Megan's Wedding: A Picture-Perfect Day

There are several famous people named Megan who have had their weddings photographed: Megan Fox, Megan Thee Stallion, and Meghan Markle. Megan Fox married Brian Austin Green in Hawaii in 2010, wearing a silk chiffon Armani Privé wedding dress. Megan Thee Stallion married Derek, and their wedding was described as a creative explosion. Meghan Markle, now known as the Duchess of Sussex, married Prince Harry in 2018, wearing a simple, yet regal Givenchy wedding dress designed by Clare Waight Keller.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding at St. George's Chapel

The wedding ceremony was a traditional Anglican service, officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. The bride, Meghan Markle, wore a stunning gown designed by British designer Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy, featuring a boat neckline, long sleeves, and a sweeping train. Her silk veil was 16 feet long and embroidered with flowers representing the 53 countries of the Commonwealth, as well as her favourite flower, the California poppy. Prince Harry wore the frock coat uniform of the Blues and Royals, with the permission of the Queen.

The wedding service included a mixture of traditional and modern elements. The couple exchanged rings, with Meghan's being made of Welsh gold, and Harry's of platinum. They recited standard vows, promising to "have and to hold" each other, but Meghan omitted the word "obey". The ceremony also included a quote from Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Love Your Enemies" speech, delivered by American Bishop Michael Bruce Curry. The music during the service was a blend of classical and gospel, with a gospel choir singing "Stand By Me" and an orchestra playing classical pieces.

Following the ceremony, the newlyweds rode in an open-top Ascot Landeau horse-drawn carriage through the streets of Windsor. They then attended a luncheon reception hosted by the Queen in St. George's Hall, where guests enjoyed a variety of canapés and bowl foods. The reception also included speeches from Prince Harry and Elton John, who performed for the couple. In the evening, a more intimate reception was held at Frogmore House, hosted by Prince Charles. The bride and groom changed into more relaxed outfits, with Meghan wearing a halter-neck, open-back dress by Stella McCartney, and Harry donning a black tuxedo. The evening reception included music by DJ Idris Elba and a performance by The Atlantic Soul Orchestra.

Meghan Markle's custom Givenchy wedding gown

The dress epitomises a timeless minimal elegance, referencing the codes of the iconic House of Givenchy. The pure lines of the dress are achieved using six meticulously placed seams. The focus of the dress is the graphic open bateau neckline that gracefully frames the shoulders and emphasises the slender sculpted waist. The lines of the dress extend towards the back, where the train flows in soft round folds cushioned by an underskirt in triple silk organza. The slim three-quarter sleeves add a note of refined modernity. The dress was made of double bonded silk cady, with a soft matt lustre, and the bonding process and pure white colour bring a fresh modernity to the dress.

The gown was paired with a hand-embroidered 16.5-foot silk tulle veil, with flowers representing all 53 countries of the Commonwealth. The veil also included two flowers with personal meaning: wintersweet, which grows outside the home Markle shared with Prince Harry, and the California poppy, the state flower from her place of birth. Markle also included a subtle "something blue" in her veil: a piece of blue fabric from the dress she wore on her first date with Prince Harry.

Doria Ragland, Meghan's mother

Doria Ragland, Meghan Markle's mother, was the only member of Meghan's immediate family to attend her wedding to Prince Harry. She accompanied her daughter to the chapel, and the pair waved to the crowds from their car window. Ragland also spent the night before the wedding with Meghan at Cliveden House Hotel.

Ragland has been a constant support to her daughter, from her early acting career to her relationship with Prince Harry. She has travelled to the UK to visit Meghan and Harry for milestone moments, including their wedding and the birth of their son Archie. Now that Meghan and Harry have moved to the US, Ragland is closer than ever to her daughter and grandchildren.

Ragland was born in Ohio in 1956 and later moved to California, where she met her ex-husband Thomas Markle in the late 1970s. The couple wed and welcomed Meghan in 1981, but they split when Meghan was young. Ragland has remained in California and now lives close to Meghan and Harry's Montecito home.

Meghan and her mother share a strong bond. Meghan has described her mother as a "free-spirited clinical therapist" and "yoga instructor" with a passion for potato chips and lemon tarts. She also credits her mother for instilling in her a sense of social consciousness and a desire to affect change.

Ragland has joined Meghan and Harry at several events, including the 2022 NAACP Image Awards, where Meghan thanked her mother for her presence and support. Ragland has also spoken about her daughter's relationship with Harry and the challenges of being part of the royal family. In the Netflix documentary, Harry & Meghan, she admitted that the media scrutiny and harassment she faced due to her daughter's relationship made her feel unsafe. Despite these challenges, Ragland remains a proud and devoted mother and grandmother.

The adorable wedding party

Princess Charlotte and Prince George, who are no strangers to the role of page boy and bridesmaid, having previously been in Pippa Middleton's bridal party, were joined by Ivy, Remi, Rylan, Zalie, and Florence as bridesmaids, and Jasper, Brian, and John as page boys.

The young page boys and girls were too cute for words as they were escorted into St. George's Chapel. Ivy, Brian, and John, Jessica Mulroney's children, even rode with the bride to the chapel, and two of the page boys, John and Brian, carried Meghan's bridal veil down the aisle.

The six bridesmaids wore dresses designed by Clare Waight Keller, and each received a pair of white leather shoes monogrammed with their initials and the wedding date as a keepsake. The page boys wore mini-versions of the Blues and Royals uniforms, with their initials embroidered in gold on their shoulder straps.

The wedding party processed into the chapel behind Meghan, and during the ceremony, they followed the bride.

The bridal veil

The veil was monarch-length, a style made popular by royal weddings of the past, specifically Princess Diana's wedding. It was carried by two of the page boys, John and Brian Mulroney, as they walked behind Meghan down the aisle.

The veil was paired with a simple yet regal Givenchy wedding dress, also designed by Clare Waight Keller. The dress featured a bateau neckline, 3/4 length sleeves, and a graphic open back. The fabric was a double-bonded silk, chosen after extensive research by Waight Keller in fabric mills across Europe. The silk cady had a soft matt lustre, while the bonding process and pure white colour brought a modern touch to the dress.

Overall, the veil was a stunning and thoughtful addition to Meghan's wedding ensemble, paying tribute to the Commonwealth and her personal history. It was a key part of one of the most memorable royal weddings in recent history.

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