Why Meghan Markle's wedding dress could cost £320,000 less than Kate Middleton's

All eyes will be on future British royal Meghan Markle on 19 May as she takes a trip down the aisle to marry Prince Harry.

From her hair, make-up, jewellery and wedding dress, royal watchers will be taking notes and no doubt comparing the Suits actress' appearance to past regal brides.

According to Hamish Shepard, founder of wedding planning app and website Bridebook, Markle's gown is set to be a lot less expensive than the Duchess of Cambridge's, which cost approximately £400,000.

He told IBTimes UK: "Meghan has a very distinctive sense of style oozing confidence and pizzazz. She is therefore likely to opt for a completely bespoke wedding dress so she can have full control over the design from start to finish.

"If she chooses to go British, leading couture wedding dress designers such as Emilia Wickstead, Stewart Parvin or Phillipa Lepley would likely cost approximately £80,000, still short of the nearly £400,000 dress the Duchess of Cambridge wore to her wedding.

"Our bet is that she will also opt for a second dress – perhaps knee-length to show off her toned, long legs – for the evening, raising this cost to around £100k or more."

Kate Middleton's big day to Prince William was on a much grander scale than to what Harry and Markle are planning, with their wedding scheduled to take place in the more intimate St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.

The Duchess of Cambridge, 35, famously wore a custom-made lace-adorned gown by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen at her wedding in Westminster Abbey on 29 April 2011. The dress featured long sleeves, which has become a tradition for royal brides, including the late Diana, Princess of Wales, Camilla Parker Bowles and the Queen.

Talk of Markle's wedding dress has been the subject of much speculation since the royal household – who are paying for the whole wedding – allegedly got in touch with Israeli designer Inbal Dror – who designed Beyonce's bespoke gown for the 2016 Grammys.

The Jerusalem Post claims that Dror was asked by palace officials to provide some sketches of potential wedding dress designs for Markle.

A spokesman for the brand said: "We have been responding to an initiative of the Bridal Council to present the sketches [for Markle]."