Harry And Meghan: Why A Small Wedding Was Never An Option

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding was a grand affair, with an estimated viewership of 1.9 billion people worldwide. The ceremony took place at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, with the bride arriving in a custom Givenchy gown by Clare Waight Keller. The couple exchanged vows in a traditional yet personalised ceremony, incorporating elements such as a gospel choir and a unique wedding cake. While the wedding was a public affair, Harry and Meghan also had a private vow ceremony days before the official nuptials. The guest list included A-list celebrities and various members of the British royal family. The event was not without its challenges, as royal photographer Arthur Edwards described it as the worst royal engagement he had ever done due to the restrictions placed on the press by Prince Harry.

The wedding was held at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was held at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, on Saturday 19 May 2018. The chapel, founded in the 14th century, is a castle chapel built in the late-medieval Perpendicular Gothic style. It has been the site of many royal weddings, including those of Queen Victoria's children.

St George's Chapel is located in the Lower Ward of Windsor Castle, which is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. Founded by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, it has been home to 40 monarchs over the past 1,000 years.

The chapel has a rich history and is a Royal Peculiar, meaning it is under the direct jurisdiction of the monarch. It is also the Chapel of the Order of the Garter. The running of the chapel is the responsibility of the dean and Canons of Windsor, who make up the College of Saint George.

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was not the first royal wedding to be held at St George's Chapel. In fact, it has a long history of hosting royal nuptials, including those of Prince Harry's cousin, Princess Eugenie, and Jack Brooksbank.

The choice of venue for the wedding may have been influenced by its royal significance and longstanding connection to the British monarchy. The chapel's grand architecture and rich history likely made it an ideal setting for a royal wedding.

St George's Chapel, with its medieval charm and royal associations, provided a fitting backdrop for the union of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, now known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

The bride wore a custom Givenchy gown

The dress was inspired by Meghan's affinity for Audrey Hepburn, as well as Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's iconic 1996 wedding dress. Meghan chose Waight Keller for her "elegant aesthetic" and "relaxed demeanour", and the pair worked closely together on the design, with Meghan clear on her vision for the dress. The dress was made in Paris by a small team of ateliers, with eight fittings over five months of collaboration.

The bride's veil was 16 feet (4.9 m) long and was embroidered with 53 flowers, representing the 53 countries of the Commonwealth, as well as Wintersweet, which grows in front of Nottingham Cottage, where she and Harry lived, and the California Poppy, the state flower of California, where Meghan was born. The veil took longer to create than the dress itself, with the embroiderers spending 500 hours on it, washing their hands every 30 minutes to ensure it remained immaculate. Meghan's "something blue" was also stitched into the veil—a piece of fabric from the dress she wore on her first date with Harry.

Prince Charles walked Meghan halfway down the aisle

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding was a grand affair, with an estimated viewership of 1.9 billion people worldwide. The couple's wedding date, 19 May 2018, was a Saturday, breaking with the tradition of royal weddings taking place on weekdays. The ceremony was held at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, with the bride walking down the aisle alone until she reached the quire, where the royal family was seated, and Prince Charles joined her.

Prince Charles, the father of the groom, walked Meghan halfway down the aisle in place of her own father, Thomas Markle, who was unable to attend due to medical reasons. In the lead-up to the wedding, Markle's father had come under fire for staging paparazzi photos, which caused him a great deal of stress and led to a heart attack. Meghan, in a statement on Twitter, expressed her care for her father and her hopes that he would be given space to focus on his health.

In the BBC documentary "Prince, Son and Heir: Charles at 70", Prince Harry revealed that he had asked his father to walk Meghan down the aisle and that the Prince of Wales had immediately agreed, saying, "Yes, of course, I'll do whatever Meghan needs, and I'm here to support you." Harry went on to explain that it was a significant opportunity for his father to step up and provide support, and as their father, he would be there for them.

On the wedding day, as Prince Charles and Meghan approached the altar, Harry whispered, "Thank you, Pa," to his father, expressing his gratitude for the gesture. In the documentary, Harry elaborated on this moment, stating that he felt the need to express his thanks despite their father-son relationship. He also joked that he wished he could have simply taken over from his father at the altar but was, nevertheless, very appreciative of the support.

The moment was also noticed by Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, who, while unable to hear the words exchanged, found it to be a touching and lovely gesture when she watched the wedding on tape.

In summary, Prince Charles walking Meghan halfway down the aisle was a heartwarming aspect of the royal wedding, demonstrating the support and closeness of the family. It was a significant moment that highlighted the importance of family and their willingness to step in for one another during important life events.

The ceremony included a gospel choir

The ceremony at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle featured a gospel choir, Karen Gibson and the Kingdom Choir, who sang a "chilling performance" of "Stand By Me" by Ben E. King during the ceremony at St. George's Chapel. The choir also sang "Amen/This Little Light of Mine" à la Etta James at the closing procession.

The Christian gospel choir, founded by Karen Gibson, has been performing together for over 20 years and is "made up of a group of British artists dedicated to creating a sound that demonstrates the community they share". They are best known for their "united sound, warm energy and enthusiastic performance". Gibson is an award-winning choir conductor who has held gospel workshops around the world and has performed for the Queen, Prince Philip, and Prince Charles.

The gospel choir was not the only musical aspect of the ceremony. There were also two orchestras, two choirs, and fanfare trumpeters. The music was under the overall direction of James Vivian, the chapel's Organist and Director of Music. The orchestra was conducted by Christopher Warren-Green and was made up of musicians from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the English Chamber Orchestra, and the Philharmonia Orchestra. The second orchestra was conducted by Luke Bond, the Assistant Director of Music at St. George's Chapel. The Choir of St. George's Chapel was directed by James Vivian and consisted of 23 boy choristers and 12 Lay Clerks singing alto, tenor, and bass.

The ceremony also featured a 19-year-old cellist, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, who played a solo requested by Meghan herself, who personally called to ask the musician to play. The set consisted of:

> Sicilienne (Maria Theresia von Paradis, 1759–1824; arr. Chris Hazell, b.1948), Après un rêve (Gabriel Fauré, 1845–1924; arr. Chris Hazell) and Ave Maria (Franz Schubert, 1797–1828; arr. Chris Hazell).

The music played an important role in the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, with the couple carefully choosing "hymns and choral works" and a number of performances from choral groups, soloists, and musicians.

The wedding cake was a lemon and elderflower cake

The cake was comprised of three separate cakes: two single-tiered cakes and one two-tiered cake. The two-tiered cake was the tallest of the three, but the overall display was modest compared to other royal wedding cakes. The cakes were displayed on ornate gold stands from the royal family's collection. The cakes were frosted with Swiss meringue buttercream and adorned with 150 fresh flowers, mostly British peonies and roses, and green foliage. The cake took Ptak and her team five days to bake and ice.

The choice of flavour was inspired by the spring wedding date, with the elderflower cordial tying in a nod to royal heritage. The cake was described by Ptak as having a "quintessentially spring and British" texture and flavour.

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