The Commentary and Musings of a Writer, Journalist and British Monarchy Expert
Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011
When Kate Middleton walked up the aisle towards William (who had his back to the bride as is customary), Prince Harry turned to look at Kate. He smiled mischievously and said some low words in his brother’s ear, clearly about how Kate looked.
If you were wondering what Harry said, to me it looked like “Wait until you see her.”
You can watch the video below and see if you agree:
Full royal wedding rehearsal:
Wednesday evening Prince William and Kate Middleton had a full wedding rehearsal at Westminster Abbey, where flowers have already started to arrive.
Select members of the wedding party were present and the couple had an audience with the Dean of the abbey.
“Last night, the couple attended a full and final wedding rehearsal at Westminster Abbey along with Prince Harry and Miss Middleton’s parents,” reports the Telegraph.”Their black police Range Rover, with a motorcade of people carriers and police outriders, swept into Dean’s Yard at 7.30pm for a run-through. The couple left the abbey just after 9pm.”
Have Will and Kate written their own vows?
Kate drove from her family home to Clarence House early Wednesday morning and in the back of her car photographers could make out a sheet of paper with some writing on it. Much of the writing was obscured, but they could make out the words ‘With so much love within our hearts.’ This is leading people to speculate the couple could be writing their own vows.
An early morning for London military personnel:
A 4 a.m. wedding rehearsal was attended yesterday morning, by over 1,000 soldiers, sailors and airmen who before gathered for a 2 a.m. briefing at Wellington Barracks near Buckingham Palace.
The Telegraph reports the gathering dispersed just before 5 a.m. so they could trek the “ceremonial route” from the palace to Westminster Abbey.
“The procession later made its way back along Whitehall, Horse Guards Parade and The Mall, all of which were closed to traffic,” reports the Telegraph.
EOnline reports that Kate had a look-a-like to stand in for her:”A “pretty brunette” emerged from the exact car that will carry Kate on Friday, prompting cheers from the crowd before they realized it was just her stand in,” said the report.
We’ve discussed how men will dress at the royal wedding in great detail, but perhaps we’ve covered the female dress code less extensively.
A military uniform, a morning coat or a lounge suit? What on earth does that mean for women?
Kate Middleton attending a wedding
Well, the royal wedding invitation won’t tell you— only the dress code for men is listed, women are meant to follow suit (no pun intended).
This makes it especially daunting for a female to shop for a royal wedding outfit.
So, let’s go over everything from the tip of your bun to the rings on your fingers and the glass slippers on your feet.
Well, maybe‑ you won’t be wearing glass slippers— we don’t want to “outdo” the bride, after all.
And that is the first rule of thumb, NEVER ever try to outdo the bride and don’t try to look too “sexy,” even if your angling to snag a royal suitor.
The key to dressing for a wedding? “Women should look elegant in a suit or dress – appropriate for the season and the weather…” says Debretts‘s etiquette guide.
What about colour?
The general rule of thumb is not to wear head-to-toe white, cream or black (white being the color the bride wears and black could be seen as to somber).
However, depending upon accessories, sometimes these mostly taboo colours can be worn tastefully.
CNN reports that women have more of a choice than their male counterparts when it comes to the colour, who are stuck with variations of gray, black, blue and if a man is really feeling really daring, brown.
“They should stick with pastel shades, perhaps a subtle floral pattern,” says Hunt.
“If you want to be daring, cream isn’t out of the question, even white — as long as it looks nothing like a wedding dress!” says Peta Hunt, the fashion director of upscale wedding magazine You&Your Wedding to CNN.
“They should stick with pastel shades, perhaps a subtle floral pattern,” she said “If you want to be daring, cream isn’t out of the question, even white — as long as it looks nothing like a wedding dress!
What does this mean?
Its tempting...but, no, you cant wear your tiara to the royal wedding.
The headgear
On the 29thyour outfit should be all about the accessories, but there is one rule.
Ladies, it’s fine to dawn our tiara’s at home (and I know you own one), but in your abode is where those sparkly princess pieces should stay.
A tiara is for the bride only.
Kate Middleton arrives at a wedding wearing a stylish hat, black coat and practical purple pumps.
“The hats will no doubt be grand and extravagant. But everyone will be squashed into the Abbey together, so they really can’t go too big, or it’s going to be a logistical nightmare,” says Hunt.
“Hats are traditional, but by no means compulsory, at weddings,” says Debretts. “It is notoriously difficult to socially kiss while wearing a wide-brimmed hat. There is a knack to tilting the head at a suitable angle, but two ladies both in wide brimmed hats should avoid such an ‘intimate’ greeting.”
“Designers say some women began placing their hat orders when the couple announced their engagement in November. Some have advised clients to be original, focus on their outfits, forget about the price and don’t outdo the bride or royals,” reports the Associated Press.
If the tiara was going to be your attempt to avoid hat hair or awkward greetings that sometimes arise because of a wide brimmed hat, wear a fascinator (a delicate headpiece with a flower or feather attached to the side) or choose your size of hat with care; a wide-brimmed hat could lead to unexpected trouble in a crowd.
Kate Middleton at a wedding, wearing a facinator.
The dress:
The trick is “being both fashion forward on the one hand and retaining a sense of tradition and reverence on the other,” says Peta Hunt to CNN “It’s a very fine line to tread.”Most women will probably be clad in a “shift dress.” What is a shift dress? It is a straight loose-fitting dress worn with a nice neat jacket over the top.
What are some designers you can expect to see guests wearing?
Bruce Oldfield, Issa and Philip Treacey are among designers expected to be seen at the event.
Now, for the shoes…
When it comes to the shoes it’s all about common sense.
You will want to be in a pair that are elegant enough to match you outfit and sensible enough to be comfortable.
Flats or heels are fine, but nothing too casual like sandals. Make sure the heels are not too high.
