Nicole Richie's wedding dress: Who magazine, January 3 2011

It will be the much-discussed topic for brides-to-be... and those who are not even contemplating getting married: Nicole Richie's wedding dress.

Never mind that Nicole Richie just married rocker Joel Madden (WHO magazine has all the piccies inside their opulent LA wedding, held at her father Lionel Richie’s Beverly Hills mansion). The story is squarely centred on Nicole Richie's dress.

An unofficial poll (Facebook status updates and blogs) has garnered a slew of varied reactions; from "ugh, ugly!". To "oh my, the most divine dress I have ever seen!"

Nicole's Grace Kelly–inspired gown is rather breathtaking - whichever way you look at it. For starters, how on earth did someone who is five-foot-nothing pull off such a meringue? Granted, it's a Marchesa-designed sugar-puff confection, but I am betting this already much-admired/much-maligned dress (comparisons to Bjork's swan number from many years ago have already surfaced) will be the most copied for the next year.

Personally, I have ALWAYS loved Grace Kelly's wedding dress. That tight-fitting lace, divine bodice, and entrancing back-button detail have had me dreaming I'd wear the same on my day. Then, hubby declared he hated sleeves on wedding dresses and loved bridal hair down, so that's what I wore: strapless, with flowy locks. No, no... don't worry; it was still totally my choice. Full-sleeved dressed were simply not 'in' seven years ago - strapless was (and still is) where it's at.

So, I applaud Nicole for her brazen choice. I bet she's been dreaming of that Grace Kelly-inspired design for years. The only thing I don't like is the neckline; it looks a little too 1980s op-shop find to me.

In WHO - onsale today - you can also see the back button-detail, and the dress sans the metres (and metres) of tulle.

Also in WHO, the best and worst of 2010. I am a sucker for compile pictorial stories, and their annual end-of-year tribute issue is 140 pages crammed with the best and worst moments of the year that was. We remember the newsmakers, the tragedies, the scandals and the shock splits. They also celebrate the weddings, the meltdowns, babies, fads and fashions. Plus, the stars of the year, the newsmakers, the memorable meltdowns, the weddings, the splits, babies, and tributes. Should keep me going for a fortnight. Onsale now.