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How to Have a Royal Wedding of Your Own

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The royal family has captured the attention and hearts of people all around the world for decades. We have all watched as they have been born, grown up, found love, and gotten married. Perhaps it’s their beauty and grace that mesmerize us. Perhaps girls daydream about life as a royal because Catherine, Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge, (or rather, Kate Middleton), became a royal despite her very “normal” background which offers hope to daydreaming girls everywhere.

While some girls dream of marrying into the royal family, others dream of simply having a wedding worthy of the Royals. Without access to Buckingham Palace or another royal venue, and without the generous budget, it may be difficult to recreate a royal wedding exactly, but that doesn’t mean that a bride and groom can’t have a wedding that the Royals would approve of. If you want a royal wedding of your own, here are some tips to help you put together the perfect day:

The Dress

Every bride deserves to feel like a princess on her wedding day. Ultimately, you should choose a dress that makes you feel like royalty, whether it mimics a royal dress or not. However, if you want to make sure your dress is worthy of the Royals, be sure it includes a long train. Trains are elegant and make a visual statement, and since the royal wedding dresses have included trains up to 20 feet long, (Princess Diana never failed to wow), they are a must for a royalty-worthy gown.

If you’re having trouble finding the perfect dress, check out Azazie. They have hundreds of different styles that include trains, each breathtaking—they even have sorority dresses!

The Accessories

You’ll need something borrowed, something blue, something old, and something new of course. Royal weddings are steeped in tradition. However, there’s a major accessory that every royal bride wears that you cannot do without—a crown. What better way to feel like a royal on your wedding day than to wear a crown of jewels, (or faux jewels anyway)?

You won’t want to pick just any crown. Just like dress shopping, you’ll want to try on more than one until you find the perfect fit and the style that compliments your dress and the theme of the big day.

The Venue

While you may not have access to Buckingham Palace or a historic castle, odds are there’s an old church nearby. To set the stage, try to find a European style church or chapel in which to hold your wedding. If you aren’t able to, you can always stage a room with chandeliers, a red carpet, and other royal elements to help set the scene for your big day.

The Cake

While you may not be able to hire Fiona Cairns to bake your wedding cake like Prince William and Kate did, the baker you choose will still be able to create a cake for you worthy of a royal wedding. Make sure your cake has lots of layers and includes a lot of decorative piping. From roses to lace and garlands, the secret is in the details. If you want something a little less traditional, keep an eye on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s cake—it’s being designed by pastry chef Claire Ptak and is said to be less traditional and decorated with fresh flowers.

The Entertainment

At Kate and Prince William’s wedding, choirs and traditional singers provided the musical entertainment. While you may not have access to or be interested in choir music for your wedding and reception, opting for a live band over a DJ or smartphone hooked up to the sound system will make your wedding more royal.

The Food

It’s safe to say that a food truck isn’t something you’d see at a royal wedding, so if you’re going for a royal theme, you probably don’t want to hire one for yours, either. However, caviar may be out of the question when it comes to your budget, (and tastes). Instead, consider hiring a caterer or restaurant that will serve the meal directly to guests—for example, you could have servers all dressed up and serving meat directly off of the cut onto guests’ plates.

The Invitations

Invitations to the royal wedding are coveted—not just because it’s exclusive and amazing, but because the invitations themselves are works of art. Rather than hiring someone to hand write or print every invitation on burnished paper with gold leaf, try designing an invitation that has the look of a royal wedding but comes at a much lower cost. Black, white or cream, and gold are classic colors that portray sophistication and may be the perfect way to make your invitations look royal.

Final Thoughts

Rather than dreaming of attending the royal wedding, why not create your own? Although you may not be able to recreate a royal wedding completely, by taking concepts and putting your own spin on them, your day will make you and your soon-to-be spouse feel like nothing less than royalty. What else is needed to make a wedding feel royal?

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