Wedding of My Generation

Being an American Girl, naturally I love the United States best. But there is one thing that we consequently miss out on. In other countries, about once a generation, there takes place an event--the Royal Wedding. Such a momentous occasion is one that most people follow with anticipation and excitement...almost as much as the real countrymen and women do.

My grandma's generation had Princess Grace Kelly. Her storybook romance to Prince Ranier of Monaco captured the hearts of many in the 1950s. Leaving behind an Oscar winning career in Hollywood to marry into one of Europe's smallest principalities was something only most girls dreamed of. But Grace lived it--and to this day, her wedding dress is considered one of the most iconic and copied designs. Her romance was truly for happily ever after; Ranier and Grace had three beautiful children together and remained married until her untimely death.

My mom's generation had the wedding of Diana Spencer, to Charles, Crown Prince of England. Diana was a very young bride, just twenty when she walked down the HUGE aisle at Westminster Abbey. The crowd, and indeed the entire world, was uproarious when Diana emerged from the carriage that would carry her into a new life--for now we got to see her wedding dress...and its twenty-five foot long train. Sadly, what appeared to be a love story did not have a happy ending. Charles and Diana did have two beautiful boys, but their marriage ended in divorce. And of course, we all know about her tragic death.


But the British monarchy gets another try this go around. Diana's son, William, is about to be married--TOMORROW!!!! His bride is girlfriend of eight years, and one of my fashion icons, Kate Middleton. The two met in college and have been (mostly) together ever since. Their story has a twist; no aristocratic blood flows through Kate's veins. William is the first member of British royalty to marry "a commoner." True love does come in all forms, does it not?

The world has been waiting for the nuptials for years and I include myself in that number. I was beyond excited when in November of 2010, William finally proposed marriage. It meant that in my lifetime, I would get a royal wedding of my very own. Well, figuratively, not literally ;-)

So, now, we wait to see just what Kate and William's legacy will be. No one knows the designer of Kate's dress; William won't even see it until she walks down the aisle. Everyone sits and waits to see if she will fumble over her vows--as Diana did. And of course, will they appear just in love as ever, much like their pictures do? Will their love story follow that of Princess Grace and Prince Ranier? Or will it go the path of William's mother and father? I believe the whole world is rooting for the former.

Because I have zero connection to the royal couple, I was not invited to the wedding. But I will be there in spirit as will several friends of mine. I am pulling an all-nighter, others are getting up at the crack of dawn, to watch these two say "I do." We are sipping tea--I am making scones--others are wearing hats or tiaras. We want to soak up this experience...because it only happens once a generation.