Most brides and grooms will face stress in the run up to their wedding day – from mix ups with the music, to making sure the flowers arrive in time. But put all the preparation aside, and most Brits will agree that it is family politics that really cause the bad type of butterflies before the big day– the type of politics that didn’t go unnoticed at the latest royal wedding.
So putting aside the horse-drawn carriage and the extortionate wedding dress tag, has Harry and Meghan’s ‘normal’ wedding – and the family drama that came with it – made the royals more relatable to Brits? And what did we really think of the wedding?
Bloom Magic surveyed 2,500 Brits to reveal that a whopping 57% of people think that Harry & Meghan’s marriage has made the royals more relatable!
The popular online flower delivery service also wanted to find out which aspects of the royal wedding Brits liked best. Surprisingly, a huge 28% of respondents said that it was the understated nature of the wedding that they liked most. And to be fair to the young lovers, they married in true modest fashion; Prince Harry didn’t shave his beard, Meghan’s make-up was natural, her dress understated, and the bridal bouquet that her and her maids and flower girls carried was anything but loud and lavish. Even her wedding cake was a break from tradition, rather than a tiered audacious display, they opted for a layered lemon and elderflower cake decorated with fresh flowers.
Coming second to simplicity was Bishop Michael Curry! Nearly a quarter of Brits (24.5%) admitted that it was in fact his heart-felt sermon, laced with incredible quotes about love from Martin Luther King and other greats, that was their favourite part of the royal shindig.
18.3% of those surveyed stated that they liked the personal touches in design best, from the gorgeous florals and white roses cascading the entrance and interior of the chapel (one of Princess Diana’s favourite flowers), to Meghan’s train, which included over 50 flowers representing every country in the Commonwealth.
According to Bloom Magic’s survey, 13.7% stated they most liked that the wedding appeared to remove centuries of class divide. After all, for the first time in history, the grounds of Windsor Castle were opened to the public, who were even invited to picnic on the grounds all day and into the evening. And let’s not forget the fact that Prince Harry married an American divorcée – a fact that was actually subtly referenced to during the royal wedding ceremony.
12% of respondents said that their favourite aspect was the fact that the wedding had a charitable angle. Meghan and Harry asked guests to donate to one of seven charities they support, and all the flowers from the wedding were donated to a local hospice afterwards. Even part of their honeymoon was used to provide service to those in need. Hats off to you, Harry and Meghan!
The smallest percentage of respondents, just 3.5%, said that the fact that the royal wedding was environmentally aware was their favourite aspect. Meghan’s flowers were chosen because of their seasonality, her cake was chosen at a local bakery, and even the pork belly served at the reception was locally-sourced. As they told their Wedding Planner, they wanted everything to be ‘seasonal and sustainable’.
However, men and women differed with their responses and thoughts on what aspects of the royal wedding they liked best. Men were in agreement that the Bishop’s Sermon was the best bit, with a huge 30.4% revealing they liked his speech over the understated nature of the wedding (24.5%), the personal touches such as the flower wall (17.1%), the charitable angle (14.6%), the fact that it removed centuries of class divide (8%), or that it was environmental aware (5.5%).
Women had a slightly different opinion on the matter, with the majority (31.6%) revealing that their favourite aspect was the fact it was understated. Next they liked the personal touches such as the flower wall (19.6%), followed by the fact that it removed centuries of class divide (19.5%), then the Bishop’s sermon (18.6%), the charitable angle (9.3%), and lastly, just 1.4% of respondents thought the fact that it was environmental aware was the best bit.
Commenting on the results, a Killian Lannen from Bloom Magic said:
“One of the reasons the nation loves Prince Harry is because he has never been one for conventional royal behaviour – and his wedding to Meghan Markle threw the unspoken wedding rules out of the window. But it turns out Britain approves, with a staggering 57% stating that Harry and Meghan’s marriage has made the royals more relatable.”