Harry And Meghan's Wedding Time

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took place on Saturday 19 May 2018 at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. The ceremony began at 12 pm BST.

The wedding date and venue

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took place on Saturday, 19 May 2018, at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. The date was unusual for a British royal wedding, which traditionally takes place on a weekday. The venue, however, was steeped in royal history. The chapel is at least 500 years old and has served as the site of numerous royal weddings, including those of Queen Victoria's children. It is also the final resting place of several monarchs, including King George VI, the Queen Mother Elizabeth, and King Edward VII.

The wedding date was chosen partly due to the availability of senior members of the royal family, as their calendars are booked about a year in advance. It also took into account the pregnancies of Catherine, the Princess of Wales, and Zara Tindall, who were both pregnant at the time. Additionally, Princess Eugenie had to postpone her wedding to make way for Harry's, as he outranked her in the pecking order.

The couple's wedding invitations were traditional, featuring the three-feathered badge of Prince Charles in gold ink. The invitations were designed by Barnard Westwood. The wedding ceremony began at 12:00 midday BST, with the bride, Meghan, arriving with a party of junior attendants shortly before the Prince of Wales, who escorted her to the altar where Prince Harry was waiting.

The dress

Waight Keller was chosen by Meghan because she "wanted to highlight the success of a leading British talent" and because of her "elegant aesthetic" and "relaxed demeanour". The dress was made in Paris by "a small team of ateliers" and there were eight fittings.

The guest list

Other relatives of the groom included numerous descendants of the Prince's great-grandfather King George VI, such as the Princess Royal and Vice-Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, the groom's paternal aunt and uncle; Peter and Autumn Phillips, the groom's first cousin and his wife; Zara and Michael Tindall, the groom's first cousin and her husband; the Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York, the groom's paternal uncle and his ex-wife; Princess Beatrice of York, the groom's first cousin; Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank, the groom's first cousin and her fiancé; and the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the groom's paternal uncle and aunt.

Relatives of the bride included her mother, Doria Ragland.

Members of reigning royal families in attendance included Prince Seeiso and Princess Mabereng Seeiso of Lesotho. Members of non-reigning royal families included the Hereditary Prince and Princess of Oettingen-Spielberg.

Other notable guests included Sir John Major and his wife, Dame Norma Major; Sir Nicholas Soames, grandson of Winston Churchill; Anba Angaelos, Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London; David Conner, Dean of Windsor; Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church; Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Honorary Chaplain to the Queen; and Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury.

Famous friends and notable guests included:

• Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian
• George and Amal Clooney
• Oprah Winfrey
• Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre
• James Corden and Julia Carey
• David and Victoria Beckham
• Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley
• Carey Mulligan and Marcus Mumford
• Elton John and David Furnish
• Priyanka Chopra
• Abigail Spencer
• Patrick J. Adams and Troian Bellisario
• James Blunt and Sofia Wellesley
• Nacho Figueras and Delfina Blaquier
• Chelsy Davy and Cressida Bonas
• Markus Anderson and Izzy May
• Pippa Middleton and James Matthews
• Prince Seeiso of Lesotho
• The survivors of the Grenfell fire

The cake

The wedding cake of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was a layered lemon and elderflower cake decorated with peonies and roses in shades of white and cream. The cake was designed by Claire Ptak, owner of Violet Cakes in East London, and was a break from the traditional fruitcake typically served at royal weddings.

Ptak was given free rein by Meghan Markle, who specifically told her, "'I don't want to tell you what to do... the reason why I've chosen you is because I love your baking and your work and your point of view and your ethos." Ptak and her team spent five days making the cake in the kitchens of Buckingham Palace, using seasonal and organic ingredients, including Amalfi lemons and elderflower syrup from Queen Elizabeth's Sandringham estate. The cake was covered in Swiss meringue buttercream and adorned with 150 fresh flowers.

The choice of flavour was inspired by the spring wedding date, and the cake was described as "quintessentially spring and British" by Ptak. It was also a nod to royal heritage, with the elderflower cordial made from flowers harvested at one of Queen Elizabeth's private homes. The cake consisted of multiple tiers, with two single-tiered cakes and one two-tiered cake displayed on ornate gold stands from the royal family's collection.

The cost of the cake was estimated to be around $70,000, taking into account the sourcing of local and organic ingredients, as well as the assembly and decoration. The cake was a unique and refreshing choice for the royal wedding, and it certainly added a touch of spring-inspired elegance to the celebration.

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 was steeped in royal tradition, with a few modern twists, and included a carriage ride through the streets.

The bride and groom arrived at the chapel separately, with Meghan accompanied by her mother, and Harry joined by his brother, Prince William, who served as his best man. The groom wore a Blues and Royals frock coat uniform, with permission from the Queen, while the bride wore a dress designed by British designer Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy.

The wedding service was conducted according to the Christian liturgy for Holy Matrimony as set out in Common Worship of the Church of England. The Dean of Windsor, David Conner, conducted the service, with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, performing the marriage ceremony. The couple exchanged vows from Common Worship, including the promise "to love and to cherish" each other, and sealed their vows with wedding rings.

Following the ceremony, the newlyweds shared their first married kiss on the steps of St. George's Chapel and rode in an open-top Ascot Landau horse-drawn carriage through the streets of Windsor.

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