Princess Diana hand-picked David Emanuel from the pages ofVogueto design her wedding dress in 1981.

The Welsh fashion designer, who has been in Australia promoting his new jewellery collection,is “hugely proud” of the dress which he says became his “passport around the world”.

The dress – which he created with his then wife Elizabeth Emanuel – was seen by over 700 million people.

Princess Diana and Price Charles on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Image via Getty.

"The icing on the cake for me was when Princess Diana went on her honeymoon with Prince Charles, she rang my studio and called to say that she loved the gown, the royal family loved the gown and Charles loved it," said Emanuel.

"I wouldn’t change a thing. It was appropriate for the time and for the client. The Emanuel name at that time was the height of romance. You’d seen it inVogueand all the glossies and they expected something very romantic. And of course the scale had to be large because it was St Paul’s. But every bride is different, every location, every situation is different so you design accordingly. It has to suit the girl and the venue and the occasion."

Emanuel now helps others find the perfect dress onSay Yes to the DressUK - and he has agreed to help me with my own wedding dress hunt.

The 64-year-old gave me his best tips on finding the perfect dress - good enough for a beloved princess.

Listen to Mamamia's podcast The Recap, where we discuss the latest episode of Married at First Sight. Post continues after audio.

What is the only piece of wedding dress advice you ever need? (and did you share it with Princess Diana?)

Keep an open mind. Please. And be objective. I do this show calledSay Yes To The Dressand we get many women coming in who want a fishtail dress. It looks fabulous in pictures but you can’t sit or dance in them. But keep an open mind and go in and speak to your bridal consultant. That’s what they do – it’s their job. They are there to find a gown that’s right for you. Are you flamboyant, fun, reserved, classical, low key? Be open to it. And listen. And only try on gowns within your budget.

"Bring someone you trust."

They come now these brides with an entourage of 6-8 people and future mother-in-law. Diana came with one person – her mother. Enough. She didn’t need the world there. Bring someone with you that you trust and trust their taste. If you bring your BFF they will only like the things that they like, they’re not thinking of the bride. Bring someone who’s objective and whose taste you admire.

The most memorable weddings in pop culture

Muriel's Wedding

Love Actually

The Princess Bride

My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Game of Thrones

Bridesmaids

Girls

The Wedding Singer

Twilight

Four Weddings and a Funeral

Funny Face

Gossip Girl

Clueless

Friends

Parks and Recreation

How I Met Your Mother.

When should I be looking for a wedding dress? And where?

Normally in the UK they like a lead time of nine months so I would say a year. It’s probably the same here. You could do a little research online but please don’t buy online. That will be a disaster. Go into a store.

How close to the wedding should you purchase your dress so it fits right?

Buy the dress nine to twelve months before the wedding. Then a month before the wedding go in and have it fitted with final adjustments.

What do you need to do before looking for a dress?

Start with going through your closet and seeing what styles you’ve got that you like. Look at various bridal magazines, go online. Look at your friends’ wedding go