Royal Wedding: Harry And Meghan's Big Day

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding took place on 19 May 2018 at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. The ceremony began at 12 pm BST, followed by a carriage procession through Windsor at 1 pm BST. The couple's wedding day was not declared a bank holiday, unlike the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. Prince Harry wore a frock coat uniform of the Blues and Royals, and Meghan Markle wore a custom gown by British designer Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, officiated the wedding using the standard Anglican church service for Holy Matrimony. The wedding was televised and live-streamed around the world.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding date

The wedding date broke with royal tradition in a number of ways. Firstly, royal weddings typically take place on a weekday, whereas Harry and Meghan were married on a Saturday. Secondly, the wedding fell on the same day as the FA Cup Final, which Prince Harry's brother, William, normally attends in his role as President of the Football Association. Thirdly, the wedding day was not declared a bank holiday, unlike the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.

The date of the wedding also had some personal significance for the couple. Harry hand-picked flowers for Meghan's bouquet, including his mother Princess Diana's favourite flower, forget-me-nots. Meghan also had the California Poppy, the state flower of her native California, incorporated into her veil.

The wedding venue

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding venue was St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. The gothic-style chapel, which dates back to the 1300s, has been the location of many royal weddings for centuries. It is more intimate than Westminster Abbey, where Prince William and Kate Middleton wed, with a capacity of 800 people compared to the Abbey's 2,000.

The couple's choice of venue was a signal that they are "not going to be full-on attention-seeking royals", according to royal biographer Andrew Morton. He said: "Because they could have had the option of Westminster Abbey, like his brother, but to do so would have been to say 'We are now fully minted public figures.'"

The first wedding to take place at St. George's Chapel was in 1863, between the future King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. The chapel has also hosted the weddings of Prince Edward in 1999, Prince Charles and Camilla in 2005, and Princess Anne's son Peter Phillips to Autumn Kelly in 2008.

Harry and Meghan's first wedding reception took place at St. George's Hall, a state room within Windsor Castle. The Queen hosted approximately 600 guests for the lunchtime gathering, where they were served Pol Roger Champagne, canapés, and bowl food. The second reception was a private evening event for around 200 guests at Frogmore House, a royal residence in Windsor.

Meghan Markle's wedding dress

Markle chose 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 also chose the designer for her "elegant aesthetic" and "relaxed demeanour." The dress was designed in Paris by a small team of ateliers.

The dress was simple and classic, without any lace, embellishments, or embroidered details. It featured a graphic open bateau neckline, slim three-quarter sleeves, and a train with a built-in triple silk organza underskirt. The pure lines of the dress were achieved using only six meticulously placed seams. The focus of the dress was the neckline, which gracefully framed the shoulders and emphasised the slender sculpted waist. The lines of the dress extended towards the back, where the train flowed in soft round folds.

The veil was just as stunning as the dress, with a length of 5 metres (16 feet) and a width of 3 metres. It was hand-embroidered with a variety of flowers, including the California poppy, in honour of Markle's home state, and wintersweet, which grows at Kensington Palace. It also featured symbolic sprays of wheat and flowers representing the 53 countries of the Commonwealth. The veil took longer to create than the dress itself and was washed every 30 minutes during the embroidery process to ensure it remained immaculate.

For her reception, Markle wore a custom Stella McCartney gown with a high halter neckline. The dress featured a sexier silhouette and was paired with a piece-y updo. The designer of the gown, Stella McCartney, was a perfect fit for Markle as her design house promotes eco-friendly fashion, vegan leathers, and sustainability.

The wedding reception

Sir Elton John performed at the lunchtime reception. The menu included finger foods and red velvet wedding cake, with a lemon elderflower cake created by pastry chef Claire Ptak as the main wedding cake.

The couple changed outfits before heading to their intimate evening reception, which was hosted by the Prince of Wales and held at Frogmore House. Around 200 guests were invited to the evening reception.

The wedding cake

The cake broke with royal tradition, as most royal wedding cakes are fruit cakes. However, inspired by their spring wedding date, the couple chose a lighter, more refreshing flavour. The cake was made with 200 Amalfi lemons, 500 organic eggs, 10 bottles of elderflower cordial from the Queen's Sandringham estate, 44 pounds of butter, 44 pounds of flour, and 44 pounds of sugar. The layers were drizzled with elderflower cordial, giving the cake a floral flavour and balancing the sweetness.

The cake was not a traditional tiered cake but instead consisted of two single-tiered cakes and one two-tiered cake, displayed on gold ornate stands from the royal family's collection. It was covered in elderflower Swiss meringue buttercream and adorned with 150 fresh flowers, including British peonies and roses.

The cake took six bakers five days to prepare in the kitchen at Buckingham Palace and is estimated to have cost around $70,000.

Frequently asked questions