Prince William & Kate Middleton

Photo via Boston News

This wedding was always going to come first in my 2011 roundup! Kate Middleton wed Prince William in Westminster Abbey on April 29th. The bride wore a gown designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen and had one bridesmaid – her sister Pippa who wore a form fitting white gown. Her flower girls (including my favourite, Grace) were accompanied by two page boys. The couple celebrated with a formal luncheon and then changed for a black tie party with their friends.

Kate Moss & James Hince

Photographed by Mario Testino Photo via Vogue.com

Kate Moss married her beloved James Hince in the garden of her English Costwolds home. The bride wore a John Galliano gown paired with Manolo Blahnik shoes. The three day wedding extravaganza was filled with stars and Kate’s bridal party included sixteen loved children (with Kate’s daughter Lila Grace) wearing Bonpoint gowns. The wedding was published in Vogue along with a fashion shoot (seen above).

Lily Allen & Sam Cooper

Photo via The Daily Mirror

In another Cotswold’s wedding, singer Lily Allen married Sam Cooper while sporting a baby bump in a gown by French designer Delphine Manivet. The couple wed in a small English church before a private reception believed to be at their home. The bride carried a bouquet of pastel blooms and wore a 1920s style hairpiece and veil.

Zara Phillips & Mike Tindall

Photo via The Daily Mail

When the Queen’s other grandchild held a wedding this year, there was decidedly less fuss! Zara Phillips married Mike Tindall in Scotland in a gown design by Stewart Parvin.They chose a Scottish church Canongate Kirk to exchange vows and celebrated with guests at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in a marquee filled with lobster and fine champagne.

Lauren Bush & David Lauren

Photographed by Norman Jean Roy via Vogue.com

This was such a gorgeous wedding I knew it had to make it into our roundup. Lauren Bush married the son of designer Ralph Lauren (David) in a western theme wedding on the family ranch in Colorado. The bride wore a gown featuring antique tulle hand-embroidered with Swarovski Elements, beads, and pearls, created by her father in law that took 3,000 hours of creation by 100 people.

Natalie Bassingthwaighte & Cameron McGlinchy

Photo via Herald Sun

Occurring only a few weeks before Christmas, Nat Bass walked down the aisle in a J’Aton creation (so very her don’t you think? It took four people two weeks to make!) . The couple held their wedding at Melbourne’s iconic Stokehouse restaurant.

Reese Witherspoon & Jim Toth

The bride wore pink in this private family wedding. A beautiful blush pink Monqiue L’huillier gown was worn by Reese Witherspoon as she wed Jim Toth in a southern themed event in Ojai Valley. The bride changed to a white mini dress for the reception.

Sandra Sully & Symon Brewis-Weston

Image via Ninemsn

As someone who is used to watching the late broadcast of the news, I was thrilled to hear of Sandra Sully’s marriage this year.  The newsreader married Symon Brewis-Weston in a beautiful Ellie Saab ballgown altered and fitted by Rhonda Hemmingway. The couple wed at the Sydney Opera House in a black tie event.

Who were your favourites in 2011?

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3. The 2008 Wedding Countdown

Image via Hello! Magazine

Congratulations Prince William and Catherine (Or Duke and Duchess of Cambridge!). I wish you a beautiful life together! Did you watch the ceremony yesterday (today wherever you are in the world?!) What were your favourite parts of the day?

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Kate and Prince William Photo from NY Daily News

There is nothing that quite excites me like a wedding (stating the obvious, but it’s true!) So this week is getting me particularly excited! While the buzz is so loud I can barely think, we’re midweek in our nod to the royal wedding !

The Facts

Ceremony

- Kate and Prince William will marry at Westminster Abbey where the coverage will begin at 10am UK time (8pm Australian) on the 29th of April 2011.

- 1900 guests will be seated inside the Abbey

- Westminster Abbey’s 500 bells will start ringing half an hour before the ceremony is to begin. After the ceremony, for what will be three hours, the full peal of 5,000 changes will be rung.

- Prince William will arrive at the Abbey (in a Bentley with Prince Harry) 40 minutes before Kate’s arrival (at 10.15am) and will be waiting in a closed off church for his bride’s arrival.

- Kate’s sister Pippa, will act as her maid of honour while Prince Harry will join William at the alter as one of his groomsmen.

- Kate is set to arrive at the church by Rolls Royce Phantom VI with her father just before 11am when the marriage service will begin.

- The aisle of Westminster Abbey will be covered in red carpet. The grave of the Unknown Warrior in the Nave. Kate and her father will walk around this area.

- Kate Middleton’s family and the couple’s friends will be seated in the Northern Lantern of the Abbey while the royal family with be seated in the Southern Lantern.

- The ceremony will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams.

- Music during the service will be provided by 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.

- Following the ceremony, Prince William and Kate will ride in a royal carriage (built in 1902) through the streets to Buckingham Palace.

- At 1.25pm the newlyweds and royal family will appear on the balcony.

The Reception

- At Buckingham Palace, . Queen Elizabeth II will hold a lunchtime  reception for the couple and 650 official guests. Afterward Prince Charles, will host a private dinner and dancing for 300 close friends and family. Kate Middleton’s family will hold a party at the Goring Hotel for those not invited to the official afternoon buffet and will return to the palace for the evening celebrations.

- The wedding cake (traditional fruit) will be made by Fiona Cairns and will be multi tiered and iced with traditional British foliage. Kate and William have also ordered a chocolate biscuit cake from McVitie’s Cake Company. The wedding cake will feature Prince William and Kate’s cipher which will be formally released on the wedding day.

The Details

- The wedding invitations (sent out in February) were printed by Barnard and Westwood. The invitations were die stamped in gold on cream card stock.

- Kate will be getting ready with her family at the Goring Hotel in London.

- Hugo Burnand will be the official wedding photographer.

- Shane Connolly, a London floral designer will be creating the floral displays for the wedding.

- William will wear a suit made from Australian merino wool.

- Kate’s wedding band will be made from Welsh gold owned by the royal family. The gold was given to Prince William shortly after the couple announced their engagement,. Prince William will not wear a wedding ring.

- In lieu of gifts, the couple has asked for donations to charity as their wedding presents.

The rumors

- Kate is rumoured to have three gowns in case one leaks to the press.

- Kate is rumoured to be ditching the diamond tiara and instead wearing fresh flowers in her hair although hat maker Phillip Treacy has been said to have been commissioned to make hats for many of Kate’s family – including the bride.

- Kate’s hairstyle is said to be “down and flowy”.

= Kate is rumoured to drop the “obey” from her otherwise traditional wedding vows.

- Prince Harry is said to be hosting a recovery brunch the day after the wedding

- It is rumoured the newlyweds may have an Australian honeymoon (but also rumoured that the couple will head to Jordan!).

With all the tradition, Kate and William are sure to put their own stamp on the day – which really is what I love about any wedding! What do you hope will happen?

Our team predicts:

Ms Polka Dot: I don’t remember much of Princess Diana and Charles’s wedding, the modern fairytale of Princess Mary and Frederick in Denmark is the one I remember staying up for and actually being aware enough of what was happening to soak it in. I predict that Kate and Prince William’s wedding will be more influential than anyone has predicted- in little ways too- the details, the order of the ceremony, the words chosen.

I predict Kate and Prince William will have a lot of personal touches throughout the day- though these may not be significant or even noticed by the media and the thousands of eyes upon them. I’m predicting Kate to wear a gown with sleeves(not full, but covering the shoulders) and something unexpected and fashion forward- very sleek, structured and stylish but with the traditional protocol that is called for. A bouquet of roses (a nod to Diana and English blooms) and gardenias. I predict Kate will wear a minimal tiara but include fresh blooms in her hair. William, I predict will be wearing a grey morning suit.

I’d love to see the bridesmaids in a beautiful taupe colour or slate blue but think something spring like will ultimately be the winner. The wedding will be a nod to Britain with many traditional English blooms and flowers used throughout.

Ms Paisley: Gown: will be ivory and structured but not fussy or too overwhelming. It will have a train, but it will be of a more practical length

Hair: half up, half down – will be able to accommodate a tiara and a veil but will still look soft and romantic.

Flowers: English roses and maybe a nod to Wales with some white daffodils.

Something old: I’d like to see her carry something personal from her family – maybe a piece of family heirloom jewellery like a bracelet or a locket that can be attached to the bouquet

Something new: the gown of course

Something borrowed: a diamond tiara from the royal collection

Something blue: the sapphire engagement ring of course!

Ms Stripey: I predict that there will be pale green or blue included in the wedding colours. Also lots of white flowers. Her gown will be simple and fairly slinky – not like a cream puff at all, and not too much skin showing. Honeymoon will be in a place that no-one has guessed.

Photo from Facets By Marcia

Ms Floral: I love, love, love jewellery (which is quite unfortunate for my bank account!) so I’m very excited to see what pieces Kate will wear tomorrow. I’m thinking she will be borrowing some of the family jewels, and my suspicion is she could even wear Diana’s sapphire necklace and earrings that match her engagement ring. I don’t think Kate will disappoint no matter what she chooses and she’s definitely going to sparkle!

Ms Gingham: As with so many things in life, the royal wedding has come full circle. I remember being in early primary school when Charles and Diana’s wedding preparations were in full swing. I have some vivid memories of this time in the early 1980′s.

There was a permeating sense of anticipation, even though I don’t think we kids had any idea who Charles and Diana actually were. All we knew was that a prince and princess were getting married … how exciting! At school, we were given a song to learn in honour of the occasion, printed on the old purple printer with the smell of methylated spirit still quite vivid in my mind … “Charlie’s getting married, at last. To a lovely girl without a (and I don’t remember the rest because my brother used to replace the next words with something rude).

Just like now with Kate Middleton’s dress, back then, the question on everyone’s lips was what will she be wearing? I remember seeing a report on the news about the hundreds of silk worms that were busily spinning the silk that was going to be used to make the fabric for Diana’a wedding dress. I was amazed … you mean silk comes from worms???

Then, all too soon, we were watching the wedding on T.V. A real princess was getting married to her prince. Sure, he wasn’t very handsome, but we didn’t really see that. He was a real, live prince! And didn’t he look like one in his regal attire, waiting nervously for his bride at the altar.

I couldn’t get over the hoards of people lining the streets to get a glimpse of Diana. She was in the royal carriage, waving to the crowds. To me, she looked full of joy and a little bit nervous. But most importantly, to my young eyes she was so beautiful. Then she was walking down the aisle, in that huge dress with the longest train ever. No wonder they needed all those silk worms! All I could think of was how lucky she was to be wearing that beautiful dress and to be marrying a prince. There was no question that they would live happily ever after.

I think that everyone around the world, young and old were thinking that. After they were married, on the balcony waving out to the massive crowd and having their first kisses, we were filled with such joy for them and hope for the rest of us. And I guess that is what a royal wedding represents … hope.

Today, we’ve learnt a lot about life. We saw how it ended for Charles and Diana and we can’t help but think that some were luckier than others in the outcome.

But now, here is Prince William. We saw him grow up. From the first pictures of him as a baby sucking on Diana’s little finger, to the truly handsome prince he has become today. We have seen his romance with Kate Middleton go through it’s trials and tribulations. This is a couple we can identify with. They aren’t picture perfect, they’re human just like the rest of us. So, will Kate be wearing the picture perfect dress just like her mother in law did?

Here is what I predict. I would like to think that Kate will be wearing a dress that we can all identify with. I imagine her in a straight gown, hugging her silhouette with minimal embellishment. I think she will be regal in her train. It will be long just like Diana’s was. In my mind the only flowers she could have would be roses, full of fragrance and pale in colour. Her tiara will be the same one Diana was wearing all those years ago.

Beyond this, what I do hope, is that the union of Prince William and Kate Middleton will be filled with love and happiness. I hope that they will be a couple that our children, who will be watching with the same excitement and wonder as we did, can look up to, and one day hope to emanate. For even through natural disasters, recessions and death, that is what a royal wedding represents … hope.

Oh and for a little fun this morning, a video from T Mobile based off one of my favourite ever Youtube videos- the JK wedding dance.

Okay Team Polkadot! What are your predictions?

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A sapphire engagement ring..

Photo from Brides

Row 1: Diamond and sapphire cluster ring from Gilletts Jewellers, Royale ring from Larsen Jewellery, diamonds and aquamarine ring from Jules Collins Row 2: Three stone ring with sapphire side stones from Tiffany & Co, Burmese sapphire & diamond ring from Jan Logan, Ellie ring from Simon West Jewellery Row 3: Liquid Love ring from Musson, gold oval sapphire and diamond ring from Cerrone, Platinum Sapphire & Diamond Dress Ring from Bill Hicks Jewellery

A Rolls Royce arrival…

Rolls Royce from Silver Service Limousines, Rolls Royce from 7th Heaven Wedding Cars. Rolls Royce from Doltone Limousines, Rolls Royce from Triple R Luxury Car Hire

A ceremony in the a grand cathedral…

Westminster Abbey photo by gailf548

St John’s Cathedral Brisbane by Tatiana Gerus, St Paul’s Cathedral Melbourne by George Penaluna, St Mary’s Cathedral Perth by Rosemary Dukelow, St Mary’s Cathedral Sydney by Darren Foreman, Cathedral in Adelaide by Anthony Cramp

A walk down the red carpet…

Row 1: Red carpet from Red Carpet Rental, Red carpet from Whirligig Designs, Row 2: Red carpet from Au Carpet, Red carpet from Carpet Hire, Row 3: Red carpet from One Sweet Day, Red carpet from Event Essentials

A horse and carriage departure…

Row 1: Horse & carriage from Golden Sunset Tours,Carriage from Horse Drawn Carriages Tasmania, Row 2: Carriage photo from Horses In Port, Photo by Studio Impressions, Row 3: Carriage from Heritage Carriages, carriage from Antique Victorian Carriages

A castle wedding reception…

Row 1: Monsalvat, Overnewton Castle, Row 2: Kings Plains Castle,  Thorngrove Manor Hotel, Row 3:  Camelot Castle, Sunshine Castle

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Let’s kick it off with a bit of nostalgia! I thought it would be nice to take a look back over some of the most memorable royal weddings of all time! Which are your favourites? What do you love?

Photo via The National

Oh classic weddings of yesteryear, Duke of York and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon married in 1923. It was the first royal wedding to be recorded on film and Queen Elizabeth’s stylish veil was so reminiscent of it’s time.

Image via Grace Kelly Online

Could there have been a more timeless royal wedding than that of Grace Kelly? Princess Grace of Monaco still looks as stylish and regal now as she did when she married Prince Rainier III in 1956.

Image from BBC

The royal weddings of the 1980s were filled with lots of fluff- big ballgowns, even bigger veils and cascading bouquets. Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson (Fergie) in 1986. Fergie’s train was over 17 feet long.

Image via AOL

I think the wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles in 1981 was one of the first royal weddings most of us can remember. Her dress, when I was younger was so beautiful to me and the romance of the day heavily influenced wedding trends for a long, long time.

Photo from The Sun

The wedding of Princess Sophie and Prince Edward in 1999 is one I really remember – I thought how graceful Sophie look and soaked in all the details. The wedding was lower key (they insisted guests didn’t wear hats) but still had all the tradition of a royal wedding.

Image from AOL

I remember staying up and watching Princess Mary wed Prince Frederick in 2004. it was such a modern fairytale – an Australian girl finding and marrying her true love – a prince from Denmark. I fell in love with Mary’s nod to Australia in her bouquet, her stunning Mantilla veil and even the calla sleeves on her gown.

Photo by MSN

Prince Felipe of Spain and Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano held their Spanish wedding in 2004. She wore a beautiful natural silk gown and the couple exchanged coins as well as rings in a beautiful ceremony.

Image via Hello Magazine

I’m a bit of a sap when it comes to romance – Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria married her personal trainer Daniel in 2010 and after riding in the royal carriage as newlyweds, traveled down the river in the royal barge – the same one her parent’s used on their wedding day over 30 years ago.

Which was your favourite wedding?

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