On the 29th April 2011 at 11 o'clock, Prince William and Kate Middleton were married in Westminster Abbey. As with many previous royal couples, the celebration was a grand affair and nearly 2,000 guests were invited to witness the marriage in Westminster Abbey, with around 600 invited to attend Buckingham Palace following the ceremony.
In honour of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge celebrating their 10 year anniversary, we are looking back at their special day and the timeless elements that still provide many couples with wedding inspiration, even a decade on.
Image courtesy of The Royal Family
The Invitation
As the Monarch, the Queen issued the invitations to Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding. These traditional invitations were simple and elegant, with black lettering and golden decals of the Royal Stationery.
The Invitation reads:
"The Lord Chamberlain is commanded by The Queen to Invite [NAME] to the Marriage of His Royal Highness Prince William  of Wales, K.G. with Miss Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey on Friday, 29th April, 2011 at 11.00 a.m."
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The Wedding Dress and Bridal Accessories
The Duchess's wedding dress was designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen. According to the Palace, Kate chose the brand because of "the beauty of its craftsmanship and its respect for traditional workmanship and the technical construction of clothing".Â
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Kate reportedly wished for her dress to combine tradition and modernity, as well as the creativeness of the Alexander McQueen brand. The dress was made with white and ivory satin gazar. The bodice of the gown was padded at the hips and narrowed at the waist which gave a nod to Victorian tradition of corsetry. Hand-cut English lace and French Chantilly lace was used throughout the bodice and skirt. The dress was also complete with 58 buttons covered in gazar and organza. These were fastened by Rouleau loops.
According to Town and Country Magazine, Kate's "something blue" was added in a delicate way to her wedding dress. Sarah Burton's team were reportedly asked by Kate to sew a blue ribbon into the interior of the dress, as a touching gesture to her late mother-in-law, Diana, Princess of Wales, who had also sewn a blue ribbon to her own wedding gown in 1981.
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The delicate appliqué lace that decorated the dress was hand-crafted by the Royal School of Needlework. The design of the lace honoured the national flowers of each UK nation; the rose, the thistle, the daffodil and the shamrock. Kate's exceptionally beautiful, fingertip-length silk tulle veil had a trim of hand-embroidered flowers which was also detailed by Royal School of Needlework.
The long train flowed beautifully down the aisle and was handled with real care by her sister and maid of honour, Philippa. The Duchess' ceremony bridal look was completed by her incredible, "something borrowed"; Queen Elizabeth's "halo" tiara made by Cartier in 1936.
Image courtesy of The Royal Family
And what of her hair and make-up? Kate's stunning half-up, half-down hairstyle with flowing curls really completed her ceremony look with elegance. The Queen's tiara sits delicately on her neatly pinned back hair and her natural make-up effortlessly elevated her natural beauty. Did you know that the Duchess did her own make-up for her wedding day?
Evening Reception
For the evening reception, the Duchess wore another Alexander McQueen gown designed by Sarah Burton. This beautiful and simple strapless gown, with sweetheart neckline, featured a flowing skirt, structured bodice and gorgeous belt detail. She completed the outfit with a cropped, cream cardigan. Kate's hair and make-up for the evening was very similar to that of her ceremony, but with a more relaxed hairstyle of simple, bouncy curls.
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The Prince's Outfit
For the ceremony, Prince William wore a traditional mounted officer's uniform, paired with a forage cap, as is tradition. In February of 2011, the Prince was appointed Colonel of the Irish Guards and so chose to wear the full dress uniform of that regiment.
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As a Knight of the Order of the Garter, he also wore the blue riband and order's star. As a serving RAF lieutenant, he also wore his wings and the Golden Jubilee Medal. Kashket and Partners fitted Prince William’s uniform for his wedding day. Â
Fun fact: The Prince's uniform (and that of his brother, Prince Harry) were made with a sweat-proof material to prevent them from overheating during the ceremony inside Westminster Abbey!
Evening Reception
For the evening reception, hosted by his father, in the state rooms of Buckingham Palace, the Prince wore a suave, black tuxedo paired with black bow tie and white pocket square. His father matched his look and opted for a patterned pocket square.
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Outfits of the Wedding Party
Maid of Honour Outfit
Kate chose her sister, Philippa, to be her maid of honour. Philippa's dress was also designed and created by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen. This heavy, ivory satin-based crepe dress was simply stunning and timeless. The cowl neckline is still popular with bridesmaids (and bridal) fashion today.Â
The back of the dress was detailed with the same gazar and organza covered buttons and the same lace trims as the bride's wedding dress. Philippa's hair was also similar to Kate's. The elegant, half-up, half-down style was completed with floral details found within the Bride's bouquet.
Image: Getty Images
The Parents' Outfits
Kate's father, Michael Middleton, wore a traditional morning suit to the ceremony with pinstripe trousers. This was paired with a top hat, grey waistcoat and patterned pink tie. Kate's mother, Carole Middleton, wore a beautiful, pastel blue, knee length Catherine Walker dress coat. She paired her outfit with a striking hat in a similar shade and gorgeous suede heels.
Prince Charles wore his traditional Naval uniform and paired this with the traditional sword and blue sash. The Duchess of Cornwall opted for a blue and cream suit with gold and white details. Her hat beautifully complemented the tones within her outfit and she paired the look with gold heels and pearl necklace.
Image: Getty Images
The Queen's Outfit
The Queen wore a stunning, yellow Angela Kelly dress and complimentary crepe hat for her grandson's wedding. Known for her ability to wear bright colours well, the Queen simply dazzled the waiting crowds in this gorgeous number!
Her look was complimented by a beautiful pearl necklace, white gloves, bow-detail heels and a gorgeous Launer London handbag. The diamond brooch she wore on the left hand side was the Queen Mary's True Lover's Knot. She had previously worn this to her sister's wedding 1960.
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Young Bridesmaids Outfits
The young bridesmaids wore gorgeous, ballerina length dresses which were designed to echo the Bride's dress. The dresses were finished with sweet little silk sashes. These were the perfect detail, tied at the back in an adorable bow.
The young bridesmaid dresses were hand-created by British children's wear designer, Nicki Macfarlane, and her daughter Charlotte. As a sweet touch for each bridesmaid to remember the day, their name and the date of the wedding was hand-embroidered into the lining of each dress.
Devon-based Rainbow Club, designed and made the bridesmaid's shoes. The satin Mary Jane style is a classic choice and beautifully finished with a Swarovski crystal buckle. The flower crowns completed their outfits perfectly.Â
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Page Boys Outfits
The page boys wore traditional red Foot Guard uniforms, dating back to the time of the Regency era. Like Prince William's uniform, they contained insignia from the Irish Guards on the golden collar.  The buttons on the uniform featured the Harp of Ireland surmounted by the Crown Imperial.Â
The breeches worn by the page boys were ivory and partnered with white stockings and black shoes with buckles. The pair also wore a gold and crimson sash that fastened around their waists. When in the presence of the Royal Family, this sash is traditionally worn by officers in the Irish Guards. The page boy uniforms were created by Kashket and Partners, but designed by the Royal Household themselves.
Image:Â Getty Images
Floral Features and Bouquet
Recently, the Westminster Abbey twitter account has shared some behind the scenes insights into the Royal Wedding. They noted that the Abbey was decorated with almost 30,000 flowers. These (mostly) came from the royal estates at Sandringham and Windsor. Flowers featured within the decor included azaleas, rhododendrons, euphorbias, wisteria, beech and lilac. The Abbey also noted that the floral choices reflected the couple's love of the English countryside.
What's more, the couple also opted for the Abbey's nave aisle to become "an avenue of trees". The Abbey shared that 6 field maples and 2 hornbeams were brought in "to line the route of the bride’s procession to the High Altar". Once the ceremony was over, these trees were replanted at Prince Charles' Welsh home.
The Bride's bouquet was shield-shaped and full of meaning. According to the Palace, the floral designer, Shane Connolly, drew on the traditions of flowers and focused on their "significance for the Royal Family, the Middleton Family and on the Language of Flowers."
Each flower included in the bride's bouquet has an individual meaning:
- Lily-of-the-valley symbolised happiness
- Sweet William was chosen as a symbol of gallantry*
- Hyacinth was chosen as the symbol of constancy of love
- Ivy; representative of fidelity, affection and marriage
- Myrtle chosen as the emblem of marriage and love.
*Of course, it's easy to imagine that Sweet William was also chosen as a name-sake reference to the Prince himself.
A special scented touch
Jo Malone's Orange Blossom candles, creating a gorgeous signature scent for the couple's special day. The crisp, fresh orange scent amidst the beautiful flowers created a luxurious and opulent atmosphere inside the Abbey.
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The Wedding Cake
The couple's incredible wedding cake was made by the talented, Fiona Cairns. This multi-tiered fruit cake was the perfect nod to tradition and decorated beautifully in the Joseph Lambeth technique. We particularly love the understated detail of the national flower of each nation being represented in the decor. If you look closely at some of the tiers, you'll see thistles, daffodils, shamrocks and roses.
Image Courtesy of The Royal Family
Wedding Breakfast
Around 600 guests were invited to a luncheon at Buckingham Palace, following the wedding ceremony. This was hosted by the Queen. According to People Magazine, the luncheon involved champagne and canapés followed by a delicious and elegant three-course meal.
The first course consisted of marinated South Uist salmon, Lyme Bay crab and wild Hebridean langoustines with a fresh herb salad. To accompany this starting course, the guests were also served a complimentary wine; a 2009 Meursault, Domaine Guyot-Javillier.
Saddle of Lamb was served for the second course. To accompany this, Highgrove spring vegetables were served along with English asparagus and Jersey Royal potatoes. The dish was completed with sauce Windsor. This course was also served with a complimentary 2004 L’ Hospitalet de Gazin, Pomerol wine.
The final course of the wedding breakfast was a sumptuous trio of desserts. This consisted of Berkshire honey ice cream, sherry trifle and chocolate parfait. The final course was complimented with Laurent Perrier Rosé Champagne.
Wedding Transport
Many different modes of transport were used for this Royal Wedding, with the most notable being the carriage procession following the ceremony. The couple travelled in a horse-drawn carriage to Buckingham Palace and were able to wave and greet the adoring crowds through the streets of London. Of course, plenty of people turned up to view the historic moment thanks to a Bank Holiday given for the event.
As a fun transport twist at the end of the formal event, the newlyweds left Buckingham Palace in Prince Charles' Blue Aston Martin. The Prince of Wales had received this for his 21st Birthday. Friends of William and Kate customised the car with "L" plates, ribbons, balloons with their initials C and W and a "JU5T WED" license plate (if you look closely, you'll see a little "♡U" written in place of the EU decal on the left side).
Image Courtesy of The Royal Family
Evening Reception and Entertainment
The reception was held in one of Buckingham Palace's state rooms and hosted by the Prince of Wales.
It is widely known that the couple chose British song-writer Ellie Goulding to perform at the event. She reportedly performed her cover of Elton John's 'Your Song' and many of her well-known songs, including 'Starry Eyed', for the Royal couple and their guests.
The couple, along with 300 of their family and friends, celebrated into the night. The evening was reportedly completed with a small fireworks display at 3am.
Image: Getty Images
Following their wedding day, William and Kate left Buckingham Palace by helicopter. They soon jetted off on their honeymoon, which was reportedly a surprise for Kate (and the press) as William did not reveal to her where they would be headed. They left the UK to honeymoon for two private weeks in the Seychelles.
Kate and William's special day was the grand affair we all expect from Royal Weddings, but it was a classic and timeless wedding that has provided us and so many couples with inspiration. If you felt inspired by their wedding choices, you can start searching for your perfect wedding venue and suppliers here on Guides for Brides.