
"I got divorced when she was about 17, 1985."
It wasn't until Dion released the record "The Color of My Love" that she shocked everyone in
the album's liner notes by revealing the man she was in love with. After all, they were 26 years
apart in age, and they reportedly worried for a long time what people would think, especially
after Dion's mother vehemently objected to her daughter's choice in men. It didn't help that
Angelil had been married before and had children of his own. However, when they finally decided
to wed in 1994, they were Canada's top celebrity couple, and Dion wore a gown fit for a princess.
When you're a singing superstar and one of the most famous young women in the world
with money to spare, why not don yourself in a wedding gown that might weigh more than you do?
When Dion walked down the aisle of Montreal's Notre-Dame Basilica to tie the knot with Rene
Angelil, she stunned in a gorgeous but enormous gown designed by Mirella and Steve Gentile.
The gown did not disappoint, featuring an A-line cut, accentuating Dion's waist,
a bubble skirt reminiscent of 19th-century fashion, and a dramatic 19-foot train. Adorned
with hand-sewn lace and crystals and featuring a revealing sweetheart neckline, the gown was
certainly fit for royalty. The French silk and lace ensemble took more than 1,000 hours to create
and reportedly cost a whopping $25,000. The accessories that Dion wore were also exceptional.
Getting married in the winter, Dion opted for a white fur coat when she arrived at her nuptials.
But perhaps the ensemble's most memorable piece was the headpiece made of Swarovski crystals,
which weighed an impressive 7 pounds, according to French Vogue. In fact,
the headpiece was so over-the-top that Dion couldn't even wear it in a traditional way.
Instead, it had to be sewn into her hair for it to fit just right and look absolutely perfect.
Just a few years later, the couple was stunned when Rene Angelil was diagnosed
with throat cancer. After he went into remission in 2000,
Dion and Angelil used the occasion to renew their wedding vows in a Las Vegas wedding.
This time, Dion chose not to wear white and instead dressed all in gold. Sadly,
Angelil's cancer returned years later, and he passed away on January 14, 2016 at the age of 73.
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