Of Weekends & A Royal Wedding

Hello-Hello, what a weekend it was, the royal wedding in Sweden just knocked my socks off.

Formal events got underway Friday night with a dinner at Stockholm’s Grand Hôtel for family members. Princess Madeleine is fourth from the right; the groom, Christopher O’Neill, is on her right (our left).

Brigitte Grenfeldt, Royalcourt.se

A better look at the elegant Elie Saab dress worn by the Princess, it is from the designer’s Resort 2013 collection, on the right we see the Jenny Packham gown worn by Crown Princess Victoria, it is from the spring/Summer collection.

Elie Saab/Swedish Royal Court/Jenny Packham/Swedish Royal Court

Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece used her Instagram account to share photos from the wedding weekend.

Princess Marie Chantal Instagram

She was in an Oscar de la Renta gown from the designer’s spring 2013 collection. We show it below as worn by model Karlie Kloss in the runway show.

Style.com

The wedding itself was one elegant event, with glittering tiaras, shimmering gowns and some serious party frocks. It was also a significant gathering of European royalty.  Below, Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, as well as Princess Charlene of Monaco. Princess Charlene was one of the few titled women not wearing a tiara.

Leif R. Jansson/ScanPix – Swedish Royal Court

Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Crown Prince Haakon as they arrive for Saturday’s ceremony.

Maja Suslin/Scanpix via Swedish Royal Court

The bride’s sister, Crown Princess Victoria and her husband, Prince Daniel, and the couple’s child, Princess Estelle.

Stellapictures/Swedish Royal Court

Victoria wore a gown by Fadi al Khoury.

Via

More on Princess Victoria’s gown from the Swedish Royal Court news release.

The Crown Princess wore a greige rosé dress with aubergine accents. The dress is made from hand-dyed double-sided silk organza with layers of hand-dyed tulle in three shades, silk threads, Lurex threads, pearls and Swarovski crystals in amethyst and pale grey opal.

The Crown Princess has worn the designer before, and attended his show as she opened Stockholm Fashion Week in August of 2012.

Below, the mother of the bride, Queen Silvia arriving with her son, Prince Carl Philip.

Maja Suslin/Scanpix via Swedish Royal Court

The Queen’s gown is described as “a jade-coloured dress with a train. The dress is silk organza with embroidered silk lace and Swarovski stones.”

Below (left to right) we see Crown Prince Frederik & Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Norway’s Princess Märtha Louise, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Crown Prince Haakon, also of Norway.

Royal House of Norway

The Queen’s husband was not available to escort her to the wedding because he was walking the bride up the aisle. Below we see King Gustav and Princess Madeleine, he wears what would be formal evening attire for the military, he is an Admiral in the Swedish Navy.

Sandberg/ScanPix via Swedish Royal Court

The Swedish Princess wed the British-born financier in the Royal Chapel at the Palace.

Anders Wiklund/Scanpix via Swedish Royal Court

On the altar, Princess Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotta’s crown, it was at the baptismal font when Princes Madeleine was christened. The crown dates to 1778.

Swedish Royal Court

The bride was exquisite.

Swedish Royal Court

From the Court Chaplain’s remarks to the bride and groom during the service:

“And the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinth. 13,13). Of faith, hope and love. Of these love is the greatest. But also greater than power and riches. Such is the greatness of love.

Yes, right now we find ourselves in a room of faith and of the heart. The Royal chapel encloses the two of you in God´s loving care, and it gives space as well as direction to your life together.

What is really great, however, is also what is created when all the little words and the warm, tender glances form a web of security and rest in your everyday life. Every day. The numerous moments are joined together into a life, your shared life. Take care of the moments!

Valentino Garavani Archives Facebook Page

She wore a gown by Valentino Garavani, founder of the eponymous fashion house of that name.

Valentino Courtesy Photo

More on the dress from the Palace news release:

The wedding dress is made from pleated silk organza with appliquéd ivory-coloured Chantilly lace. The upper section of the bodice is lace with a deep-cut back. Narrow vertical pleats open up from the accentuated waist, above the wide skirt, which ends with a four-metre-long train.

Ewa-Marie Rundquist, The Royal Court

It was a beautiful look. The designer has also created gowns for many other notable brides, including the afore-mentioned Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece and actress Anne Hathaway.

Valentino Garavani Virtual Museum Archive

Marie-Chantal shared a photo of herself on Instagram with Mr. Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti, his partner, as they flew to Stockholm.

Marie-Chantal Instagram

Both bride and groom looked beyond happy.

Janerik Henriksson/Scanpix via Swedish Royal Court

They beamed throughout the ceremony.

Swedish Royal Court/ Anders Wiklund-Scanpix

One of the official photos.

Ewa-Marie Rundquist/Kungahuset.se

And another.

Ewa-Marie Rundquist/Kungahuset.se

Here you see the younger members of the bridal party with the couple.

Ewa-Marie Rundquist/Kungahuset.se

The young bridal attendants carried Lily of the Valley. Floral decorations were inspired by an early Swedish summer, more from the Royal Swedish Court:

The colour scheme for the decorations is light green, white and pink, using beech leaves, cow parsley, pink and white peonies, white lilacs, foxgloves, delphiniums and lilies of the valley.

The bride’s bouquet.

Swedish Royal Court

After the ceremony Princess Madeleine and Mr. O’Neill proceeded by cortège to a location where where they boarded a boat for the reception.

Swedish Royal Court

Arriving at Drottningholm Palace for the reception, you can just about see the boat in the background.

Jonas Ekströmer/Scanpix via Swedish Royal Court

The Princess changed into another gown for the reception, it is a Nina Ricci creation worn by her mother to the Nobel Prize Awards in 2001. Madeleine also changed her hairstyle, wearing it down from the elegant updo seen at the ceremony.

Nobel Media AB 2006

And the song chosen for the couple’s first dance? Mr. Bojangles.

A Royal Return to the USA (in which we get to use one of our favorite words, oh my!)

Hello-Hello, happy middle of the week to all as we careen wildly through Holy Week here at the Prepatorium.

Today we chat about the news that Prince Harry is returning to America. Yes, that dashing rapscallion heads back to the USA, but this time his visit is filled with official engagements and events, we won’t be seeing the fun-seeking bachelor living it up like he did in Las Vegas.

Daylife

The primary focus of his tour is supporting injured servicemen and servicewomen from both the US and Britain.  In January Harry returned from five months on duty in Afghanistan, he is a pilot for the British Army, where he is referred to as Captain Wales.

Harry’s first stop on May 9th is a HALO Trust event in Washington DC, the Trust is the oldest and largest humanitarian landmine clearing organization in the world.  More about Harry’s time on Capitol Hill with US Senators, followed by a reception and dinner.

Prince Harry will also be thanking them for the key support that the American Government and individuals have given to humanitarian mine clearance over the many years since his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, helped bring the world’s attention to the impact of landmines on so many rural communities.

Friday the Prince will be in ceremonial uniform for his trip to Arlington National Cemetery, where he will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This is followed by a visit to Walter Reed National Medical Center, more from a news release on the tour:

The Prince wants to spend the majority of his time at Walter Reed meeting Servicemen and women using the Center’s gymnasium – people for whom the route back to normal life is a long, difficult process of rehabilitation.

The tour then moves to Colorado Springs. There is an evening reception Friday, on Saturday Harry spends the entire day at the Warrior Games.  The Games are hosted by the USOC and include teams from the US Army, United States Marine Corps, US Navy and Coastguard, the Air Force and Special Operations Command. More from a news release:

Approximately 260 wounded, ill, and injured service members and veterans will compete in seven sports over the six-day competition. Five U.S. teams will compete, with athletes representing each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, as well as a sixth team from the United Kingdom – the British Armed Forces.

On Sunday Harry will watch cycling events at the Air Force Academy; when visiting the US in 2012 he spent time with both American and British competitors.

Team USA

One FYI for readers in the area, should you be interested in attending, admission to the Warrior Games is free and open to the public.

Monday is a travel day. Tuesday Harry is in New Jersey touring areas damaged by Hurricane Sandy and meets emergency services personnel who worked throughout the storm.  He also will be in New York for a reception honoring British trade interests and a baseball training session for children, the latter being part of the Royal Foundation, the charitable organization that he, Prince William and Kate have set up. That evening he has dinner with the American Friends of that charity.

The Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry

Harry wraps up his tour in Greenwich, he will be taking part in the Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup.

Sentebale

Prince Harry will play for the Sentebale Land Rover team, facing off against a familiar face, Nacho Figueras. Mr. Figueras will be playing on the St. Regis team.

CPP Luxury

The match will be at the Greenwich Polo Club, it is a fundraiser for the Sentebale charity.

Greenwich Polo Club

More on Sentebale’s mission:

Sentebale is a charity founded by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho. We help the most vulnerable children in Lesotho get the support they need to lead healthy and productive lives.

Sentebale works with local grassroots organisations to help these children – the victims of extreme poverty and Lesotho’s HIV/AIDS epidemic. Together, we’re making a big difference to these children’s lives. We can do even more with your help.

Sentebale

Above you see Harry chatting with students at a school in Lesotho during his 2012 visit, you can learn more about the organization here.

If all that seems a blur of days and dates, we recommend the work Buzzfeed’s John Gara did, he put this graphic together detailing the tour.

Buzzfeed

Methinks the Harry we’ll see on this trip will be much more controlled, yet still debonair and charming, he can’t help himself on that front.

Did you guess my favorite word?

The Preppy Tote Part One

Well, maybe in my dreams. At any rate, the trauma of snow at this point in the season (not as in ‘The Season,” but as in “Oh, Spring? Easter? Warm and gentle weather? Of course.”) has clearly resulted in major brain fade. Evidence of same? Forgetting to include some of our own goodies in the list. Here’s just a sampling of the fun totes we’ll be offering on the site:

The Charlevoix stripes on the left can carry loads of stuff, and make an excellent alternative to plastic bags! The same can be said for the Suncatcher striped tote, and it’s the perfect grab and go overnight size. Only $16, who can say no?! Moi? At that price, never.

Spring is Sprung

At last…..bright bouncy days alive with green shoots from optimism. Oh puh-leeze; that is so not happening at the moment. At least not in the great Midwest, most of the south and a good portion of the rest of the country. So here comes Peter Cottontail? I think not. In reality, Mother Nature is in utter hysterics like a girl at her first frat house party who has just experienced the joys of grain alcohol served straight out of what would normally be considered a trash can. “Easter egg hunt? Now? In the snow? Oh yeahhhhhhh.” Are you nuts?”

However, all is not lost: we can still enjoy a few fresh thoughts in recognition of the change of season. Instead of staring at the snow piling up (or whatever your particular misery may be), let’s start at Charles Tyrwhitt, fab friends from the UK with a shop or two in midtown (I think – do send us a note if we’re wrong on the location):

The striped beauty on the far left is marked down from $120 to a mere $75. Who can resist that price? This black jacket is simply a must have, in a to-die-for linen and cotton blend, and quite the bargain at only $295, marked down from $450. Coming in at third place is the sky blue stripe shirt on the far right at $65.  Here is a link to the US Home page for CT; you know we *live* to make your life easier. Of course, if you can repeatedly spell the name without any trouble, then by all means, put yourselves on the Headmaster’s List for the semester.

Moving on, we are pleasantly surprised to find ourselves favorably impressed by this delightful find suggested by FirstBlush.com, billing itself as “The Shopping Site for Women.” Hhhmmm…we are not convinced of that, but do stop by and take a peek if so inclined. (Do disregard their little typing error indicating the bag is from ‘piperline’, when they in fact mean to say “Piperlime.”) Better yet, pop on over to Piperlime and see the bag from every possible angle. BTW, any guidance you can give the Princess on the derivation of the name would be ever-so-appreciated. More importantly, is it a preppy purse in your opinion? Do tell.

We can’t toddle off without showing these divine, dreamy looks for your little one from Best and Company. And before you ask, yes, it’s the ‘new’ Best, the one Susie Hilfiger bought a few years back. What a fabulous job she has done with the company – we are so thrilled to see things going well. If you can’t get to Greenwich or Bergdorf’s (it’s on 7) then give them a call; I think they are still doing trunk shows. Makes us wish they did grown-up girls, or that we were petite and sweet once again. Sigh.

Well, it’s been divine dolls, but we simply must fly. Time to haul out the snowblower in an effort to unearth the eggs we hid on the lawn. Silly us. Can you say Judy Garland in Easter Parade? (Too young to have a clue? Rent it, buy it, or look it up at IMDB.com.)

Preppy Strikes Buffalo

  This just in: “Preppy Looks Prevail”, at least according to the Buffalo News. In this week’s Style section, writer Susan Martin pens a paragraph or so about spring fashions and the appeal of the Preppy Look. I must admit, I don’t believe Buffalo is on any of the Prepalicious Top 10 lists we’ve seen, but perhaps they have aspirations to same? Don’t take my word for it: click here and see for yourself.