Pippa & James’ fairytale ENDING
THE BLISSFULLY HAPPY COUPLE SEAL THEIR LOVE WITH A KISS
It’s a hard act to follow when your sister marries a future king in a ceremony watched by nearly 37 million people.
Pippa Middleton’s wedding to millionaire hedge fund manager James Matthews was never going to reach the giddy heights of that of her sister Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge’s, but it was still a truly divine occasion.
Far from the 2000-plus people who filled Westminster Abbey for Kate’s big day, there were just 120 guests on hand to witness Pippa and James say “I do” in St Mark’s Church in the Berkshire village of Englefield. However, the comparatively intimate gathering wasn’t a low-budget affair – it’s estimated to have cost between $1.3 and $2.2m.
From the fly-past by a vintage Spitfire to the light show of romantic photos of Pippa (33) and James (41) projected onto the side of the Middleton family home during the reception, there were plenty of lavish touches. A traditional wedding breakfast held at a country house was followed by an evening reception in a $184,000 glass palace-style marquee built in the grounds of Carole and Michael Middleton’s house in Bucklebury, Berkshire. The menu featured Scottish lamb and whiskey sorbet, washed down with 750 bottles of Nyetimber 2010 Blanc de
Noir Millington, which cost a whopping $103,000.
The radiant bride – who almost stole the show at the 2011 royal wedding thanks to her figurehugging bridesmaid’s dress – wore a high-neck lace gown by designer Giles Deacon, believed to have be priced at around $73,000. James was dashing in a bespoke Savile Row morning suit.
There was no sign of any nerves, with the bride appearing cool, calm and collected as
she arrived at the 12thcentury church with her father Michael. Pippa beamed as her dad walked her through an arch of wild flowers, and one friend says she was remarkably serene, even though she knew the eyes of the world were upon her.
Big sister Kate was happy to take a back seat and spent much of the day corralling the four page boys and four flower girls, who included her son Prince George (3) and daughter Princess Charlotte (2). One source reported that Charlotte was “a bit fidgety” and tried to make a break for freedom a couple of times during the day’s proceedings, but her mother kept a tight grip on her.
According to one source, the wedding service was held at the unusually early time of 11.30am so there would be time for Charlotte to have a sleep in the afternoon. Meanwhile, George shed tears twice – once when he fell over outside the church, and again when he stood on his aunt’s bridal gown and was told off by his mother.
Kate (35), who wore a nude silk Alexander McQueen number, had admitted before the wedding she was worried about how her children would behave, telling a guest at a Buckingham Palace garden party, “You never know at that age.” But the children’s nanny Maria Borrallo was also on hand to help out and the youngsters apparently behaved beautifully once inside the church.
The hour-long service included a reading by Pippa and Kate’s younger brother James, and a choir added a professional touch to the hymn singing. Kate contributed to her sister’s big day by providing a sketch of the church that was used on the order of service.
Pippa used many of the same companies that helped to make Kate’s wedding so special. The church pews were adorned with flowers supplied by the florist that decorated Westminster Abbey; the elaborate six-tier cake was crafted by the same decorator, Fiona Cairns; and the photos were taken by Millie Pilkington, who did Kate and William’s private wedding photos.
The guest list included Princes William and Harry, with
Harry’s girlfriend Meghan Markle attending the reception but not the service. Also in attendance was Princess Eugenie and her mother Sarah, Duchess of York, plus tennis star Roger Federer.
Security was strict for the wedding, with plainclothes policemen deployed and a separate marquee set up for security staff. Although mobile phones were allowed, there was a photo ban, and the catering and serving staff were asked to sign confidentiality agreements.
The 300 guests at the evening reception were instructed to gather at the Bucklebury village hall, where they had to provide a passport photo and secret password. They were then ferried to the Middletons’ $10m home in a fleet of 50 Range Rovers.
Most of the speeches had been given at the wedding breakfast earlier in the day, with Michael Middleton joking about how he’d now lost both of his daughters – but to great men. An insider says, “He couldn’t have made it clearer how proud he was of Pippa.”
Pippa and James also spoke, but the best man’s speech was reserved for the evening soirée and turned out to be the only sour note of the day. James’ pal Justin Johannsen was panned for using clichéd and crude jokes, and at one stage comparing Pippa to a dog. A source says the punchlines fell flat and there was only polite tittering from the guests.
But it didn’t ruin the fun and guests partied until 4am. Just over 24 hours later, the newly- weds were spotted looking bleary-eyed as they boarded an Air New Zealand flight in LA on their way to Tahiti. They’re set to spend their honeymoon on the French Polynesian atoll of Tetiaroa, which was bought in 1966 by movie star Marlon Brando.
Following his death in 2004, it was turned into The Brando, a luxurious eco-resort that costs guests upwards of $5500 a night. Its thatched villas each have an outdoor bath, an infinity pool, solar electricity and generators that run on coconut oil.
The resort is known for being peaceful and private – the perfect place for the new Mr and Mrs Matthews to unwind after the whirlwind that has been their fairytale wedding.