by: Christie Bazemore
There’s no doubt Saturday’s #royalwedding was one for the books. The Royal Family broke with (lots of) tradition and welcomed the stunning Meghan Markle with open arms into the clan thereby continuing the progress of the Royal Family into the modern era. It’s also proof for every girl with Princess aspirations that fairy tales really do come true. (Walt Disney would be so proud)
The details of Harry and Meghan’s big day were spectacular and accompanied by a royal wedding budget (#nolimit), but the “best of” their wedding is seriously attainable for the rest of us non-royals.
Below are our pick for the Top 5 “Royal-Wedding-Dos” that every couple can (& should) include for their wedding day…
1. Ditch the BIG bridal party – The conversation about the excessive size of the modern wedding party is one for another day. The point of the intimate bridal party is just that…intimate. Each of the tots who accompanied Meghan down the aisle were connected to the soon-to-be husband and wife in a very personal way. That has meaning now and 40 years from now.
2. Less really is MORE – No one can argue that Meghan’s hair, makeup, bouquet, and dress were perfectly understated and reflective of her personal style, but also a sensational example of the power of “less is more”. No matter what your hairdresser or makeup artist might say to the contrary, you should look and feel like YOU on your wedding day.
3. Always opt for LIVE musicians at the Ceremony – Live musicians, whether a cellist or R&B gospel band (or both if you’re Meghan and Harry) make for an
entirely different feel and experience for your guests. Live musicians bring the gathering of guests into the present moment in a way that other music options simply cannot achieve. (No offense DJs)
4. Request a Custom Cake Flavor – The cake bakers of the world are going to hate me for this one, but custom wedding cake flavors are a great way to share a piece of your relationship or family history with your guests. Maybe you met in a lemon grove in Italy. Or maybe you both share a nearly addictive love for all things mint chocolate chip. Sharing with your guests a cake that has a story and personal importance to the both of you makes the largest wedding celebration suddenly feel more intimate.
5. Make it Personal – Each of the first four elements made Meghan and Harry’s wedding a very personal affair set on an international stage. Their choice of attendants, design, musicians, and cake flavors were all reflective of their personal “couple-style”. (So, even if we don’t know them personally, it kinda feels like we do.) The most exquisite moments of the #royalwedding and the (now) newlyweds came from the words of Bishop Micheal Curry and his reference to Martin Luther King’s sentiments on “the redemptive power of LOVE”. If we wanted to know anything about the real Meghan and Harry, we do now.
BTW…can we just say how James Bond these two are in that Jaguar?
Bonus: Ditch Your Phone! This one is actually a take-away from my own wedding day last month. At the insistence of my wedding planner, I relinquished my phone the night before our wedding and I did not receive it back until the end of our reception. In truth, I was totally lost for the first few hours, but not having it allowed me to be fully present on my wedding day. #weddingwin
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Christie Bazemore {Founder of SocietyWed. Co-Founder & Partner – 128 South and Bakery 105 in Wilmington, NC. Entrepreneur, Small Business Mentor, Event Planner, Wedding Geek, Writer, Business Innovator, Idea Maker, Boot Camp Betty, Yoga Nut, Animal Lover, Avid Reader}