On Friday 29^th April I like billions of people across the world watched the wedding of the now TRH Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. I also spent the day blogging my views for Reuters .

The wedding world has waited with anticipation to see what the theme of the wedding would be, knowing that bride and grooms over the next 18 months will want to emulate elements of the wedding on their special day.  

Never has the TV had me clued for hours with such excitement – I honestly loved every minute of the coverage. I predict that many elements used in the Royal Wedding will become trend setters – my predications are as follows:

Lace

We all know vintage has been popular for a few years but now I think we will move more towards the elegance of Grace Kelly using vintage lace to cover the arms and bodice. Sarah Barton at Alexandra McQueen designed the dress for Catherine.

Photo credit: BBC News

Hair

No longer will brides force their hair up with a hundred pins; instead they will have a half up/half down style to reflect their femininity.

Lilly of the Valley

Has always been a popular choice (albeit expensive) but Catherine bouquet just showed you don’t have to have a large bouquet to make a statement, small is sometimes better.

Trees

I first used trees at a wedding in 2007 where they lined the entrance to Leez Priory & flagged the aisle which was outside – you can see some images here . They are perfect for my weddings in the Suffolk and Essex countryside but I think we will begin to see them across the masses of weddings here in the UK.

Fanfare Trumpeters

I loved the trumpeters in the gallery and predict a huge surge in brides wanting similar for their weddings. An Essex company I have used before is London Banqueting Ensemble .

Readings & Hymns

Since launching as a planner in 2002 I have lost count of the number of times clients have used the same readings and hymns (i.e Corinthians 13) so it was great to see more individual choices and James Middleton read The Lesson (Romans 12:1,2,9-18)  beautifully.

Rehearsed Bridesmaids

Pippa Middleton almost stole the show in my mind. Not only did she look so elegant in her dress (although not every bridesmaid would have the figure for that clingy style!) but she was always there to hold Catherine train and stood perfectly in the centre so the symmetry was perfect.  She looked poised and elegant at all times.

Copyright: BBC News

Many of my clients live together and as such have everything they need for their homes, for this reason they decide against the traditional ‘wedding gift list’ opting instead to honeymoon or charity donations. It would seem Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton are continuing with this trend by launching a charitable gift fund.

Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton have created a charitable gift fund to help celebrate their wedding. The fund will focus on assisting charities which support the five causes chosen by the couple. These causes are close to their hearts and reflect the experiences, passions and values of their lives so far. Having been touched by the goodwill shown to them since their engagement, they have asked that anyone wishing to send them a wedding gift consider doing so in the form of a donation to the fund.

To learn more about the Charity Fund please visit the website for details on how to donate + information about the charities they are supporting.  

Contributing to a honeymoon

As I mentioned in my introduction, many of my clients have decided to ask for contributions towards their honeymoon. One company I like is ‘Honeymoney’ . Instead of just sending ‘cash’ guests can instead buy experiences like snorkelling or massages or even pay for champagne on the bride & groom arrivals. You can see sample gift lists here.  

Charity lists

There are many companies that specialise in charity gift lists but I’m going to concentrate on just 2.

Oxfam Unwrapped  enables the couple to choose causes close to their hearts, just like the honeymoon list, guests then select what ’cause’ they would like to contribute to. For example one such gift could be school supplies for a child which is just £7.

Categories to choose from include:

1. Animal Lovers
2. DIYers
3. Educators & innovators
4. Eco-warriors
5. Foodies
6. Gardeners
7. Kids
8. Parents & Carers

Photo: Abbie Trayler-Smith

The Alternative Wedding List - Clients have used this charity gift list company in the past, it enables you to support a number of charities at the same time. When you set the list up it enables guests to see how the money could be spent, a sample list can be found here. There are too many charities involved with The Alternative Wedding List for me to write down but it can be found via here .

This week is going to be a busy week of media interviews regarding the Royal Wedding (I’ll be online at Reuters all day giving my opinions on the wedding) so I thought I’d prepare a countdown of useful information for anyone interested in the wedding of Kate & William on the 29th April 2011.

Prince William & Kate Middleton

To begin with I am going to talk to you about Royal Etiquette, when doing my research for this article I came across one by Sarah Haywood , one of the loveliest wedding planners in the UK. Sarah is a former TV presenter and even now you will frequently see her interviewed regarding all things ‘wedding related’. She is also the author of The Wedding Bible  which I highly recommend to any brides not using a wedding planner.

I have listed a few of her tips below but the full article can be found via her blog .

•  How to Greet the Queen: greet her as “Your Majesty” and then as “Ma’am” (as in jam).
• Bow: unless you are a British subject you do not have to bow or curtsy, as the Queen is not your Sovereign.
• Don’t touch: royal etiquette dictates not touching the Queen or other members of the royal family. You are required to wait for them to extend their hand to you. If they do then a gentle handshake is acceptable: not too hard and no gripping or pulling and definitely no hugs, no kiss on the cheek, no touching and no pats on the back.
• Conversation: if the Queen or other members of the royal family engage in conversation do not ask them any personal questions – idle chitchat is all that’s required of you.
• Dress code: do as it says on the invitation: no more – no less. If in the military, uniform is definitely the order of the day otherwise formal morning dress or lounge suit has been requested. Ladies must not reveal too much flesh in church and should wear an appropriate hat and gloves. Ladies keep hats on in the Abbey but you may be offered the option at the Palace of removing it – if not keep it on. But a gentleman always removes his hat before stepping indoors.
• Eating at the Reception: generally one stops eating when the Queen does. As she is a very polite lady she therefore eats slowly to allow you sufficient time for sustenance. If other royals however keep eating, it is acceptable on this occasion to follow their lead (the newlyweds will want you to enjoy the cake).
• Tea drinking: this is a British institution and it is likely at some point you will be offered a cup of tea. Raise only the teacup to drink and return the cup to the saucer after each sip. If you add sugar, stir from north-east to south-west (not around and around) without clinking the side of the china with the spoon.

Copyright Kerry Morgan

• Dancing: the royals love dancing and are very good at it. You might want to practice or indulge in a dance lesson to avoid embarrassing yourself with any John Travolta/Ricky Gervais style impressions.
• Depart at the appointed time: it is rude to overstay your welcome. When other guests leave, follow their lead: but never before the Queen and senior royals have departed unless instructed to do so.

With the Royal Wedding literally just days away it would seem wedding fever has hit the media both here in the UK and abroad. Over the next few days I am out and about fulfilling some media requests as part of the UKAWP.

BBC Essex

On Monday 25th April I will be in the studio with Sadie Nine who is covering for the Dave Monk show. I’ve been on the Dave Monk show many times but this will be the first time I will have met Sadie. I’m on air at around 9:15am. You can listen via here . The discussion will be concentrating on what could go wrong at a wedding.

 Guardian Online

I will be taking part in a live Q&A discussion on ‘How to become a wedding planner’ on Wednesday 27th April. If you are interested in becoming a wedding planner then please join in the discussion where you will learn it’s not just Royal weddings that need some professional help with the planning.

Radio 4 – Moneybox Programme

After the guardian Q&A session I will make my way to the BBC TV Centre where I will be live on the Moneybox Programme at 3pm to answer all questions regarding money & weddings alongside a panel of experts including:

Christine Ross, Independent Financial Advisor, SG Hambros

Andrea Ventress, deputy editor, Wedding magzine

If you have a question you would like answering please go to the moneybox page for details on how to call or email in.

Reuters

And finally my week ends on the 29th April with the Royal Wedding, I’m delighted to have been asked to take part in some live blogging throughout the day on Reuters providing commentary and views on the Royal Wedding as it happens. Do pop on by and say hello.

Last week we discussed what type of dress Kate might select for her wedding to Prince William. Today I wanted to show you one stationer who I think creates the most amazing invitations fit for a Prince! David from Acushla recently sent me his portfolio and I was stunned at the creativity in some of his designs, including an invitation that transformed into a origami peacock ! Another invite was a blue lotus flower but today I wanted to show you a more modern but traditional design that perhaps Kate & William will love?