Royal Wedding Fever

My mother cried on two occasions. The first is when Princess Diana of Wales got married on July 29, 1981 and the second was when she died in a tragic car crash in Paris on August 0f 1997. And so this mild obsession has been passed down from mother to daughter.

I’m giddy just thinking about the upcoming Royal Wedding. I’m very well aware that this may be the Disney culture that’s been intrinsically instilled in me, but I know I’m not the only one. The world waits eagerly as Kate Middleton, the average girl from next door will wed her Prince William Charming in a month’s time, on April 29. **sigh**

The Royal Wedding!

Transportation

While most bride-to-be’s here choose between the classic vintage Mercedes or simply a convertible, no royal wedding is complete without a horse and carriage . It’s being reported that Kate will be  traveling to and from the wedding in the same ornate carriage that Charles and Diana used for their wedding.

The Church

The religious ceremony will take place at the Westminster Abbey at 11am. A total of 1900 invitations have been distributed to world leaders, distinguished personalities, close relatives, and friends of the couple.

The Reception

Following tea with the Queen, there will be a super-exclusive reception at Buckingham Palace. Only 300 of the 1900 guests are said to have been invited to the lavish dinner and dance hosted by Prince Charles. Men invited guests are expected to wear uniform, suit, or black tie. There’s no dress code for the women invited guests, but, reportedly, women are expected to wear a hat at the wedding ceremony.

The Entertainment

The big day at Westminster Abbey will include performances from two choirs, one orchestra and a fanfare team. These include The Choir of Westminster Abbey, The Chapel Royal Choir, The London Chamber Orchestra, The Fanfare Team from the Central Band of the Royal Air force and The State Trumpeters of The Household Cavalry.

All together there will be 76 performers for the wedding service.

Following the wedding service, Claire Jones, the official Harpist to HRH The Prince of Wales will perform at a reception hosted by the Queen.

The Wedding Cake

We may love cutting into fake wedding cakes around here, but if you’re Royalty, you don’t just have one wedding cake, but TWO, and that’s exactly what William and Kate plan to do. The first will be a multi-layered, traditional fruitcake with a “floral theme” that will serve as a centerpiece of the wedding celebration. The second will be a chocolate-cookie cake.  The McVitie’s biscuit company is producing the dessert, made from a favorite recipe of the Windsors’. YUM!

The Dress

Everyone is speculating like mad over who will design the dress of the century. The latest rumors to hit the mill: Sarah Burton, the designer for Alexander McQueen will be designing Kate’s dress but the McQueen’s spokespeople have denied this.

When the engagement was first announced critics thought that it may be Bruce Oldfield that may go home with the honor, since he was Princess Diana’s favorite designer, but it seems less likely as the big day heads closer. Awhile back however, a bunch of designers sent Kate sketches of what they would envision her wearing. Here are my favorites:

“We designed a ‘blossoming’ dress because we imagined her as a new Botticellian Venus.” — Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli, Valentino

 

“The royal wedding will be magical. Kate’s dress should be a modern mix of the traditional and contemporary.” — Monique Lhuillier

“The tradition of intricate hand-pieced lacework in the high-necked bodice with elbow-length sleeves, together with the voluminous skirt of a mixture of stiff and soft silk tulle, feels regal, yet poetic.” — Vera Wang

“We see Kate going completely classic. We love this off-the-shoulder silhouette for her. Her beauty and grace will make any gown look magnificent.” — Mark Badgley and James Mischka, Badgley Mischka