Pippa Middleton became engaged to Terribly Rich™ James Matthews over the summer. James doesn’t have a title and he has at least one dodgy family relation (a reality show star, how gauche), but the engagement has been seen in as a “smart match” in nearly every social circle. James is rich and well-liked, and Pippa is boring and the sister-in-law to Prince William. Even the British papers think Pippa made a smart match and that her life will be so much easier than Kate’s. The British papers have also been trying to make Pippa’s wedding plans sound exciting, and no one’s really buying it. Like, is it scandalous that Kate might be pregnant by the time Pippa’s wedding rolls around? Of course not. Is it controversial that Pippa might ask her niece and nephew to be involved with such a peasanty wedding? No. So, Pippa’s people finally got around to confirming some of the details of her wedding:
Pippa Middleton is to marry in her local village church — in stark contrast to sister Kate’s Westminster Abbey extravaganza. The younger sibling — whose pert bottom was a huge hit at the Duchess of Cambridge’s royal wedding — has chosen pretty St Mark’s Englefield for her marriage to tycoon James Matthews in May next year. And the party will be held at her parents’ £6million home in nearby Bucklebury, Berks. Her 17-month-old niece Princess Charlotte and nephew Prince George, three, are expected to be a flower girl and page boy.
A friend said: “There’s been a lot of speculation that Pippa would get married at her fiancé’s hunting lodge in Scotland or have a massive bash in London. But she’s a traditional girl and just wanted to get married at home. Her mum has been very involved in all the wedding planning and she wants to show off their house to all their friends. Plus, how can you compete with Kate who got married at Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace? This way, Pippa can keep it private and very personal.”
Pippa, 33, is planning for around 150 guests at the church with more invited to the reception in a marquee at Bucklebury Manor. Along with William and Kate, Prince Harry is also expected to be invited. Pippa’s brother James Middleton and girlfriend Donna Air will be there along with uncle Gary Goldsmith, who was caught offering cocaine to undercover reporters. The groom’s brother Spencer, of I’m A Celeb and Made in Chelsea, is understood to be best man.
Carole, 61, and Pippa were seen shopping for wedding invitations at posh Mount Street Printers in Mayfair, central London, this week. And the pair have been seen shopping for dresses at top-end stores including Suzanne Neville. Pippa is said to favour a lace design with full skirt — completely different from the slinky bridesmaid dress that propelled her to fame at the Royal Wedding in 2011.
Pals say she wants something more “demure” for her own big day. One said: “Pippa found all the attention on her bottom really embarrassing. She works out a lot and loves sport, but couldn’t understand all the fuss. With her dress, she wants something classic and demure and very different from her sister’s. She realises comparisons will be made, but is very excited about her own big day.”
A May wedding in the English country, with a reception to follow at the Middletons’ manor – which William partially paid for following his wedding to Kate. Considering James Matthews’ wealth, I was expecting something bigger and splashier, honestly. At the very least, I was expecting a London wedding with lots of posh attendees. But now that I’m thinking about it, Pippa probably does want to avoid side-by-side comparisons with Kate. I do think a big part of this is that Carole wants to show off Middleton Manor too. I wonder if Prince Harry will turn up? I wonder how many of Pippa’s exes will be invited? And I also wonder how the dress is going to turn out. Pippa has a small, slender, athletic figure and a dress with a “lace design with full skirt” sounds like the design could overwhelm her.
Also: “royal experts” are analyzing why Kate probably won’t be Pippa’s maid/matron of honor. My guess is that it’s because Kate will probably be knocked up by the wedding. But there’s also a theory that Pippa will want it to be HER day, and blah blah, passive aggressive sister drama.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet, PCN and WENN.
Oh good, that’s near my house! Anyone want to come visit for the royal viewing? Should make my drive to work much more fun as I drive within a mile of that Church!
I’ll bring some bubbly!
It looks like a really pretty church.
I thought the Middletons lived in a “modest” home? Did they buy a new place?
They bought their new house a few years ago. Rumour has it Wiliam helped finance the whole thing..
On my way, let me pack a bag? How fun to be close to that!
I’m not sure if it’s going to be fun or a nightmare! I live in the poor part of a VERY English village so I hope I get to see some famous people! I’m a whore like that!
Ummmm heck yes! Honestly I’m dying to catch a glimpse of Dodgy Uncle Gary most of all hehe!
I have a question, Why is the press saying Kate can’t or won’t be her maid of honor? Couldn’t she do it if Pippa wanted that?
Apparently, aristocratic (or in this case, wannabe aristocratic) weddings are quite traditional, and tradition dictates that the maid of honour should be unmarried and younger than the bride.
Are all her old boyfriends going to be invited? That would be one way to get the Aristos there.
The Aristos are probably happy she’s off the market and no longer leaving little post-it notes for them to call her or contact her. Something she was reported to do during her University years,according to UK press.
The fact that Spencer Matthews will be related to The Queen blows my mind. I love it. I hate it.
I love the debasement of the relations. I love how terribly common it is. I hate that I love it. My emotions are all over the place.
Sixer – views?
I was thinking much the same thing!
Faster it all debases, faster we might see a republic so I think, in the round, I’m all for it!
I think Spencer should do I’m a Celebrity, Strictly Come Dancing, Celebrity Masterchef and all the others, and each show should feature extensive back videos mentioning Katie Bucket and Normal Bill, starting off rumours that Normal Bill is a candidate for one of the shows next year because he thinks it’s the best way to show just how normal he really is.
Then you and I can snigger on here for at least a year.
The Queen will be related to a dude who got kicked off I’m a Celebrity for addiction to steroids. Could there be anything more embarrassing?
Imagining the first meeting between Chuckles and Spenny. Imagining Katie meeting Jamie. Imagining Spenny’s date to the wedding – please let it be Lauren whatshername in an obscenely low cut dress.
The possibilities are giving me life.
I hope Spencer will host the bachelor party and photos will be sold to TMZ. Bring on the debauchery!
The whole thing is actually rather marvellous.
Cheska can be Ma Middleton’s party planning intern…and everyone staying at the manor will get a Serge Di Nims gift bag upon arrival.
Hope they do another season of “The Windsors” — the material they’ll have to work with!
Well, I doubt the Queen, or Charles, or anyone else who “matters” will ever meet this guy. Pippa herself was marginalized by the royal family after she proved to be an embarrassment. I think the royals will just pretend he doesn’t exist.
It’s absolutely fascinating. Even I wouldn’t want to be related to Spencer Matthews and I’m probably as common as it gets. And not even British! The Queen is probably roaming the halls of Buckingham Palace mumbling “NOT by blood” over and over again.
I feel that Gary might be the most honest of that family, he’s dodgy and we know it. LOL
I think the Middleton’s are all dodgy. Something about them has always seemed rather shady. I feel like I’m looking at a Ponzi scheme when I see them. lol
I still don’t believe that plastic stuff they sell is doing the kind of business the press wants us to believe.
Some say the new Manor home was financed through connections based on William being their son in law.
Someone else said the home will be Kate’s in the event of a divorce between she and William and he had a lot to do with the purchase going ahead.
I’m not sure what to think, but it will be fun seeing the wedding guests arrive and Pippa in her dress. ,
I think the Mike Tindall relationship is way worse and way closer. He married a blood relative not some relative by marriage.
Pippa is having an aristo country manor house wedding. I’m not surprised.
I am weirdly anticipating this… if only to see who turns up (aristos? old family friends? other reality stars? Pippa exes?) and how/if the press decides to cover it.
Pippa will sell exclusive rights to photos to Hello magazine.
She should write a book about weddings or at least write some columns with planning tips. The book title will be “Celebrate, Weddings!”
What MinnFinn said.
Exclusive to Hello Magazine.
Uncle Gary and all the relatives on Carole’s side who will be itching to meet George and Charlotte I would expect.
Why did my mind immediately go to “Hello” magazine as well? And I’m an American but it just seems obvious for some reason!
I can practically envision exactly what the cover will look like already, just from the sparse details we know.
I heard the Uncle already has visited the manor home a few times and “may have” seen future mini- King already.
Not sure if it’s true, but supposedly brother and sister still talk and are close, but it’s just not publicized.
Do the MIdds actually have any friends? Didn’t they pad the WK wedding list with strangers?
Anyone else think prince Harry’s new girl looks like pippa?
Harry’s girlfriend is far more beautiful than Pippa.
Just that first side shot we saw yesterday. Gorgeous blue dress, ill fitting in the bum.
I saw it instantly, but not in the other photos.
Yes, there’s a thirst in her eyes that reminds me of Pippa. Girl likes the attention, me thinks..
yes and yes.
I find Harry’s rumored girlfriend much more attractive that Pippa. She’s average at best.
I think Meghan is more beautiful than either Pippa or Kate. I think both Kate and Pippa are highly overrated and average.
No hate here but Mama Middleton needs to rethink her clothes choices.
I think they are sent freebies and she and Pippa share and Kate uses some too.
JMO
The Middleton women do like their lace and I wonder if the wedding will feature in Made In Chelsea.
As for William partly paying for Middleton Manor – was this ever confirmed as I thought it was pure speculation and they had to go abroad for a massive mortgage? I know we the UK taxpayer coughed up £1mill for the ‘security’ enhancements needed so Kate can continue to live with Mummy.
Can someone explain this to me: “is planning for around 150 guests at the church with more invited to the reception”. Where I’m from, the invite is for both wedding and reception. In fact, anyone can go to the wedding (if it’s not in a private place like a home). How do you invite people to the reception and not to the actual wedding? Also, I was my best friend’s maid of honor not her sister. So I don’t find it weird that Kate would not be matron of honor.
I’ve received reception only invites because the house of worship where the ceremony was taking place was too small to comfortably fit all of the guests. It sounds like that is also the case for Pippa.
Yeah, I find that also very weird. The invitation usually covers everything. But we also have the pre-weddig reception at the homes of the bride and groom, then the church then the reception and you’re supposed to attend all three. A lot of people skip the church and hang out in nearby cafes until it’s over. We’re a very romantic bunch.
And here, family is never the maid of honor/best man/godparent.
How long does a typical wedding last? Reception included? Here it’s usually from 3pm to around 6-7 am.
Yeah, it seems kind of rude that you’d invite someone to the reception but not the wedding. Maybe the church is on the small side though, as most country churches tend to be.
Anyway, the whole thing is so meh. I guess Pippa and Carole don’t want to overplay their hand and go all out with an OTT wedding and maybe scare the groom away?
Completely normal here to invite people to only some parts of the wedding. We had a very small ceremony, a few additional people for reception + breakfast, and then about a hundred more for the evening. I’m not sure if this is a specifically British thing…but it also seems completely normal to have a cash bar at weddings (which is something I can’t quite get my head around)
Yup – I’ve been invited to the dancing part of the Reception only when the bride and groom wanted to keep the ceremony and dinner very intimate and close family only.
Totally acceptable. It’s THEIR day.
I’m in Canada.. so not England specific at all would be my take.
Standard practice.
You are invited to church only. Reception/wedding breakfast/meal only. After parties ( if any) only. Or a combination of the above. And if the wedding couple really love you, you receive an invite to all events.
English weddings are peculiar that way.
It’s the same in Argentina. Not everyone gets invited to all the celebrations/festivities involving a marriage. Here we have:
– civil marriage
– civil marriage reception/cocktail
– religious wedding
– religious wedding reception
– religious wedding dinner
– religious wedding party
God do we like to celebrate.
I’m Indian and in our culture , the reception is much bigger deal. We have attended several receptions but were not invited to the wedding.
Thanks all! Wasn’t sure if it was specific to England. I get if the church is small or if it’s held in someone’s home then the number attending is limited.
It’s not unusual to have a family-only wedding and then a reception for friends, family, the people you don’t know but have to invite because you gave your parents a table for their friends, who are these people and is he drunk? etc.
Am I the only one who has some sympathy for anyone who has a close family relationship with someone who marries into the royal family?
I think there are pos and cons, but for Pippa, I think it has mostly been pros. She’s made a lot of money trading on her name and, instead of working full time, she gets to focus on her charity interests and athletics.
I know I am in the minority here, but I like Kate and Pippa. I think both women are classy and a refreshing break from the (in my opinion) trashy, overly sexualized women that normally dominate the headlines. I enjoy the fashion styles of Kate and Pippa (though, at 5’2 I could never pull off their style! LOL…) and thought that Kate’s wedding was lovely and I was so happy to see that Kate chose a dress that wasn’t strapless (so sick of seeing strapless dresses and brides dressed inappropriately). I think Pippa’s wedding will also be an elegant event!
It’s not Kate’s path to be a Royal. After 5 years she still does not get it!
No offence, but Kate’s already a royal by marriage so. (Unless ofc, you know something we don’t know, in case, do share! :D)
Kate couldn’t chose a strapless dress.
For royal brides marrying future heirs to the head of the church position, strapless isn’t an option because they have to uphold church of England rules of covered shoulders in order to marry in church even if the rest of the population ignores such dictats.
i agree with you Laura. I used to think poorly of Pippa, but I’ve come around. I like the sound of her wedding plans. Would do the same thing if I had a) money b) space c) new husband.
I always laugh when I see Waity being compared to the Kardashians instead of her peers (Letiizia, Mary, Masako). It says a lot.
They made their own money and made the most of their opportunities, it shouldn’t bother me so much, but why do they make me want to vomit up breakfast, I don’t know.
It’s the smugness and the pretense
One thing is for sure, the bride will be ORANGE.
Trump is marrying…..oh wait …nvm wrong thread
Ha ha ha ha!! I spat out my lunch at that one! So funny, ElleBee!
I wonder if she and her mother will go on crash diets, like Kate did.
This will be fun to watch. Lace everywhere……….ugh. Spray tans. Hair extensions. Eyeliner. Boring court shoes. Ugly hats.
I wouldn’t say WILLIAM partially paid for chez Middleton—-more likely the money originated from the public somehow if you trace it back. William never parts with his “own” money.
You are right. But public or private money, someone helped them finance that house. The Midds are not wealthy enough to purchase a £6million home
I’m not sure how the creative accounting will be, but I have an easier time believing that William did not part with his own money. He likes Carole but he seems to like his money (and privileges) even more. This is why I don’t fawn over George, because I keep seeing William…sorry they’re all so privileged. I don’t wish them ill will…I just don’t admire them (for lack of a better word). I do respect the other working royals because they have earned it.
@JADE, I read that William is a cheap stake is that really true? Doesn’t he get everything for free?
@Kitty… Cheapskate? I wouldn’t know. Maybe the royal observers here can answer: Are there any records of consistent personal charity contributions? Is he known as a generous private donor? Regardless, he may very well be generous in private to his family and we wouldn’t know about it.
I think it’s hard to put this cheapskate label on royals, especially crown heirs. I mean, you can be poor or middle class and cheapskate but it’s your prerogative because it’s the money you earned. In fact, it’s perhaps better for royals to be perceived as prudent. The issue here is not whether he is generous or cheapskate, it’s the rational question all taxpayers would ask any funded royal: where did he get the funds from? As you’ve said, he has been handed down everything (not his fault really, he was just born into it). He doesn’t have to pay for staff, security, wedding, his wife’s jewellery, clothes, housing, schooling, tennis court, renovations…if you’ve grown up this way, there may be a tendency not to pay out of your own pocket and ask for favours first (go to father / grandmother / aristocrat for holiday home or private plane). So, why not do the same when it comes to gifting your in laws a nice wedding gift, especially when he doesn’t seem to earn a lot? Diana left him money but if it’s allegedly about ten million, that’s not much in that world for personal spending. He has a part time job which allegedly goes to charity but we don’t know by how much. It’s not like he fell into a well-paid job after graduation and even so, usually adults in their thirties need some time to pay for our own house (or manor hah!), what more partially pay for another house.
In my experience, there are rich cheapskates and poor ones and ones in the middle. Doesn’t seem to matter where in the socioeconomic scale they’re positioned, they seem almost to be simply born that way!
I’ll agree with the assessment that they’re all privileged and that Willy’s a real humdinger…but why on earth would you project that onto George? The kid’s just a kid. He’s not even in school yet. And you’ve already characterized him in a way that’s going to set him up for a life time. I know ya’ll don’t like Willy and Kittens, but let’s give the children a fair shot at life ok. They’re still small. It’s not fair to them.
@A, hi there! Yeap I know it’s not fair, this is absolutely on me and he is just a child. I don’t dislike him. I just dont fawn over him. That’s how I treat most babies and toddlers…I just dont fawn over some of them.
The one thing we know for certain, £1M worth of ‘security upgrades’ went into the property. Paid for by tax payers.
hmm… ‘security upgrades’ = fancy word for ‘new pool’ ? 🙂
Or a Mercedes, sauna, Jacuzzi, and room for a pony!😉
The reality star will be the Queen’s grand daughter-in-law’s sister’s husband’s brother. That’s hardly related.
Sounds very appropriate – I can just imagine the uproar if Pippa did anything remotely like a wedding at Westminster’s!
I like their family and being boring and happy, compared to the “excitement ” of being a royal wife, sounds like a much better alternative to me.
Not a fan of Carole’s twee and somewhat age-inappropriate dress. That’s all I’ve got at the moment. 🙂
It’s amazing! Kate wears clothes that would be more suited to a woman in her 60’s and Carole dresses too young for her age/status. They need to switch wardrobes.
I think the small country wedding is clever. A lavish London wedding would inevitably be compared to Kate’s and come up short so she’s deliberately ‘not trying’ (in reality the whole thing will be crafted and stage managed to the nth degree but publicly it will be low key and effortless).
I think it sounds nice. Also, most aristocrats or those who like to think they are aristocrats tend to have weddings in a country church followed by a reception at the castle/manor.
In reply to a previous post it is quite normal to invite people to the evening reception only in the UK.
Pippa Tip #1: When planning a wedding, it’s best to have a fiance’ first.
Pippa Tip #2: May or June is a lovely time to have a wedding, because the weather is so nice.
Pippa Tip #3: White is a wonderful color for a wedding dress. It was originally chosen by Queen Victoria. Orange contrasts nicely with bright white.
😀 LOL
But will they sell the photo exclusive to Hello (a la Peter Phillips) and pay for the wedding that way?
I kind of vote “no” , because there would be an uproar like there was with Peter Phillips, if any of the pix feature royalty eg Will/Kate and kids. I know Pippa is buddies with Hello but I dont see it happening
Plus Pippa’s groom and his fam are quite terribly rich as we know, unlike Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly, and probably won’t mind footing the bill if necessary, no need to involve Hello.
How does Pippa financially support herself?
Carole is the MUM-ager equivalent of Momager.
She doesn’t. That’s why she’s marrying the rich guy. 😛 (I kid, I think she was doing…something, before, but not anymore though.)
That fiance looks like he stepped right out of P.G. Wodehouse. His name should be Bingo Fiddlestraps or something similar.