Harry's Wedding Date: When Did It Happen?

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding date was 19 May 2018. The couple tied the knot at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle in the United Kingdom. The ceremony was officiated by Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the couple exchanged vows in front of 600 guests. The wedding was a break from tradition for the British royal family, with the ceremony taking place on a Saturday, and Markle becoming the first person of mixed-race heritage to marry into the family.

Harry and Meghan's wedding date was unusual as it fell on a Saturday

The wedding date of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was Saturday, May 19, 2018. The date was unusual as royal weddings typically take place on a weekday.

Historically, British royal weddings have occurred on weekdays. For example, Prince William and Kate Middleton got married on a Friday, while Prince Charles and Princess Diana were married on a Wednesday. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip also broke with the Saturday wedding tradition, exchanging vows on a Thursday.

The choice of a Saturday wedding was not the only way in which Harry and Meghan's nuptials broke with royal tradition. The couple also opted for a lemon and elderflower-flavoured cake, departing from the traditional fruitcake. The cake's tiers were displayed on separate stands, rather than the traditional stacked presentation.

The wedding was also not declared a bank holiday, as is customary for royal weddings. This was due to Harry's position as sixth in line to the throne, which lessened the pressure for a traditional wedding. The ceremony was held at St. George's Chapel in Windsor, a more intimate venue than Westminster Abbey, where Prince William and Kate Middleton wed.

The date of the wedding also coincided with the FA Cup Final, which Prince Harry's brother, William, typically attends as President of the Football Association.

Despite these breaks with tradition, the wedding was a grand affair, costing an estimated £32 million. The ceremony was attended by 600 guests and watched by approximately 11.5 million television viewers in the UK alone.

The wedding cake was a lemon elderflower-flavoured concoction with buttercream frosting

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took place on Saturday, 19 May 2018, at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in the United Kingdom. The wedding cake was a departure from the traditional fruit cake, with the couple opting for a lemon elderflower-flavoured concoction with buttercream frosting.

The cake was created by London-based baker Claire Ptak, owner of Violet Cakes. Ptak's cake was a layered lemon and elderflower cake, adorned with peonies and roses in shades of white and cream. The entire cake was coated with a Swiss meringue buttercream, also infused with elderflower, which Ptak described as "satiny and super delicious". The cake consisted of tiers of lemon sponge cake drizzled with elderflower syrup and topped with an Amalfi lemon curd.

Ptak and her team spent five days baking and icing the cake in Buckingham Palace, using 200 Amalfi lemons, 500 organic eggs, 20kg of butter, 20kg of flour, 20kg of sugar, and 10 bottles of elderflower cordial. The flowers were added at the last moment to ensure freshness.

The cake was a sharp departure from the traditional fruit cakes of royal weddings past. Ptak, a native Californian like Markle, had previously considered fruitcake to be "sort of a cruel joke". However, she had since learned to make a delicious Dundee-flavoured fruitcake with candied Meyer lemons. Ptak's focus is on "the minutiae of flavour and balance" rather than visual grandeur, and her cakes are designed to be eaten and enjoyed rather than kept.

The choice of cake reflected the couple's shared values regarding food provenance, sustainability, seasonality, and flavour. It also symbolised the welcome ways in which Harry's marriage to Markle, an American biracial divorcée, reflected progressive British values.

The wedding wasn't declared a bank holiday

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was held on Saturday, May 19, 2018. Unlike the weddings of other senior royals, the occasion was not declared a bank holiday.

The date of the wedding fell on the same day as the FA Cup Final, which Prince Harry's brother, William, typically attends in his role as President of the Football Association. The timing of the wedding was chosen to avoid clashing with other events that month, including Princess Charlotte's third birthday and local elections.

While the wedding was not declared a bank holiday, licensing hours for pubs were extended to 1 am on the Friday and Saturday of the wedding, and many councils waived road closure fees to encourage street parties.

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was a break from tradition in several ways. In addition to the timing, the couple chose to marry at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, a more low-key venue than Westminster Abbey, where Prince William and Kate Middleton wed. The ceremony also incorporated elements of African-American culture, and Meghan Markle became the first person of mixed-race heritage to marry into the British royal family.

Meghan's father did not escort her down the aisle

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got married on Saturday, May 19, 2018, at St George's Chapel, Windsor. The wedding was a grand affair with about 1.9 billion viewers tuning in to watch the ceremony, making it one of the biggest televised events in history.

Meghan's father, Thomas Markle Sr., was notably absent from the wedding and did not walk her down the aisle. This was due to medical reasons, as he had recently undergone heart surgery. In his place, Meghan was escorted down the aisle by her father-in-law, Prince Charles, who she was grateful to have by her side.

The bride's mother, Doria Ragland, was her only family member in attendance. Meghan's father's absence from the wedding was a significant departure from tradition, and it highlighted the unique and modern aspects of the royal wedding.

The wedding ceremony was filled with personal touches and meaningful choices that made the event feel intimate, despite the large scale. Meghan's dress, for instance, was designed by British designer Clare Waight Keller, who Meghan chose for her timeless and elegant aesthetic. The dress featured delicate seams, three-quarter-length sleeves, and an open bateau neckline. It was made of exclusive double-bonded silk cady material, requiring extra care during the creation process.

The bride's bouquet also held special significance. It included forget-me-nots, which were Prince Harry's late mother, Princess Diana's favourite flower. The bouquet was later placed on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey, following a royal tradition started by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.

The wedding ceremony was held at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle

The wedding ceremony of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was held at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle on 19 May 2018. The chapel, built in the late-medieval Perpendicular Gothic style, has been the site of many royal weddings, particularly during the reign of Queen Victoria. It was founded in the 14th century by King Edward III and extensively enlarged in the late 15th century.

St. George's Chapel is a place of worship for the Queen and the Royal Family and has a rich history, with a strong personal link to the family. The architecture is one of the finest examples of 'Perpendicular Gothic' style in the country. The interior of the chapel has been developed over the years to commemorate key figures in royal history and the history of the chapel itself.

The wedding ceremony of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was a traditional affair, with the bride and groom exchanging vows in front of their family and friends. The bride wore a custom boatneck wedding gown by Givenchy Haute Couture, and the groom wore the frock coat uniform of the Blues and Royals. The ceremony was officiated by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, and included elements of African-American culture.

The chapel holds a significant place in the history of the Royal Family, and the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle added to its rich tapestry. The choice of venue reflected the couple's desire to honour tradition while also incorporating their own personal touches. The ceremony was a memorable event that celebrated the union of two people and the coming together of two families.

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