The Royal Wedding

Let's be real here...what girl doesn't want to be a princess?

I suppose we can thank Mr. Walt Disney for the obsession that never really goes away, only diminishes slightly as we get older. (I did, after all, wear a tiara to my college graduation a few months ago.) The idea of ball gowns, and crowns, and glass slippers, and Prince Charming. And while I am living proof that princess is a state of mind, there are a few lucky girls in the world who actually get to be Princesses, with a capital p. And this weekend, the Princess world added a new lucky lady to its ranks (though technically she's now a Duchess, but royalty still): Kate formerly-Middleton-now-Duchess-of-Cambridge.

I feel no shame in telling you that I was one of those crazy 2 billion people up in the wee hours of the morning watching two people I have (obviously) never met get married on live television. And I'm glad I did. The royal wedding is a very fun thing to watch, as it turns out. And although the role isn't nearly as significant as it would have been a century or two ago, William and Kate will, eventually, presumably, be the King and Queen of England. Pretty cool, no? Plus, it's a fabulous fantasy come to life: the wedding in Westminster Abbey, the guards in the furry hats saluting you as you get out of your car, taking a horse and carriage back to Buckingham Palace...we've all dreamed about it at least once. (And movies like The Prince and Me perpetuate the idea that it could happen to you. Common girl meets prince at college, marries into royalty. And isn't that basically what happened to William and Kate?)

Not to mention, the clothes were fabulous. Let's enjoy some pictures, shall we?

Loving Michael Middleton's top hat and tails. What a dapper English gentleman! And Carole Middleton's outfit was absolutely perfect as far as mother of the bride outfits go: beautiful and elegant, and, as is apparently a staple of the royal wedding, complete with matching hat.

Speaking of hats, Princess Beatrice definitely wins for craziest hat of the day. It reminded me of Lady Gaga's sparkly lobster hat. But you know what? This girl is a capital-p Princess, and if she wants to make bold fashion statements, more power to her. (By the way, there are already quite a few Facebook pages dedicated to this hat...so love it or hate it, pick you a page to like. Personally, the Pretzel Hat Appreciation Society would get my vote, just for name creativity.)

Then we have the Queen herself, looking lovely and springy in yellow. I love the Queen. I think she's precious. She kind of reminds me of my own grandmother. If only my grandmother were royalty...

I heard there was some debate over Maid of Honour (it's British, gotta spell it that way) Pippa Middleton's gown, being white. For not knowing any better, I kind of assume that's a British thing. I also assume that Kate picked it out and therefore wanted it to be white. So I don't see why it's an issue. The dress was gorgeous, but elegant and understated, not in any way competing with her sister's dress, and I loved the flowers in her hair.

Last and (obviously) not least, the long-awaited, completely secret, bridal gown of the new Duchess. I loved this dress. I mean LOVED. It strikes exactly the right balance between modern and modest. And Kate looked absolutely stunning in it.

Of course, the best accessory for any bride is a beautiful smile. (Although the Prince is a nice touch, too.) Both Kate and William just looked so genuinely happy throughout the whole ceremony. And at the end of the day, that's what it's all about.

But it's not the end of the day just yet! There are still pictures from the black tie reception to drool over. On the left, of course, are Prince William and his father Prince Charles, who ditched the colorful wedding suits for classic black tuxedos. And I absolutely adore the gown Pippa wore to the reception. (Though admittedly, I've always been partial to that shade of green. It's gorgeous on brunettes.)

Meanwhile, Kate debuted another gorgeous gown by Sarah Burton (who also designed her ceremony gown) for the party, still thoroughly royal and bridal, but more evening than wedding. And again, absolutely stunning.

Does the Fabulous-less never end? Everyone is still looking good the day after the wedding. More dressed down, of course, after the glamorous Friday festivities but still classy, polished, and fashionable. What more could we ask from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and the royal in-laws?

All of these beautiful pictures borrowed from AT&T/Yahoo or Google image search (in which case I don't know who owns them, only that it isn't me). Please don't sue me for their use. :)