Prince Albert & Charlene Wittstock Wedding Suggestions & Musings

[hibou]

Its hard to determine which way they will go with the attendants.

In the US (and this is evidenced by Grace's wedding) bridesmaids are usually friends of the bride and/or relatives of the bride/groom. They are usually the same age group as the bride. Same with the Groom.

What I have determined since joining the Forum is that bridesmaids are usually little kids and/or young adults. Usually reserved for family members or they have an association (i.e. god children) with the couple.

It will be interesting to see which path they take. Does Albert have any close male friends? Perhaps he can pick one of his male cousins on either his mother or father's side.

I thought he was very close to his cousin Chris Levine whom I would guess might be his best man or perhaps he might choose Andrea just to keep it in the immediate family.

 

[DuedePhiladelphia]

Charlotte would be the perfect age to be one of Charlene Wittstock's bridemaids, as Charlene is 32 and Charlotte will be 24. And traditionally bridesmaids are close in age to the bride, a mix of close friends & relatives. However, Pauline, at 16 yrs. of age, could be considered a *junior bridesmaid*, which is reserved for a girl who is too young to be marriageable, but who is included as an honorary bridesmaid, as traditional bridesmaids are unwed young women of marriageable age, and a close friend or sister of the bride.

That said, I was thinking Pauline could also act as the ringbearer, as she is too young to be a traditional bridesmaid and too old to be a flower girl. Therefore, why not the glamorous teenage ringbearer?

And of course the adorable cousins, Camille & Alexandra (who will respectively turn 12 & 11 later this month), would be breathtaking as flower girls ~ just darling.

The ones I wonder about are Prince Albert's groomsmen. Whom shall he pick? At first I thought he might pick his nephews, but they are much younger than 52 yr. old Albert (Andrea 26, Pierre will be 23, and Louis will be 18), yet they are all unwed young men of marriageable age, the counterparts of the bridesmaids, lol. It will be fun to guess. And lets not forget Charlene's two younger brothers (31 yr. old Gareth & 27 yr. old Sean), as they also most likely will be considered a part of the bridal party. Lol, there might be more groomsmen than bridemaids.

Before I forget, the following are some beautiful links that take a look back at Princess Grace's spectacular wedding to Prince Rainier. She had 7 bridemaids, 4 flower girls, and 2 pageboys.

1956 Grace Kelly Wedding Dress - Royal Bride Princess 1950s Weddings

grace kelly wedding party on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Flickr Photo Download: grace kelly wedding party


And here's a link which discusses wedding ceremony participants in detail:
Wedding ceremony participants - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pics of various royal weddings I've seen . Bridemaids are often young unmarried girls ( younger than 18 I suppose ) attending the bride. I know in the USA its usually the girlfriends of the bride- married or not that attends the bride. Grace wedding was the only royal european wedding where I saw married women/ with children attending the bride.

 

[Thtregoddess11]

As to the wedding party I would like to see Charlotte and Pauline as bridesmaids with Camille and Alexandra as flower girls. But i suppose that all depends on whether Stephanie allows her children to attend

Pauline and Charlotte, perhaps as bridesmaids. Charlotte maybe as Maid of Honor-depending on how close she is to Charlene and what not. Pauline as a ring bearer??!?! (A role typically reserved for a young boy between 4-8 years old....Ring Bearers- Choosing the Perfect Little Guy for the Job, Preparing and Outfitting Your Ring Bearer) Albert's son Alexandre perhaps as the ring bearer, but DEFINITELY NOT Pauline. NOT A CHANCE.
I see Alexandra and Camille more as Junior bridesmaids....they are much to old to be considered flower girls! Seriously...traditional flower girls are between the ages of 4-8 years old...Your Flower Girl - Tips on Choosing a Flower Girl, Avoiding Nerves, & Finding a Flower Girl Dress
As for Albert's groomsmen....perhaps some royal that he's close with or maybe Steph's current boyfriend (who is also a friend of his) Sebastian, or maybe one of his nephews.

Then again, given how Albert keeps saying that his relationship with the First Lady of Monaco/his wife is going to be "unconventional" perhaps they won't have any attendants whatsoever.

 

[Nadine]

Thank you to those whom have welcomed me warmly, much appreciated. *smile. But though my title states "newbie", I've actually been around long before 2004, since the beginning in fact, I just haven't posted much (lol, huge understatement). And I'm not the only one, I know people from around the world that have never posted, not once since the beginning. I'm only now posting because a.) Crown Princess Victoria's phenomenal wedding, and b.) I have followed the Grimaldi family since Princess Caroline's time.

Back on topic, I'm greatly looking forward to Prince Albert & Charlene Wittstock's upcoming wedding. Though I don't think anything can top Crown Princess Victoria & Prince Daniel's wedding (reminiscent of Queen Victoria & Prince Albert, in my humble opinion, in terms of perceived true love), that hasn't ebbed my growing excitement! *cheers*

Yes, I have noticed little kids included as bridesmaids in the Swedish Royal Wedding, and also in Princess Diana's wedding, but Crown Princess Victoria specifically stated that she wanted as many little ones as possible in that position, her choice, and what a winner it was! *clap* Also, I recall Princess Diana had little kids & young women in their teens acting as her bridesmaids, but I just chalked that up to Diana having just turned 20 the month before, and her young bridesmaids being of similar age, lol.

I'm hoping that PA & CW wedding will follow more along the lines of a traditional American wedding, being that his late mother was American, and therefore her wedding was made up of traditional American wedding ceremony participants. And seeing as how PA has followed his mother's side of the family moreso than his father's (once again, in my humble opinion), I hope that extends to his wedding as well.

Either way, I'm just looking forward to this wedding, and hoping beyond hopethat *if* their wedding does follow along traditional American weddings, Princess Stephanie will allow her children to participate. I would love to see the entire family come together for this wedding, cousin standing side-by-side, as well as sister-to-sister and brother to sister(s). Bring some happiness & closure to the House of Grimaldi since the sad passing of their father. Just my sincere hope is all.

 

[LadyMacAlpine]

Michael Powers is said to be one of Alberts best friends.

 

[Renata4711]

Yes, he and his wife were around during the "heady days". Are they still running a bar / nightclub in Monaco? Stars'n'Bars?

I think Chris Levine must be the favourite among the potential grooms. Recently PA was pallbearer with Chris at the Philadelphia funeral.

 

[cdm]

Maybe Albert could take one sister as witness at the civil ceremony and the other at the church ceremony?
Does anyone know what the customs are in South Africa for a wedding? As Grace brought the American habits to her wedding, maybe Charlene will have South African habits?
(A vuvuzela orchestra?)

 

[Melibea]

I think that in catholic weddings there is no bestman but a "madrina" (maid of honour/godmother?).

 

[Jaya]

I wonder if Albert will follow in his father's footsteps on the day he marries. I remember seeing footage of the religious wedding ceremony of Rainier and Grace and saw Grace enter the church and proceed down the aisle first-and I assumed it was because she was a commoner and then Rainier entered after the bride and her attendants.Does anybody know why this was so? And I wonder if PA will allow Charlene to enter the church first and then enter after her himself on the day of the religious wedding ceremony.
Is that part of the Monaco protocol?
Thanking you in advance.

 

[Jaya]

Michael Powers is said to be one of Alberts best friends.

Michael Powers is Pa"s close friend? I did not know that.. Thanks Lady Mac.... that would be a "cheery" wedding with him as best man, indeed!

 

[JonasBee]

My personal opinion, i think this enagement/marriage is contrived. The engagment photo is either years old, or photo shopped, he certainly doesn't look look that way today. She, has been in "training" for the "job" since she moved there 4 years ago. Again, my opinon, i think she new that she was going to marry him then, but it was never leaked to the press. What happend to true love, why did she need to be "trained" Grace Kelly didn't, Princess Diana didn't. Charlene even changed to way she looked, nose job, breast job, wardrobe change, make up and hair. So contrived.

I couldnt agree more. If the engagement photo was taken on the day of the so called engagement, how come Al looked so much lighter ?, Did he loose all this weight in 3 days ?
As for the training, I guess she will need some sort of training , poor girl, marrying into that family.
Imagine if the bride had had 2 children out of wedlock with 2 different fathers

 

[COUNTESS]

Sorry, Grace leaned the rules afterwards and if a marriage was contrived she and Ranier barely knew each other. That was as manipulated a marriage as one can get. Diana knew the rules, she grew up around them. Perhaps, the jacket is larger, not hugging his stomach, like that terrible white jacket. And, how do you know about all this surgery, is it published somewhere, or is this speculation. As for make-up, wardrobe and hairstyle, everyone changes, especially with age and money availability.

 

[Jaya]

Sorry, Grace leaned the rules afterwards and if a marriage was contrived she and Ranier barely knew each other. That was as manipulated a marriage as one can get. Diana knew the rules, she grew up around them. Perhaps, the jacket is larger, not hugging his stomach, like that terrible white jacket. And, how do you know about all this surgery, is it published somewhere, or is this speculation. As for make-up, wardrobe and hairstyle, everyone changes, especially with age and money availability.

Let us say that Grace and Rainier had an arranged marriage which worked out well. We are all looking forward to the wedding of PA with CW and the festivities and wishing the couple all the "best"

 

[LadyMacAlpine]

I wonder if Albert will follow in his father's footsteps on the day he marries. I remember seeing footage of the religious wedding ceremony of Rainier and Grace and saw Grace enter the church and proceed down the aisle first-and I assumed it was because she was a commoner and then Rainier entered after the bride and her attendants.Does anybody know why this was so? And I wonder if PA will allow Charlene to enter the church first and then enter after her himself on the day of the religious wedding ceremony.
Is that part of the Monaco protocol?
Thanking you in advance.

Rainier entered after Grace due to protocol.

 

[Renata4711]

As to PA's stomach (I prefer that to "belly"!), he may have had a corset (rather like Edward VII), or the engagement photo may have been "doctored".
Still, it was a nice photo.

 

[JonasBee]

As to PA's stomach (I prefer that to "belly"!), he may have had a corset (rather like Edward VII), or the engagement photo may have been "doctored".
Still, it was a nice photo.

Ya. right. must've has a corset on his chin(s) too....

 

[FanofMonaco]

At the wedding PA was wearing an off-white short waisted jacket with a vest. In the engagement picture he was wearing a below the waist dark jacket. That makes a world of difference in how heavy a person looks. That's why everyone loves black. It's so thinning. Look at the picture of him in a white polo shirt at today's Tour de France. His gut is hanging out again.

 

[Dierna23]

Ya. right. must've has a corset on his chin(s) too....

No doubt, the photo must have been photoshopped...

 

[Moonmaiden23]

Let's hope PA embarks on a physical fitness regimen to get in shape for his wedding...he does have a whole year!

 

[Renata4711]

Poor Albert! I bet his sisters are on his case about his "girth".

With the opportunities/money he has, it should be easy to find a good doc or similar to sort the problem.

Perhaps he could take advice from Prince Daniel
Oops... off topic ?

 

[angieuk]

Why does it matter if Albert is not as thin as a rake.
Why does it matter if the picture may have been photoshopped.

He loves her, she loves him .. who cares if he is overweight. Or if his jacket is too tight. Why can't people see what's INSIDE a person and stop looking at the OUTSIDE all the time.

He is not marrying you or me, he is marrying Charlene - end of! She is happy with him the way he is I am sure.

By the time Prince William gets engaged he may have no hair left at all. Who cares either way. He is who he is with or without a full head of hair.

 

[H.M. Margrethe]

Why does it matter if Albert is not as thin as a rake.
Why does it matter if the picture may have been photoshopped.

He loves her, she loves him .. who cares if he is overweight. Or if his jacket is too tight. Why can't people see what's INSIDE a person and stop looking at the OUTSIDE all the time.

He is not marrying you or me, he is marrying Charlene - end of! She is happy with him the way he is I am sure.

By the time Prince William gets engaged he may have no hair left at all. Who cares either way. He is who he is with or without a full head of hair.

Hear hear angieuk

 

[blujean]

Let us say that Grace and Rainier had an arranged marriage which worked out well. We are all looking forward to the wedding of PA with CW and the festivities and wishing the couple all the "best"

Grace and Ranier's marriage was arranged? This is the first time I've heard this.

 

[JonasBee]

Why does it matter if Albert is not as thin as a rake.
Why does it matter if the picture may have been photoshopped.

He loves her, she loves him .. who cares if he is overweight. Or if his jacket is too tight. Why can't people see what's INSIDE a person and stop looking at the OUTSIDE all the time.

He is not marrying you or me, he is marrying Charlene - end of! She is happy with him the way he is I am sure.

By the time Prince William gets engaged he may have no hair left at all. Who cares either way. He is who he is with or without a full head of hair.

I dont care one way or the other. The original discussion was about the engagement photo having been taken long long before the engagement announcement. And I dont know either of them personally so can't say whats on the INSIDE but for me and IMVHO Charlene's "outside" is way better than Albert's and I dont mean looks

 

[Moonmaiden23]

Why does it matter if Albert is not as thin as a rake.
Why does it matter if the picture may have been photoshopped.

He loves her, she loves him .. who cares if he is overweight. Or if his jacket is too tight. Why can't people see what's INSIDE a person and stop looking at the OUTSIDE all the time.

He is not marrying you or me, he is marrying Charlene - end of! She is happy with him the way he is I am sure.

By the time Prince William gets engaged he may have no hair left at all. Who cares either way. He is who he is with or without a full head of hair.

Point taken, but there are reasons beyond merely looking good for PA to want to lose that pot belly...it is a health risk.

He is in his fifties and at higher risk for heart attack because he is out of shape.

I like PA and I want to see him around long enough to get married and raise his family...I am certain his Monegasque subjects feel the same way.

 

[Renata4711]

I seem to remember an interview where he alludes to his lack of time for physical exercise, and the obligation to eat large meals with several courses. He also said that he doesn't drink alcohol, only mineral water.

If he and CW start a family, it's literally vital that he looks after himself, so that he can look after his family.

 

[Fürstin Taxis]

A dress like Empress Elisabeth wears on the first portrait would be so amazing on Charlene

ELIZABETH OFÂ*BAVARIA « ADRIANA SASSOON

 

[DuedePhiladelphia]

A dress like Empress Elisabeth wears on the first portrait would be so amazing on Charlene

ELIZABETH OFÂ*BAVARIA « ADRIANA SASSOON

They are not going to use the cathedral of Saint Nicholas for the religous ceremony but another church in Monaco. The Notre Dame does anyone have ay info on this church?

 

[Lumutqueen]

They are not going to use the cathedral of Saint Nicholas for the religous ceremony but another church in Monaco. The Notre Dame does anyone have ay info on this church?

The Cathedral of Notre Dame?
I know it houses the tombs of Rainier and Grace.
It was consecrated in 1911.
Google Translate

If this is the right church, it looks beautiful.

 

[Renata4711]

This is the website and Wikipedia site for St. Nicholas Cathedral, where Rainier, Grace and many Grimaldi are buried.

This is the cathedral built from white stone from nearby La Turbie.

CATHEDRALE DE MONACO

Saint Nicholas Cathedral, Monaco - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The other cathedral is called Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, and it is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Monaco, i.e. an ecclesiastical territory where the Archbishop holds sway. Monaco being so small, it only has one diocese/archdiocese.