words Alexa Wang
Although there’s no royal wedding set for the immediate future, romantic royalists will be able have their very own, now that Kensington Palace will start hosting public weddings this year.
The bad news? It will cost the princely sum of $15,000. That sum excludes catering or tax, and because of the security aspect of the location, all vendors you use must be chosen from a preferred list. Not only does the venue come with a hefty price tag, but there’s also an incredibly long waiting list.
Luckily we’ve rounded up all the ways you can have your own royal wedding and give your big day that regal edge without having to spend a fortune and without delay. From elegant wedding venues to that dresses, we’ve rounded up all you need to give your wedding all the grandeur it deserves.
Choose a regal venue without the big price tag
While it might seem a little unattainable to spend your wedding day in Kensington Palace, there are equally luxurious wedding venues that are less likely to be booked out. For example, Sandon Hall, a beautiful 19th Century country house and wedding venue in Staffordshire, offers luxury without as long of a wait for a free date.
If you’ve got your heart set on a palace, you might consider Blenheim Palace instead. This lush Oxfordshire venue is a designated World Heritage Site, and has several grand rooms which could potentially be at your disposal for your special day.
For brides and grooms that want a London location, there are still many sophisticated venues in the capital. And no London venue is more encapturing than Strawberry Hill House, a Gothic 18th century building that has recently been lovingly restored. Strawberry Hill House is far more budget-friendly than those at Kensington Palace, with prices ranging from £2,000 Monday to Friday, to £2,500 for weekends and Bank Holidays.
Alternatively, you could choose Dartmouth House, an extravagant mansion in the heart of Mayfair that describes itself as “the perfect setting for a quintessential London wedding”.
Find a dress fit for a queen
It’s hard to believe that Kate and Wills wedding was all the way back in 2011. Although it was arguably eclipsed by her sister’s at the time, Kate’s dress was elegant and timeless.
Six years later, Kate’s stunning £40,000 Alexander McQueen ivory dress is still a very much sought after style. Of course, we can’t all afford to part with that kind of cash. But the good news is there are far more affordable replicas available.
If the dress itself was not to your taste, there a plenty of other alternatives available. If you want to know the best wedding dresses available to you and your body shape, Glamour Magazine have released a list of do’s and don’ts when dress shopping. They suggest choosing a dress that has timeless style rather than just picking one based on current trends. The reason Kate Middleton’s dress remains popular is because she stuck by this sound advice.
Make a quintessentially British arrival
When royalty wed, there’s only one mode of transport considered: the classic horse-drawn carriage. Though at one time only the very wealthy could afford luxury carriages (people of wealth and social position were even once referred to as carriage folk), today they are popular and widely-available forms of wedding transportation.
The Ostler Carriage Company is the UK’s leading horse-drawn services company, and are available throughout the country. If horse drawn carriages don’t appeal to you, then there are plenty of alternatives that still stick rigidly to tradition. Other traditional modes of wedding transport include specially-adapted classic cars, Double-Decker buses or even Black Cabs.
