LONDON — The wedding of Wills and Kate is the only one that matters next year. Unless, of course, you’re having one yourself.
Britons are captivated by speculation over where and when their prince will wed — but few are keeping their eyes peeled as much as British brides-to-be. Planning the biggest day of your life is stressful enough without having to compete with a multimillion-pound affair that will be the biggest British wedding in decades.
Fear and horror are spreading through British bridal circles — and a whole new batch of young women is ready to pitch a royal hissy fit.
“If their wedding was on my wedding day, I don’t know what I would do!” said Anna Whitcomb, 28, trying on wedding dresses at a London department store. “I’m supposed to be the princess, and now I have a real princess to compete with,” she added.
Prince William and Kate Middleton are widely speculated to marry at Westminster Abbey in central London this spring or summer — giving other London brides panic attacks at the prospect of transportation nightmares, fully booked hotels and blanket security checks.
Brides with expensive tastes and elite social connections have further worries. Will their orders for hand-engraved invitations from royal stationers Smythson be delayed? Will the guest lists overlap?
One mother of the bride went so far as to beg William’s father, Prince Charles, to pick a date that won’t clash with her daughter’s when she bumped into him during a London appearance.
