7 Pretty Details From Gabriella Windsor And Thomas Kingston's Royal Wedding For Your Inspiration
The wedding bells of St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle have rung once more!
And this time, the celebratory sounds are for Lady Gabriella Windsor and her husband, Thomas Kingston, who wed in the historic venue on May 18, whose union marked the very first royal nuptials of 2019.
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If you're unfamiliar with the blushing bride's name, that's because Lady Gabriella, or "Ella" as she prefers to be called, isn't a working royal like her more visible counterparts, Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle and Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton.
The daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent (her father is Queen Elizabeth II's first cousin), she's actually a writer by day, while Thomas is likewise just as non-royal as a full-time financier.
But despite her rather low-key status as a professional, Lady Gabriella's springtime wedding was as royal as it could have gotten, from its decor to her dress, guest list, and style.
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Here are all the grandest details from her ceremony that you need to know:
The dress
Is there really any other way to go but bespoke for a royal wedding? We think not.
For Lady Gabriella, her designer of choice was Italian bridal gown maker Luisa Beccaria who painstakingly layered alternates of ivory and blush lace and embroidery to achieve that "glowing from within" look for this bride. The dress, though traditional in style with a conservative round neck and quarter sleeves, was made entirely out of Valencienne écru lace with floral details, plus featured a dramatic train and a six-foot long veil to match.
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The tiara
Traditionally, only selected female royals are allowed to wear tiaras on their wedding days and need the permission of the queen in order to borrow one from her famed collection of royal jewels.
However, Lady Gabriella did end up wearing one and it was a lot more special than simply loaning a pretty piece from grandma; it was the same tiara—the Kent City of London Fringe tiara—that once belonged to her mother (and her grandmother, before that) that she too wore on her big day.
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The venue
As mentioned, St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle for the wedding proper, and Frogmre House for the reception, were the perfect places to celebrate this special occasion in.
They're exactly the same venues that Prince Harry and Meghan chose for their own wedding last year, and we're not surprised; the centuries-old structures are both historically signficant to the royal family, picturesque, and certainly roomy enough to accommodate a large party full of the country's most important personalities.
To add a touch of modernity to this wedding, this couple also brought some of their closest friends to upscale restaurant Wild by Tart in London.
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The guestlist
Speaking of this couple's guests, there were certainly some recognizable faces in the crowd!
Sarah Ferguson and her daughters Princess Beatrice and Eugenie were there, as well as Prince Harry, Pippa Middleton and her husband James Matthews and Anne Hathaway, during her dinner party. More so, the most important guests (a.k.a. the most high-ranking members of the monarchy who were present) were all included in an official wedding photo released by The Palace.
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The reception
Though one might have expected Lady Gabriella to take advantage of such a big occasion to draw attention to herself, she chose otherwise.
Her whole wedding was kept private, beginning with the ceremony (unlike those of Kate and Meghan, members of the public were not invited) up to the dinner party. There was little to no news coverage and it was a strictly private, by-invitation only affair.
The only details that have been confirmed about the reception are that this bride changed into a second, white dress that was much more playful than her wedding gown and featued a deep V-neck and fun floral appliques.
The cake
Weddings cakes are a big deal to any newly wedded couple, but for royal couples, the sweet treat is doubly special!
That's because for as long as anyone can remember, fruit cake has traditionally been the flavor of all British royal wedding cakes. Top bakers and pastry chefs from all over the country strive to make the perfect cake that's a balance of sweet and tangy in the hopes of being chosen to play such a special role in such a big event, and this time, it was Fiona Cairns (again) who bagged the gold.
The cake maker created Prince Harry and Meghan's cake, and for Lady Gabriella and Thomas, she came up with a masterpiece of fruit cake, Victoria sponge, and lemon Limoncello sponge flavors.
READ: A Look At Prince Harry And Meghan Markle's Combined Net Worth And Sources Of Money After The Wedding
The decor
Royal weddings differ from ordinary weddings in many ways, but one major difference is in how they're decorated. Don't expect to be wowed by props or set designs or any outlandish themes in royal ceremonies, but you will be wowed by how much they put into the organic decor.
The bridal bouquet, the teeny tiny blooms that accessorize the flower girls' and page boys' outfits, and the venue's floral motif are consistently some of the things that onlookers watch out for.
Fot this wedding, award-winning florist David Austin Roses (breeders of the most luxurious kinds of English roses) won the bid, gifting this royal couple with lots of white and peach blooms that inluced "coral sunset peonies, coral and white roses, white hydrangea, white delphiniums, apricot stocks and seasonal flowers, in addition to the creamy ivory ‘Ella’ rose," according to the official Royal Family Instagram page.
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And that's that!
The couple has lived a very private life before the wedding, only making the occasional appearance in official royal engagements on Lady Gabriella's part, but we're certainly hoping to see more of them now that the world has gotten to know them better.
Images from @theroyalfamily @luisabeccaria_official @fionacairnsltd @princesseugenie
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