Queen Elizabeth he asked her grandson, "At what point do you stop being trendy and start being realistic?

"Are you going to cycle to the Abbey?"

As I first reported on the E! TV network, those were the Queen's first words to Prince William when she phoned him shortly after Clarence House tweeted the royal wedding details last week. My contacts at the palace were in the room when the Queen called William on his mobile, and read him the royal riot's act over the latest announcements.

She was absolutely livid as she asked her grandson, "At what point do you stop being trendy and start being realistic?"

Her Majesty didn't bother to hide her anger after hearing that William had made wedding plans without consulting with her. After all, she is paying the bulk of the wedding costs. First was the news that Kate will travel to the Abbey by car - perhaps to cut down on expenses. This is a departure from the tradition of the bride arriving at the church in a horse-drawn glass coach. Princess Alexandra was the last royal bride to travel by car to her Westminster Abbey wedding in 1963, but that was because she left from Kensington Palace (the Kent's London home), and it was too great a distance for a carriage procession to the Abbey.

However, as the Queen points out, it will actually cost more to use a car than to use the carriage, when you consider the fuel costs and so on. By contrast, the horse carriages and the Household Cavalry guards are going to be on duty anyway on the wedding day, so it doesn't cost anything extra for Kate to ride in a carriage to the Abbey.

The argument that Kate will be traveling by car due to safety and security concerns isn't convincing since William also announced that both he and his bride will ride in an open carriage to Buckingham Palace after the ceremony. Similarly, Kate's reported allergy to horses can't be the reason for the use of a car instead of the enclosed glass coach since she is leaving the Abbey in a horse-drawn carriage.

The main source of the Queen's displeasure is the wedding breakfast reception at Buckingham Palace. This is usually a sit-down meal (actually a lunch) for around 130 people, consisting of family and close friends. When the proposal for it to be a buffet reception was brought up, the Queen only said that she will consider the idea. Now William has announced it before her official approval.

To add insult to injury, it was also released that hundreds more in the Abbey congregation will make their way to the palace after the ceremony. The Queen is reportedly questioning why she is holding such a huge reception in her home for loads of people she doesn't even know. The monarch doesn't particularly care for buffets anyway, and when Prince Edward organized a buffet reception after his own wedding in 1999, the Queen arranged for Prince Philip, the Queen Mum and herself to be served a sit-down meal.

Prince Charles is said to host a private dinner and dance at the palace on the evening of the wedding. What many people don't realize is that Buckingham Palace only has one kitchen set up for formal occasions. Even with all the staff and help, it will take hours to set up the wedding breakfast reception. So by the time that reception is finished at around 3:30 in the afternoon, all the fine china and crystal have to be cleared, hand-washed, and reset, and then another multi-course meal prepared for several hundred more guests just a few hours later for dinner. Logistically, it will be a nightmare. That is why in the past, the wedding dinner receptions were held at a hotel.

While Charles and William undoubtedly mean well, the fact is neither of them has ever organized a royal wedding before, and really has no idea what's involved. In fact, the planning for Charles' own wedding to Camilla Parker-Bowles in 2005 became so disorganized, the Queen finally lost her patience and indicated that either she's making the wedding arrangements, or there won't be a wedding at all.

With decades of experience under her belt, all occasions that Her Majesty attends are planned with skilled precision, and run like clock-work. The Queen has now instructed that one person from William's team of aides at Clarence House, who had been organizing the wedding, be sent over to Buckingham Palace. This means that William and Kate will still have input, but it's the Queen and her Buckingham Palace aides who are effectively taking over the planning of the wedding.

While the Queen is William's grandmother, she is also his sovereign, and she's decidedly "not amused" at how things have been handled so far. Watch for changes to the royal wedding details as we countdown to April 29.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com

Live Silhouettes At Your Wedding

Silhouettist Carol Lebeaux has a well established reputation throughout New England.

For many years she has been cutting portrait silhouettes at Fairs and fund-raising events working directly from the sitting models.

For your convenience, she offers the opportunity of using your snapshots via computer or postal mail.

A profile photos can provide all that is needed to create these hand-cut heirloom portraits.

They make great Black and White Cookies and Art for a Save the Date!

http://home.townisp.com/~artscarol/

Advice From A Newport Wedding Planner... Should I wear a Garter ?

The garter tradition originated back to the 14th century. In parts of Europe the guests of the bride and groom believed having a piece of the bride’s clothing was thought to bring good luck. They would actually destroy the brides dress by ripping off pieces of fabric. Obviously, this tradition did not sit well with the bride, so she began throwing various items to the guests – the garter being one of them.

Another interesting custom dated back to the ancient times where the wedding garter represented the virginal girdle. When the groom removed the garter from the bride, this represented the bride’s relinquishment of her virginity.

An Old English custom was while the bride and groom were in their bridal chamber, the wedding guests would sneak into the chamber picking up discarded stockings and throwing them at the couple. Whoever flung a stocking that hung on the bride or groom’s nose, would be the next to marry.

Should you play the garter game in front of your guests?
I say save it for latter!
It's never done at Society Weddings

What side does the bride go on?

The bride always stands on the left. The bride's side of the church is always the left side as well. This goes way back to Medieval times when the bride stood on the groom's left so that he could draw his sword or in this case golf club, which he wore on his right side, Just in case to protect her from enemies.
Please note this groom is a lefty!

A Newport Affaire IN NYC www.anewportaffaire.com

Newport's Winter Festival

February 13-22 2009
With over one hundred and fifty individual events, this Festival has become "New England's largest winter extravaganza." Alive with sparkle and excitement, the Winter Festival offers a unique winter experience combining food, music, and entertainment, with fun for all ages. Sand sculptures, a Chili Cook-Off, city-wide Scavenger Hunt, and an Ice Sculpting Competition, a Children's Fair, and a Pizza Cook-Off are just some of the many colorful and exciting events that will captivate you.

Do invite the President to your wedding!

Did you know you can formally the President to your wedding? If you send an invite to the White House you’ll get a personal response signed by the president and first lady.

Mail your invitation to the Obama's at this address:

The Honorable Barack Obama and Mrs. Obama
The White House
Greetings Office Room 39
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500

Do allow at last 6 weeks for your response to arrive and be sure to include both your new and old mailing address.