Regal Inspiration: Prince William and Princess Kate
Beneath all of the pomp and circumstance of today’s Royal Wedding of Prince William and Princess Catherine, Duke & Duchess of Cambridge was a young, modern couple who made the wedding their own with grace and class.
Prince William & Princess Kate, the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge
It began with Kate’s request that ladies wear hats and oh the fascinators were out in all of their glory! Watching the guests arrive was nothing short of watching the red carpet on Oscar’s Night. And did you see David and Victoria Beckham?! Becks was a dapper showstopper in his mourning coat – the camera’s couldn’t stop going back to him.
Princesses Eugenie & Beatrice
The ever-so-stylish Beckhams
Classic elegance by Mother of the Bride Carole Middleton, The Queen and Step-Mother of the Groom Camilla
Kate wore a classically elegant and beautiful dress reminiscent of Princess Grace (actress Grace Kelly) by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen and carried a modest bouquet. According to the royal press release, “The bouquet is a shield-shaped wired bouquet of myrtle, lily-of-the-valley, sweet William and hyacinth. The bouquet was designed by Shane Connolly and draws on the traditions of flowers of significance for the Royal Family, the Middleton family and on the Language of Flowers.” Kate also looked beautiful wearing a borrowed vintage Cartier halo tiara given to Queen Elizabeth by the Queen Mother on her 18th birthday.
Kate Middleton entering Westminster Abbey wearing Sara Burton for McQueen reflected her own personal style. Simple, classic and elegant.
William looked absolutely regal in his scarlet red uniform of Colonel of the Irish Guards topped with a blue sash. The royal wedding party stylishly mimicked the bride and groom with Prince Harry in his military uniform and bucking tradition, sister of the bride and maid of honor Pippa wearing an ivory gown. I thought it was a stunning move and I bet we’ll be seeing this again!
Prince Will to his father-in-law, "We were just supposed to have a small family affair."
Maid of Honor and Sister of the Bride, Pippa Middleton escorts the flower girls
The dashing Princes
A Historic first - TWO balcony kisses!
The trees lining the halls of Westminster Abbey were Canadian Maples brought in to honor the Commonwealth of Canada (Oh Canada! My home and native land…)
In a dramatic twist Prince William did the first wardrobe change and switched to his blue RAF flight lieutenant’s uniform for the couple’s stylish and historic getaway driving his Dad’s, Prince Charles, Astin Martin (I’m sure all you grooms out there are having car envy!!) The couple enjoyed some quiet time to themselves before rejoining the festivities.
Today Prince William was the envy of every gent. He got the Princess & the Astin Martin!
The Queen’s reception following the wedding is only the first party of the day and will feature an 8-tiered regal bridal fruit cake AND a chocolate biscuit Groom’s cake (the groom’s favorite).
The Royal Wedding Cake
Royal Wedding style takeaways:
- Honor tradition, but make your wedding your own in small details. Those small nods to your personal style will really stand out.
- Give your guests direction with wedding attire, be it traditional or fun Destination Wedding twists like “gentlemen in Tropical Shirts, ladies in sundresses and bejeweled flip flops” or ask your guests to dress in shades of your wedding color. Make your guests a part of the décor. (Result: really great wedding images!!)
- Channel your inner-Princess with a vintage tiara http://www.vintagetiarasbyjuliabeazley.com/Home.html
- Switch up your processional from the American tradition of having the bridesmaids and bridal party walk ahead of the bride and make a royal entrance with them trailing you. This is actually a great idea on the beach where often wedding dress trains can snag or pick up “hitchhikers” along the way.
- Go Green! See former SunCelebrity Hollis’ Princess Perfect Destination Wedding on St Croix – Perhaps Princess Kate stole some of her fairytale style?!
- Build in a little quiet time after the ceremony just to yourselves in order to center yourselves and truly be in the moment.
- Throw your groom a bone and include a Groom’s cake of his choosing – or surprise him with one in his favorite flavor. Afterall, its his wedding too!
In Honor of Earth Day
In honor of Earth Day, I thought a post about trees would be appropriate. Especially this tree…
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I have always had a fascination with big, beautiful trees having grown up in New England. Working at the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington, CT furthered that love and reverence for the giants of the forest. There we taught a class on the many uses and significance of various trees to the Woodland Indians of New England: green Birch tree branches used for tooth brushes, splits of the mighty Ash Tree woven into marvelous baskets, White Birch bark for wigwams, canoes and buckets, etc. However, recently I “stumbled” across a truly majestic tree in St Croix that really captivated me – the mighty Kapok at Villa Greenleaf.
The Kapok (Ceiba pentandra) or Silk Cotton tree is indigenous to the rainforests of South America and is now spread throughout the Caribbean, West Africa and even as far as the Malay Peninsula and Indonesian archipelago. Pollinated by bats, the tree sheds its leaves during the dry winter months with leaves and white or pink flowers remerging during the wetter spring months. It produces brown seed pods that contain a fibrous, fluffy white material that is 8-times lighter than cotton and 5-times more buoyant than cork. Before synthetics, the fibers were used in pillows, mattresses and because it is water-proof, were used in flotation devices. The leaves and bark can be used medicinally to cure a variety of ailments, including Type II diabetes. The Kapok’s straight trunk is supported by huge beautiful buttresses that can extend out 30-feet, surround the trunk and are covered with spikes protecting the otherwise smooth bark. Kapoks can exceed heights of 150 feet.
The Mayans revered the Ceiba (say-bah) as the tree of life whose roots extended to the underworld and branches reached up to support the heavens. It was used to make large and sturdy, sea-worthy canoes that allowed them to travel from island to island. In West Indian culture, this mighty behemoth was considered a sacred spirit tree. Referred to as the “God Tree”, “Devil Tree” or “Jumbie Tree” it is believed to be inhabited by spirits. Cutting down a Kapok would release the spirits and the culprit would be haunted for years.
Known as the “jumbie tree” to many natives, the kapok has long been considered a primary spirit tree of the West Indies. With its huge buttressed roots and gargantuan dimensions the kapok can’t help but draw the eye and fire the imagination. “In a traditional environment devoid of man-made wonders such as towers and temples, obelisks, and so forth,” writes Nicholls, “a ficus or kapok would stand out and it is not so surprising that these trees were identified as spirit trees.” Kapok trees were considered a holding place for departed souls and a place where the living could meet the dead. Eggs were thrown at certain kapoks that were known to be spirit trees in order to free a person’s shadow or soul that had been stolen by a jumbie. – Professor Robert W. Nicholls, University of the Virgin Islands
The incredible Kapok that anchors the property and is the logo symbol of Villa Greenleaf on St Croix has been estimated by experts to be approximately 350 years old making it one of the oldest and largest trees in the US Virgin Islands. Lovingly and carefully attended to, the tree’s breathtaking beauty can be marveled at while enjoying breakfast at the Villa/Bed and Breakfast. It’s been the subject of many artists and on your next visit to Villa Greenleaf I’m sure you’ll discover why.
Monkey No Climb!
Villa Greenleaf is a Bed & Breakfast nestled into the hills of Montpellier on St Croix. The property boasts 5 upscale accommodations, beautifully appointed with casual West Indian-style furnishings and each with its own private screen porch and rooftop sun deck. The villa pool overlooks a sweeping view of Judith’s Fancy & Salt River and out to the Caribbean Sea. Common areas offer plenty of opportunity for outdoor entertaining and the meticulously manicured grounds provide a classic Caribbean setting. Villa Greenleaf can also be booked as a private villa accommodating 10 guests and is the perfect setting for Executive Meetings, Family and Leisure Groups and Weddings. Contact us for more details!
