Ceremony a ‘blend of both sides of the pond’
Everyone loves Harry, but area revelers celebrating the royal wedding at the Mandarin Oriental in Boston were all about Meghan Markle as they reflected on yesterday’s nuptials.
Elisha Daniels of Firas Yousif Originals on Newbury Street said the ceremony was magnificent. “It was just beautiful. I thought she looked elegant and classic. It was very clean and very modern. I feel she will stand the test of time in 20 years. She will still look as elegant as she did today.
“It was more of an American wedding than a British wedding. I thought it was lovely, I thought it really was so inclusive of Meghan, and I thought that the royal family, who historically is a very staunch and stodgy group, they really opened the doors to her and I think it spoke volumes.”
Tonya Mezrich of the Back Bay said:
“It was gorgeous. I mean it, was more casual, I feel like, than the last one, which was nice — it was a breath of fresh air. It’s Harry and Meghan . ... They’re a little bit more lively and a little bit more outgoing than the other royal couple, so their wedding just expressed that.”
“I do love how they incorporated all of the America all in the wedding, and they had the
reverend ... and the gospel choir and the (cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason). It just seems like they brought a lot of America into England, which was nice.”
Lo McShay of LoLo Event Design:
“The florals were amazing. They transformed that entire chapel into a very authentic English garden, which I think is very appropriate.”
“I thought that it was really interesting to see the blend of American and British influences — which, I think, is what Meghan Markle (was looking for) — that was her vision and direction behind the whole day. From the pastor (the Most Rev. Michael Curry) that she brought over to the (cellist, Kanneh-Mason) who performed, it really felt like it was an interesting blend of both sides of the pond.”
Binita Patel, a photographer from Framingham, said:
“It’s really exciting to see the amount of enthusiasm we have here all the way in Boston for the royal wedding. … Meghan, I think, is bringing a different element to the royal family.”
“The dress (was) stunning. She definitely decided to take a low-key approach to her own appearance ... that just kind of indicates to me how humble and sort of down-to-earth she really is as a human being, and she’s not letting sort of the hype of this international wedding really get to her.”
Emily Conroy, a wedding specialist at Mandarin Oriental Boston, said:
“I was shocked by Meghan’s dress. I thought she was going to be in lace, a little bit more showy, but I was surprised by the simplicity of her dress. But she looked beautiful ... just beautiful all around.
“I always like a good ceremony, so the ceremony was my favorite. I feel that’s what a wedding is all about . ... When she walked down the aisle, you know, that nice big grand entrance. And then her walking up to Harry I think was my favorite part.”