Fairytale Wedding of the Century…

The 29th of April saw a Disney fairytale come true when an ordinary girl married her Prince Charming. Millions tuned in to see ‘commoner’ Kate Middleton become Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge as she wed Prince William, the future King of England. Since their engagement was announced, wedding fever gripped the world, but I personally wasn’t interested in their upcoming nuptials, and not being British, I didn’t understand the excitement surrounding the whole thing. That was until the morning of the actual wedding, when I decided to tune in for a bit. Of course, the romantic in me took over straight away and I was glued to it. I blame the whole ‘Disneyitis’ effect. Nearly every girl who has read these Disney books and watched the films growing up, dreams of one day being swept off her feet by a handsome prince, and living happily ever after. Naturally, there were a lot of girls out there who would have gladly traded places with Kate Middleton on that day, and I was one of them.

I watched as the guests arrived which included David and Victoria Beckham, Elton John, and our Irish representative for the day, Amy Huberman. Then Prince William with his brother and best man, the ‘cheeky chap’ Prince Harry. By this time I couldn’t wait for the first glimpse of Kate’s wedding dress, and she did not disappoint. She looked absolutely stunning in an Alexander McQueen gown. Whereas Princess Diana’s wedding dress was in style during the 80’s with the big puffy shoulders and meringue style gown, it does feel a bit outdated now. Kate certainly got it right with the Grace Kelly inspired dress. It is a classic and timeless piece, and will most likely inspire brides for decades to come. But the bride was nearly outshone but her sister, and maid of honour, Pippa Middleton. She also looked gorgeous in that white figure hugging Alexander McQueen dress. In the few weeks after the wedding, Pippa certainly gained many new admirers and fans.

What also made the day more poignant was the noticeable absence of William’s late mother Princess Diana, and the inevitable comparisons of his wedding day and that of his parents. If William has learned anything, hopefully it will be not to repeat their mistakes. So far, he appears to be on the right track. William and Kate, while obviously nervous, also seemed really confident and relaxed, with William telling his future father-in-law as he arrived at the altar with Kate on his arm, ‘I thought it was going to be a small family affair’, to ease the tension. But more importantly, they seem to be a couple very much in love, more in love than Charles and Diana probably ever were. Kate seems determined to stand beside her man and be a good wife, at least for the first few years anyway.

My favourite part of the wedding (besides their kiss on the balcony obviously), was seeing Kate walk down the aisle,she just look so happy and relaxed. Harry turned around to catch a glimpse of her and whispered something to William. She arrives at the altar and William whispers ‘you look beautiful’, it was just a lovely, romantic moment. To top off a perfect day, Prince William did something different as drove his new bride away in father’s car, complete with balloons and ‘Ju5t Wed’ licence plate, before they celebrated the night away privately with their nearest and dearest. Here’s hoping this is one royal couple that lives happily ever after!

The famous balcony kiss.

Kate and Pippa arrive at the church in those dresses.

William greets his bride and father-in-law at the altar.

William drives his new bride away.