Markle-Harry Wedding: A Costly Affair

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took place on Saturday 19 May 2018 in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in the United Kingdom. The couple, who first met on a blind date in 2016, announced their engagement in November 2017.

The wedding date

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 date was unusual for a British royal wedding, which traditionally takes place on a weekday.

The couple actually exchanged vows three days before the official ceremony, in a private ceremony at their home on the grounds of Kensington Palace.

The wedding was attended by 600 guests, including senior members of the British royal family, celebrities such as George and Amal Clooney, David and Victoria Beckham, Idris Elba, Elton John, Serena Williams, and Priyanka Chopra, and Markle's mother, Doria Ragland.

The bride wore a boat-neck silk dress designed by Givenchy's Clare Waight Keller, and a 16-foot-long veil embroidered with flowers representing the 53 countries of the Commonwealth. Her hair and makeup were done by longtime friends, Serge Normant and Daniel Martin, respectively.

The groom wore a Blues and Royals frock coat uniform, with the permission of his grandmother, the Queen.

The ceremony was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Dean of Windsor, David Conner. The sermon was delivered by Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, who quoted Martin Luther King Jr. in his speech.

The couple's wedding rings were made by Cleave and Company. Markle's ring was made of Welsh gold, while Harry's was platinum.

The wedding cake, created by Claire Ptak, was a lemon and elderflower cake, decorated with peonies and roses. It broke from tradition, as royal wedding cakes are typically fruitcakes.

The wedding reception was hosted by the Queen at St George's Hall, and included a performance by Elton John. A smaller, more intimate evening reception was held at Frogmore House, hosted by Prince Charles. The couple's first dance was to 'Land of 1000 Dances' by Wilson Pickett.

The ceremony

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was held on Saturday, 19 May 2018, at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in the United Kingdom. The ceremony began at 12:00 midday BST.

The wedding was officiated by Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who also baptised Meghan into the Church of England in the months prior to the wedding. The Dean of Windsor, David Conner, also conducted the service. The marriage ceremony was performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, who used the standard Anglican church service for Holy Matrimony published in Common Worship, a liturgical text of the Church of England.

The bride walked down the aisle to "Eternal source of light divine", from Handel's Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne, sung by soprano Elin Manahan Thomas, with the trumpet obbligato performed by David Blackadder.

The wedding vows were those published in Common Worship and included the promise "to love and to cherish" each other. This was sealed by the exchange of rings. Markle did not promise to "obey" Harry, a departure from traditional wedding vows.

Hymns sung at the wedding included "Lord of All Hopefulness" and "Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer", the latter of which was a favourite of Harry's mother, Princess Diana, and was also sung at her funeral in 1997.

The music for the service was provided by two choirs, an orchestra, the chapel organ, and fanfare trumpeters. The orchestra was made up of musicians from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the English Chamber Orchestra, and the Philharmonia Orchestra. The State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry included Kate Sandford, the first female state trumpeter at a British royal wedding. The music was under the overall direction of James Vivian, the chapel's Organist and Director of Music.

Following the ceremony, there was a carriage procession through Windsor.

The reception

Elton John performed at the reception, singing 'Circle of Life', 'Tiny Dancer', and 'Your Song'. He had also performed at the funeral of Harry's mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

Harry gave an impromptu speech at the event, and Meghan was also expected to give a speech at the reception.

Following the reception, the newlyweds travelled in a silver blue Jaguar E-Type Concept Zero to Frogmore House, where a more private, intimate affair was held for the couple and their 200 closest friends. The event was hosted by Prince Charles, and guests included George and Amal Clooney, Idris Elba, and Serena Williams.

Harry and Meghan had an outfit change for the evening reception. Harry wore a black tuxedo, and Meghan wore a bespoke lily white high neck gown made of silk crepe, designed by Stella McCartney. She also wore an emerald-cut aquamarine ring, which once belonged to Princess Diana.

Meghan's friends were gifted with bespoke bracelets as wedding favours. The bracelets were designed by Lisette Polny, the founder of Zofia Day, and were made of solid gold discs.

The evening reception ended with a fireworks display over Frogmore House.

The dress

Markle was very hands-on with the design of her dress, choosing the designer in January and having top-secret fittings in the months leading up to the wedding. She wanted a dress that reflected her keen sense of fashion and her status as a future duchess. As E!’s royal expert Melanie Bromley predicted, the dress needed to be "featured in the history books so [it could] stand the test of time."

The cost of the dress was just a fraction of the overall wedding cost, which totalled an estimated $45 million. The majority of the budget went towards security, with about $40 million spent on keeping the royal couple, their guests, and the public safe.

While the royal family typically pays for the wedding, including the bride's dress, there was some speculation that Markle may have contributed to the cost of her gown. As a wealthy actress, she could afford to pay for her dream dress, and this would avoid any public outcry over the use of taxpayer money. Ultimately, the royal family paid for the dress, but it is unclear if Markle contributed any of her own funds.

The guests

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was a star-studded affair, with a guest list including royalty, politicians, and celebrities. The event, which took place at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, had a capacity of 800 guests, with only 600 invites sent out by Prince Charles on behalf of his son. Here is a breakdown of the notable guests:

Royalty:

The wedding had a strong royal presence, with members of both the groom's and bride's families in attendance. From the groom's side, notable attendees included Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh (Harry's paternal grandparents), the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall (Harry's father and stepmother), the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Harry's brother and sister-in-law), and Prince George and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge (Harry's nephew and niece). Other royal guests included Prince Seeiso and Princess Mabereng Seeiso of Lesotho, who co-founded a charity with Harry.

Politicians:

Sir John Major, a former British Prime Minister, and his wife, Dame Norma Major, were among the political guests. Sir Nicholas Soames, the grandson of Winston Churchill, was also in attendance.

Celebrities:

The celebrity guest list included a mix of actors, musicians, and athletes. Notable names were:

• George and Amal Clooney
• David and Victoria Beckham
• James Blunt and Sofia Wellesley
• Priyanka Chopra
• James Corden and Julia Carey
• Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre
• Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian
• Oprah Winfrey
• Patrick J. Adams and Troian Bellisario
• Abigail Spencer
• Carey Mulligan and Marcus Mumford
• Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley
• Elton John and David Furnish
• Nacho Figueras and Delfina Blaquier
• Chelsy Davy
• Cressida Bonas
• James Haskell and Chloe Madeley
• Will Greenwood and Caroline Greenwood
• Clive Woodward and Lady Woodward
• Guy Pelly and Lizzie Wilson
• Janina Gavankar
• Joss Stone
• Gina Torres
• Sarah Rafferty
• Rick Hoffman
• Gabriel Macht and Jacinda Barrett
• Ben and Jessica Mulroney
• Heather Dorak and Matt Cohen
• Misan Harriman and Camilla Holmstroem
• And many more!

The wedding also included a performance by the Kingdom Choir, a gospel group led by Karen Gibson, who sang "Stand By Me."

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