The Royal Wedding

Everyone has been asking me about the Royal Wedding, and I can't blame them. Since the engagement was announced in October I have been 100% obsessed. I spent the past 7 months of my life thinking about ways I could befriend some member of the Royal entourage and get my invite to the event of the century. Of course my efforts were in vein, as I am nothing more than a "commoner". No famous relatives or bank accounts in Switzerland. I didn't go to a Scottish boarding school. I like to eat dinner in front of the TV watching Jersey Shore. And all my "jewels" were stolen in the robbery. So it goes without saying that the likes of me do not get invited to occasions such as this. But at the end of the day, I'm actually okay with that and here's why...

By the time April rolled around I knew more about Will and Kate's respective families than my own. Did you know that the Middletons eat Sunday dinners at the Bucklebury Village Pub sometimes? Did you know that Princess Beatrice is the first woman in line for the throne (you remember the one with the pink satellite dish on her head, don't you)? Oh, and did you know that the Queen eats cereal everyday for breakfast - from a Tupperware container?! The rascal! 

In every which way, shape and form, "the firm" (the King's name for his clan) had become a part of all of our lives. Day after day we were exposed to up-to-the-minute news feeds, how-they-met documentaries and tell-all interviews. And for some reason I was enamored by it all… the love story, the wedding arrangements, the making of a Queen. I found myself in a frenzy trying to "keep up with the Windsors". 

The day of the Royal Wedding, I woke up feeling like it was my birthday. I made buckwheat pancakes with maple syrup, fixed a cup of tea and sat myself in front of the TV for 5 hours of matrimonial history. From moment one I was sucked into the vortex, anticipating every arrival and, to be honest, every outfit. 

But as I watched the guests arrive in their designated order - the D-listers, the celebs, the diplomats - no one in particular wowed me. Egg-dye was palatte of choice and space-aged fascinators took center stage. I felt like I was watching a Fashion Police Wedding Special of What Not To Wear. In my opinion there were two saving graces: Will, I must admit, look rather dapper in his scarlet Irish Guard colonel's uniform. Regardless of whether or not he earned his stripes, the vibrancy and regalness of his ensemble was a refreshing reprieve from the traditional black tux. My second favorite was Karen Gordon. I had to conduct an extensive google search to get the name of the woman on Earl Spencer's arm, but it was worth the shout out. In my opinion, she was one of the few who truly looked elegant and actually pulled off her over-sized hat. 

By the time it was Kate's turn to arrive, I was full of anticipation. No matter what everyone else wore, surely her dress would have us all squealing with joy. With all the mystery and allure surrounding the designer and the style, I couldn't fathom what she'd turn up in. A gown made of diamonds, dove feathers, angel wings? I was bursting with excitement as she rode from the The Goring Hotel to the Abbey. 

When the moment arrived and she stepped out of her Rolls-Royce, I was completely and utterly… disappointed! Don't get me wrong, her dress was very nice, but I never expected Kate to show up in a dress that was nothing more than "nice".  I mean, after all the hype I half expected her dress to launch into a fireworks to display and sing God Save the Queen in D-minor. And I know Kate's hair is her thing, but would it have killed her to try an updo? 

That's when it hit me. I was spending an exorbitant amount of time immortalizing people who are simply people. The truth is they looked like any other couple, because yes, they are just a couple. Just because they are future kings and queens doesn't mean they actually bleed blue. It's so easy to forget that they are just like you and me, despite a castle of Crown Jewels and a palace to call home. I know you may disagree, but think about it: They have embarrassing family members (Kate's cocaine-snorting Uncle Gary), make regrettable decisions (Prince Harry's Halloween as Hitler) and get upstaged by their siblings (Pippa Middleton and the appreciate day being organized in honor of her royal hiney). Needless to say, once I came to terms with the fact that they aren't characters in a Disney movie and they aren't going to fly off to Neverland for their honeymoon, I was no longer interested. 

British Fever

In the end, revelations aside, I still had an amazing time. After the wedding, Josh and I took the tube to Piccadilly Circus, met with friends and toasted our "commonness" with half-price drinks. And for that I can say, it was a very special day for this Londoner!

I Got My Invite... or maybe it's just a Happy Hour ad!