Well, it’s over now. Prince William is married to Kate Middleton. The Royal Wedding went off without a hitch in full Cinderella style, and the happy couple left for a short vacation somewhere in the UK, since their honeymoon trip to the Middle East was delayed. I had to stay up until after one in the morning to watch the wedding live here in Hawaii, but it was worth it. The whole ceremony was stunningly gorgeous, and although I wondered if it would be all that wonderful to have your wedding broadcast to the world, I was glad I was able to see it. Here are some of my favorite highlights from the Royal Wedding:
The Trees in the Abbey
Kate wanted to have lots of foliage in Westminster Abbey for the wedding, in accordance with her theme of the Language of Flowers. The aisle was lined with maple and hornbeam trees that created a natural avenue for the bride to walk down. When the trees are taken out of the Abbey, they will be planted in Highgrove Gardens as a memorial.
The Hats
Dress code require all female guests to arrive wearing hats, and while some of the women tried to get away with only flowers in their hair, others took their hat choices quite seriously. Rumor has it that Victoria Beckham’s hat was stuck to her forehead with superglue…
The Choir
One thing that really struck me about the wedding was the amount of music. There were some incredible pieces, and I can only imagine how they must have sounded in the vaulted cathedral of the abbey.
The Flower Girls
Technically very young bridesmaids, the flower girls were just adorable in their white dresses, but a couple of them were quite skilled at facial expressions…
The Queen
What’s a Royal Wedding without a queen?
The Dress
Kate’s dress was simply stunning. I was impressed that she went with long sleeves, as I have been rather annoyed by the amount of strapless wedding dresses in fashion of late. Sarah Burton from Alexander McQueen designed this one-of-a-kind dress made from satin gazar. I’ve never been much of a fan of lace (I think this has to do with seeing too many instances of lace-abuse in wedding dresses from the ’80s and ’90s), but now I think I’ve changed my mind. Kate’s lace is made from Chantilly and Cluny lace, in a pattern called Irish Carrickmacross. The craftsmen working with the lace for the dress had to wash their hands every thirty minutes!
The Tiara
In her new role as Duchess, Kate wore a dazzling tiara with her elegant veil. The Cartier tiara, made of platinum and diamonds, was borrowed from Queen Elizabeth, who received the tiara on her eighteenth birthday. Something old…
The Uniforms
The men of the Royal Family were dressed at their best for the wedding. Prince William wore quite the bold red uniform of the Irish Guards, while Prince Harry wore the uniform of his new rank as Captain in the Household Calvary’s Blues and Royals.
The Carriage Ride
It wouldn’t have been a fairy tale without the closing horse-drawn carriage ride. This carriage is the 1902 State Landau which was built for the coronation of Edward VII, who was the son of Queen Victoria.
The Second Kiss
Personally, I thought the first kiss was a bit forced…
In Love With Britain 