On May 19 at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in England, British royal Prince Harry married American actress Meghan Markle. It was a grand and gorgeous affair with thousands of people waiting outside the chapel to greet Meghan as she arrived and millions more glued to the live telecast. One of those spectators was Celebrity Event Planner and Lifestyle Expert, Mindy Weiss of Mindy Weiss Party Consultants. Weiss has devoted her life to creating memorable celebrations (for the likes of Ellen Degeneres, Heidi Klum and Gwen Stefani) and we were eager to get her take on the recent royal nuptials — here’s what she had to say!

What was your favorite design element of the event?

I loved the greenery that was framing the door with just a touch of flowers. I appreciate that they incorporated Diana’s favorite flowers and vines into Meghan’s bouquet: forget-me-nots [hand-picked by Harry], sweet pea, lily of the valley, white garden roses, and astrancia. It’s all of those kinds of little personal touches that my brides ask me to help them with. 

What was your favorite moment?

I loved seeing them hold hands in the carriage when they left. And I loved their extra kiss in the carriage. I also loved that they could tell what Prince Harry was saying to Meghan: “You look amazing,” and “I’m so lucky.”

What surprised you about Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding?

I am a huge fan of the royals — I got married three days after Diana and was very fascinated by her wedding. I think what surprised me most with this wedding was that they allowed Meghan to bring so much of her personality into the wedding. The gospel choir, the preacher, those types of elements really personalized the event. The addition of the Kingdom Choir was amazing and I loved how they were all wearing mauve, pink, blush and touch of blue.

How did you think this wedding different from the other royal nuptials?

Harry and Meghan infused much more personality into their wedding than we’ve seen before. They bent the rules because they could — they didn’t have to follow exact protocol like William and Kate did. I appreciate that Meghan does follow a lot of the rules; she’s not trying to avoid conforming to tradition to make anyone uncomfortable, rather she is updating it. This was a more modern wedding but I think the Queen is hip in her own way, she’s very smart.

Any final thoughts on what you loved and what you didn’t about this royal wedding?

I loved his message but I think the preacher [Reverend Michael Curry] spoke a bit too long. And I do wish Meghan’s dad was there, however, her mom looked beautiful. I also love the car that Harry and Meghan drove to the reception [a vintage silver blue Jaguar E type]. Obviously, I wanted to see the reception. But overall I was very happy and satisfied!

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