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Bridesmaids of Victoria, the Princess Royal, circa 1858 |
Dear Bride-to-Be:
The way brides choose their bridesmaids changes just like the fashion for selecting
bouquet styles or gown necklines. Brides invite friends and family members to
be part of their wedding party for all sorts of reasons—and it’s not always
about being “attended to.” Sometimes it’s to “out do” the last wedding in town
or copy-cat a celebrity ceremony in the news; or perhaps some brides choose
attendants out of a sense of obligation or just whatever it takes to feel like
a princess!
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Princess Elizabeth and her attendants, circa 1947 |
British historian Dulcie Ashdown described Queen Victoria’s 1840
wedding: “Behind her came a dozen bridesmaids, the daughters of peers dressed
in white with white-rose wreaths and carrying her long train.” However, some
attendants were heard to comment that if the train was longer they could be
more graceful and not have to “bunch up” as they did! Princess Elizabeth, later
Queen Elizabeth II, had eight bridesmaids in attendance for her 1947 wedding,
including her sister Margaret, but it was her page-boys sporting kilts in the
Royal tartan who carried her long, heavily beaded silk tulle court train.
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Kate Middleton with her sister attending, circa 2011 |
Over sixty years later, when a poised Kate Middleton wed the
Queen’s grandson William, the future Duchess was blessed to have a close
relationship with her sister who, as the only adult bridesmaid, was the one to carry the bride’s heavy
train as well as attend her sister in other ways. Dressed for the wedding in cream silk by the bride's couturier, Pippa had also been
available to help with tasks during the busy months of wedding planning, be
good company and offer womanly encouragement—something every bride needs, royal
or otherwise!
Love. Listen. Let go.
...with love from Cornelia
[This is an excerpt from my upcoming book The End of the Fairy-Tale Bride: {Volume One} For Better or Worse, How Princess Diana Rescued the Great White Wedding. Stay tuned for publishing news!]
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