Pippa’s big day is just perfect!
Guests reveal the eye watering costs of the Middletons’ VERY big day
IT was billed as a simple family country wedding – but Pippa Middleton’s nuptials were anything but.
The extravagant celebrations are estimated to have cost more than £1million, although thanks to some generous friends her family didn’t have to foot the full bill.
The day started with a champagne breakfast and ended with whisky sorbet and chasers – plus a game of table tennis between seven-times Wimbledon champion Roger Federer and Princes William and Harry.
Like all good weddings there was something old, something new, something borrowed and something (very) blue.
The old was a romantic movie-style collage of photographs of Pippa and James Matthews over the years which, bizarrely, was projected 100ftwide on to her £6million family home for two hours during their wedding reception on Saturday night.
For the new, there was Pippa’s £40,000 Giles Deacon wedding dress and a stunning Robinson Pelham pearl tiara. Her something borrowed was the Second World War Spitfire that soared over the Berkshire countryside for free – and the fleet of fifty brand new Range Rovers lent to the Middletons by the company to ferry their guests around.
As for blue, there was no contest: the best man’s speech given by an old friend of his, Justin Johannsen.
The day started early for residents of Englefield, the small Berkshire village next to the private estate where the ceremony was held.
They queued up to catch a glimpse of Pippa and her group of eight bridesmaids and pageboys, including, of course, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, her niece and nephew.
Pippa, 33, who enjoyed a scrambled eggs breakfast with her mother and closest friends, was described by one guest as being ‘serene’ and unfazed by the eyes of the world upon her.
Sources said George, three, fell over outside the church, prompting a brief bottom lip wibble, and Charlotte, in her pretty £448 Pepa & Co dress, made several breaks for freedom.
Back at Englefield House, a relaxed wedding breakfast was held with more than 20 types of canapes courtesy of leading society caterer Table Talk, including mini haggis (a homage to James’s Scottish leanings), muntjac carpaccio with mushroom, fresh langoustine claws and asparagus spears with hollandaise sauce – using as many British ingredients as possible.
Table Talk’s brief was to create a relaxed, modern feel, and as well as the guests standing, a second table was set up with chefs behind it slicing huge legs of serrano ham, as well as a Parmesan wheel, foie gras with little toasts and sauternes jelly.
Pippa’s father Michael gave a short but charming speech at the lunch, where he joked he’d now lost both of his daughters – but to great men. A source said: ‘He couldn’t have made it clearer how proud he was of Pippa.’
Afterwards a ‘standard three-tier cake, plain but pretty’ by royal baker Fiona Cairns was cut. All the while a jazz band trio played, although one source admitted they ‘weren’t very good and didn’t go down that well’.
Others described bridesmaid Princess Charlotte as being ‘a bit fidgety’ with Kate having to hold her still.
While the wedding breakfast may have been low-key, no expense was spared for the black-tie evening reception at Michael and Carole Middleton’s home, from the £100,000 glass marquee downwards.
Guests began to arrive from 7pm at Bucklebury village hall. Each had to provide a passport photo and password beforehand, and even tennis legends Federer and Tim Henman had to go through the vetting process.
Just before 8pm the Spitfire looped in the skies before guests went in to feast on a five-course dinner including smoked salmon, Scottish lamb, and a whisky sorbet. Ice creams were handed around at the end.
It was all washed down with 750 bottles of Nyetimber 2010 Blanc de Noir Millington, costing £56,250.
The groom and his brother Spencer had given short speeches earlier, but the best man’s speech was kept back until 11.30pm.
Prince Harry had eyes only for girlfriend Meghan Markle, but was persuaded by Federer to play him on one of the table tennis tables dotted about in homage to one of Pippa’s favourite sports. Federer played Pippa, Kate and William too, and at one point the princes took him on together.
Meanwhile, James and Spencer took to the dance floor and threw some ‘weird’ moves – as the party raged on until 4am.
‘Mini haggis and muntjac carpaccio’