Inside the wedding of the year ... first shots of Pippa’s marquee blooms
Her guests had described the interior of her £100,000 glass wedding marquee as ‘extravagant’ and ‘like a fairytale’. And it seems they weren’t lying… Photographs posted on picture-sharing site Instagram, said to come from Pippa Middleton’s floral and event designer, show off an opulent display of flowers arranged for Saturday’s big day.
And the displays are thought to have cost tens of thousands of pounds.
The dome of the towering marquee, shipped over from Belgium especially for the occasion, was almost filled with full-sized flowering cherry trees.
Sources have told the Mail that the theme of the night was ‘enchanted Forest’. The dinner tables, covered with spring green table cloths, groan with the weight of pretty pink and white roses, interspersed with deep green foliage.
They are covered with wine and champagne glasses, crisp white napkins, mirrored flower boxes and gold place settings. The sheer lavishness of the setting for the evening reception held in the garden of their £5million house in Bucklebury, Berkshire, helps to explain why sources told the Mail that Pippa’s wedding to hedge fund boss, James Matthews, would have cost close to £1million – had they paid for it all themselves.
The pictures were posted by art director, event and floral designer Djordje Varda from Saint Barths, where James’s family own the eden rock Hotel. Varda – who has been named as one of the most talented floral designers in europe – said he worked with society florist rob Van Helden, a favourite of elton John who is known to have created the flowers for the reception.
The pictures were posted with the message: ‘Let me tell you the story about a special wedding for very special and lovely people…..The Cherry Blossom Fairy Tale #pippamiddleton #bucklebury #pippamiddletonwedding #lovemyjob #passion Many thanks to rob Van Helden and his team! Thank you guys for your help and hard work!’
He added: ‘To create a special wedding you need beautiful flowers and you need to feel Love.’
Mr Van Helden replied: ‘Thanxx SO much for allowing us to be part of it!!! Love from us all at rVH xxx’
The event director also posted a picture of the village sign at Bucklebury and a photograph of the happy couple, taken outside St Mark’s Church in nearby englefield.
Pippa, 33, sister of the Duchess of Cambridge, is on honeymoon in the South Pacific, following her wedding at the weekend at which Prince George and Princess Charlotte were a pageboy and bridesmaid. Meanwhile, seemingly genuine, personally-inscribed menus from the five-course wedding breakfast were yesterday on sale on eBay – with bids starting as high as £499.