15 best weddings in pop culture ranked by how memorable they’d be to attend
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 29: Their Royal Highnesses Prince William Duke of Cambridge and Catherine Duchess of Cambridge kiss from the balcony at Buckingham Palace on April 29, 2011 in London, England. The marriage of the second in line to the British throne was led by the Archbishop of Canterbury and was attended by 1900 guests, including foreign Royal family members and heads of state. Thousands of well-wishers from around the world have also flocked to London to witness the spectacle and pageantry of the Royal Wedding. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)
The Royal Wedding
The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton edges out that of William’s mother, Diana, by one spot despite the fact that it wasn’t viewed by nearly as many people.
That’s partly because it occurred at a time when worldwide fascination with the British royal family has reached an all-time high. That fascination is, of course, due sadly in part to the world witnessing Diana’s tragic death in 1997 and the subsequent upbringing of her sons, William and Harry.
The princes grew up in the public eye after undergoing such tragedy so young, and thus the world was delighted when William found happiness with Kate.
Though the marriage of Charles and Diana was an important state ceremony, given that Charles is the heir apparent to the throne, William and Kate’s wedding felt more personal. They didn’t need to invite as many heads of state, with a guest list of “only” 1,900 compared to Charles and Diana’s 3,500. More than half those guests were William and Kate’s own family and friends. The couple also had a best man (Prince Harry) and maid of honor (Kate’s sister, Pippa). Like Charles and Diana, Kate did not promise to “obey” William; rather, the couple promised to “love, comfort, honour, and keep” one another.
If you want to relive the entire three-and-a-half-hour ceremony, curl up with some tea and biscuits and settle in:
The nonstop media coverage surrounding the couple before and leading up to the wedding, which continues to this day, has left an indelible mark on pop culture.