In 2011, Kate Middleton walked down the aisle at Westminster Abbey to marry Prince William. Her sister Pippa Middleton was the maid of honour at the nuptials, which according to an expert broke tradition at the time.
Leading wedding expert Lavinia Stewart-Brown, the founder and director of Stewart and Brown Events, spoke exclusively to Express.co.uk to explain.
She said: “It’s becoming more and more popular to stray from traditional wedding conventions, with a number of couples choosing to break the rules to make their big day their own.
“The Princess of Wales, for example, chose to break royal convention by introducing an American tradition by having her sister, Pippa Middleton, as her maid of honour.”
This did not happen at the weddings of either the late Queen or Princess Diana, both of whom had sisters but did not make them their maids of honour.
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However, now 12 years after Kate and William’s wedding, it is seen as totally normal for sisters of the bride to be maid of honour at British weddings.
Pippa wore a white Sarah Burton dress, which was essentially a short-sleeved version of Kate’s beautiful wedding dress.
This choice by Pippa was seen as unusual by some for choosing a maid of honour dress that was the same colour as the bride.
Lavinia argues that in many ways Kate did follow tradition at her royal wedding, including following trends that other royal brides have set.
She explained: “A subtle way to nod to tradition is also through your choice of bouquet.
“Both the late Queen Elizabeth, the Princess of Wales and Meghan Markle included a spring of myrtle in their bouquets, in honour of Queen Victoria who herself set the trend on her own big day in 1858.”
Another trend which Kate has helped inspire is her bright-coloured engagement ring.
Lavinia opined: “Striking, brightly coloured engagement rings are a real favourite of the royals, with both Kate Middleton and Princess Eugenie bringing this back into trend recently.
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“Meghan Markle’s dress – designed by Clare Waight Keller of iconic Parisian fashion house Givenchy – was the perfect combination of modernity and tradition.
“It featured sleek lines and sharp cuts through the bateau neck, complete with a slim-fitting silhouette and long sleeves.
“A simple dress means you can really bring your own twist to other elements, such as your veil.
“Meghan opted for a delicate, floral veil which was a lovely contrast to her dress.”
