London Wedding Planner

Well my lovelies, did you watch it? THE wedding of the century?! I was completely glued to the TV from 7 in the morning (apart from a very quick toilet break during the signing of the register!). I just couldn’t get enough of it! And yes, I swooned over the dress. And I cried a bit…ok a lot!

This was without doubt a grand wedding that took place on the world stage, but despite the significance and grandeur of the occasion I found it to be a beautiful and moving day, filled with lots of little personal touches and meaningful moments. I really felt like I was peering in on a family wedding – it was so touching to see the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge look genuinely happy and so in love, and for two families who were once a world apart to seem so at ease with each other.

Now that all the excitement and celebrations have died down, I thought I’d give a quick round-up of my take on the day’s proceedings.

The Atmosphere
Wow, was there an atmosphere or what?! There was so much excitement, anticipation and genuine happiness that just built up as a crescendo to the start of the ceremony – I could barely take the suspense of waiting to see Catherine, even just on TV, so it must have been incredible to be part of those crowds lining the mall. After over two years of recession and gloominess, this was exactly what our nation needed, and I for one felt incredibly proud to be British.

The Guests
I was really pleased that the guest list wasn’t just a long list of celebrities – it ensured that despite there being 1900 people packed into the abbey the service somehow still had an intimate feel. I have to say I did feel a little sorry for those who drew the short straw of having to be there almost 3 hours before the service, especially when most of them wouldn’t be going to the palace afterwards.

The fashions on display were fascinating to watch, especially the hats! I love hats! There were some stunning creations and colour choices on show, although some were plain obscure bordering on ridiculous – you wouldn’t have wanted to be the person stuck behind some of them!

The Family
In my opinion, both the Middletons and the Royal Family completely excelled themselves on the day. Catherine’s family rose to the occasion as if they had experienced such media attention all their lives, whilst the Windsors somehow seemed to remove themselves from the limelight so that all attention was on the happy couple.

The outfits chosen by senior members of both families were also absolutely spot on. Carole Middleton looked divine in her outfit of pale blue, whilst the Duchess of Cornwall appeared elegant and stylish in her champagne and duck-egg blue design, and the Queen looked resplendent in bright spring yellow,. There were, unfortunately, a couple of fashion faux pas (I’m not entirely sure what Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie were thinking!), but then there’s always one guest at a wedding who tries a little bit too hard…!

The Attendants
Prince William naturally chose Harry as his best man/supporter, and I think he did a fine job. He was obviously nervous before the ceremony, ruffling his hair and occasionally looking a little bit bemused by the whole affair, but it was lovely to see the two brothers together and the close relationship they obviously have.

However, it was Pippa Middleton who I was really impressed with. Yes she looked stunning, and for any other wedding that beautiful figure-hugging white dress would have been bordering on upstaging the bride, but what really struck me was the attention and care she took over her sister’s gown. She was there at all the right moments to carry and straighten the train, but still remained in the background so that all the limelight was, as it should have been, focused on Catherine – bridesmaids take note, you could do a lot worse than follow the lead of this lady!

And I can’t mention the attendants without noting how cute the bridesmaids were! As smart as the page boys were I did wish they hadn’t been in uniform for their sakes (wait until you’re 18 boys, those pictures will haunt you!), but the little girls were so cute – especially the one who wasn’t impressed with all the noise on the balcony!

The Abbey
Once the trees were spotted going into Westminster Abbey there was much excitement about what it would look like on the day, and it didn’t disappoint – there was even a man hoovering the road outside before the guests began to arrive!

The abbey is an incredible space, but somehow the trees lining the aisle made it feel a little less cavernous and a little more personal. However, I personally would have liked to have seen them decorated, perhaps with crystals or some hanging votives, so they made a bit more of an impact,

The Groom
Prince William almost looked like any other groom on his wedding day – nervous, slightly overwhelmed, and totally in awe of his bride. The little mutterings at the altar really brought home that at the heart of all the splendour were two people promising to share the rest of their lives together. I found it so touching how attentive he was to Catherine, and it was very clear that she means the absolute world to him.

The Bride
What can I say?! Catherine looked simply ethereal in her Alexander McQueen gown. I was so, so happy to see her wear something simple and elegant that was true to her, with no ridiculously long train or princess-style puffiness. I thought the way the handmade lace was used for the long sleeves was inspired (you’re not supposed to have bare shoulders in a church), and blended the vintage with the contemporary to create a completely timeless look. The train was also a perfect length, holding its own in the abbey without being so long that you needed an army of attendants to control it, whilst I just loved the softness of that veil. Well done Sarah Burton!

The Service
This was always going to be a traditional service, but I loved how Catherine and William still added their own personal stamp to the proceedings within the bounds of tradition, particularly with their music choices. It was personal, moving and above all a celebration of them as a couple – exactly what a marriage service should be.

The Kiss (or two!)
The procession followed by the balcony scene was probably the highlight of the day for many, and it was lovely to see the two newly joined families sharing jokes and generally soaking up the atmosphere. Let’s be honest, the first kiss was a bit of a disappointment for a lot of us, but it was great to see William saying to Catherine ‘they want another kiss, shall we give them one more’! For me it epitomised the fun they seemed to be having and how much they were enjoying their special day.

Congratulations William and Catherine on your marriage, and also for proving that a royal wedding can be personal, genuine and suited to the 21 ^st century.

Photo Credits:
Photos 1, 5, 6, 8, 11, 12, 18, 22, 23 and 24: via The Telegraph here , here , here , here and here
Photos 2 and 9: via Handbag.com
Photo 3: Reuters
Photo 4: Flickr
Photos 7 and 26: via BBC here and here
Photos 10, 13, 15, 17 and 20: via The Independent
Photo 14: via Shine from Yahoo
Photos 16, 19, 21 and 25: via The Mail Online

 

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• The Royal Wedding – Personal Thoughts
• The Royal Wedding – A Modern Design
• The Royal Wedding – Did You Know?
• The Royal Wedding – Royal Wedding Fashion