wedding

I came across a story in a London tabloid recently making the rather perverse argument that William was marrying the wrong Middleton sister. It asserted that the real catch of the Middleton girls was Kate's younger sibling, and Maid of Honour, Pippa. Not only does Pippa have the well-honed party planning skills (her website The Party Times is a must read for entertaining experts and pretenders alike), but her growing profile as a West London socialite and bar-butterfly would appear to be good boot camp for learning how to wield a champagne bottle—before smashing it across the front of a ship.

There's nothing quite like a wedding to make you reflect on your own situation and your own relationships. I've spent plenty of time doing that and right when I felt that luck was on my side, things have going horribly wrong.

First off, let’s make one thing perfectly clear: For those of you who very generously gave me a wedding gift, I would like to say that, without exception, my husband and I love every single salad bowl, fruit bowl, mixing bowl, finger bowl and soup tureen we received and each of said items has a place of honour in our home.

Cash bars are just one of those wedding issues that really divides people. I personally am not a big fan of cash bars at weddings — after all, if you were hosting a dinner party, would you make people pay for their drinks in your own home?

There is no one who does pomp, circumstance and spectacle better than the English. And the reason seems to be: practice, practice, practice. In the very early hours of Wednesday morning thousands of soldiers, sailors (and candlestick makers?) took part in a full-scale dress rehearsal for the royal wedding. Here’s a little taste brought to you by The Royal Channel.