Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough John chose Sarah over Catherine Sedley, but both John's and Sarah's families disapproved of the match, therefore they married secretly in the winter of 1677–78. John and Sarah were both Protestants in a predominantly Catholic court, a circumstance that would influence their political allegiances. Although no date was recorded, the marriage was announced only to the Duchess of York, and a small circle of friends, so that Sarah could keep her court position as Maid of Honour. When Sarah became pregnant, her marriage was announced publicly (on 1 October 1678), and she retired from the court to give birth to
Wedding dress of Sarah Ferguson Diana Spencer, a notable feature of Sarah Ferguson's 17 foot long train was the intertwined initials A and S sewn in silver beads. The head-dress and bouquet, fabric rosettes or artificial silk flowers were used to adorn the gown itself. Ferguson was pleased with the dress, describing it in her 1997 memoir, "My Story", as "an exquisite creation I'd lost twenty-six pounds to fit into. Lindka was a genius; I knew she could make the most flattering gown ever, and she had. It was amazingly boned, like a corset." Hair stylist Denise McAdam and make-up artist Teresa Fairminer attended to