Meghan Markle's wedding dress will be made of 'bright white silk' to avoid copying Kate Middleton

An engagement between Meghan Markle and Prince Harry is "imminent" according to royal experts, after the Suits actress was introduced to none other than the Queen over tea last month.

She has also been dating the fifth-in-line to the throne for 18 months and made several public appearances alongside him at the Invictus Games in September.

So it's no wonder that imaginations are running wild about a forthcoming royal wedding, which is predicted to take place sometime in May or June of 2018.

We've already speculated about Markle's possible engagement ring design, taking notes from wedding planning website and app Bridebook. The experts behind the company predict she will go for "a large diamond that has been cut and set in a modern way, for example... a marquise or pear-shaped diamond".

But what about the dress?

Since Markle, 36, is in tune fashion-wise and has an elegant yet trendy sense of style, this will no doubt be reflected in her wedding gown – one of the few things she will have control over in her wedding to a senior member of the British royal family.

The brains behind Bridebook told IBTimes UK: "Meghan Markle has a very distinctive sense of style, oozing confidence and pizzazz. She is therefore likely to opt for a completely couture wedding dress which she can have full control over the design from start to finish. There are only a handful of designers who specialise in wedding dresses in the UK who offer that level of service."

If that means royal favourites including Alexander McQueen and Catherine Walker are in the pipeline, Markle is in great hands.

It is thought that the LA-born actress will eschew lace since it was the main aspect of both Kate and Pippa Middleton's wedding gowns.

They added: "We are confident that Meghan will strike the balance perfectly, looking timeless yet certainly fashionable too. Rather than opting for lace, which was the focus of Pippa Middleton's dress, we suspect she will choose a simple but beautiful bright white silk. Not only will this look beautiful because of her stunning colouring, silk also works well with striking folds and angles to add some modernity to the design." Sounds like a dream...

Like the Duchess of Cambridge, sartorially-conscious Markle can be expected to have a dress change for the reception.

Bridebook continued: "Changing from a full-length dress in to something less formal for the evening is something that continues to be popular. We can see Meghan slipping in to a short dress for the evening, paired with sparkly ballet pumps, and possibly even coming out in a third but coloured dress – a trend we see increasing in popularity, particularly for style conscious brides."

Royal insiders believe that Harry will propose after the 70<sup>th wedding anniversary of his grandparents, the Queen and Prince Philip, on 20 November.

Richard Fitzwilliams previously said: "A summer wedding next year is expected to follow [the engagement] and there will be much speculation about the venue. Media interest will obviously be phenomenal."

So if Harry gets down on one knee by November or December, wedding dress designers will be able to make the dress of Ms Markle's dreams by spring.

"Bespoke designs usually take 3-6 months to produce from start to finish. A designer would need to have been enlisted by mid-February at the latest for a summer wedding, to allow for up to seven fittings in-between her filming commitments. Most couture designers will personally travel to see their VIP brides for some of their fittings, if their schedule does not allow for that many atelier visits," Bridebook explained.

Roll on next year...