Author Archives: barbara

Movie Wedding – “Robin Hood – Prince of Thieves”

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There have been many movies based on the English legend of Robin Hood throughout the years and in this post I will feature the 1991 movie “Robin Hood – Prince of Thieves” which starred Kevin Costner as Robin of Locksley and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Maid Marian.  The film was the second highest grossing film of the year in which it premiered and also won a Grammy Award for the Best Song Written for a Motion Picture or Television, “Everything I Do I Do it for You” by Bryan Adams.

At the end of the movie there is a scene when Robin and Marian get married in Sherwood Forest.  The scene is relatively short but it offers some wonderful inspiration for a rustic wedding and at the end of this post I will feature ideas and suggestions for creating a special wedding in the forest.  But first …

A brief synopsis of “Robin Hood – Prince of Thieves” movie

The film begins during the time of the Crusades when Robin escapes a prison in Jerusalem with a Moorish companion named Azeem (Morgan Freeman).  The pair arrives back in England to find that King Richard the Lionheart is in France and in his absence the evil Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Rickman) rules over the land.  Robin also learns that when he is gone fighting in the Crusades the Sheriff had demanded that Robin’s father plead his allegiance to him and when he refused Lord Locksley was killed and his castle destroyed.

After hearing this devastating news Robin visits his childhood friend, Maid Marian, and to his surprise she has turned into a beautiful and spirited woman.  Robin and Marian at first fight their attraction for one another but soon they fall in love.  Meanwhile, when the Sheriff hears that Robin has returned to claim his father’s inheritance he pursues him to the edge of Sherwood Forest where Robin has fled to avoid being captured.

While in Sherwood Forest he encounters a group of outlaws (Little John, Will Scarlet and later Friar Tuck) that have joined together to fight back against the unjust payments that have been demanded by the Sheriff of Nottingham.  Robin decides he will lead the group in their pursuit and he organizes them “to rob from the rich to give to the poor”.

When the “band of merry men” succeeds in bringing justice against the Sheriff, Nottingham is furious.  He orders an attack and destroys their hideout in the forest taking several of them prisoner.  Ultimately, Robin gathers the remaining men that were not captured and plans to save the prisoners from the evil Sheriff.  They are successful in freeing the prisoners and this makes Nottingham even more determined to defeat Robin.

Next, Nottingham sets his sights on Marian (the cousin of King Richard) and tries to force her into marriage to gain the throne of King.  When she strongly resists his offer he forces her but just before the ceremony can be completed Robin comes to her rescue and after a brief fight Robin kills the Sheriff!  Robin and Marian are reunited and peace returns to this part of England.

At the end of the movie Robin and Marian are married in a beautiful ceremony held in the Sherwood Forest.  The wedding is interrupted by King Richard who has returned to England.  The King compliments Marian on how beautiful she looks and thanks Robin for his efforts in defeating the evil Sheriff of Nottingham.  Then after the King gives his blessing on the marriage the ceremony proceeds and Robin and Marian are pronounced husband and wife.

Wedding ideas inspired by “Robin Hood – Prince of Thieves” movie

The brief scene at the end of the movie visually offers many ideas and suggestions for a rustic forest wedding.  The following is a description of the scene which starts as the camera panes down from the tree tops to reveal an arrangement of twigs formed into a rustic “stain glassed window” with large cross below.  An altar is constructed from tree branches and is decorated with berries, fruit and leaves.  Placed on top the altar at either end are two wooden candelabras.  Maid Marian wears a beautiful wreath of wheat, berries, fruit and leaves.  Then, at the end of the ceremony, a flock of white birds are released as Robin and Marian seal their marriage with a kiss.

  

  

A rustic forest wedding in defined by the setting and the elements used for decoration.  Everything should to kept simple using only items generally found in the forest, such as leaves and twigs, flowers, berries and nuts (acorns or pinecones) and then supplement the decorations with an abundance or flowers to create a beautiful natural setting for the cememony.

Below is a list of ideas and suggestions for a rustic forest wedding:

  • A rustic style wedding ceremony can take place in a forest setting similar to the location of Robin’s Sherwood Forest. Check with the local National or State Parks in the area for the perfect forest setting but always ask about permits and restrictions that might be required which will take some advanced planning.  Local city parks with large trees could also be a great alternative and will probably be more cost effective eliminating a destination wedding.   Even better still is if you live on a property with a forest area or perhaps known a relative or friend that has a similar setting.

 

photo from pinterest

  • Decorations for the wedding ceremony site should be relatively simple so as not to distract from the forest setting but should compliment the beauty of the location. An example as shown in the above photo uses ferns and white flowers lining the aisle.   Another example shown below is wooden stumps placed on both sides of the aisle with candles inside glass containers for fire safety (bettery operated candles could also be used)  Still another suggestion would be to wrap floral garlands around the trunks of the trees.

  

photos from pinterest

  • Some decorations for the wedding reception are shown in the photos below. The first photo picnic tables are covered with simple white tablecloths.  The second photo shows a more elaborate table covering of sheet moss and flowers.  Another alternative to table decorations is shown in the third photo with a candelabra completely covered with Spanish moss and flowers.  The fourth photo shows a simple buffet table with a beautiful floral arrangement.

  

  

photos from pinterest

  • In keeping with a rustic theme, for the wedding cake display I would suggest using a tree stump to elevate the cake, the table top can be embellished with sheet moss and the cake can be decorated with fresh flowers as shown in the first photo. The second photo shows an example of a rustic style cake topper which features a moss base, a pair of “love birds” and a heart made from twigs.

photos from pinterest

  • Shown below are two examples for the bride or the bridesmaid bouquets. The first is a large cascading bouquet and the second is a smaller bouquet for the bride or perhaps the bridesmaids.  Both bouquets are accented with leaves and berries.

photos from pinterest

  • Shown below are some examples for bridal accessories for the bride and bridesmaids using flowers, berries and leaves. Any of these floral hair accessories would look wonderful with hair styled in soft curls or more elaborate “updos”.

photos from pinterest

  • Finally, shown below are two examples for the ringpresentations, the first features a bird’s nest lined with Spanish moss and the second shows a moss covered square.  (Important Tip: be sure to secure the rings and tie them with ribbon)

photos from pinterest

Wedding Flowers – Orange Blossoms

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In my ongoing series about the various types of wedding flowers, this post will be about the orange blossom which were once a popular choice for bridal flowers especially during the Victorian and Edwardian era.  The orange blossom has been used throughout the years in bridal bouquets, head wreaths and even as a decoration for wedding dresses.  In this post I will start with some information about the orange blossom and then I will discuss the history of the flower as it pertains to weddings.

The flower of the orange tree is known as the orange blossom (citrus sinensis).  The fragrant flower has been used for making sweet scented perfumes, for baking delicious desserts, for brewing refreshing tea, for making citrus flavored honey and was also used for wedding decorations.  In ancient China orange trees were very abundant in the region and the plants were considered very unusual because the tree could bloom and produce fruit at the same time.  For this reason oriental brides were the first to use orange blossoms for their weddings as a symbol of fertility.

Later during the Crusades the knights would bring back exotic orange blossoms from the East back to Europe.  This custom started first in Spain and it is here that perhaps the historic origin of the orange blossom wreath can be traced.  There is an old Spanish legend that begins with the Royal Palace gardener’s daughter and her fiancé that were denied to marry because an inadequate dowry could not be obtained.  When a French ambassador visited the Spanish monarch at the palace he sees the orchard of orange trees with its fragrant white flowers and delicious fruit and he asked to have a cutting to bring back to France.  Seeing an opportunity to acquire the money for a dowry, the daughter arranges to give the French ambassador a cutting from the orange tree in exchange for a substantial price.  With this money the couple was now able to get married and to honor the important role that the orange tree played in enabling her to marry the daughter decided to wear a wreath made of orange blossoms on her wedding day.

The orange blossom custom moved across the countries of the world from China to Spain to France and later to England in the early 1800s.   The exotic orange blossoms were beautiful and fragrant and the flowers came to represent wealth and status for those that could afford such a luxury.  When Queen Victoria married Prince Albert in 1840 instead of wearing a crown, as would befit her royal status, she choose to wear a simple wreath of orange blossoms, she also wore more orange blossoms on the bodice of her bridal dress.  Like many customs and traditions set by Queen Victoria during her long reign, the popularly of both white wedding dresses and orange blossoms increased throughout the following years.

Sentimental gifts between couples were always popular especially during the Victorian era.  Prior to their wedding, in 1939 Prince Albert gave Queen Victoria a lovely gold and porcelain brooch created in the form of an orange blossom sprig as an engagement present.  The Prince continued to give the Queen orange blossom jewelry; he gave her another brooch and matching earrings in 1845 and then for their wedding anniversary in 1846 he gave her a a wreath of white porcelain orange blossoms with gold leaves attached to a braided black velvet band.  The wreath includes four green enamel oranges to represent the four children they had at that time (the couple would eventually have a total of nine children).

Queen Victoria’s porcelain and gold orange blossom parure
photo from the Royal Collection Trust

Because she was so deeply in love with her Prince consort, the Queen cherished her lovely parure of orange blossom jewelry and she would wear them every year on their wedding anniversary.  The 1854 photograph below was taken almost fifteen years after the wedding and the Queen is shown wearing the orange blossom wreath with her bridal veil.

Queen Victoria in 1854 wearing her orange blossom jewelry
photo from the Royal Collection trust

Upon the death of Queen Victoria’s death in 1901 she had left detailed instructions that the orange blossom parure was a personal gift from her beloved husband to be worn only by her during her lifetime and would not be passed onto any of her children.  This request was honored and today the orange blossom parure is part of the British Royal Collection.

During the Victorian era, the popularity of orange blossoms used at weddings placed such a high demand that when the flowers were out of season a special technique was developed to manufacture wax orange blossoms that were used for making bridal headpieces, trimmings for wedding dresses and bouquets or boutonnières.  In 1863 when Princess Alexandra of Denmark married Prince Albert Edward, the heir to the British throne, her wedding dress was trimmed with an abundance of wax orange blossoms.

Princess Alexandra in her wedding dress trimmed with orange blossom
photo from the Royal Collection trust

The always sentimental Queen Victoria, who was the mother of the groom, saved one of the wax orange blossoms from Princess Alexandra’s bridal wreath.  She carefully placed the orange blossom in an envelope marked with the wedding date and it is now part of the British Royal Collection.

photo from the Royal Collection trust

Special Note:  During the Victorian era it was the superstition that to avoid bad luck wax orange blossom bridal headpieces should be destroyed within a month (the normal cycle of a real orange blossom).  For this reason very few headpieces from this time period have survived and the ones that can be found at antique stores or from other sources usually have some damage with broken flowers or discoloration.

Vintage Victorian era wax orange blossom bridal headpiece

In 1953, when Jacqueline Bouvier married John Kennedy, she wore the Lee heirloom veil.  Her grandmother, Margaret Merritt Lee, had worn the lovely lace veil when she married James Lee in 1903 and then fifty years later Jacqueline wore the veil on her wedding day.  In the photos shown below the pattern of the lace looks beautiful centered on the back of her head and the veil was secured with a headpiece made from orange blossoms and lace accents.

Jaqueline Bouvier wearing the Lee heirloom wedding veil

Orange blossom wedding ideas and suggestions

Throughout the years orange blossoms continued to be a popular choice for weddings incorporating the real or wax flowers into hairpieces and bridal accessories or ceremony and reception decorations such as floral arrangements or cake decorations.  The orange blossom designs have been used for jewelry items such as wedding rings or necklaces, some of these items can be found in antique stores or online websites such as eBay.  Orange blossom scented perfumes or candles would be perfect for a spring or summer wedding and these items can be purchased at retail stores or online websites.  (Special Note: When purchasing any items or products through online sources always use caution and only buy from reputable vendors).

Listed below are some ideas and suggestions incorporating orange blossoms into a wedding:

Floral arrangements for ceremony or reception using orange blossoms

Since the orange blossom has such a great fragrance, may I suggest using the flowers in the bouquets of the bride and her attendants.  The bride’s bouquet would look beautiful with white roses, lilies of the valley and orange blossoms similar to the one pictured below.  The bridesmaids’ bouquets could be yellow roses, green or white hydrangeas and orange blossoms.  Both of these bouquets would be wonderful to use for a spring or summer wedding.

Orange blossom cake decorations

A grand wedding cake is sometimes known as the centerpiece of a wedding reception.  In keeping with the theme of orange blossoms, the cake shown in the photo below is a simple vanilla frosted three tiered cake which is beautifully decorated with a cascade of fresh orange blossoms.

Vintage wedding rings or other jewelry with orange blossom designs  

Here is a wonderful idea for “something old”.  Since the orange blossom represented fertility and everlasting love the image of the flower was often used for jewelry items.  During the 1920s to the 1940s wedding rings embellished with engraved orange blossoms accents were all the rage!  The rings ranged from simple gold bands to platinum diamond rings.

1940s magazine ad for Traub Brothers orange blossom rings

Orange blossom scented perfumes or scented candles

Orange blossoms have such a lovely fragrance and would be a wonderful scent for a spring or summer bride to use for a wedding.  One of the most popular perfume currently available on the market is the Jo Malone Orange Blossom perfume.  Might I suggest that the perfume or any of the products in the orange blossom line would also make a great bridesmaid’s gift – the entire bridal party would smell go good!!

Orange Blossom Perfume by Jo Malone

Wedding Flowers – Lily of the Valley

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This will be the first post in an ongoing series about the various types of wedding flowers.  (Check out next month’s Orange Blossom post which will be about another favorite bridal flower)  So, I will start with a little bit of the history of the tradition as to why brides carry floral bouquets on their wedding days.

The origin and history of a bridal bouquet

The first reason was originally thought to date back to the 15th century when people of the time would bath rather infrequently and the bride would carry a fragrant floral bouquet to mask any unpleasant smells.  Still another reason for this old custom is that a superstitious bride would carry a bouquet as a way to ward off evil spirts, these bouquets would be made of herbs, spice and sometimes even garlic!

Then, as the centuries passed it was thought that a bride was considered to be especially lucky on her wedding day.  For this reason the guests would sometimes tear off pieces of the bride’s dress to keep as a good luck memento for themselves.  Since this rather odd custom would ruin a bride’s beautiful dress it has been thought that the tradition of throwing her garter and bouquet would satisfy anyone looking for a lucky memento to take away on the wedding day.  This is a one of those traditions that is still being done at modern day weddings celebrations.

A bouquet can add a touch of beauty and color to the bride’s accessories.  Today, bridal bouquets can be created with a vast variety of flowers and greenery and can be designed into several different shapes and sizes.

Lily of the valley bridal flower

One the most popular bridal flowers that is a frequent choice for a bouquet is the lily of the valley flower.  The lily of the valley (convallaria majalis) is a flowering heavily scented but highly poisonous woodland plant that is native throughout the Northern Hemisphere. The bell-shaped buds are delicate in appearance and look wonderful in contrast to the plant’s vibrant green leaves.

In the “language of flowers”, the lily of the valley means happiness and maybe for this reason the fragrant flower has been widely used in weddings, particularly for a bride’s bouquet or the groom’s boutonniere.  The cost of using the lily of valley can be rather expensive, even when in season during the months of spring and summer, and this might be why it is used so sparingly as a wedding flower.

List of famous brides and their lily of the valley wedding bouquets

For inspiration, here is a list of some of the most famous brides that have used lily of the valley flowers in their wedding bouquets.

Jacqueline “Jackie” Bouvier married John Kennedy (then a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts and future President of the United States) on September 12, 1953 at St. Mary’s Church in Newport, Rhode Island.  The wedding reception took place at Hammersmith Farm which was the home of her stepfather Hugh Auchincloss.  On her wedding day, Jackie’s bridal bouquet was a mixture of white and pink gardenias, orchids and lilies of the valley.

 

Jacqueline Bouvier – September 13, 1953

Special Note: When Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis died on May 20, 1994 her simple mahogany casket was covered with ferns and lilies of the valley arranged in the shape of a cross.  The funeral mass took place at St. Ignatius Loyola Roman Catholic church in New York City on May 23.  Later in the day, she was buried alongside her husband, President Kennedy, at Arlington National Cemetery just outside of Washington, D.C.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis burial service Arlington Cemetery – May 23, 1994

When American actress Grace Kelly married Prince Rainer III of Monaco they had two ceremonies.  The first was a civil ceremony that took place in the Palace of Monaco Throne Room on April 18, 1956.  The following day the Roman Catholic ceremony took place at the St. Nicholas Cathedral in Monaco.  The beautiful Grace wore perhaps one of the most iconic wedding dresses of the past century; some people have noted that Kate Middleton’s wedding dress many years later was very similar in design.  On her wedding day, Grace carried a small Bible and a bouquet made of lilies of the valley.

Grace Kelly – April 19, 1956

Elizabeth Taylor, the American actress was famous for her multiple marriages throughout the years, she had seven husbands (she married Richard Burton twice!)  Lillies of the valley were her most frequent choice for her bridal bouquet.  Shown below are photos from her first marriage to Conrad “Nicky” Hilton on May 6, 1950, followed by her second marriage to Michael Wilding on February 21, 1952, then her fourth marriage to Eddie Fisher on May 12, 1959 and finally her eight (and last wedding!) to Larry Fotensky on October 6, 1991.

   

   

When Carolyn Bassett married John Kennedy, Jr. on September 21, 1996 on Cumberland Island, Georgia in a very secret ceremony she wore a simple and elegant Narcisco Rodriguez wedding gown, the bias-cut silk crepe in “pearl white” proved to be another iconic bridal dress.  On her wedding day, Carolyn carried a lovely lilies of the valley bouquet.

John and Carolyn Kennedy – September 21, 1996

The final bridal bouquet featured in this post will be the one Catherine Middleton carried on her wedding to Prince William on April 29, 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London, England.  Kate personal floral request was to incorporate the English tradition of the “language of the flowers” and the all white bouquet featured lily of the valley (happiness), Sweet William (gallantry and also an unspoken tribute to her new husband), hyacinth (constancy of love), ivy (fidelity) and myrtle (love and marriage).

Catherine Middleton – April 29, 2011

A British Royal Wedding – Prince William and Catherine Middleton

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To continue the ongoing British Royal Wedding series, in this post I will feature the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton that took place on April 29, 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London, England. I will discuss details about the wedding ceremony and reception while also including a description of the bridal dress and accessories.

Prince William was born on June 21, 1982; he is the eldest son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana. At present, he is the second in line of succession to the British throne after his father. Although he was given all the privileges and advantages that were granted to him with his Royal birth, his mother made a conscious effort to give both Prince William and his brother, Prince Harry, the experiences of a normal childhood.

Prince William with his parents, Prince Charles and Princess Diana

When Prince William was a teenager, several events happened in his young life that would affect him for years to come. In 1996, after many years of an unhappy marriage, his parents divorced and then in 1997 Princess Diana was tragically killed in a car accident in Paris, France. A few years later his father remarried and the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles took place in 2005.

In 2001, Prince William went on to attend the University of St. Andrews located in Scotland where he met Catherine Middleton, known as Kate to her family and friends. Kate was born on January 9, 1982 to Michael and Carole Middleton, she has two younger siblings. Although Kate was defined as a “commoner” by birth, her parents owned a successful and lucrative business positioning the family within the wealthy upper middle class. Prince William and Kate’s friendship soon turned to romance and it has been reported that the couple began dating in 2004.

After the couple graduated from St. Andrews, Prince William started his military career by attending the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. After service in the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, Prince William would train as a helicopter pilot working with the RAF Search and Rescue and he later took on a full time position with the East Anglian Air Ambulance.

Then, while on a holiday in Kenya in October 2010, Prince William proposed to Kate and their engagement was officially announced on November 16, 2010. In a very sentimental gesture, Prince William presented Kate with the large sapphire and diamond engagement ring that had once belonged to his mother, Princess Diana. (For more information regarding the engagement ring, please click on the link to British Royal Engagement and Wedding Rings – Part Two)

Prince William and Catherine Middleton at the time of their engagement

Catherine Middleton wearing the sapphire and diamond engagement ring

So, in befitting Prince William’s Royal status, a grand wedding ceremony and two receptions were planned with a date set for the following year. A list of approximately 1,900 people would be invited to attend the ceremony, about 600 people would be invited to a luncheon reception hosted by Queen Elizabeth (the groom’s grandmother) at Buckingham Palace and about 300 were invited to a more private dinner reception hosted by Prince Charles later that in the evening which would also take place at the Palace. (Special Note: Ultimately the wedding would be viewed by tens of millions of people around the world with seemingly endless television coverage which would rival Prince William’s parents wedding which took place 30 years before in 1981)

After months of preparation, on April 29, 2011 the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton took place in Westminster Abbey in London, England. Westminster Abbey has been the site of British Royal coronations since 1066, the most recent was the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. In regards to British Royal weddings, prior to 1918, most took place privately in places such as the Chapel Royal at St. James’s Palace and St. George’s Chapel at Windsor. When Royal weddings changed to large public events filled with British pomp and circumstance, Westminster Abbey was frequently used for Royal weddings, including Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in 1947. Sadly, Westminster Abbey was also the location of Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997.

For the wedding of Prince William and Catherine, the inside of Westminster Abbey was decorated with large arrangements of traditional English flowers. The couple had stipulated that the flowers needed to be in season at the time of the wedding and that the flowers and the plants had to be grown in England, preferably on one of the Royal estates. Eight 20 foot high English field maple trees were arranged on either side of the main aisle and, at the special request of the couple, after the wedding the trees would be taken to Prince Charles’ Highgrove Estate in Tetbury in Gloucestershire and planted in the garden as a lasting memorial.  (For more information on the Wedding Flowers of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, please click on the link)

On the morning of the wedding day the guests, including governors and prime ministers of the Commonwealth, foreign diplomats and other invited guests were the first to arrive at the Abbey. Then, Prince William accompanied by Prince Harry (the groom’s best man) left Clarence House proceeding along the route in a Bentley State Limousine. The next to arrive were Carole Middleton accompanied by her son, James, and then members of the British Royal Family, including Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, were traditionally the last members of the Royal Family to arrive at the Abbey.

Prince William arriving at the Abbey with his brother, Prince Harry

Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall
followed by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip arriving for the wedding

The bridal party, including Pippa (the bride’s sister), four young bridesmaids and two page boys arrived just before the bride. Catherine traveled to the Abbey accompanied by her father riding in the State Rolls-Royce Phantom VI; they had left the Goring Hotel where the Middleton family had stayed in the days before the wedding.  (Special Note: If the bride had been a Royal instead of a commoner she would have traveled to the Abbey in one of the Royal carriages)

Catherine arriving at the Abbey with her father, Michael Middleton

With the arrival of the bride, the choir was cued to begin the processional song, “I Was Glad”, which was originally written by Sir Hubert Parry for the coronation of King Edward VI in 1902. It would take the bride and her father over three minutes to proceed through the Abbey’s Nave through the Quire and to the Sanctuary to meet Prince William.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has traditionally been the senior officiate presiding over the wedding of English monarchs (and in this case a future monarch) and he was assisted by the Dean of Westminster. The wedding vows were followed by the ring exchange in which Catherine would receive a wedding ring that has been traditionally made from Welsh gold since 1923 for Royal brides; Prince William had chosen not to wear a wedding ring. (For more information about the Welsh gold used to make Royal wedding rings, please click on the link to Royal Engagement and Wedding Rings – Part One)

After a reading from the Epistle to the Romans by James Middleton (the bride’s brother), a sermon was given by the Bishop of London. Then, during a musical interlude, Prince William and Catherine moved into an area adjacent to the Sanctuary to sign the wedding register accompanied by Prince Harry and Pippa to sign the wedding registry in private. Upon returning, the couple paused to bow and curtsy to Queen Elizabeth. Then, with a great fanfare the recessional music started, “Crown Imperial” by William Walton written for the coronation of King George VI and this orchestral march had also been performed at the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana. Prince William and Catherine, now known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, began the long walk through the Abbey and were followed by the bridal party and the parents of the groom and bride.

Upon exiting the Abbey, Prince William and Catherine were greeted with cheers from the crowds waiting outside on the streets of London. The couple then traveled in the 1902 State Landau from the Abbey along the Mall passing Horse Guards Arch and Whitehall before ending their procession at Buckingham Palace. After arriving, Prince William and Catherine made the traditional Royal appearance on the balcony and the cheering crowds were rewarded with not one but two kisses!

As previously mentioned, the Queen hosted a luncheon reception at Buckingham Palace.  The wedding cake served was created by Fiona Cairns and it was a beautiful multi-tiered traditional fruit cake covered with white fondant with beautiful piping and scrollwork that incorporated many historical and symbolic decorations. There were the traditional gum paste flowers including the rose for England, the thistle for Scotland, daffodils for Wales and shamrocks for Ireland. As a special touch the Sweet William flowers, symbolizing gallantry, were also used to honor the groom. (For more detailed information about the Wedding Cake of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, please click on the link.  Also for information about other British Royal Wedding Cakes throughout the years, please click on the link)

Later, that evening the Prince of Wales hosted a private elegant dinner reception at Buckingham Palace. After dinner Ellie Goulding performed her rendition of “Your Song” for the couple’s first dance. The evening’s wedding reception continued with more dancing and ended with a spectacular fireworks display.

With Prince William’s work commitment as a search and rescue pilot, the couple celebrated a delayed honeymoon on a private island in the Seychelles. Upon their return to England, the couple would soon leave on their first official tour to Canada and the United States.

For more information about Catherine – An British Royal Bride, Wedding Flowers of Prince William and Catherine Middleton or the Wedding Cake of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, please click on the links.  

Wedding flowers – Ferns

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The 2017 Pantone color of the year is called Greenery (#15-0343) and it is a lovely shade of yellow-green that brings to mind the first days of spring.  The color can also be found in the beautiful ferns which are often used to decorate a home, particularly front porches or sunrooms. 

Using the Pantone color Greenery as an inspiration, in this post I will discuss the many different ways that ferns can be used for wedding decorations for a spring or summer ceremony and reception.  Ferns are a relatively inexpensive way to decorate because the plants can fill a lot of space in floral arrangements and generally do well in all kinds of weather conditions. 

Here are some great ideas and suggestions for using ferns for a wedding:

Ceremony

For a spring or summer wedding ceremony, ferns would look beautiful whether used for an indoor or outdoor venue.  Ferns can also be used for a formal style church wedding or a more rustic style for a farmhouse or barn setting.

Shown below is an idea for a lovely wedding floral arch and aisle border using ferns and flowers. Although it is used in an outdoor setting, the floral arch can also be used indoors in a church or ballroom.  

Shown below are two ideas for a formal style wedding,
the first is a floral arrangement and the other is aisle decorations.

Another idea for an aisle decoration a fern and rose arrangement attached to a chair

Shown below are two ideas for a more rustic style wedding,
the first is a fern placed in a wine barrel and the second are ferns
and succulents placed on wooden stumps

Another idea for a simple rustic ceremony decoration
using grapevine wreaths and fern sprigs

Shown below are a beautiful idea for a bridal bouquet using ferns and lily of the valley flowers and a groom boutonniere that would be perfect for a spring or summer wedding.

Reception decorations

Ferns would be a lovely idea for a spring or summer wedding reception for either an indoor or outdoor venue. The first example is for a daytime wedding reception that could be held in an outdoor tent or indoors in a large room.  The tall table arrangement that features a large fern set on a round table. 

Shown below is a daytime reception in a tent
with large hanging ferns used as simple decorations

Shown below is an example for a place setting, a fern sprig tucked into a white napkin

The next two ideas could be used for a formal evening reception held in a ballroom.  In the first photo a hallway is decorated with white draping, crystal chandeliers and ferns mixed with flowers.  The second photo shows a long reception table with crystal chandeliers hanging above, a long table set with a white tablecloth and a floral arrangement of ferns and flowers running down the length of the table.  This idea would be perfect for a bridal party table where the bride and groom are sitting with their bridesmaids and ushers.

Shown below are several examples of ferns used for wedding cake decorations,
the first shows artificial ferns and the second show ferns made of sugar paste.

The final example of shows a wedding cake with fern icing and
to add the rustic feeling the cake is set on a wood platter with moss
and then placed on a wine barrel.

Please check out the other posts in the ongoing Wedding Flower series
(just click on the links) Lily of the Valley, Orange Blossom, Roses and Stephanotis.

Beauty and the Beast – “A Tale as Old as Time”

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BEAUTY AND THE BEAST – A TALE AS OLD AS TIME

Since the Disney live-action version of Beauty and the Beast movie is set for a March 17, 2017 release date, I thought it would be the perfect time to discuss the classic fairytale.  European fairytales, such as Beauty and the Beast, were often verbal stories passed down from one generation to the next.  Later the stories were written into short stories or books and the narration featured fanciful characters, sometimes with magical powers, with some sort of moral lesson to learn.  In this post, I will discuss the origin of the Beauty and the Beast fairytale, the various versions both in print and cinematic form.  Then, I will the end the post with a section offering wedding ideas inspired by the classic fairytale.  

In 1740, the first published version released was a French story, La Belle et la Bete, written by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuv, it was a rather lengthy version of the fairytale.  Then in 1756, a writer by the name of Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont rewrote the story into a shorter version and it was published in Magasin des enfants.  Although there have been various interpretations of the Beauty and the Beast story throughout the years, the Leprince de Beaumont version is the one that has most often been retold. 

Magasin des enfants

In the Leprince de Beaumont version, the story centers on a widowed merchant, he is the father of six children.  His youngest daughter, named Beauty, is beautiful, kind and gentle, an avid book reader but her siblings are jealous of her and treat her very poorly.  Unfortunately the father loses his fortune and the family is forced to move to a smaller home and live a much more modest life.  Before the father leaves on an extended trip at sea in which he will be away for several months, he asks his children what they would like him to bring back from his voyage.  The children selfishly ask for rather expensive gifts but Beauty asks only for a simple rose.

When the father returns from the sea, he starts his journey home traveling across the countryside but during an unexpected storm he becomes lost in the forest.  Trying to seek shelter from the bad weather, he comes upon a magnificent castle.  Mysteriously the doors open into the seemingly unoccupied castle and in the dining room a bountiful feast is laid out on the table and  the father gladly sits down to eat.  After hungrily devouring the delicious meal, the father falls asleep.

The next morning, the father awakes and he starts to explore the castle.  In the garden he finds a beautiful rose garden.  He takes one of the roses and in an instant a hideous Beast confronts him and in a fit of anger he takes the father prisoner for taking his personal property after enjoying his hospitality.  The father begs the Beast for mercy and explains that he only picked the rose to give to his daughter.  The Beast agrees to release the father to return home and give Beauty the rose but on the condition that the daughter exchange places with the father as his prisoner.

The father arrives back home, although he tries to keep the problem from Beauty, but ultimately because she feels responsible for the situation.  She agrees to return to the Beast’s castle.  During her stay the Beast takes good care of Beauty, he serves her lavish meals and has long conversations with her and after a period of time she begins to let her guard down.  But even with all the luxuries she has received from the Beast she misses her father and pleads to go back home to see her family one more time.  The Beast finally agrees but on the condition that she returns to the castle afterwards.  Before leaving the Beast gives her an enchanted mirror which allows her to see what is going on at the castle and a magical ring that when turned three times on her finger it will to return to the castle in the blink of an eye. 

While home, Beauty’s siblings beg her to stay and she is torn between remaining home and breaking her promise to the Beast or returning to the castle because she misses the Beast and realizes that she has fallen in love with him.  To solve her dilemma she uses the mirror to see the Beast and finds that he is desperately heartbroken and has fallen ill so she uses the ring to immediately return to the castle.  As Beauty weeps at his bedside, her tears fallen onto the Beast who is transformed into a handsome prince.  Regaining consciousness, he explains to Beauty that a long time ago a women visited the castle and when she was denied entry she turned him into a hideous beast and the curse could only be broken by finding true love.  At the conclusion of the story, Beauty marries him and “they lived happily ever after”.

Throughout the years the story of Beauty and the Beast has been told in various versions such as books, movies and even a Broadway show.  Perhaps the most popular version has been the 1991 Disney animated film with the voices of Paige O’Hara as Belle and Robby Benson as the Beast.  Besides the Beauty and the Beast there are several other characters; such as Belle’s father Maurice (Rex Everhart), Gaston (Richard White), Lumiere (Jerry Orbach), Cogsworth (David Ogden Stiers), Mrs. Potts (Angela Lansbury) and Chip (Bradley Pierce). 

The popularity of the Beauty and the Beast feature film lead Disney to adapt the story into a Broadway musical in 1994.  The production initially received mixed reviews but proved to be as successful as the movie and the show ran on Broadway until 2007 and grossed more than $1.4 billons worldwide sales with various productions in thirteen countries.

Most recently, in 2017 Disney will release the highly anticipated live action “Beauty and the Beast” movie starring Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the Beast.  The notable cast also includes Kevin Kline (Belle’s father Maurice), Luke Evans (Gaston), Ewan McGregor (Lumiere), Ian McKellen (Cogsworth), and Emma Thompson (Mrs. Potts). 

Wedding ideas inspired by the Beauty and the Beast fairytale

The following is a list of wedding ideas and suggestions inspired by the Beauty and the Beast fairytale:

Invitations – Consider wedding invitations printed in a beautiful font, perhaps edged in deep blue and embellished with a lovely gold satin ribbon.

Wedding ceremony and reception site – Since the Disney version has a storyline involving Belle’s love of books, might I suggest a beautiful library as the venue for the ceremony or reception.  Another idea suggestion is based on one of the most memorable scenes in the animated film and it is when the Beauty and the Beast dance and a hotel ballroom that features large crystal or golden chandeliers would be the perfect venue for a wedding reception.  Maybe for the bridal couple’s first dance they can waltz to the song from the movie.  

Bridal gown and accessories – In the Beauty and the Beast animated film, Belle wears a classic golden yellow ball gown in the dance scene maybe consider a similar style in a traditional bridal white or ivory.  Instead of the blue suit that the Beast wears in the movie consider a classic black tuxedo with tails for the groom.     

Wedding flowers – One of the most iconic symbols in the Disney Beauty and the Beast animated film is the red rose under glass.  A bridal bouquet of red roses would look beautiful against a white wedding dress and a matching red rose boutonniere for the groom. 

Reception decorations – At the welcome table there can be a display incorporating elements from the Disney animated film; such as a few stack of books arranged at various heights displayed with several antique clocks (Cogsworth) and silver or porcelain teapots (Mrs. Potts).  In keeping with the idea of red roses, consider large gold candelabra (Lumiere) with roses cascading down.  For the place setting consider gold charger plates used under the dinner plate and gold utensils instead of the normal silverware.     

reception guest table idea – dark blue tablecloth and cascading rose centerpiece

reception place setting idea – gold plate chargers and dark blue napkin

Cake decorations – Carrying over the idea of the red roses, consider an arrangement of cascading fondant roses.  Maybe consider adding a porcelain cake topper of Beauty and the Beast. 

white wedding cake with cascading red fondant roses

Beauty and the Beast cake topper

These are just a few simple ideas but I would suggest taking the time to research the internet and there are endless ideas for a Beauty and the Beast inspired wedding.              

Victorian Valentines

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In honor of Valentine’s Day that is celebrated every year on February 14th, I would like to discuss the custom of Valentine’s Day cards specifically those produced and sent during the Victorian Era.  From the Ancient Romans to the early Christians to Chaucer’s prose and Shakespeare’s plays the origins of the celebration of Valentine’s Day has evolved.  But it was the Victorians that took the idea of romantic love and popularized it by producing pre-printed Valentine’s cards and then successfully marketed the concept of sending the cards to loved ones near and far with the introduction of the Royal Mail’s first Penny Post stamp, more on this later in the post.

Shown is an engraving from the Illustrated London News 1874,
depicting a workroom where Valentine’s cards were manufactured

The first known Valentine’s Day cards appeared in the late 18th century and were hand-crafted written messages from an individual specifically created to be placed secretly under a door or attached to a doorknob for a loved one to find.  The messages were made from paper and decorated with hearts or love knots, often created as puzzles with a few lines of poetry.

Shown is an early hand-made puzzle Valentine Card circa 1790
(Private Collection/Bridgeman Image)

Then, pre-printed Valentine cards soon followed in the Georgian Era and the oldest surviving card can be found at the York Castle Museum located in York, North Yorkshire, England.  The card dates back to 1797 and it was printed by John Fairburn of Minories, London.  The card was originally sent by Catherine Mossday to a Mr. Brown of London and features pierced paper which gives the illusion of lace and is decorated with cupids, doves and flowers, the card was hand-colored after printing.

Shown is the oldest surviving pre-printed Valentine’s card
(yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk)

Valentine’s cards proved to be even more popular during the Victorian Era and the public demand prompted stationery companies to mass produce a selection of cards which were decorated with classic symbols representing love; such as hearts, doves and Cupid with his trusty bow and arrows.

With the introduction of the Penny Post by the Royal Mail in 1840 the number of Valentine’s cards sent increased dramatically over the next two decades, at times the English postmen were often exceedingly overwhelmed in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day.  Many of these Victorian Valentine’s cards from the past have survived and the Museum of London holds a collection of over 1,800 cards mostly made by Jonathan King, a successful stationer in London.  The cards in the collection feature pierced or embossed paper with intricate designs embellished with a variety of decorations and poetic verses written to convey feelings of love from the sender.

    

Shown are a few Victorian Valentine cards from the Museum of London

One particular Valentine card in the collection at the Museum of London was personally created by Jonathan King in 1861 for his future wife.  The unique Valentine takes the form of a box and features several layers of paper and gauze embellished with ribbon, flowers and shells, on the many pages are written several poems and romantic messages.  In a concealed space on the back of the box is a special compartment with several paper flaps with more hidden messages about a woman’s many virtues and one flap in particular opens to reveal a gold ring – the Valentine was Mr. King’s special way of proposing.  Needless to say, she accepted the proposal and the couple married a year later and had fifteen children!  Mr. King’s stationery business in Islington later expanded with the opening of an adjacent store appropriately named the Fancy Valentine Shop which sold a fine selection of handcrafted Valentine’s cards.  (Special Note: If you want to see the Jonathan King Valentine, without the expense of a trip to England, it is featured in the BBC documentary “A Very British Romance with Lucy Worsley”)

    

Shown above is the Jonathan King Valentine card

I will end this post with a wonderful suggestion … with the recent popularity of unique and elaborate wedding proposals, take the idea of Jonathan King’s Valentine card from long ago and create a one-of-a-kind hand-crafted marriage proposal that will become a lasting memento of that special day.

A British Royal Wedding – Queen Victoria and Prince Albert

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One of the features on this blog is that from time to time I will discuss various weddings of the members of European royalty throughout the years.  The British Royal Weddings in particular have become known over the past centuries for their grand pageantry.  In this first post in the series about the British Royal Weddings I will discuss the wedding of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert which set many customs and traditions for future weddings, such as the white wedding dress.

Wedding of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
Date and location: February 10, 1840 at the Chapel Royal, St. James Palace

In 1837 Queen Victoria had ascended to the throne of England, she was barely 18 years old.  The Queen came to enjoy her newly found freedom from her domineering mother and she started to settle into her role as monarch. Her Prime minister and other members of her Privy Council began to strongly suggest that it was time for her to marry but she resisted this pressure.  Her uncle, King Leopold of Belgian, was also directly advising her on personal matters and he had hoped that his niece would marry his nephew Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.  The Queen had previously met the young Prince in 1836 before her ascension and it had proved to be unsuccessful.

Three years after their initial meeting King Leopold arranged a second meeting between Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.  Both were a little older and the Queen was more mature and the Prince was even more handsome.  This time it was different and she quickly fell in love but it would not be deemed proper for him to propose since she was the Queen so protocol dictated that she needed to ask him.  While at Windsor Castle on October 15, 1939 the Queen took the Prince Albert aside and in private she proposed, he happily agreed!  Arrangements were finalized for a wedding date at the beginning of the following year, the wedding would be the first time in 286 years that a reigning Queen of England got married.

1840 drawing of Queen Victoria proposing to Prince Albert

In the early morning hours on her wedding day, February 10, 1840, Queen Victoria was getting ready in her private apartments at Buckingham Palace.  In attendance were the Duchess of Kent, the Queen’s mother, and the Queen’s ladies of the court; among them were Princess Sophia Matilda of Gloucester, the Duchess of Cambridge, the Princess Mary, and the Princess Augusta of Cambridge, and the Duchess Gloucester.  The Queen was dressed in a lovely white satin gown, a bridal veil of Honiton lace, and a wreath of orange blossoms.  She gave the outward impression of being regally composed but underneath the façade she was concealing the excitement of any normal twenty year old bride.

Click on the photo to enlarge
and read from Queen Victoria’s journal about her wedding day
(the British Royal Collection)

Prince Albert, his father and elder brother arrived in England a few days before the wedding and they were staying in suites located in another part of Buckingham Palace.  Then, at the appointed time on the day of the wedding, Prince Albert left for St. James Palace where the ceremony would take place in the Chapel Royal.  He was dressed in the scarlet and white uniform of a British field marshal with the Star of the Garter proudly displayed on his chest.  (Historical Note:  In advance of the wedding, Prince Albert was given the prestigious honor of a Knight of the Garter on December 10, 1839 by Queen Victoria; the Order of the Garter is the highest order of chivalry in England.  It wasn’t until June 1857 that the Prince would receive the formal title of His Royal Highness the Prince Consort, this is an honor bestow by the reigning monarch to her husband)

Then, a few minutes after the Prince’s Procession left, the Queen Victoria emerged from Buckingham Palace and took a seat in her carriage for the ride to St. James and as she left there was a royal salute of 21 guns to announce her departure.  Traveling through the streets of London, the Queen was greeted by large crowds that had been forming since the early hours of the day and she gratefully acknowledge the cheers of the people.

St. James Palace

The Chapel Royal at St James Palace

Upon arriving after the short ride from Buckingham Palace to St. James Palace, Prince Albert proceeded into the Chapel Royal as Handel’s “See the Conquering Hero Come” was played.  The Prince advanced to the front of the chapel and greeted the Queen Dowager (Queen Adelaide the wife of King William IV) and kissed her hand.  He then turned to the Archbishop of Canterbury and gallantly bowed to him before taking his seat to the left of the altar.  The ladies present in the chapel that day were noted to almost swoon at the gallant actions of the handsome Prince.

A few minutes after the arrival of the Prince, the Queen’s carriage arrived at the Garden Entrance of St James Palace with a fanfare of trumpets and drums.  She then proceeded to the Privy Council Chamber to await the start of the wedding service.  At the appointed time, the Queen walked from the Chamber through several of the rooms in the Palace, such as the Throne Room, and proceeded slowly down the Grand Staircase before finally reaching the Chapel.  Seated in the rooms of the Palace that she just passed through were several hundred people that had been issued special tickets to witness the Queen’s procession which included various members of the Royal Family and the Queen’s Ministers. Lord Melbourne was given the distinct honor of carrying the Sword of State in the procession and of course, the last person was the Queen with her twelve bridesmaids carrying her bridal train which was attached to her bridal gown.

The Chapel Royal main floor and the galleries above were filled to capacity with Royal Heads of State and Ambassadors from many European countries.  To a grand fanfare, the arrival of Queen Victoria was announced and she entered the Chapel on the arm of her uncle, the Duke of Sussex, who officially gave her away.  Prince Albert meet the Queen and the bridal couple approached the railing were the Archbishop was waiting and the wedding service officially started.  During the ceremony, it was noted that when the vows were exchanged, Queen Victoria’s eyes filled with tears possibly as an outward expression of her deep happiness at marrying her handsome prince and finding her true love.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert exchanging their wedding vows
(smithsonianmag.com)

As the ceremony concluded, and before the recessional, Queen Victoria crossed over to the Queen Dowager and kissed her.  Then, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert walked slowly down the aisle and left the Chapel Royal.  The bridal couple stopped briefly at the Privy Council Chamber for a few short private moments together before finally leaving St. James Palace in the Queen’s carriage to drive through the streets of London and back to Buckingham Palace.  (Interesting Observation: In the time preceding the ceremony and immediately afterwards Queen Victoria did not publicly show any attention to her estranged mother, the Duchess of Kent.  one hopes that perhaps this was done privately back at Buckingham Palace)

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert

After returning to Buckingham Palace, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert greeted their invited guests at a “wedding breakfast”.  The celebration included a wedding luncheon during which the guests were served a traditional English meal and the newly married couple cut a massive wedding cake.

An example of a traditional wedding breakfast table

At the wedding reception the main cake was a single layer about nine feet in circumference and weighed three hundred pounds.  The cake was covered with white icing and decorated with several figurines and other floral embellishments.  The cake top was almost a foot in height and featured a Britannia figurine with additional figurines of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert shown dressed in Grecian gowns.  On the right Queen Victoria is shown with a pair of turtle doves at her feet, while on the left was Prince Albert shown with a dog at his feet.  A cupid figurine is shown writing the date of marriage into a book and there were several additional cupids bearing the emblems of the United Kingdom.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s wedding cake
(from royalcollection.org.uk)

After the conclusion of the wedding reception, Victoria and Albert departed from Buckingham Palace and left London to travel to nearby Windsor Castle for a four day honeymoon.

For detailed information about Queen Victoria’s bridal dress and the items she wore on her wedding day, please click on the link to A Royal Bride – Queen Victoria.