Pippa Middleton Wedding Reception: Take A Peek At The Menu, Theme, And Lavish Tent!
Pippa Middleton is walking down the aisle today on what is dubbed as Britain’s “wedding of the year.” Although it will not be an official royal affair, Pippa and fiancé James Matthews are not scrimping on details that would make their special day fit for any royalty–and that includes the wedding feast they have prepared for their guests. Here’s what we know about Pippa’s wedding reception, so far.
Theme
Pippa and James’ wedding reception will have a Scottish theme, complete with bagpipes and whiskey. The groom is even rumored to be incorporating a tartan in his wedding outfit.
According to the Daily Mail, James Matthews’ father actually owns the Scottish title “Laird of Glen Affric,” which James will inherit one day (Pippa Middleton will then be known as Lady Affric). Their family also owns a castle and a 10,000-acre estate in Scotland, near Loch Ness. The couple shares a love for the country and they are often spotted vacationing in James’ family estate.
Food
The Scottish theme will be highlighted in the wedding feast, as Pippa and James have consciously sourced meat and other ingredients from their beloved Scottish region. According to News.com.au, Pippa is very much involved with the food preparation and has painstakingly chosen the menu and servers herself.
Kate Middleton’s sister has previously worked for Table Talk, a high-end catering company. Table Talk will be responsible for Pippa and James’ wedding breakfast, dinner, and after-party.
In 2012, Pippa published Celebrate, a book on party-planning. A lamb dish lifted from Pippa’s book will be included in the wedding feast as an added personal touch.
Unlike Kate Middleton’s royal wedding in 2011, Pippa’s wedding is said to be small and intimate, with only 300 invited guests. The star-studded guest list includes Prince Harry and girlfriend Meghan Markle. They will be treated to a feast that includes fancy appetizers such as haggis canapés and beluga caviar. According to reports, a Russian friend donated eight kilos of the expensive caviar, estimated worth to be £40,000 (approximately $52,000).
Location
While the private ceremony will take place at St. Mark’s Church — a 12th-century chapel in Berkshire — the actual reception will be held at the 18-acre Middleton estate nearby. The Middletons reportedly spent £100,000 on a lavish glass tent which will serve as the reception venue.
The custom-built tent will be outfitted with “luxury throne rooms” to serve as toilets for their famous guests. These signature toilets are from AndyLoos, which cost around $8,000 to rent. The posh loos include ambient lighting, glass mirrors, individual cubicles, luxury fittings, and airplane-style vacuum flush.
Pippa and James’ glass marquee will be furnished by Jones Hire, London’s premier catering rental company. The company’s truck was seen offloading white tiffany chairs in the Middleton compound this week.
According to reports, Pippa’s family will be shouldering expenses worth more than $500,000 in total. A small amount compared to Kate Middleton’s bill when she married Prince William.
Meanwhile, as of publishing time, Pippa Middleton’s wedding ceremony has already started. Guests began arriving as early as 10:30 a.m. London time, according to Telegraph’s live blog update. Famous guests include tennis pro Roger Federer and his wife, Princess Eugenie, and of course, Kate Middleton and Prince William. Prince Harry has also arrived at the chapel, but there’s no sighting of Meghan Markle so far.
The groom and his family arrived a little past 11:00 a.m. Mother-of-the-bride Carole Middleton, wearing a blush-colored ensemble, also arrived with Pippa’s brother James. Prince George and Princess Charlotte were also spotted in their cute little wedding outfits.
Pippa finally arrived at 11:41 a.m. in a vintage open top Rolls Royce with her father Michael Middleton. The radiant bride wore a traditional white wedding gown made of lace, reportedly made by Giles Deacon.
[Featured Image by Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP Images]
