The brit pack bash

Young debutantes and celebrities gathered to celebrate the royal wedding

Although the honoured royal guests and dignitaries had already enjoyed the luncheon reception following the royal wedding of HRH Prince William and Miss Catherine Elizabeth Middleton, since last Friday the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, young Thai celebrities managed to celebrate the special moment for the British monarchy in an exclusive party hosted by the British Embassy last week.

British ambassador Asif Ahmad with his wife Zubeda.

Taking place on Tuesday at the embassy, the bash welcomed young debutantes and celebrities within the age range of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and with links to the UK.

Dressed in their best outfits following the dress code, based loosely on anything to do with the UK, guests graced the residence of the British ambassador in eye-catching outfits - from a sequined Union Jack shift dress to the omnipresent Burberry checks.

Model and former MTV Asia VJ Sonia Couling handled MC duties, and guests were officially welcomed to the bash with a speech by the British -ambassador to Thailand, HE Asif Ahmad. Food served followed a British theme, including sticky toffee pudding and fish and chips, with a Japanese cuisine corner serving up- sushi and tempura as an option.

Guests were also treated with, not just one, but two fashion shows by the two most renowned British fashion exports  one high-street and one superbrand -Topshop and Burberry, with the first mostly being modelled by young celebrities from MR Srikhumrung Yukol to Kornkanok Yongsakul, to name but a few, while enjoying a performance by a Beatles cover band.

The British ambassador toasted the royal couple after the band's performance, followed by the much-awaited lucky draws with prizes from Burberry, Twinings, a free three-night stay at the Lancaster Hotel, London, courtesy of the Lancaster Landmark Hotel Group and many more. Guests partied till late with a set by DJ Beady.

Ardhawadee Jiramaneekul.

Woody Milintachinda.

Royal Wedding Celebrated by DBE at a Royal Luncheon

Written by D.F. Karppi 

 

If you were wondering if the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, now the Duke and Dutchess of Cambridge, was not getting enough attention locally, not to worry. Victoria Crosby, NY State Daughters of the British Empire President; and DBE National Poet Laureate; and Regent, Westminster Abbey Chapter hosted a luncheon at her home on Thursday, April 28 for the local chapter of the DBE.

With its usual inclusiveness the Daughters of the British Empire in the State of New York welcomes members stating, “If you are female and of British or Commonwealth Ancestry or married to someone of British or Commonwealth Ancestry you are welcome to apply for membership.”

Kate Middleton looks into Prince William’s eyes as she recites her vows as seen on Channel 2 coverage. DFK photo.

Their mission is to support Victoria Home in upstate NY, a state-certified, not-for-profit skilled nursing facility that accommodates 49 full-time male and female residents, of all races, colors and creeds and was founded in 1916 by the Daughters of the British Empire (DBE) in the Eastern District of the United States.

Men and women are welcome to attend any of their fundraising events.

It was a delightful luncheon buffet with about 50 guests. The women followed the British tradition and many wore lovely hats. For the Thursday luncheon, Ms. Crosby’s home was “A little bit of Britain on the North Shore.” 

Ms. Crosby said of the wedding events, “There will be several celebrations taking place, the first was at my house in Glen Cove on Thursday April 28 at noon. We toasted the royal couple in DBE champagne glasses, served lunch and then a wedding cake was served on a Westminster Abbey plate. I flew the Union Jack and the house is filled with British royal memorabilia.

“Since members have differing opinions about the wedding, some are thrilled; others think William should have married someone of noble or royal birth, it made for a most interesting afternoon,” she said.

The next day, April 29, Ms. Crosby went to NYC to India House, to meet Lady Anne Collins, wife of the Consul General.

 It was the National celebration of William and Catherine Wedding in New York, she said. “There was wedding cake and champagne toasts in fluted glasses. And I read a poem in honor of the wedding.”

Victoria Crosby, Denny Pugsley and Liz Barratt of Westminster Abbey Chapter attended the luncheon at India House in the city on Friday. Ms. Crosby said, “A bagpiper piped us into the cocktail hour and then to the luncheon. I read my poem, A Royal Romance, which was written in ‘honour’ of the royal wedding and commissioned by the DBE National President.

“She also asked me to give the invocation at the luncheon as I am a Universal Life Minister. I read one of my inspirational poems followed by a blessing on the newlyweds and the royal family.

“The wedding was being shown on a large screen during the luncheon. India House is in Hanover Square next to the British Garden in memory of the British men and women killed on 9/11.

“The Westminster Abbey chapter has women from all over LI, Nassau and Suffolk counties,” said Ms. Crosby.

If you had wanted to purchase some wedding memorabilia, she said the NYC store Tea and Sympathy was selling items and quickly ran out of them.

Of course, she said, you can still get things on the website of Catherine Middleton’s family business, Party Pieces.

    Ms. Crosby said Queen Elizabeth II was 85 on April 21. She usually celebrates her birthday in June when the weather promises to be beautiful. Next year she will celebrate 60 years on the throne, her Diamond Jubilee.

Another royal wedding is that of Princess Ann’s daughter from her first marriage. She is marrying a soccer star. She is the Queen’s granddaughter. That wedding has taken a sort of back seat to William and Catherine’s wedding, she said. [You will note that Ms. Crosby uses Catherine, the name the Queen has asked people to use when addressing William’s bride as opposed to Kate, that this side of the pond has been using.]

Not everyone is as pleased that the Prince is marrying a commoner, said Ms. Crosby. “Some of the members of the DBE feel that Prince William should have married a royal princess or someone of noble birth and are critical of the Middleton family that made their money on the Internet.”

On the issue of marrying a commoner, Ms. Crosby said, “Princess Victoria of Sweden married her personal trainer. The trend is to go toward marrying commoners. And there aren’t too many royals around,” she said.

“The Middleton family did make some money over the generations, but they made The Money from Party Pieces [items for great parties] and they are even selling wedding memorabilia on their Internet site.

“I got an e-mail from my sister about the royal family impersonators who use hip hop music and dance down the aisle at the [faux] wedding. [While over here it is seen as fun and even fabulous.] A lot of people have been sending emails to my sister with very negative comments about them saying, ‘Who are these people and why are they on the news all the time’.”

There is another good thing about the wedding weekend. Many Brits are saying at least they got a four-day weekend out of it. The media announced that by adding on the Easter weekend, Brits have been putting together 11-day holiday packages for themselves and left England for warmer climates just as hundreds of thousands were arriving for the wedding.

Ms. Crosby said England is in the process of changing the law of Primogenitor, in which the first male child of the King is next in line. Instead it will just say the first child and therefore if William and Catherine’s first child is a girl, she will be the next in line, after William; who is first after Charles.

It has already been done, Ms. Crosby said noting that Royalty magazine said Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands had her daughter Princess Victoria as the next in line as a result.

Ms. Crosby keeps up with the Royals with two British publications, Royalty monthly and Majesty. “They say that within hours of the wedding there will be knockoffs of the dress,” she said.

Local Views

Sharyne Wolfe, of Mill Neck, polled her students to see if they would like to wear the dress and more said they wouldn’t. Ms. Wolfe is a professor of fashion design at NCC. American brides at the present time favor strapless gowns.

The wedding was watched by people across the nation. Fern Senior of Laurel Hollow said she has a friend in NYC who was at a wedding-watch party event at 5:30 a.m. Friday, April 29. Former East Norwich resident Lynne Karppi Chute enjoyed scones, strawberry jam and clotted cream watching the wedding starting at 4 a.m., in her Astoria apartment, following a family tradition from Diana’s wedding to Prince Charles. 

Everyone had a favorite part of the wedding, from the kiss, to the dress, to the hats. 

For Gerry Mahoney of Oyster Bay, a driver for Oyster Rides, who calls himself a “car nut”, said the cars were his favorite part of the wedding. He said he enjoyed seeing the Royals arriving in vintage cars. He said Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles arrived in a vintage Rolls Royce; the two princes, William and Harry arrived in a Bentley; the Middletons arrived in an Austin Princess; Catherine arrived in a Rolls Royce. There was also a Daimler Benz car in the mix. They are not made anymore, he added.

Best of all was the last scene on Friday morning when Prince William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, went spinning out in an Aston Martin that belonged to Prince Charles, a gift from his mother.

It was a wedding with something for everyone.

How to recreate Kate's wedding beauty look..

 

Britain's Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, waves as she travels to Buckingham Palace
AFP PHOTO/ POOL/ PAUL HACKETT

"Kate's makeup was beautiful and elegant with a pop of color," Lucinda Barreto, makeup artist at Nars, says. "It's a look that can be worn for everyday or a special occasion."

To recreate Kate's wedding makeup look, Barreto recommends the following: for the face, use the brand's Copacabana Illuminator as a foundation for the skin, Laguna Bronzing Powder for a healthy glow, and Deep Throat Blush on your cheekbones.

Abyssinia Single Eyeshadow, applied all over the entire lid, brightens the eyes, enhanced by Black Moon Eyeliner Pencil, and Kalahari Duo Eyeshadow gives extra contours.

On the lips, Barreto advises Tonga Lipliner Pencil, Mitzi Lipstick, and Ophelia Lip Gloss.
All products are available on the Nars website.

Kate's hair was styled by James Pryce of the Richard Ward salon. "Catherine's bridal look is called the 'demi chignon' -- an updo style which combines a classic bridal look with a regal, couture finish," it was explained in a statement. "The focus of the style was Catherine's unique and individual halo style tiara [by Cartier], set just back from the hairline, which determined the finished look."

For everyone who wants to have a go at their own soft waves, beauty blog Bella Sugar recommends a styling cream such as Aveda's Smooth Infustion Style-Prep Smoother ($24) before blow-drying with a round brush. Form a side part and curl your hair all around the head, using a wide-barrelled curing iron. Use a smoothing serum to finish off the look, and you're ready for any occasion.

Wedding fashion to be royally inspired

Designers are racing to create gowns that look like Kate Middleton's many at a fraction of the cost.

BY JENNIFER WATERS

MarketWatch

CHICAGO  When Kate Middleton walked down the aisle Friday and unveiled her regal gown designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen  the most closely held secret in royal apparel in decades  hundreds, maybe even thousands, of designers put pencil-to-sketch pad in the race to be the first to create the next big trend in wedding attire.

Within weeks, brides-to-be will be able to choose from look-alike frocks at a variety of price points. Middleton's look will be seen in one variation or another at many altars for years to come.

"Whatever she wears will have a lasting influence," said Dan Rentillo, design director for David's Bridal. "My big challenge is how we are going to interpret it."

For months, designers have been debating how Middleton would make her wedding-day fashion mark as she married Prince William in Westminster Abbey. Rentillo's team, like many designers across the world, sketched designs weeks ago illustrating what they thought Middleton might wear, based on her sense of fashion, body type and what an event of such magnitude would dictate.

Don O'Neill, creative director of Theia, the evening dress and bridal couture in New York named after the Greek goddess of light, has gone so far as to design a wedding dress  he named it "Kate"  that he thought imitated Middleton's style. The long-sleeved, form-fitting dress gives a nod to her fondness of V-neck shirts with a scooped neckline embellished with crystals.

What will be shown in bride books, at bridal shows and in bridal stores worldwide will not be an exact duplicate of Middleton's dress, but an interpretation of it, or designs that were inspired by it. Designer Romona Keveza said she doesn't think brides want the exact dress anyway.

"The vast majority of brides will want to put their own special stamp on their wedding day and create their own special look," she said.

Plus, most designers want to put their own stamp on trending styles. "I'll put a Kate dress with my twists on it in the store in two weeks," said designer Alice Padrul, who owns an eponymous bridal couture in Chicago.

She can work that fast because she has a team of designers and dressmakers at the ready. Her custom-designed wedding dresses are sewn, stitched and bedazzled at her shop. These dresses, however, aren't for the faint-of-wallet: They'll run from $3,000 to $7,000.

For mass-wedding-attire retailers like David's Bridal, it will be closer to three months  still a quick turnaround before future brides see their take on the new duchess' dress. Though most wedding dressmakers have their factories fired up for fast production, many are in China and it will take time to get the dresses shipped to stores.

The prices, of course, will depend largely on the type of fabric  silk, taffeta and chiffon, for example, come at very different costs  and what kind of beading or hand-stitching is required. Mass retailers buy materials in bulk at cheaper prices than smaller shops, so their prices will be more affordable to a wide range of brides. At David's Bridal, a Kate dress isn't likely to exceed $1,300, the highest price point in the stores, according to Rentillo.

Royal Wedding Beauty – Kate & William

The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton has been the only thing I have watched on the TV today. It was held at Westminster Abbey in London, England. I woke up this morning and watched the guests arriving, I watched the ceremony, the horse and carriage ride, the balcony appearance and everything else.

The day was just so beautiful and so moving! Kate’s dress was as I expected, an Alexander McQueen creation designed by Sarah Burton. It was simply stunning and I love the lace on the top half. William looked very handsome and smart in his royal suit as well. The kiss on the balcony was my favourite part, it was so romantic and I am wishing the couple happiness for the rest of their lives. The horse and carriage ride was also amazing and it just choked me up when I heard everyone cheering for them. I even loved the Aston Martin that Kate, now Princess Catherine, and William decorated with balloons as he drove them both off.

The Queen wore a pale lemon yellow suit which she looked very happy in and Prince Harry looked really smart too. The maid of honour,  Kate’s sister, looked elegant and Victoria and David Beckham wore black ensembles but they looked amazing. I know most of you will have watched the wedding so what did you love the most? I have included lots of photos from the beautiful day in this blog post.

Kate Middleton's Royal Wedding Makeup

 

Behold! A princess who does her own makeup.

Kate Middleton showed off her expert bridal beauty training from makeup artist Arabella Preston on her royal wedding day. And while it isn't a drastic departure from her normal makeup routine, the newly appointed Duchess of Cambridge donned some serious smoky eye makeup.

With her brunette locks styled half-up, half-down in long, soft curls and dressed in a Cartier tiara borrowed from the Queen, Kate's elegant beauty -- bold brows, heavily-lined lids, rosy cheeks and pink lips -- made quite the statement.

We may have suggested softer smoky eyes, but we admire Kate for wielding the makeup brush on her wedding day.

What do you think of Kate Middleton's royal wedding day makeup? Vote in our poll!

Head over to our Royal Wedding site for the latest news. 

Editorial: A wedding to celebrate

WHEN the Brits get things right, they really get it right.

The Westminster system of government; the defeat of fascism (with a little help from friends); the invention of cricket and rugby; James Bond; pomp and circumstance.

And a Royal Wedding that had even the most ardent republicans still glued to their TV screens.

It was a glorious occasion where the whole world could share a taste of a fairytale, where the joyous love between two young people was vividly coloured by the fact it was a future king marrying a commoner who will become his queen.

The Brits indeed carried it off in style. The immaculate cars and carriages, the uniforms and titles, the horses and pageantry, the Abbey and palace, the occasionally odd but endearing Windsor family and, of course, The Dress and The Kiss.

Wills and Kate, ably assisted by the cheekily cheerful Prince Harry and Kate's attractive sister Pippa, did their parents proud - radiantly happy, dignified and poised.

They also gave us something to smile about, a feel-good window in a year where people have grown weary of tragedy ranging from natural disasters to war casualties.

It was indeed a royal wedding, but also very much a wedding for the people.

Which of course brings us to the future.

The whole republican argument has largely fizzled in recent times, despite sporadic attempts by anti-monarchists to revive it. The public appears content with the status quo.

Sentiment can of course change. A long-held view of many is that the eventual passing of the Queen and the coronation of Charles will kick-start a new campaign.

Don't necessarily bet on it.

Wills and Kate have breathed new life into Australians' casual fondness for a benign monarchy that does not interfere in our legal affairs.

Just as Diana was one of the best things for the crusty royal family in some time, her eldest son and his new wife have turbo-charged the monarchy's public image.

Kate appears to come from sensible stock and the couple's long courtship gave her ample time to understand what she is letting herself in for, which is just as well.

The pressure on the happy couple will be immense. Kate will be a magazine cover girl for years to come, with every new hairdo, fashion style, friendship, gaffe, cause, diet and more analysed, dissected, praised, criticised and discussed. She will be a paparazzi target, a role model and a gossip magnet.

Her ability to cope with such scrutiny and live in the bubble that is modern royalty will be crucial in maintaining the present warmness many Australians feel towards the monarchy. We wish them both well.

For the moment the world should give them some space to enjoy their honeymoon and adjust to married life.

Then, no doubt, everyone will be looking for the first signs of a baby bump.