I did not stay up to watch the ceremony live at 3 a.m. MST on April 29, 2011 and I don't regret it. I was still trying to recover from illness and I didn't want to take a day off so close to my NYC vacation. I did, however, record 6 1/2 hours worth of wedding coverage from Good Morning America on my mom's DVR. I avoided Facebook and several other sites I frequent because I didn't want to ruin the surprises for myself. Instead, I rushed to my mom's house to watch the event with her. I'm glad I did it this way, because that way I could fast-forward through most of the before and after commentary and long-stretches of time where nothing was happening.
Anyway, on with the e-mail I sent to Chantryce:
Hello darling Chantryce!
I miss you! What's going on? I hope this Facebook fast has been soothing to your soul -- I know I'm planning to take one myself very, very shortly. For me, sometimes it's just too overwhelming and depressing to see all those statuses, and photos, and invitations to things I don't want to go to but feel guilty saying no to...
Which reminds me, I need to shoot that e-mail out for the Seven Brides auditions. I had thought of auditioning for Midsummer Night's Dream up in Layton, which would have conflicted with Seven Brides auditions, but I don't think I will.
Aaaand, I'm rambling just a bit, so I'll get on with my (admittedly rambly) opinions about the royal wedding.
IT WAS GORGEOUS!
Seriously, how could one say otherwise? Westminster Abbey was a little ostentatious (says the girl who wants to marry in either the Salt Lake Temple or the Bountiful Temple), but it worked for this particular event, you know? I couldn't believe how many people they crammed into that place -- how fun would it be to say you were there? I loved the trees going down the aisle, and that red carpet was a stunning backdrop for everyone who walked down. And those little kids in their stiff dresses and slightly-too-large uniforms were pretty much the cutest things in the history of the royal family (even though none are IN the royal family).
And then there were cutie William and Harry, as happy, nervous, and handsome as could be! I loved watching them, wished they'd kept their hands at their sides more and their uniforms matched (but of course they have different ranks in the army, so that wasn't likely), and wondered why Harry's uniform was just a smidgen more decorative than William's. I think it's adorable how well those brothers get along, and I was glad that Harry was the best man. As an outsider to the royal family, I think it would have been weird to me if the best man had been someone I wasn't familiar with, although since it's William's wedding he had every right to choose another close friend if he wanted to, of course.
A couple of times while watching I had to remind myself that even though this wedding was a cultural big deal, it was still just about two people who want to get married, and they should be allowed to do what they want, right?
I liked Pippa's bridesmaid dress, but I was sad that the front was wrinkled 'cause it made the dress look tighter on her than it really was. Also, I've heard it's tradition in Britain for the bridesmaids to wear white, but I think I would have liked the dress more if it had been a different color, like that green one she wore later, which I LOVED! Maybe there was a fear of detracting from the bride, but at this wedding was that even possible? All eyes were on Catherine.
Which brings me to the beautiful bride. She looked lovely, just as she should have. She was something out of a fairy tale, and I liked the individual pieces (the tiara, the hairstyle, the veil, the dress). But somehow, it didn't come together for me. [I will acknowledge that everything I'm about to say is unfair, because if this had been a non-royal wedding I wouldn't be so critical.] I was disappointed in the dress. It was classic and appropriate for the venue and pretty and... has been done before. This is the dress that will be copied and emulated by thousands of other brides for the next twenty years? It's ALREADY the style. It was the style 60 years ago when Grace Kelly wore it at her wedding. I'm sad for Kate's sake that I saw her dress and thought of Grace --or perhaps Kimberly Williams in Father of the Bride -- instead of Kate. Maybe I would have liked it more without the high collar. Imagine if the collar was gone, and neckline a bit wider, showing off more of her long neck and collarbone. Then it wouldn't have seemed like the collar was competing with her long hairstyle. Plus, I'm just not a fan of the see-through thing on the bodice, though I was very, VERY glad it wasn't strapless -- don't get me started on those. I also felt that the skirt should have been more simple in the front - it either didn't need so much paneling, or it needed a puffier petticoat underneath. And much as I loved the veil, it was hiding the bustle in the back - the only part of the dress that looked like it might be interesting.
It's funny that everyone had an opinion before we saw the dress of what it should be (this link was sent to me by a designer friend of mine who came up with the two sketches at the top), and now that the wedding's over, we still have opinions!
However, Kate obviously loved the dress, and William couldn't take his eyes off her, and that's all that really matters.
I adored Kate and William's interaction during the ceremony and vows. I hope that my fiance/husband looks at me with such love and tenderness on our wedding day. They were just so shy of any media attention that they didn't hold hands or anything and that's a foreign concept to me. The ceremony was a bit long for my taste, but since it's all the public got I was grateful! I teared up more than once, especially when William and Kate acknowledged/bowed/curtsied to the Queen before walking back up the aisle. I did think it odd there was no "You may now kiss the bride." Maybe that's only something Americans do? Or was it a royal family/modesty thing? I don't know, but I was disappointed.
Weren't the hats the guests wore a scream? Sometimes I wish hats were fashionable here in the States. I think my personal favorite was the Queen's. My mom saw it and said, "It looks like a cake! It's cute!" Just a simple, cheery, yellow hat.
I enjoyed watching the carriage ride and the balcony, but my favorite was William and Kate speeding around in the Aston-Martin. Awesome! They really are just a cute little couple, thrilled to finally be married after years of wishing. They are so fun together. It was nice to see a bit of their personalities shine through, since everything else had been so traditional and formal up to then.
I think that about wraps it up. What did you think? Feel free to disagree about the dress -- plenty have!
Have a happy Thursday, Chantryce. I hope you have some fun things planned, and you know how loved you are.
xox, Meg
2 comments:
I loved it too although Mr. Wonderful doesn't get it. It's totally a girl thing.
Maybe I'm a dork, but after hearing the way everyone talked about how Wiliam was during the ceremony I expected it to be a little more obvious so I was a little dissappointed.
As plain as it was, I really loved her dress. She is so beautiful she didn't need anything over the top or gaudy. I loved that it reminded me so much of Princess Grace's.
As far as the no kiss goes, this is what I heard: kissing isn't allowed in Westminster Abbey. It's a Church of England thing or something. Charles and Di didn't kiss after their ceremony either. That's why both couples kissed on the balcony post ceremony.
Ah, I figured it was a Church of England thing. That makes sense! (Although, I bet they did a lot of kissing during the 30 minutes it took them to appear at the balcony after exiting the carriage and entering the castle...)
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