UNITED KINGDOM

Wedding of “almost royal” Pippa Middleton and James Matthews attracts much media excitement

May 20, 2017

The announcement of the engagement of Pippa Middleton and James Matthews last summer set off a frenzy of speculation about the details of nuptials expected to rank as the society wedding of 2017.

It has been headlined in some instances as an “almost royal” wedding because the bride-to-be is the sister-in-law of the future king of England, Prince William. She is the younger sister of his wife, Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge. Matthews is a hedge fund manager whose funds extend to popping the question with an engagement ring valued at UK £100,000 or more.

Prince George and Princess Charlotte, the children of William and Kate, will have official roles at the wedding. The young prince, almost four by the wedding date, will be a page, and his sister, two, will be a bridesmaid.

The speculation extends to the bride’s dress. Several publications see the bride walking down the aisle in a wedding dress worth UK £10,000 or more.

The ceremony will take place at St Mark’s Church in Englefield, Berkshire, seven miles from Pippa’s parents’ house, where the reception will be held.

After the engagement was announced the view of several publications was that, given Pippa’s previous occupation as a party planner, she would organize her own wedding.

“Most party planners like to do their own events,” a fellow party planner told the Daily Beast. “Pippa may have a full-time assistant involved to handle the logistics in the run up to the big day, but she’ll be the one calling up chefs for auditions and picking the linen.”

#21876 Updated: following confirmation of wedding date