Royal Wedding

Today was the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. I woke up at 4:00 am to watch the coverage live and then proceeded to have the highlights on the TV most of the day.

Here are my impressions from the royal wedding:

• Kate’s dress was beautiful!! Very elegant and lacy. I thought, with her slim figure, that she would choose a more fitted gown but I was hoping that she would have a fuller skirt and a train and that is what she chose. It reminded me of Grace Kelly’s dress but without the big sash around the waist (which was a feature that I didn’t really like on Grace’s dress). Kate’s dress wasn’t over the top, like Diana’s (which was appropriate at that time) but looked fancy without an enormous amount of bows, pearls or crystals.

• I thought the ceremony itself was lovely in how traditional it was and how formal and stately. It seemed well rehearsed but also relaxed. The prayers, Bible reading and homily were perfect for the occasion.

• I liked how when Kate was walked up the aisle by her father and walked back down the aisle by William, she didn’t tuck her arm into their arms. Instead her hand was held securely in theirs. It was a nice touch and added to the formality of the occasion

• The music was fantastic. I loved the hymns that were chosen. The trumpets, the choir and the organ were just magnificent. I thought it was interesting that everyone seemed to know the words to God Save the Queen until I remembered that it is the national anthem in England so of course everyone has it memorized!

• I liked all the little bridesmaids and pages. They were adorable! I also liked that they divided them up for the ride back to Buckingham Palace with Pippa Middleton (Kate’s sister) riding with three of them in one carriage and Prince Harry riding with the other three in the other carriage. Since two of the little girls were only three, it was nice that one person wasn’t taking care of both of the littlest ones but they each had one of them.

• The kiss from the balcony was very sweet. Actually I should say kisses, since there were two. I heard some of the American commentators mention that they were hoping for a more passionate kiss but, really, that wasn’t about to happen. Not only does Prince William not like PDA’s (public displays of affection) that much but it is a royal event. A big sloppy kiss wouldn’t fit in with the formal elegance of the day.

All in all, I’m glad I was able to see the festivities. It was an absolutely perfect wedding! I hope that it is the beginning of a perfect marriage for the both of them. I wish them all the happiness in the world!