When I was a little girl, I would spend hours pretending my
prince would come, sweep me up onto his white horse and carry me away to his
castle to be his princess. For Kate Middleton, she found her prince in Prince
William, heir to the thrown of England.
Planning a wedding fit for royalty can not be a simple task. Over
2 billion people world wide watched the wedding on Friday April, 29th, 2011.
Around a million spectators lined the streets of London between Buckingham
palace and Westminster Abby just hoping to catch a glance at the illustrious
guests, among whom included Elton John, the Beckhams, and members of the
Royal family.
As was tradition, the Wedding took place in the Beautiful
Westminster Abby which was simply but beautifully decorated. There was a rich
red runner down the center aisle, flanked by rows of individual chairs. Lush
trees were brought in to add a sense of wonder and intimacy to the lofty space.
There were smaller arrangements at the front and back of the church with white
flower accents in the green foliage arrangements. The decor was simple and
elegant, allowing the beauty of the Abby to show through with its stain glass
and beautiful chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling.
Closer to the wedding, the family and Groom arrived in pairs or
small groups to the church awaiting the arrival of the bride and the start of
the ceremony, cheering spectators greeting the cars. William arrived with his
best man and brother Henry a little early, allowing William to settle before
the ceremony, waiting at the front alter for Kate to walk down the aisle to him
at last.
Finally the horns sounded and Kate began the long procession down
the aisle accompanied by a beautiful boy’s choir, clutching her father’s hand,
the only sign of nerves on the otherwise perfectly composed woman. William
stayed faced forwards, anticipating the arrival of his bride but staying faced
towards the alter. One of my favorite moments of the ceremony was when Henry
glanced behind his shoulder at Kate and offer some unknown words of
encouragement or support to his brother who had to stand at attention. This is
just such a sweet moment between two brothers who seem so much more then that;
they’re best friends.
Now Kate’s dress is not something that can easily be forgotten.
One of a kind, designed by Sarah Burton for Kate specifically, the dress has a
fitted bodied with a sweetheart neck line and a V-neck lace over lay with full
length sleeves. There is a slight poof around the waist which falls in an
elegant A-line with a long train. Kate wore her hair half up, half down with a
beautiful tiara and a antique looking lace trimmed veil. She looked absolutely
stunning. It was elegant and very appropriate. She looked exactly how the
future Queen of England should. I was thrilled and I’m sure William must have
been left speechless!
Watching William and Kate standing side by side in front of the
alter, at first look they looked so solum and serious however little hints
played across their faces showing their love and nerves. William would lick his
lips often, swallowing down his nerves. While William was saying his vows, I
noticed Kate trying to keep a composed face but her smile would crack out
before she forced it down again, only to see it come back again. It was sweet
and very endearing towards the royal couple who seem so happy and in love with
each other.
The love story between the couple seemed like a fairytale from
the start. I never followed it too closely because I felt that it was their
lives, their relationship and that it wasn’t fair to have so much of their
lives together splashed across the tabloids. During the Wedding, the hosts from
the TLC network interviewed many different people involved in the wedding
industry and people with personal connections to the couple. One of the girls
they talked to was a schoolmate of Kate and William’s who said that one of the
first times she saw Kate and William was when she saw Kate walking in one of
her sports uniforms and heard some men wolf whistling at Kate. It turned out the
men were William and some of his school friends. I absolutely adored this story
showing such a normal, non-Royal aspect of their relationship.
The ceremony ended without a kiss, it was saved for the balcony
of Buckingham Palace as was tradition since 1981 with Princess Diana. Lip
readers later reported spotting Kate asking if William was happy. I think it is
a sweet moment between the couple, who were allowed to relax a little outside
the church. The carriages and horse escort paraded through the streets back to
the palace as the crowds waved the happy newlyweds ending outside the Palace
and the kiss that everyone was waiting for. It was sweet and proper as suited
to the future King and Queen.
With the ceremony over, the couple and their closer friends,
family and important dignitaries retreated for a 600 guest canapé reception
hosted by Prince Charles which was later followed by a 300 person intimate sit
down dinner. Some of you may think that 300 can not possibly be intimate but
considering over 2 billion people attended their wedding in one way or another,
300 is certainly intimate!
All my best to the happy couple! I hope all of your own weddings
to your prince is as special, royal and happy as Kate and William’s.
Absolute Joy Occasions 