Will and Kate's Big Day

To say the royal wedding this spring was talked about for months is an understatement. Flags flew in every store front for months. Gobs of hideous mugs and tea cups displayed in windows for an equal amount of time. Some good ones, too, though. My favorite fan memorabilia was a pillow stitched with the phrase, 'It should've been me.' Amen to every single British girl who had pined for Wills (or from any country, really). My co-worker decorated her cubicle and computer area with everything Will and Kate. It was spectacular. Common question: 'what are you doing for the royal wedding?' Although loads of people escaped the Queen's soil (what were they thinking?) to get away from the crowds and take advantage of all of the national holidays surrounding the royal nuptials, being 6 months pregnant doesn't exactly equal the best time to travel internationally and put on a cute swimsuit to greet summertime. So, we stayed put in Londontown and I for one, was scheming for what we would do on April 29th.

My friend, Anne, and I came up with about 10 different plans of actions, but when the actual day came, the over 1 million people in Westminster alone left us messaging, calling and texting eachother throughout the madness, which was fun, too.

Brian and I took off to see the sights the night before and I know I've never been to Times Square on NYE (or had ANY desire to do that either, we are kind of crowd-phobiacs) I have to say we totally bought into the hype and were giddy, or at least I'll admit to being giddy. We saw newscasters from all over the world, and at one point, stood next to the TLC commentator as he interviewed the crowds. We passed the crazies, the ones who had been camping outside the Abbey or Palace since Tuesday (at this point, it was Thursday night). We wandered from park to park -- Hyde to Green Park to St James -- underneath dozens of news helicopters broadcasting the sights. I think we said 'wow' about 1 million times, one time for every human being crammed into Westminster the next morning.

Wedding day morn the BBC started broadcasting at 6 am London time. We get up at 6:15 and shower, make eggs and bacon and settled in on the couch. It felt like Christmas without the stockings. And sometime around 8, we looked at eachother and said, 'ok, let's go!' We had no plan, we just put on our coats and started walking toward Buckingham Palace. Green Park was already crowded and half a million people were watching the screens in Hyde Park. The entrance to Buckingham Palace was already closed off at 9:30. Hm. Plan B. Go around the Palace and see sights from other side. Our hope was to see the balcony kiss. My hope at least, and Brian was getting into it, too, or hoping we could get the view for me and baby Ruby. So, we get up a slow jog and round the Palace and find ourselves lost in a maze of one-way streets blocked off by police and gates. Hm. All of a sudden we see the Goring Hotel. Where the Middleton rested their almost royal heads the week before the wedding. The only reason we knew what it was is because we had just seen it on TV over our 'holiday' breakfast. Yeah! No lines here. We asked the police if we could have the place about 200 yards from the hotel, and he smiled and said of course and that we were in luck. We waited. And we called our family at 4 am CST. It's ok, they were up watching the ABC coverage. And then the first car came, full of flowergirls and Pippa Middleton. More waiting. Anticipating mounting. And then. The Phantom RR rounded the corner and all you can hear on my blackberry video is me gasping for breath I was so excited because Miss Kate and father Middleton were about 6 feet from us!

After that, our adrenaline was up and we were officially crazies in the game of chasing them from one sight to the next. We heard the cheers and bells tolling outside Westminter Abbey, and were jumping up and down to get a glimpse, but then decided to run and beat the crowds back to Buckingham Palace. People. Everywhere. Never seen anything like it ever. We had just about given up (this is about 6 hours of game time from the time we left our flat, on our feet, and growing baby in one of us), and were on our way from the Palace area to walk home. And then, people started sprinting. We figured the balcony scene was impending. So, I told Brian I that our baby and I were going to run with the best of them and that he could take the shots wit our little point and shoot. I put one hand underneath my tummy and one on top and we sprinted through the crowds. Brian picked me up underneath my arms and hoisted me as far up as he could and I just glared at any innocent bystander with a look that said, 'Don't you dare push this pregnant girl who just wants to see Will kiss Kate. Watch out.' haha. And then there it was, the kiss. All of the crowds, running from sight to sight, and being on our feet all day were all worth it and more of a memory than we thought possible. Many happy returns to the royal couple.

Media tents outside Buckingham Palace

the masses in front of the Palace

More media

Press boxes

the said crazies in full form

outside The Goring Hotel, wedding day morning

here come the bridesmaids and Pippa

more waiting...

Here comes the BRIDE!

stopping to watch part of the ceremony in a local pub

golden carriages on their way to Westminster Abbey

royal horse almost to the Abbey

Pall Mall

marching bands performing

the kiss (i don't know why this is so blurry)

WWII jet flyover

The whole country celebrated this wedding. It was incredible. This was a street party in our little neighborhood. Wonder if they got the bunting from the Middleton's party supply business? :)