Royal Wedding: Harry's Big Day

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tied the knot on Saturday, May 19, 2018, at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, England. The wedding was attended by 600 guests, including Meghan's mother Doria, her former Suits co-stars, and celebrity friends like Oprah Winfrey, Amal Clooney, and Serena Williams. The ceremony was also broadcast worldwide, attracting millions of viewers.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding date

The wedding date was significant for a few reasons. Firstly, it fell on a Saturday, which broke from the tradition of royal weddings being held on weekdays. Secondly, it was the same date as the FA Cup Final, which Prince Harry's brother, William, normally attends as President of the Football Association. Thirdly, the wedding date was just three days after the couple privately exchanged vows in their backyard.

The wedding ceremony was attended by 600 guests, including Meghan's mother, Doria, her former Suits co-stars, and celebrity friends like Oprah Winfrey, Amal Clooney, and Serena Williams. Several prominent members of the royal family also played important roles in the ceremony, with Prince William acting as best man, and Princess Charlotte and Prince George as bridesmaid and page boy, respectively.

The wedding celebrations included two receptions: a lunchtime reception hosted by the Queen at St George's Hall, and a private evening reception hosted by the Prince of Wales at Frogmore House. The evening reception included a special fireworks display at 11 pm.

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was a historic and memorable event, with an estimated 1.9 billion people tuning in worldwide to watch the couple exchange their vows.

The wedding venue

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wed on Saturday 19 May 2018 at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in the United Kingdom. The chapel has a long association with royalty and is the final resting place of several monarchs, including King George VI, the Queen Mother Elizabeth, and King Edward VII. It is also where Prince Harry's grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, were laid to rest.

The choice of venue was a break from tradition for the royal family. In the past, royal weddings have been held at Westminster Abbey, including the weddings of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, and Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson.

The chapel had previously been the venue for the weddings of Prince Harry's uncle, the Earl of Wessex, his cousin, Peter Phillips, and the blessing of the marriage of his father, then the Prince of Wales, and the Duchess of Cornwall, Harry's stepmother.

The couple chose the venue because they wanted to begin their lives together in the beautiful grounds of Windsor Castle. Kensington Palace Communications Secretary Jason Knauf said:

> "Prince Harry and Ms Markle are delighted that the beautiful grounds of Windsor Castle will be where they begin their lives together as a married couple."

The ceremony was officiated by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, who also baptised Markle into the Church of England in March 2018. The Dean of Windsor, David Conner, also conducted the service.

The wedding was attended by 600 guests, including senior members of the royal family, Meghan's mother Doria, her former Suits co-stars, and celebrity friends like Oprah Winfrey, Amal Clooney, and Serena Williams.

The bride and groom exchanged vows before making their way outside to the chapel's steps, where they shared their first kiss as husband and wife. They then participated in a 25-minute carriage ride through the streets of Windsor, addressing the hundreds of people who had gathered to celebrate.

The guest list

Markle's mother, Doria Ragland, was also in attendance, as were several of Markle's friends, including Serena Williams, Priyanka Chopra, and her Suits co-stars Abigail Spencer, Gabriel Macht, and Patrick J. Adams, with his wife, Troian Bellisario.

Several other celebrity guests were also in attendance, including George and Amal Clooney, Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, James Corden, Elton John, Joss Stone, Will Greenwood, James Haskell, Johnny Wilkinson, Clive Woodward, Nacho Figueras, David and Victoria Beckham, James Blunt, Marcus Mumford and his wife Carey Mulligan, and Oprah Winfrey.

Harry's ex-girlfriends, Cressida Bonas and Chelsy Davy, were also invited to the wedding.

Meghan Markle's wedding dress

The dress was designed to be incredibly simple and did not include lace, embellishments, or embroidered details. Markle stunned in her double-bonded silk Givenchy gown, which was comprised of a simple silk crepe, a bateau neckline, structured three-quarter sleeves and a sculpted waistline that fell into a train made of triple silk organza. The dress was estimated to cost about $265,000, which the bride paid for herself. The process required 3,900 hours of design for the veil, eight fittings, and five months of collaboration between the bride and the design team.

Markle chose designer Waight Keller because she "wanted to highlight the success of a leading British talent who has now served as the creative head of three globally influential fashion houses — Pringle of Scotland, Chloé, and now Givenchy." She chose Keller to create her wedding dress due to the designer's "elegant aesthetic" and "relaxed demeanour." Waight Keller has been Givenchy's creative director since 2017. The dress was made in Paris by "a small team of ateliers".

Markle's wedding dress was also inspired by Audrey Hepburn and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's iconic wedding looks. Markle's minimal wedding dress was a stark departure from previous royal looks, such as Princess Kate's long-sleeve lace look and Princess Diana's voluminous ball gown.

The wedding reception

The second reception was a more intimate affair hosted by the Prince of Wales at Frogmore House for the couple's 200 closest friends. The newlyweds arrived in a vintage blue Jaguar E-type convertible, adorned with a special license plate bearing their wedding date. The reception featured a DJ set by actor Idris Elba, who played a playlist sent to him by Meghan. The couple's first dance was to "I'm in Love" by Wilson Pickett. The black-tie event culminated in a fireworks display at 11 pm.

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