Royal Wedding rules: No kissing, lacy gowns and much more!
We have no doubt that on May 19, when Suits star Meghan Markle gets married, she’ll be wearing the best that money can buy. But then, wedding generally come with a set of confusing traditions. And with a royal wedding, you can expect much more. Let’s start with Meghan’s dress because that’s the internet’s obsession right now. Right from the length of her gown to her first kiss as a married person, everything is tied to a strict set of traditions.
We’ve listed down some of the traditions that the bride is expected to follow on May 19. As Meghan is not from the royal family, they might seem a bit daunting for her. But it is her big day and we’re sure she’ll pull it off with grace.
Long sleeves
All royal brides are expected to show modesty in every step. When it comes to wedding gowns, an unofficial tradition assumes that she’ll wear a dress with long sleeves. However, CBS News reports that though some royals such as Lady Helen of Windsor showed off her arms, the ones in more prominent positions are expected to wear long sleeves.
The bride’s bouquet must contain myrtle
Since the time of Queen Victoria, every royal bride’s bouquet had myrtle. Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, and even Duchess Kate Middleton had it in their bouquets. Meghan shouldn’t disappoint. Legend has it that Victoria planted her myrtle twig at the royal gardens and every time a royal bride was married, they took a sprig from that tree.
Lace dresses
Royal brides have traditionally worn dresses woven of lace or other material which contain a considerable amount of lace. Wedding experts are of the opinion that Meghan will follow suit.
No shoulder to cleavage show
Though Kate Middleton’s dress included a low-cut V-neckline, brides getting married to the royal family abstain from showing their shoulders or too much cleavage.
The tiara
Most brides of the British royalty wore diamond tiaras. Back in 2011, the queen had loaned her Cartier Halo tiara to Kate for her marriage to William. Experts believe that on May 19, Meghan is likely to wear a tiara which can either be from the queen’s personal collection or from Harry’s mother’s collection.
‘You may not kiss the bride’
Hold your horses, Harry! The Church of England considers St George’s Chapel as a sacred place, so no kissing there. Kate and William weren’t allowed to kiss during their church service too as the Westminster Abbey is considered a sacred place too. They had to wait till they reached the balcony of Buckingham Palace to kiss for the first time. They’d never kissed before. Ever!
Finally a break from tradition!
The royal wedding vow faced controversy in the past. Many in Britain were outraged when Princess Diana broke the traditional vows. The royal brides are expected to promise to “love, cherish and obey” their husband. But Diana didn’t use the word “obey”. Instead, she chose to “love, comfort, honour and keep” Prince Charles. Meghan might follow her lead.
We can’t wait to hear the wedding bells ring already!
