Is Meghan Markle Keeping With British Wedding Tradition?

By MiNDFOOD

Is Meghan Markle Keeping With British Wedding Tradition?
Five royal wedding traditions and how Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding will be different.

From a plethora of over-the-top hats to big bachelorette and wedding parties, nuptials in the Queen’s country are a grand affair, and that’s not even at a royal occasion. MiNDFOOD explores some of the quirky British royal wedding traditions and how these will play out at the highly-anticipated wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Hats off (or should we say on)

There was a time when a hat was pretty much a requirement for a church wedding in the UK. Today, this has changed. Now they’re more of a token worn by the mother of the bride, and ladies who love dressing up – especially by guests at society weddings and traditional church ceremonies (the bigger the better). If you happen to find yourself in the back benches of a royal wedding, be sure to pick a seat free of any bountiful bonnets blocking your view, as ladies can keep their hats on during the ceremony. Given Markle’s fondness for hats, often pictured wearing one, it’s likely this wedding will see them aplenty.

Flying the nest, it’s a hen’s party

The Brits aren’t messing around when it comes to throwing lavish and often wild bachelorette parties, or more aptly a hen do. Sneaky weekend parties into Europe, as seen done by Pippa Middleton, are all the rage. Markle however, according to a report by The Sun, had a low-key affair at a countryside spa retreat, Soho Farmhouse, in the UK. The report also listed notable guests as Serena Williams and Priyanka Chopra.

Raise your glass

Markle is said to break centuries old tradition at her wedding by making her own speech, The Sunday Times reports. Talk about female empowerment. Tradition says that there are normally three sets of speeches: the bride’s father kicks off the speeches welcoming the guests and the groom into the family and toasting the bride and groom. The groom responds, thanking, well everyone. Lastly the best man shares a few light-hearted memories of the groom.

A fruity affair

Wedding cakes in the UK aren’t the most exciting, often tiered fruit creations topped with marzipan and icing. Well, there will be no fruit at this wedding; Kensington Palace announced the cake would be an organic elderflower and lemon cake with buttercream and decorated with fresh flowers. Traditionally the cake isn’t even eaten at the reception, but rather sliced up by the caterers after the official first cut, wrapped up and given out to guests to take home.

Big bridal party

Details are still sketchy around the makeup of the bridal party. Some reports have said that Meghan Markle won’t have a maid of honour; whilst Kensington Palace has teased that she will have bridesmaids and page boys, but not saying who. Members of the royal wedding party are often children, so it is likely that Princess Charlotte and Prince George will feature. As to the bridesmaids themselves, that’s anyone’s guess. Kensington Palace has said that the wedding will be guided by tradition, but also one which reflects the personalities the couple.

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