All the Ways Princess Eugenie's Wedding Was *So* Different from Meghan Markle's
After reportedly postponing her wedding to let Meghan Markle and Prince Harry shine bright like the Lover's Knot tiara, Princess Eugenie and her nightclub manager fiancé Jack Brooksbank finally got hitched. Even though they tied the knot in the same exact venue (St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle) as Meghan and Harry, Eugenie's wedding was very different than her cousin's nuptials. Here are the biggest ways Eugenie and Jack's wedding was different from Harry and Meghan's.
1. The Timing
The most obvious difference between the two celebrations was the day of the week and the time of day. Meghan and Harry wed on a Saturday morning around noon in the springtime, while Eugenie and Jack had their ceremony on a Friday morning in October-which made it difficult for the rest of us to stay awake and function for the remainder of the day.
2. The Guest List
Approximately 2,640 "regular" people with altruistic charitable records attended Meghan and Harry's May 19th nuptials. Eugenie and Jack, on the other hand, whittled down that figure to a modest 1,200 commoners. When the palace announced 1,200 members of the public could attend Euge's ceremony, they opened an application portal where anyone, regardless of their past charity work, could vie for a spot to watch the arrival and procession, as well as a live broadcast of the ceremony.
Eugenie and Jack also invited 800 friends, which is 200 more guests than Harry and Meghan did (and the source of Prince Andrew's shade). Sadly, though, Oprah wasn't in attendance, which, TBH, was a bit of a letdown.
3. The Cost
Eugenie's wedding was definitely expensive AF, but it cost nothing in comparison to Meghan and Harry's bill-which clocked in at nearly $45 million, a sum that was partially covered by the palace. Reportedly, taxpayers footed the nearly $40 million security bill for Meghan and Harry's big day. Eugenie's $2.5 million celebration is way easier to stomach, though there was still some controversy as the public was expected to pay for security measures, even though Eugenie isn't even one of the "main" royals. Supposedly, there was a petition going around signed by people who want to know why common folk should have to contribute any $$ when Eugenie's family is rolling in the dough?
4. Their Receptions
Meghan and Harry had two receptions, one of which was so exclusive and private that, like, air couldn't even get in. Eugenie and Jack's festivities will last for two days and include a festival, fairgrounds, and an afternoon tea. On the day of the wedding, the Queen will host a wedding reception at Windsor Castle, and later on, there will be another reception at the York's Windsor family home called the Royal Lodge. The festival is set to occur on Saturday, also at the Royal Lodge.
If you're lucky enough to have landed a spot on the guest list, you'll feel like you're in the royal equivalent of Disneyland-or at the very least, you'll feel like you teleported to David and Victoria Beckham's extravagant 1999 wedding, considering they hired the same party planner.
5. The Cake
Fresh and light was the general taste of Meghan and Harry's lemon, elderflower, and buttercream cake, but rich and decadent is a more accurate description of Eugenie and Jack's red velvet and chocolate wedding cake. Buckingham Palace released a statement on the cake, describing it as "a traditional cake, with a modern feel. It will incorporate the rich colors of autumn in its design and will be covered with detailed sugar work including ivy."
6. The Dress Code
At Meghan and Harry's wedding, male guests were allowed to wear "lounge suits," but not at Eugenie's. On Friday, guys had to wear morning suits, which have an S-shaped coat that fall over a seat like so:
7. The Dress
Meghan opted for a Givenchy gown designed by Brit Clare Waight Keller. Eugenie went with a nearly off-shoulder gown by Peter Pilotto and shoes by Charlotte Olympia. And unlike Meghan, Eugenie ditched the veil in favor of highlighting her gown's plunging back and proudly showing off the scars from her childhood scoliosis back surgery.
8. The Maid of Honor
Meghan, being the diplomat that she is, chose not to have a maid of honor because she couldn't choose between her friends. How sweet! Plus, Meghan and her half-sister Samantha Markle weren't exactly on speaking terms so that wasn't really an option.
But what's just as sweet as Meghan not choosing between her friends is who Eugenie picked to be her maid of honor-her sister, Princess Beatrice, of course! In an interview with British Vogue, Beatrice said, "Euge is amazing. She's a very modern bride."
9. The Walk Down the Aisle
Though there was a mistake in Meghan's wedding program and a bunch of back-and-forth about whether or not her drama-loving dad, Thomas Markle, would walk her down the aisle, she ended up going solo. Eugenie walked down the aisle alongside her dad, Prince Andrew AKA Prince Harry and Prince William's uncle.
10. The Supplies
Considering there were no reports of Meghan and Harry banning any specific materials at their wedding, it's safe to say that there was probably some plastic there. Eugenie and Jack, however, took a more eco-friendly approach to their wedding and banned plastics. In her British Vogue interview, Eugenie said, "My whole house is anti-plastic now-and Jack and I want our wedding to be like that as well."
11. The Floral Arrangements
Meghan used London-based florist Philippa Craddock, who has an understated and almost-rustic style, while Eugenie hired Rob van Helden, whose arrangements had a perfectly autumnal vibe with red and yellow blooms. And it's likely Eugenie's bouquet followed in the royal tradition of including myrtle flowers, which symbolize marriage.
12. The Tiaras
Considering that Meghan isn't royal, she didn't have any spare tiaras lying around so she borrowed the Queen Mary Filigree tiara, which Queen Elizabeth II inherited in 1953. While it was predicted that Eugenie would wear the York tiara, which her mother wore when she married Prince Andrew, she opted for an emerald one that she borrowed from the Queen.
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