4:00 A.M.

That was the time I got up this morning so that I could watch the Royal Wedding! I wouldn't call myself obsessed with the Royal Wedding, but I am definitely interested. I know there are a lot of haters out there that think this shouldn't be news at all. I disagree. Queen Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of the Commonwealth Realms which includes 16 realms and 134 million people. So this marriage doesn't just pertain to the United Kingdom. It also pertains to Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu. The fact that this is a big deal to such a large amount of people makes it a big deal for the whole world. Plus, who doesn't like a fairy tale wedding!?!?

My mother had a magazine when my sister and I were little that had the weddings of Prince Charles and Lady Diana and Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in it. My sister and I looked at that magazine a million times. We wore it out! It is just fitting that we both had to watch the Royal Wedding live this morning (albeit in different parts of the country).

I've enjoyed looking at pictures and reading articles about Prince William and Princess Catherine since their engagement last year. I've really loved looking at designers sketches of what they would choose for the Princess. I envisioned Kate in something simple, yet elegant. Something a little Princess Grace-esque. On the Project Runway site, there are several pictures of gowns designed by the contestants of the show. Of those, I chose these two as favorites for Kate:

The second dress was almost spot on! The sheer lace at the top and the sleeves are exactly what Kate wore!
And she did a fine job of wearing it to! She was spectacular! I think I stopped breathing for a moment when she got out of the car to go into Westminster Abbey.
The princes were quite dashing in their dress uniforms.
The ceremony was beautiful...well, what I watched anyway. I fell asleep about halfway through and woke up in time to see the recessional. Oops! Oh, and Kate got William's names in the correct order unlike a couple of other royals!
My favorite part was the horse drawn carriage. I loved seeing how much the people love Prince William and their new Princess! And I loved how much Prince William and Princess Catherine love the people, too!

Another favorite of mine is watching the guests and wedding party and what they wore! I love the elegance of weddings like this! Everyone dresses to the nines. The U.S. couldn't pull something like this off. As my sister said this morning, someone would wear flip-flops.
In this section, I just have to mention Pippa Middleton. She was gorgeous as Princess Kate's maid of honor. Her white sheath dress is exactly like something we would see Kate in! I also liked that, as gorgeous as Pippa looked, it did not take away from the bride! You never want to upstage the bride (something I was actually expecting from Victoria Beckham), especially a Princess Bride.
Queen Elizabeth II. I expected her to wear blue. She did look darling in her yellow, though. My sister disagrees with me. She hates yellow.

Another thing that I don't think the U.S. can pull off is the amazing hats! Yes, the Kentucky Derby has women in hats, but they just aren't the same as British hats.
The lady in blue is socialite Tara Palmer-Tomkinson. My favorite hat of the day belongs to the lady beside her. I can't seem to find a picture that says what her name is. I saw this hat from a couple of angles, but I can't seem to find the other picture I saw earlier. It is a beautiful hat. A little elegant and not too extremely crazy.

These girls are Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. Apparently their mother, Sarah Ferguson, helped the Princesses pick out what they wore. Oh Beatrice, how I wish you had been talked out of that hat.

Like I've said a couple of times, I don't think the U.S. could pull off something as elegant as this wedding...
Well, I stand corrected. Wading in the fountain at Buckingham Palace is not elegant. Those are probably the American tourists, though.

I loved watching the Royal Wedding. This is my very favorite picture of the morning. I love how the little bridesmaid is grinning from ear to ear!
I really do hope that Prince William and Princess Catherine's marriage is a long and happy one.