Wedding planning is tough no matter how you slice it. (The "it" in this case being a four-tiered, fondant-covered confection, of course.)
But we'd argue that Princess Eugenie had a particularly sizable challenge when putting together her Oct. 12, 2018 vows. How does one go about impressing those in their well-to-do, seen-it-all circles when most of them had attended a pretty swanky affair at the exact same venue just five months earlier?
So, truly, kudos to her team.
The actual ceremony forever binding Queen Elizabeth II's granddaughter and longtime love Jack Brooksbank (now parents to 8-month-old son August) was every bit the formal, grandiose event one would expect from someone 10th in line to Britain's throne. There was the demure, Peter Pilotto gown, featuring just a hint of a low back to show off the scar from Eugenie's childhood scoliosis operation, and a reading hand-selected by the bride from The Great Gatsby. Not to mention two performances from Andrea Bocelli, the legendary Italian tenor apparently available as a wedding singer if you're either real-life or reality royalty.
During an afternoon reception at Grandma's place, some 800 guests sipped Pol Roger Champagne, nibbled on mini Yorkshire pudding canapés and watched as the newlyweds cut into their five-tier autumnal chocolate and red velvet cake.
Then the new Mr. and Mrs. hopped into James Bond's Astin Martin and it was all fun and games from there.
An evening bash at Windsor Great Park's Royal Lodge, the official residence of Eugenie's father, Prince Andrew, featured a Robbie Williams' performance that got the likes of Naomi Campbell and Demi Moore dancing, food trucks and plenty of Casamigos Tequila, Brooksbank a brand ambassador for George Clooney's spirit.
And the day-after festivities were a true carnival, with game stalls, a ferris wheel and an actual carousel wheeled onto the grounds.
Not too shabby.
Because for all of the-world-is-literally-watching pressure, there are more than a few perks to being a royal bride: You've got access to some of the grandest venues in existence, a fairly lofty budget (Eugenie's weekend celebration reportedly rang in at $400,000) and, no matter what else might go wrong, you get to wear a tiara. (And not one you shelled out a few hundred dollars for at a bridal salon.)
So, yeah, we'd happily slap on a fascinator and attend any royal bash, but we're crowning a few of our favorites here.
(Originally published October 12, 2020, at 12 a.m. PT)