Local Pros Share Predictions for Royal Wedding

A royal wedding only comes once in a blue moon—and as one might imagine, for those in the wedding business, a wedding expected to have one to two billion viewers is... well, kind of a big deal. Patch spoke with locals in the wedding industry about their thoughts and predictions for Prince William of Wales' marriage to Kate Middleton this Friday, April 29.

Will the royal wedding set trends for future brides? Princess Diana’s engagement ring became sought after in the wake of Prince Charles’ proposal back in 1981, Haverford wedding planner Phyllis Richard remembers.

“For some time after that, my brides wanted to have some aspect of Lady Di’s wedding,” Richard said. “Her bouquet was a big hit for a while, and tiaras made a comeback.”

Richard predicts a similar trend following Kate and Prince William’s wedding.

“We’re probably going to see that again: that whatever Kate chooses for her gown and her bouquet will be emulated by brides across the country,” she said.

Richard has been in the wedding business for over 25 years now, and has helped countless brides with their big day, she said.

“I did a wedding a little while ago and the sister of the bride told me, ‘This is the closest thing to a royal wedding that we’ll ever come.' That was so flattering,” Richard said.

So what makes a royal wedding?

For the non-royal bride, “It’s understated and elegant,” Richard said. “The royal wedding itself will be completely over the top—of course it depends on the couples themselves, and on the taste and the budget.”

One easy way to set the tone of the event is the invitation.

“The first thing in class for me is the proper wording and addressing of the invitation,” Richard said. “It’s bowing to a last great social tradition. I love email and Facebook, but nothing replaces a formal wedding invitation: it makes the event elegant and classy.”

Ardmore wedding planner Colette Pastore thinks it’s all about the venue.

“Philadelphia has a lot of great historic places that can give you that great, grand feeling,” Pastore said. “Westminster Abbey is a huge old church, so something like the Basilica downtown will provide that grand feeling—and there are so many places in the city, like historic ballrooms, that will give a similar feel.”

But for millions, the attraction is not Westminster Abbey or the event itself, but Middleton's dress, which Middleton has chosen not to reveal until the morning of the wedding. Even the designer Middleton chose to work with has been a closely guarded secret, and many designers have shared their own royal wedding dress ideas.

Head tailor at Bijou Bridal Nickolette Phillips hopes Kate will be balancing tradition and fashion on her big day.

“I know they have to balance tradition and classic styling, but I’d love to see her in something more modern, sleek and styled,” Phillips said.

Phillips, who has worked in the wedding industry for 20 years, has some suggestions for Kate’s dress.

“Kate has an athletic build, so she can really show off her shape with a strapless dress, or straps that accentuate her shoulders and neck,” she said. ““I would want to see some pleats and embroidery, but clean lines and precise, detailed beading,” she said.

“I know exactly what I’d put Kate in,” said Samantha Barth, fashion director at Priscilla’s of Boston in Suburban Square. She pointed to a dress already on display in the shop. “I’d put her in lace, and do something with a sleeve and a natural waistline. I think it’s important to always look timeless—and Kate’s already timeless in the way she dresses.”

And of course, Barth said, Kate should be wearing a tiara.

“If I were her, I’d definitely be wearing a tiara,” Barth said. “No question.”

Wondering how to celebrate the royal wedding without booking a roundtrip ticket to London?

• in Ardmore might be able to help you get your festivities started right. Stop by to pick up a limited edition Royal Wedding donut to munch on during the coverage—a heart-shaped donut filled with jelly and topped with vanilla icing.  The donut will be available through the end of the day on Friday and is 89 cents at the Dunkin on Lancaster Ave.
• Many Baskin Robbins are also offering the Royal Wedding Ice Cream Cake, constructed to look like a British garden ($29.99)—but our local one doesn’t have them in stock, so if you’re really determined to let them eat cake, you’ll need to head outside town.
• The Bryn Mawr Film Institute will be hosting a members-only live simulcast party beginning at 5 a.m. on Friday (RSVP required). Members can enjoy the coverage while sipping on tea, in true British style.
• A little farther away in Media, Tea and Cakes Tearoom will be hosting a Will and Kate Post Wedding High Tea from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 1. The tea features traditional British tea and foods, a white-gloved doorman to greet and seat the guests, and more.