A report on the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. :)

One of my parents (the fogginess of my just-awakened brain didn't register which one) woke me up around 3 am this morning. I thought, "Why are they waking me up?" and promptly fell back asleep...my brain basically just does NOT work in the first few minutes after I wake up...and the reason didn't register until my mom woke me up again almost an hour later.

"Oh! Right! It's the wedding!"

That thought immediately jolted me out of bed and downstairs to join the rest of my family, where they had been watching the coverage since 3 am. I am very much an Anglophile, as perhaps you've gathered, and I've been looking forward to the wedding ever since I heard about the proposal. A royal wedding is such an exciting thing to have happen in your lifetime! Of course, it would be better if I were actually from England, but I'll make do with remembering that a quarter of my lineage originated there and feel national pride in such a great event :)

Okay, to avoid this post being completely random and rambling and impossible to follow, I will write this in an orderly manner.

The gown - Ahhh...it was beautiful! Very simple, very classy, and very stunning. I loved it. The veil, too, was beautiful...so simple, but so exquistely flowing. And isn't she just absolutely beautiful? She looks like a princess...which is, of course, exactly what she is. :) I also really like the fact that she decided to wear her hair down, the way she normally wears it.

The ceremony - The ceremony was so, so beautiful. It was totally worth getting up at 4 am to experience it. It was completely traditional, the music was incredible (I absolutely LOVE choral music, so I'd been pretty excited just about the music, and it was a happy moment when they started singing "Jerusalem"!), and the sermon by the Anglican Bishop of London, beginning with a quote from St. Catherine of Siena - "Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire," - whose feast it is today, was one of the best wedding sermons I've ever heard. If you'd like to read it (I really recommend it...it's also nice and short!), click here. I also thought that Catherine's brother James did an absolutely marvelous job reading...nice and slow, and very natural sounding.
The hats - Oh, those hats! I must say, I did not care for Princess Eugenie's (that really odd beige one with all the curlicues), but one of my favorites was worn by Sophie Winkleman. Lovely, is it not? It was so much fun seeing so many hats and classy, posh outfits.

The family - I just can't believe that Queen Elizabeth is 85 and Prince Philip is 90. They both looked so good! Prince Charles and Camilla also made a fine-looking couple, Camilla's dress was very festively spring-like, and I loved her hat. And Catherine's family looked absolutely wonderful! Very classy, very polished, very sure of themselves.

And, last but certainly not least...

William and Catherine - It's been said many, many times, but what a lovely couple they are! They both seemed so happy, and relaxed, and genuine, and I loved the way they looked at each other during the ceremony, especially the smiles they exchanged during the vows. It was really a privilege to be able to witness it. I'm so happy for them, and I wish them all the best and hope and pray that they will continue to know much happiness together!