Love and Marriage

Friday's royal wedding festivities were just magical! For a few brief hours, the world suspended all cynicism about romance to celebrate the true fairy tale love story of William and Kate.


There are a countless number of splendid moments that made this wedding spectacular, which makes it hard to choose my favorites. Here's the top ten list:

1. First, there's no denying that this wedding had a very Princess Grace of Monaco feel. Their dresses and bouquets are so similar! Smart --- I can't think of a more elegant fashion-icon to emulate.  As Kate stepped out of the car, I wasn't disappointed. Her dress, made of handsewn lace,  took my breath away-- She was absolutely radiant!

And, for the dress she wore to the reception, Kate surely must have consulted on the sly with the established designers from House of Healy. Her second dress is almost an exact replica of the one that first debuted in the Spring 2007 collection. Kate clearly made the style her own though by adding a very haute couture Peter style shrug. 

House of Healey, Spring 2007 Collection

 2. Despite the size of the wedding and the fact that the entire world was watching,  William and Kate managed to steal a few intimate moments. The looks of adoration and devotion exchanged between the couple brought tears to my eyes. As much as William has reported that Kate is "his rock," it was clear he is just the same to her. Anyone else notice that she stopped shaking like a leaf as soon as soon as she met her groom at the altar?

3. So down to earth! Kate did her own makeup for the wedding. William and Kate invited the owner of their favorite pub to the wedding, and he sat in the front row with the family. She wore an $84 off the rack dress from Zara on her first day as Princess Catherine. Kate will be the Peoples' Princess.

4. Pippa was a knock-out in both of her dresses. First, she wore the sheath that set Twitter abuzz and then pulled off the stunning emerald gown.

5.  What's a princess without a tiara?! The 1936 Cartier "halo" tiara, on loan from Queen Elizabeth, was Kate's "something borrowed" on her wedding day. The diamond earrings, designed by Robinson Pelham, were a wedding gift from her parents.

6. The red Irish Guards Mounted Army uniform AND spurs. 'Nuf said.

7. The millinery! Why, oh why, do we not have more events in the US that require hats? Traditional wedding garb in England includes wide brim toppers and fascinators (although I think some of Kate's little hats for other events have been far more stylish, as seen here).



Look at the subtle details- cameos and feathers...

 

Queen Sophia of Spain



My long awaited invitation to the Royal wedding never arrived, but I had my credit card in hand waiting for a reason to buy this fashionable Vivien Sheriff chapeau .



8. The kiss! Or rather, two sweet kisses. The Sailor asked, "Why two? I got it right the first time." Sometimes I just have to shake my head in disbelief... It must be a girl thing.

9. Riding in style. The Rangers, the Rolls, the Bentleys, the Aston Martin, and, of course, the carriage...

The bride's whip



The groom's hooptie

Charles and Camilla's wheels



Just Married, Prince Charles' 1969 Aston Martin



10. The adorable toddler, three year-old Grace Van Cutsem, the little bridesmaid who stole the show on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

And Wills expressing concern for his god-daughter, as he describes to Prince Charles that the roar of the crowd and airplane fly-by was too much noise for her...

Best wishes to the Duke and Dutchess of Cambridge for a long and happy marriage!