There is so much planning that goes into a wedding that it feels like every detail needs to be perfect. We've all had an idea of what we want our wedding day to look like from the time we were really young. By the time we get engaged, those ideas had likely blossomed and searching for the dream wedding — and nailing all those small but important details becomes essential. Now, just imagine if the wedding wasn't just an event that a hundred or so of the closest friends of the bride and groom got to be a part of. Imagine the pressure that would build up to have all those details nailed down to perfection if the couple knew the whole world was watching.
Sounds stressful, right?
Well, for most of us that is a pressure we don't feel but for some brides and grooms, that's a reality. Marrying into or already being a part of a royal family comes with that pressure. Becoming a real-life prince or princess is something most of us just imagine as little kids, but it's a reality for a select group of people. Planning a wedding for that occasion sounds like it would be a logistical headache — and every detail is just that much more important.
We all know that the wedding gown is an important piece of the puzzle for weddings. Finding the perfect one isn't easy, and everyone has a say on what was ultimately chosen. With every royal wedding dress comes a bouquet, and it has the task of complementing the gown and should be able to make a statement of its own.
There are a million and one options when it comes to the wedding bouquet, but these 16 royal weddings had a bouquet that stood out from the rest.
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Zara Phillips & Mike Tindall
Zara Phillips, granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth, married England rugby star Mike Tindall on July 30, 2011, notes the BBC. Her bouquet had all white flowers with calla lilies, lily of the valley, hydrangeas, and silver senecio, according to Southern Living. "She also gave a subtle nod to the Scottish location of her nuptials by filling her bouquet with alpine thistles," the outlet added. The bouquet stood out with the hints of green and wasn't too big, nor too small.
Prince Albert II of Monaco & Charlene Wittstock
Talk about an extravagant wedding! The marriage between Princess Charlene of Monaco and Prince Albert II of Monaco was a three-day celebration, starting with a concert and ending with a reception. The gown was "five-meter-long train that was adorned with 40,000 Swarovski crystals and 20,000 mother-of-pearl teardrops," according to Hello! With a gown so impressive, the bouquet she chose to carry down the aisle was rather small in comparison, but beautifully tasteful.
Prince William & Kate Middleton
On April 29, 2011, all eyes were on the British royal family as Prince William, the future king, wed Kate Middleton. Their wedding was a huge affair, with millions of people watching all over the world — and Kate also opted for an all-white flower bouquet. According to Glamour, "the shield-shaped arrangement was wired together for a structured look and contained seasonal, local flowers like lily-of-the-valley and sweet William, in addition to myrtle, hyacinth, and ivy."
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden & Daniel Westling
Crown Princess Victoria from Sweden married her personal trainer, Daniel Westling, on June 19, 2010. "Crown Princess Victoria's wedding was the first large-scale royal event since her mother and father had wed and it subsequently brought the country to a halt," Vogue reported, and every detail was fussed over. The bouquet was flowing with mostly white flowers, but there was a hint of purple, which really stood out.
Prince Charles & Lady Diana Spencer
On July 29, 1981, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer got married in a lavish wedding at St. Paul's Cathedral. This was another one of those weddings that was watched all over the world, and Diana had a bouquet fit for such an occasion. According to Good Housekeeping, Princess Diana's bouquet was a "cascade of white gardenias, orchids, freesias and lily of the valley," and the grand size "has since been credited with changing the long-standing trend for smaller bouquets."
Prince Harry & Meghan Markle
Princess Diana's youngest son, Prince Harry, wed Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018, and their wedding was another that was watched all around the world. According to Vanity Fair, "Meghan's bouquet, made of Princess Diana's favorite forget-me-nots as well as sweet peas, lily of the valley, astilbe, jasmine, and Astrantia." The pair wed at the St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, and "like all royal wedding bouquets, it included a sprig of myrtle, which dates back to the wedding of Queen Victoria's daughter, Princess Victoria," Town & Country reported.
Lady Gabriella Windsor & Thomas Kingston
Lady Gabriella Windsor, daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, married Thomas Kingston on May 18, 2019, after getting engaged on the Isle of Sark in August 2018. According to the official royal website, "Lady Gabriella's bouquet featured a creamy ivory 'Ella' rose by David Austin, named for the bride, and myrtle, which has formed part of many Royal wedding bouquets in a tradition started by Queen Victoria." The site added, "other flowers incorporated included Juliet roses, Lily of the Valley and white and apricot sweet peas."
Princess Eugenie & Jack Brooksbank
Princess Eugenie of York married her longtime commoner boyfriend, Jack Brooksbank, on October 12, 2018, after getting engaged on January 22. According to USA Today, "besides lily of the valley, Stephanotis pips, hints of baby blue thistles, white spray roses and trailing ivy, the bouquet contained sprigs of myrtle from Queen Victoria's Osbourne House."
Pippa Middleton & James Matthews
Pippa Middleton, sister to Kate Middleton, isn't a royal, but her marriage to James Matthews was certainly treated like one. The pair wed on May 20, 2017, and according to The Wedding Secret Magazine, "the bouquet included ivory peonies, sweet peas, freesias, wax flower, and pale pink astilbe with touches of thlaspi green bell."
Peter Phillips & Autumn Kelly
Peter Phillips, the grandson of Queen Elizabeth, married Autumn Kelly in 2008. Her bouquet was a showstopper with another cascading design instead of a smaller bundle type. According to Brides, Autumn Kelly carried a bouquet, "filled with roses, lily of the valley, stephanotis, and ivy." It was another mostly white choice with the cascades covered with the green ivy.
Prince Christian of Hanover & Alessandra de Osma
On March 18, 2018, Alessandra de Osma married Prince Christian of Hanover in Lima, Peru. Prince Christian is "second in line to the erstwhile Hanoverian throne, and his father, Prince Ernst August of Hanover, is currently married to Princess Caroline (daughter of the Prince of Monaco and Grace Kelly)," according to Town & Country. Her bouquet was filled with white traditional flowers.
King Abdullah II & Rania Al-Yassin
They're King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan now, but he was still a prince when they got married on June 10, 1993, Her wedding bouquet took a slightly different direction than traditional royal bouquets. According Brides, Queen Rania opted for "a bouquet made up of more fresh greenery than florals featuring notes of white and yellow to match her white and gold gown." The large green foliage was a beautiful complement to the rest of the wedding touches.
Crown Prince Haakon of Norway & Mette-Marit
The wedding of Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway and Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby was held at the Oslo Cathedral on August 25, 2001, and her wedding bouquet was anything but traditional — at least in the sense that most of us are used to seeing. Instead of a typical bouquet, or even a cascading one, Mette-Marit opted for one that was more vine-like and unusual. According to Brides, the purple and light pink flowers are called brudeloperen, and the arrangement was designed by the bride.
Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau & Mabel Wisse Smit
Prince Frisco of Orange-Nassau is the younger brother of Prince Willem-Alexander and renounced his title of Prince of the Netherlands so he could wed Mabel in 2004. The marriage was controversial in that regard, and it was broadcast on Dutch TV. The bouquet carried by Mabel was a traditional wedding bouquet in that it was all white flowers and had a subtle cascading design.
Lady Davina Windsor & Gary Lewis
Davina Windsor, the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, married former sheep-shearer and surfer Gary Lewis on July 31, 2004. Her bouquet was a show-stopper since it's another that is outside the traditional. Instead of all-white flowers, this bouquet was full of bright blue blooms. Although the pair divorced after 14 years of marriage, it's still one of the stand out bouquets.
Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Parma & Albert Brenninkmeijer
Princess Carolina, the daughter of Princess Irene of the Netherlands, married Albert Brenninkmeijer on June 16, 2012. The couple were legally married a few months earlier in the Netherlands but opted to have a larger religious ceremony later on in Florence, Italy. At that wedding, Princess Carolina carried a gorgeous bouquet of lavender-colored flowers with some more traditional pops of white throughout.
