The wedding ceremony of Prince William and Catherine Middleton was watched by hundreds of millions of eyes in different parts of the world. Every smallest detail of the wedding event was subjected to careful analysis. But even the harshest critics were forced to admit: the wedding was stylish, beautiful and in the spirit of the best traditions of the royal family.
For the musical accompaniment of the ceremony, Prince William and Kate Middleton themselves chose several hymns
wedding ceremony
The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton was scheduled for Friday, April 29, 2011. The authorities declared this day a day off so that everyone could enjoy such a grandiose event. About 5 thousand street parties were held in London and other cities of Great Britain, more than a million tourists and residents of the capital watched the wedding procession live.
The way the fans are dressed shows that it wasn't too warm in London on April 29, 2011.
The ceremony began promptly at 11 a.m. in the ancient Westminster Abbey, a Gothic church located in the historic district of London. Especially at Kate’s request, the abbey artificially “grew” an alley of six maples and two hornbeams. This temporary installation was carefully moved to Prince Charles' summer residence after the ceremony. After the service, the couple headed to Buckingham Palace to the sound of the bells of Westminster Abbey in a carriage drawn by white horses.
This red and gold carriage was made in 1902 for King Edward VII
A ceremonial reception hosted by Queen Elizabeth awaited them at the palace. At exactly 1:25 p.m., the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge appeared on the balcony from which they watched the Royal Air Force bombers and fighters fly by. On the balcony, the couple exchanged kisses twice, which led everyone to indescribable delight. On the evening of the wedding, Prince William held a dance party to which about 300 people were invited.
William and Kate's Wedding: The Ceremony (film)
Kate and William
The wedding ceremony amazed those present with its grandeur and high cost , but the main thing about it was not the budget and scope, but the happy eyes and smiles of the newlyweds. This wedding was a real triumph of love , before which position and origin do not matter.
Anyone who has not seen the wonderful event of the wedding of William and Kate can live the happiest day in the life of the couple by watching a film about their wedding.
Bridal outfit and bouquet
Everyone was delighted with the bride's elegant ivory dress, in which tradition was successfully combined with modernity. Kate Middleton's diamond tiara looked beautiful against her dark hair, creating a glowing effect.
This Cartier tiara is set with 888 diamonds
The Cartier tiara was made in 1936 and given to Queen Elizabeth by her mother. This priceless piece of jewelry contains 888 diamonds and, of course, it was given to the wedding only as a loan and was returned to the royal treasury after the ceremony. The look was perfectly completed with a long veil made of French Chantilly lace. Middleton's hair was styled in loose curls, with the top raised slightly to prevent the tiara from flying off her head, as Princess Diana did during her wedding ceremony in 1981.
The bride's ring was made from Welsh gold, given to Prince William by Queen Elizabeth. He himself does not wear a wedding ring, because, in his words, “he has an aversion to jewelry.”
The newlyweds walked onto the balcony of Buckingham Palace and were greeted by about 500 thousand people.
Kate Middleton's shield-shaped bouquet was composed of myrtle, lily of the valley, ivy, white hyacinth and "Sweet William" (as Turkish carnation is called in the UK). Traditionally, the bride's bouquet included a sprig of myrtle from a bush that grew from the myrtle bouquet carried by Queen Victoria at her wedding in 1840.
The bridal bouquet was designed by English florist Shane Connolly
At the end of the wedding ceremony, Kate laid her bouquet on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier located in Westminster Abbey.
Kate's wedding ring
The engagement ring given to his beloved by Prince William was very symbolic
Before that, it belonged to his mother, Princess Diana , and, at one time, caused a lot of noise regarding its high cost. The ring was indeed obscenely expensive : a large blue sapphire , decorated with diamonds against a background of noble gold - what else could any woman dream of?
Kate's engagement ring
According to the tradition of royal weddings, the newlyweds do not exchange rings : only the bride receives this attribute.
Royal wedding menu
The wedding breakfast menu remained a secret for several years until a copy was sold at auction. Salmon, crabs and langoustines, garnished with fresh herbs, were served as appetizers. The main course was roast lamb raised on Prince Charles's organic farm. It was served with spring vegetables, asparagus and potatoes. For dessert there was chocolate parfait with pink champagne, honey ice cream and truffles.
Fiona Cairns with her creation, which is a meter tall and weighs over 99 kg
There were two cakes. The first was prepared by renowned London pastry chef Fiona Cairns. It was a large, eight-tier, snow-white fruit cake, decorated with piping and delicate flowers. At Prince William's request, his favorite chocolate walnut sponge cake, made from their homemade royal recipes, was also served. This cake was a favorite of his late mother, Princess Diana.
Princess Diana, 1981
Princess Diana's wedding dress was a work of art. A lush dress was created for her by David and Elizabeth Emanuel, Clive Shilton embroidered Lady Di's satin shoes with natural pearls... The complex wedding bouquet was the perfect complement to the dessert-like meringue look. Florists composed it from lilies, gardenia, jasmine, orchids, Mountbatten roses, freesias, ivy flowers, myrtle and tradescantia.
Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles, 1981
Guests and gifts
A total of three guest lists were compiled:
- Wedding in the abbey (≈1900 people).
- Lunch at Buckingham Palace (≈600 people)
- Evening dinner at Prince William's (≈300 people).
Wedding guests included Commonwealth heads of state, members of the royal family from around the world, and friends and relatives of the bride and groom. At the wedding, such media personalities as singer Elton John and his companion, film director David Furnish, David Cameron and his wife Samantha, director Guy Ritchie, star couple David and Victoria Beckham, etc. were seen. The groom's best man was Prince Harry, and the maid of honor (bridesmaid) was Prince Harry. Kate's younger sister Pippa.
Pippa Middleton's dress, like the bride's dress, was designed by Sarah Burton
The wedding costs (around £23.7 million) were covered by the royal family and the Middletons, while the cost of security, security and travel was paid from the Treasury, angering some taxpayers.
Among the guests were many royals from other countries
William and Kate announced that everyone who wants to give them a wedding gift should transfer funds to a fund specially created for Princes William and Harry. This fund helps 26 charities and initiatives covering a variety of areas - from wildlife conservation to the prevention of teenage bullying. Truly, royal generosity!
William and Kate's wedding: wedding bouquet
Shane Conolly designed Kate's wedding bouquet . The dominant flowers in it were lilies of of the much-talking variety "Sweet William" , hyacinths and carnations.
The bride's bouquet was distinguished by its simplicity and sophistication , and the flowers, perfectly combined with each other, harmoniously fit into Kate's overall image.
Bride's bouquet of lilies of the valley
Kate with a bouquet
Wedding dresses of Kate Middleton and Prince William
On her wedding day, Kate Middleton appeared in front of Prince William and the people of England in an outfit made by creative designer Sarah Burton from the Alexander McQueen fashion house. The fabric used was satin and lace made from silk tulle using a unique technique. It was invented in Ireland in the 1820s. Kate had to follow the old royal wedding custom of "something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue" when choosing a dress - and she didn't break it. “Old” was a dress with antique lace, “new” was diamond earrings given by parents, “borrowed” was Queen Elizabeth II’s tiara, and “blue” was a ribbon sewn into the bodice of the outfit. Its creation cost 434 thousand dollars.
Sarah Burton says the dress took 12 months to create. She refuses to call the finished outfit her work: she says that she created it together with Katherine, dividing the efforts “50/50.”
Prince William wore the red uniform of the Irish Guards - with a cap instead of the traditional bearskin cap. Prince Harry dressed in the uniform of a captain of the Horse Guards, not forgetting about aiguillettes and even saber slings. Both men's uniforms were made from a special fabric with a high cotton content, which was supposed to protect them from overheating.
Choosing flowers
To create a wedding composition, you need to use white or beige flowers, as an addition - golden decorative elements. As a classic option, many brides choose roses, but other flowers look no less beautiful. These could be, for example, lilies, orchids, chrysanthemums, callas, gardenias.
The choice of flowers can be determined not only by their external beauty, but also based on their symbolism, because each flower in a bouquet has its own meaning:
- white rose - symbolizes love, fidelity, desire;
- white chrysanthemum - symbolizes the sincerity of feelings;
- orchid is a symbol of luxury, sophistication and aristocracy;
- lily - symbolizes tenderness and immaculate purity;
- calla lilies are a symbol of beauty and grace, an expression of admiration and admiration for the bride;
- gardenia is a symbol of joy, purity and grace.
A bride's bouquet in a golden style can be made up of different types of white and beige flowers, decorating it with golden braid and decorative gold elements (beads, ribbons), you can add gilded leaves or wheat ears and even pine cones to the composition, if it looks appropriate in the overall theme holiday.
Compositions can be made from one type of flowers, the so-called mono-bouquet, in which only flowers of two shades are used without additional decorations.
Wedding breakfast
If you don't want to celebrate your wedding for two days, borrow the tradition of the royal wedding breakfast. It starts at noon and can be an ideal time to interact with guests and receive congratulations. In the evening you can relax and have a classic drunken party with close friends.
