The Wedding is Coming, the Wedding is Coming!

We Americans may have fought a bloody war to free ourselves from the rule of a sovereign, but clearly our fascination with British royalty lingers over 200 years later. Many of us can't resist the temptation to keep up with the comings and goings of the British monarchy. Perhaps it's our inner Tories responding to the crown and scepter all these years later. Or maybe it's just our celebrity crazed culture that can't resist a spectacle regardless of social class. Thankfully, the Today show and CNN didn't go on location weeks in advance of a Khardashian or Spears/Federline nuptial...

Anticipation of Kate and William's wedding has reached a fever pitch as the big day has approached, and thank goodness it is finally upon us. I don't know how much more I can take. As eager as I am to view the event, the buildup has been excruciating. I don't need to hear one more tidbit about Kate's fashion sense or William's bald spot. All I REALLY care about is the dress. Big props to the royal secret keepers for making Kate's wedding day attire the best kept secret of the century. Even Wikileaks hasn't released it...

I was 15 when Charles and Diana were married back in 1981. We lived in California, so it was an all-nighter to see the wedding live. I sat alone in front of our TV in the family room in my robe (house robe, not royal robe - I pretended) and watched every moment of the pomp and fanfare. I was enthralled by the billows and billows of cream silk taffeta that poured out of the glass carriage resulting in puff sleeves that would have sent Anne Shirley into fits of delight and a 25-foot train that followed Diana down the aisle of St. Paul's Cathedral. The wrinkles that horrified stylists when she emerged from the carriage magically disappeared as the ceremony began (fairy godmother must have tended to that). The dress looks dated and frumpy and almost childlike now, but it set the standard for every other wedding dress for the next decade until the minimalism of the 90s took over followed by the monotonous straplessness of the 2000s. I'm fairly certain that Diana's bouquet is responsible for the mammoth floral arrangement that I carried down the aisle in 1993 (my arms were numb by the end of the ceremony...)



I think even then as a 15-year old, I was aware of what a poor match Charles and Diana were. He has never been terribly likable and not at all dashing, and Shy Di was, well, shy, and seemingly fragile. I remember feeling a bit of an "ick" factor about the age difference and wondering what she could possibly see in him (OK, future King of England...). I hoped that maybe there was some underlying affection that would be sufficient to make a successful marriage.

Well, we all know how that fairytale ended, but what did come of it was a couple of what appear to be terrific boys. William in particular seems to have inherited his mother's greatest assets - her easy, warm, winning personality and good looks minus the doe-eyed vulnerability and lack of self-confidence (he did get the Windsor bald spot and rather big teeth, but he's still easier on the eyes than his Dad). I think the royal family got what they hoped for out of Diana - a worthy heir and spare. For all the drama that Diana brought to the royal scene, I don't think there's any denying that she was a wonderful mother, and her boys are her greatest legacy (followed by her charity/AIDS work and of course, that dress...).

So I have higher hopes for the couple that will walk down the aisle of Westminster Abbey tomorrow morning. I certainly don't have any firsthand knowledge of these two or a crystal ball, but they both seem well suited, comfortable in their own skin, and sincerely fond of one another. And as far as I've heard, there's no Camilla on the sidelines to put a wrench in things (I'm also looking forward to seeing what SHE will wear - she has donned some dooseys!  Thank goodness she is the step-mother, and she and Charles never had children together...).

Yes, I will be up to watch this royal wedding as I was almost 30 years ago, but this time I'm on East Coast, Cape St. Claire time so I can get some sleep and set an alarm. And this time, I won't be alone. My 13-year old daughter is as keen to get a first glimpse of the dress as I am (we watch way too much Say Yes to the Dress). We all know what the men will have on - military uniforms and morning suits - but I don't have the faintest clue what to expect for Kate. White? Cream? (my guess is white). Fitted? Full?(hoping for long, lean and flowing without being skin tight or a marshmallow). Hair up or down? (I'm thinking back but not up). We will all know tomorrow morning when the wedding of the century thus far gets underway. Since this dress is likely to impact wedding dress trends possibly until my daughter gets married, God, please don't let it be strapless...

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