It was London’s society wedding of the year, and the world was watching to see how it would unfold.
Who was getting married? Pippa Middleton, sister of Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge to her fund manager fiancé James Matthews.
The wedding took place at St Mark’s Church on the private Englefield estate, about five miles (8km) from the bride’s home village of Bucklebury.
With a estimated budget rumoured to be around the $300,000 mark, you would expect it to run without a flaw.
The 33 year old bride arrived at St Marks Church, driven in an open top 1951 vintage Jaguar by her father Michael, wearing a high necked, cap-sleeve Edwardian style lace wedding dress, hand crafted by the designer Giles Deacon.
Pippa also donned a Stephen Jones gauze veil over her head covering a silver coloured Maidenhair Fern tiara. On her feet, she had Manolo Blahnik ivory satin shoes
Both father and daughter were met at the church door by mother Carole. Both Princes William and Harry arrived together putting to rest any speculation that he would be arriving with his girlfriend Meghan Marke.
While Kate Middleton was spotted leaving Kensington with husband Prince William earlier in the morning, the Duchess was not pictured outside the church prior to the ceremony presumedly meeting her sister inside so as not to take attention away from the bride.
Kate was however first spotted assembling the children at the back of the hall near the back entrance. They were then ushered to the front door ready for the brides pending arrival.
With a quick ‘Shh’ from the Duchess of Cambridge to the children, they then entered the church.
The service got underway just after 11.30am and 45 minutes later, after a brief downpour, the wedding bells rang as the couple emerged for the first time as husband and wife.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s son Prince George acted as page boy whilst little sister Princess Charlotte was a flowergirl/bridesmaid. Kate herself did not take part in the official wedding entourage however, was on hand to keep the seven children in line during the course of the ceremony.
As the guests filed out after them, the newly married couple kissed as the youngest members of their party walked in front of them, then paused for the happy couple to take official photos.
The children dressed in bespoke creations by designer Pepa and Co were given tiny rattan baskets filled with confetti petals which they threw in the air as the couple walked down the path towards the church gate.
It had previously been reported that the event could have a Scottish theme to it, however whilst not a kilt was sighted, several were sporting tartan clothing.
Other guests included Tennis star Roger Federer and his wife, Princess Eugenie and her current boyfriend Jack Brooksbank, TV presenter Donna Air, brother James Middleton’s girlfriend and controversial uncle Gary Goldsmith to name a few.
After posing for photographs outside the church, the happy couple made their way with guests to Englefield House before driving away from the estate in the vintage Jaguar. They’ll gather at the Middleton’s mansion for an evening reception.
It was then Kate’s job to marshal the youngsters back into the same classic car they arrived in to take them to the first reception.
It was around this time Prince Harry left the ceremony driving 160km back to Kensington Palace to pick up girlfriend Meghan Markle to escort her to the reception.
Markle chose not to attend the ceremony itself, in a bid to avoid stealing the limelight from Pippa on her big day.
The happy couple then returned making a low-key entrance to the reception in an Audi, just in time to catch a fly-past by a World War II-era Spitfire plane.
Was Meghan Markle’s outfit at Pippa Middleton’s wedding reception a fashion faux pas?
Markle snuck into the festivities clad in a glamorous long black dress, sunglasses and white jacket. It was a somewhat controversial choice of attire given etiquette and fashion experts advise against wearing black to weddings, with some cultures believing it is bad luck.
Mr and Mrs Matthews eventually left their star studded reception to set off for their dream honeymoon on a $5,600 a night private island resort in French Polynesia, once owned by Marlon Brando.
Upon arrival, the couple will be serenaded by Polynesians wearing flower garlands. It is expected that the couple will remain on the island for a week, and might find themselves bumping into another of the resorts famous guests Barack Obama. It is reported that he arrived there a few weeks ago with his wife Michelle to begin on his Whitehouse memoirs.
It was whilst filming Mutiny on the Bounty in 1962 that Brando fell in love with the island and bought it for a mere $28,000. Following his death in 2004, it was turned into a luxurious eco-resort.
Its 35 villas each have an outdoor bath, an infinity pool and a rocking chair for two, with seawater air conditioning, solar electricity and generators running on coconut oil.
The rumour mill has been going into overdrive since the wedding with reports now surfacing that Pippa’s engagement ring carries a higher value to that of Diana’s now worn by her sister Kate, Duchess of Cambridge.
