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Wedding Planning


| ROYAL WEDDING Prince Albert
Royal Wedding in Monaco
Wedding dates: July 1 & 2, 2011
July 1: Civil service, Palace Throne Room
 July 2: Religious ceremony, Place du Palais courtyard

updated by Joyce Barslow


PRINCE ALBERT & CHARLENE WITTSTOCK


Price Albert and Princess Charlene

Prince breaks tradition to marry outdoors

MONACO, July 2, 2011 - Prince Albert, 53, and Princess Charlene, 33, above, were married in a Roman Catholic ceremony in the courtyard of his palace at the foot of a marble double staircase lined with white flowers in front of their invited guests, as well as 3,500 attendees who sat outside to watch the festivities on giant TV screens.

Archbishop Bernard Barsi of Monaco asked each whether they accepted each other "for better, for worse." Both replied with a firm: "Yes."

Then, in front of witnesses, the couple exchanged 18-carat rings in white gold and platinum by the House of Cartier.

The bride's boat-neck gown by Giorgio Armani Privé has about 140 yards (130 metres) of different silks, studded with 40,000 Swarovski crystals and 20,000 mother of pearl beads. The six yard (130 meters) long white train of duchess satin encrusted with thousands of tiny crystals flowed over the red carpet as she walked.

Princess Charlene's hair was pulled back in a swirling French twist and with the appearance of the lightest touch of makeup.

The groom wore the white dress uniform of Monaco's Carabinieri royal guard.

Albert winked at his bride, who smiled shyly, as they sat on red velvet chairs holding hands, while South African singer Pumela Matshikiza sang a popular wedding song from Princess Charlene's homeland "Diviner of the roadways, the knock knock beetle / It just passed by here, the knock knock beetle."

Wedding guests included Albert's sisters Princesses Caroline and Stephanie, both dressed in pink, Albert, King of Belgium, Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Felipe and Letizia of Spain, Prince Edward of England, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, former James Bond actor Roger Moore, France's richest man Bernard Arnault, former French first lady Bernadette Chirac, Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld, left, Roberto Cavalli, Armani, and opera singer Renee Fleming

The newlyweds made a tour of the Principality after the religious ceremony. Their vehicle, which departed from the Place du Palais, headed to Porte Neuve, then the Avenue du Port and the Boulevard Albert 1er and stopped in front of the church of Saint Devota (Patron Saint of Monaco), where the Princess left her bouquet.

July 2, Official Royal Wedding Dinner
Over 450 guests attended the dinner, which took place on the terraces of the Garnier Opera House and the Casino Terraces.

French-born chef, Alain Ducasse, in cooperation with the S.B.M., prepared the official dinner menu. The three-course dinner was prepared in the kitchens of the Louis XV at the Hotel de Paris with the support of staff from establishments belonging to the Société des Bains de Mer of Monte Carlo.
 
The royal couple wanted to put Mediterranean cuisine in the spotlight on this occasion by selecting products from the region, including those from the Prince’s estate located in Rocagel except for the South African wines and Champagnes.

The long-awaited nuptials of Prince Albert are the first of a ruling prince in Monaco since the prince's father, Prince Rainier III, married the Hollywood star Grace Kelly in 1956.

The wedding puts a spotlight on the tiny principality built around images of luxury and its ancient House of Grimaldi whose family members have ruled since 1297.

 Friday, July 1, 2011, Civil Service
 Thousands of fans watch the civil ceremony taking place in the Palace Throne Room between Charlene Wittstock and Prince Albert II of Monaco on a giant screen, left,  outside the Monaco palace on Friday, July 1, which is required by law, before the religious service.

The bride wore a silken blue jacket with ankle-length pants created for her by Chanel. The groom wore a dark suit and a silk blue tie to match her outfit.

Presiding at this ceremony were 100 family members, relatives, friends, and the Principality's royal registrar Phillipe Narmino. When asked if they take each other in marriage, both quietly responded "Oui." The marriage became official — and Wittstock became a princess — when Narmino, president of Monaco's Council of State, pronounced "I declare you united by the bonds of marriage."

The royal couple signed the marriage register with a specially created pen in gold and precious stones and adorned with their monogram made by German luxury penmaker Montblanc.

Monaco's 7,618 citizens and their partners were invited to post-ceremony cocktails on the square, to be followed by a concert by French composer Jean Michel Jarre and a laser light show.

Friday, July 1, 10 pm - Concert
In celebration of their wedding, the royal couple offered a concert by Jean Michel Jarre, left, at the Hercules Port that was broadcast throughout the Principality, as well internationally. Jarre’s futuristic concert marries lighting and laser choreography, HD videos and pyrotechnics, with the visual score of his universal music.

Pre-Wedding Concert by the Eagles
Thursday 30th June, 10 p.m.
The royal couple invited all Monegasques, residents, cross-border workers and inhabitants of the Principality’s neighbouring towns to an exclusive concert. The Californian group the Eagles, pioneers of country rock, gave a two-hour performance at the Louis II Stadium attended by 15,000 people.

Wedding gifts
The royal couple do not wish to receive any gifts for their wedding, but would like donations to be made for the benefit of foundations and associations. Information concerning the allocation of the funds received on the accounts opened for such purposes will be provided in September.

Partners of the Royal Wedding
 
PERRIER-JOUËT CHAMPAGNE: The Champagne Producer’s most prestigious cuvées was served at all the receptions hosted over the two days. A personalized cuvée was also served in honour of this historic event.
 
MONTBLANC: The Prince and Miss Wittstock signed the registers with a pen exclusively created by Montblanc. Decorated with precious stones, this unique piece also featured the monogram of the royal couple.

Euronews covering Monaco royal wedding live
 
From June 29 to July 2, euronews, one of Europe's news channel, is broadcasting a series of exclusive reports and live broadcasts from the Principality of Monaco on the occasion of the wedding of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock.

There was also a live broadcast of French recording artist, Jean Michel Jarre's concert on Friday, 1 July, and the church wedding on Saturday, 2 July. 

A "Monaco Wedding" feature was shown at the end of each News edition along with a No Comment series dedicated to the event - including live No Comments. Each report was broadcast in all 10 languages of the channel, aired live on TV as well as on Catch-up TV on the internet.

Charlene Wittstock converted to Roman Catholicism
On April 4, 2011, the palace statement released said "Miss Charlene Wittstock, who professes the Christian faith, has been admitted by free and personal choice into full communion with the Catholic Church." This step effectively cleared the last official hurdle for the couple's July 2, 2011 religious marriage ceremony. Wittstock, 33, had been raised Protestant.

Catholicism is the principality's official religion, and her conversion allowed her to enter into a sanctioned marriage with the reigning sovereign. It also meets the constitutional requirements regarding any possible heirs.

The couple spent their honeymoon in Wittstock's homeland, South Africa.
The official collection of royal wedding memorabilia
To mark the wedding of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco and Miss Charlene Wittstock, the Prince’s Palace launched an official collection of memorabilia.
 
Get more info:
http://www.facebook.com/lemariagedemonaco

http://twitter.com/#!/MariagedeMonaco

e-shop: www.souvenirs-shop.mc

Click here for the Royal Wedding official website
H.R.H. PRINCE ALBERT II
Prince Albert, the son of Prince Rainier III and the American actress Grace Kelly, succeeded his father in a formal ceremony on July 12, 2005, shortly after Rainer's death. Kelly died in a car accident in 1982. The religious wedding ceremony of Grace and Rainier, pictured right, in April 1956 was televised live which was a pioneering event in its day.

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WeddingsHoneymoons.com|Prince Albert & Charlene Wittstock|January 20, 2012
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