Here's what Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding day was like, truly magical! Let's break down every moment and detail of their big day here: THE CEREMONY
Meghan and Harry's gorgeous wedding ceremony took place at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. After walking down the aisle with her bridesmaids, page boys, and later Prince Charle, Meghan met her groom at the altar of St. George's Chapel. The Most Reverend Michael Bruce Curry delivered a rousing sermon during the ceremony, and the bride and groom said their vows and exchanged rings.
A CARRIAGE RIDE THROUGH WINDSOR
Immediately following the exchange of vows, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took a carriage ride through Windsor. The route went go along High Street through town before returning back via the Long Walk. See all of the gorgeous photos from their carriage ride here. The royal family gathered on the steps of St. George's Chapel to wave Harry and Meghan off on their procession. That's where the royal couple shared their first kiss.
THE ROLE OF HARRY AND MEGHAN'S FAMILIES
Harry and Meghan previously revealed their desire to include their families in the wedding ceremony and reception. In late April, the Palace shared that Prince Harry chose Prince William to serve as his best man, a break in royal tradition. William was "honoured to have been asked" by his brother. On May 4, the Palace revealed that on the wedding morning, Prince Harry and his best man, Prince William, will arrive at the ceremony by walking. Will and Harry will also greet the royals fans on the Castle grounds ahead of the ceremony. Harry and Meghan also paid tribute to Princess Diana on their wedding day. The Palace revealed that all three of Diana's siblings, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, Baroness Jane Fellowes, and Earl Spencer would attend the wedding. Additionally, Jane Fellows gave a reading at the wedding. On the wedding day, Meghan traveled to the Castle in a car through the procession route with her mother Doria Ragland by her side. Meghan was then joined by her Bridesmaids and Page Boys before arriving at St. George's Chapel. She walked through the first portion of the aisle on her own, and then met Prince Charles for the remainder of the walk. Meghan asked Prince Charles to accompany her down the aisle after her father, Thomas announced he would not attend the wedding this week.
THE WEDDING DRESS
Meghan's stunning wedding dress was designed by British designer Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy. Here's everything we know about her dress. The designer also created Meghan's shoes for the big day. And, royal fans were treated to Meghan's first royal tiara moment: the bride wore Queen Mary's diamond bandeau tiara for her wedding day look. Royal reporter Emily Nash revealed Meghan will have a second ensemble on her wedding day, just as Duchess Kate did back in 2011. We can expect to see that look when Harry and Meghan depart Windsor Castle for their evening reception at Frogmore House.
THE BOUQUET
Like many details of Harry and Meghan's royal wedding, the bouquet included a personal touch. The all white arrangement featured flowers picked by Prince Harry himself before the wedding. Blooms in the bouquet included Forget-Me-Nots, which were Princess Diana's favorite flower, sweet peas, lily of the valley, astilbe, jasmine and astrantia. Like all royal wedding bouquets, it included a sprig of myrtle, which dates back to the wedding of Queen Victoria's daughter, Princess Victoria. Myrtle symbolizes hope and love, making it a fitting addition to any bride's bouquet, royal or not.
BRIDESMAIDS AND PAGE BOYS
Meghan chose 10 bridal attendants to serve in her wedding party, including her newly-minted niece and nephew, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Find out who else was a page boy and a royal bridesmaid on the big day.
THE CAKE
Royal wedding cakes are typically fruit cakes, but Meghan and Harry are bucking tradition, and plan to have a lemon elderflower cake created by Claire Ptak, a pastry chef who was raised in California but now owns London-based bakery Violet Cakes. Get the scoop on the royal wedding cake here.
WHAT WILL MEGHAN'S LAST NAME BE?
Now that Meghan Markle has officially married Prince Harry, her last name is technically Rachel Meghan Mountbatten-Windsor. "Junior members of the royal family have the option of using the surname," royal historian and author Carolyn Harris tells Town & Country. But royals rarely use their surnames. More on that, here. Additionally, Harry and Meghan received a new title from the Queen on their wedding day: Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Although Meghan now holds the rank of princess, she won't be known as Princess Meghan. According to the customs of British peerage, a woman takes the title of her husband, meaning Meghan would become HRH Princess Henry of Wales, but she's not a British "blood" princess, so calling her Princess Meghan would be incorrect.
ATTENDEES
Celebrity royalty mixed with the real thing, when A-List stars from the worlds of acting, music and sports attended the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. Check below the attendees who brought their fashion game strong, including the royal family themselves.
WEDDING RECEPTION
After their Westminster Abbey ceremony, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge greeted the thousands of well-wishers who waited to see catch a glimpse of the carriage procession back to Buckingham Palace, where the Queen hosted a lunch for 650 guests. They later enjoyed an evening reception for their most trusted friends and family inside the Palace. Meghan and Harry's first reception took place at St. George's Hall, a state room within Windsor Castle. Approximately 600 guests have been invited to the ceremony and then lunch, which is being hosted by the Queen. On May 4, the Palace revealed after the Carriage Procession begins, all guests will walk from the Chapel to the reception at St. George's Hall, and that all guests invited to the ceremony will also attend the reception. The final public element of Harry and Meghan's wedding day will be the moment the newly married couple leaves Windsor Castle for Frogmore House, where their evening reception will take place. Around 200 guests were invited to this reception, and it will be hosted by the Prince of Wales. While Meghan Markle looked stunning when she debuted her Givenchy wedding gown to the world upon arriving for the wedding ceremofny at St. George’s Chapel with Prince Harry, it wasn’t the only wedding dress that Meghan donned for the royal wedding. Meghan changed into a Stella McCartney dress for her wedding reception at Frogmore House. Meghan’s McCartney wedding dress in a high-neck style bespoke lily white wedding dress made of silk crepe, according to a Royal Family release.
We all know we just witnessed history when Prince Harry broke all the royalty rules and traditions to marry the love of his life Meghan Markle. What a real life beautiful Fairytale!
