Royal Wedding Traditions

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May 18

Royal Wedding Traditions that any Bride can do

I’ve been counting down the days to the royal wedding for a while now. I’m all caught up in every detail of Harry and Meghan’s nuptials, and staying up to watch it at 2:00 AM pacific time is going to be so worth it! While reading up on speculation about who is designing Meghan’s dress I came across a ton of wedding traditions from the British Royal family. Maybe your wedding day won’t take place at a castle, but there are some traditions that can be adapted for us commoners.

One tradition in the Windsor family is to include a special flower in your bouquet. The royal family has put myrtle in their bouquets since the 1800s, the flower comes from the same bush from Queen Victoria’s garden. To fit this tradition to your own wedding you can include a flower that was in your parent’s or in law’s bouquet or décor. You could also pick a flower that has a meaning that resonates with you. The Windsor’s chose myrtle because it is a symbol of good fortune in love and marriage.

Take formal wedding portraits like the Windsor’s do. Include extended family members and do your best to pose like royals. The portraits of the Windsor’s are a map for the history of the royal family, and your own family photos will become a treasured part of your family history.

Throw Stag and Hen parties, the British version of bachelor and bachelorette parties. Stag and Hen parties usually involve hopping from pub to pub and lots of crazy partying. Put your best man or maid of honor in charge and hope they plan as well as Prince William did for Harry.

Select a venue that has a lot of meaning for your family. For Meghan and Harry, it is St. George’s chapel on the grounds of Windsor castle. The chapel was built in 1475 and is where many of Harry’s ancestors are buried. To adapt this tradition, you can choose a venue where members of your family were married, or even a favorite vacation spot from your childhood or relationship history.