Kate Middleton is known for her love of standout hats, or fascinators. This regal accessory was also a popular choice for attendees of her wedding to Prince William. Click through the gallery to see some of the craziest, most elaborate hats worn to the royal wedding
Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, along with Kate's parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, served as witnesses and signed the marriage registers. The bride's mother wore a gray-blue dress designed by Catherine Walker, a fashion designer whose work was championed by Princess Diana. The Duchess of Cornwall opted for a champagne silk dress designed by Anna Valentine, and a Philip Treacey hat.
The hour-long service was conducted by the Very Reverend Dr. John Hall, the dean of Westminster. It also included an address from the Right Reverend Richard Chartres, the bishop of London and a friend of the royal family.
William, 28, spent a low-key last bachelor evening with his father at St. James's Palace, then traveled this morning to the abbey in a uniquely designed Bentley, with his best man, Prince Harry--both brothers smiling and waving through the window to the crowds. Before the service, they greeted members of the congregation, including Earl Spencer, Princess Diana's brother.
Kate, meanwhile, stayed the night with her family--including her maid of honor, younger sister Philippa--at London's Goring Hotel, and came to the abbey alongside her father in a Rolls-Royce Phantom VI owned by the queen.
After the service, the newlyweds are set to ride to Buckingham Palace in a horse-drawn open-top carriage--originally built in 1902 for William's great-great-great grandfather, King Edward VII. They'll pass Parliament Square, Whitehall, and the Mall along a processional route, lined since yesterday--despite the chilly and overcast weather--with crowds cheering and waving the Union Jack, having heard the service over loudspeakers.
At the palace, the Queen will host a lunchtime reception for a select 650 members of the congregation, during which William and Kate will appear on the balcony--weather permitting--for what's expected to be their first public kiss as newlyweds. Later, they'll head to a roughly 300-person dinner and dance party given by Prince Charles, also at Buckingham Palace. The Queen, who wore an Angela Kelly primrose dress and matching coat, will skip that event, the Palace has said, to allow the younger crowd to properly let their hair down.
Elsewhere, millions of Britons took advantage of the national holiday--declared months ago by Prime Minister David Cameron--by gathering in pubs, private homes, and public viewing areas to celebrate the event, which for months has dominated the country's news coverage. Estimates for the hit to Britain's economy, thanks to the day off work, have ranged from $10 billion to $50 billion.
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