From the dress to the mini-moon: how Pippa Middleton will throw a very royal wedding

Here’s how we imagine the wedding of next year will go down
Beaming: Pippa Middleton leaving home wearing her engagement ring.
Jeremy Selwyn
Liz Connor20 July 2016

Get ready for another Middleton wedding to dominate your news feeds, because Pippa Middleton has confirmed that she is engaged to multimillionaire hedge fund manager James Matthews, her boyfriend of less than a year.

The Duchess of Cambridge's sister, 32, flashed her huge rock to photographers outside her London home yesterday morning, gushing that she "couldn't be happier" to become the fiancé of financier Mathews.

Although Pippa is keeping tight-lipped about the big day, bookmakers are predicting that the couple will marry in 2017 - which means they haven’t got long to put together what will undoubtedly be the wedding of the year.

And with a slew of senior royal attendants, an Eton-educated millionaire for a fiancé and a brother-in-law who specialises in throwing decadent bashes on Made In Chelsea, something tells us this won’t be your average church hall affair.

From the cake to the honeymoon, here’s how we imagine the couple will throw one almighty knees-up.

The engagement party

She might not be marrying into the Palace, but that doesn’t mean she can’t throw one hell of a party. Having released her own party-planning book ‘Celebrate’ in 2012, Pippa knows exactly how to throw every type of celebration - from a black-tie soirée to an outdoor gathering.

And with a heatwave on the way in the South East of England, perhaps Ms Middleton will take some tips from the Queen’s garden parties, which typically host around 270,000 cups of tea, 20,000 sandwiches and 20,000 slices of cake, with a special tea blend called the "Buckingham Palace Garden Party Tea" prepared. Oh, and a hell of a lot of champers.

Pippa Middleton and James Matthews 
EPA

The hen party

If there’s one thing Pippa Middleton knows how to do, it’s party. The socialite is expected to have a little more glitz and glam at her hen than Kate, who spent her last days as a single woman having a quiet night in with friends. Pippa, who was maid of honour at the royal wedding, is believed to have organised the gathering of women that took place ahead of the big day, so the duty of arranging the party is expected to fall on big sister. And with royals and socialites in attendance, we imagine there won’t be a willy straw in sight. Perhaps Kate might want to follow our tips for throwing a decorous hen party?

The wedding guests

Chelsea socialites and best friends Alice St John Webster, who was educated at Marlborough College in the same year as Kate, and Camilla Campion-Awwad, who studied English at Edinburgh with Pippa, will certainly be in attendance. ‘Super-granny’ Carole Middleton will also be taking time off her babysitting duties to take a front row seat with Pippa’s father, Michael Middleton. Of course, William, Kate, Princess Charlotte and Prince George will also be VIP guests, with Kate expected to take on the role of maid of honour and Prince George as page boy. James Matthews’ brother, Made in Chelsea lothario Spencer Matthews is also hotly tipped to be asked to be best man - so perhaps we can expect to see some snippets from the big day on our television screens?

Best man: Spencer Matthews
Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty

The venue

Buckleberry, Berkshire is close to Pippa’s heart - it’s where her family home Buckleberry Manor is found. The sprawling Georgian mansion with an estate of some 18 acres could be the perfect spot for an outdoor reception, and St. Mary’s church is just around the corner. Or perhaps her sister's grandmother-in-law could provide a stunning property from her bustling portfolio? There’s the gothic beauty of Balmoral Castle or the regal rooms of Sandringham House. Either way, we’re sure Pippa will not be short of choices.

Pippa Middleton - In pictures

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The dress

Of course, the big question on the day will be “what will Pippa be wearing?”, or more importantly, “who?”. Perhaps she will follow in Kate’s footsteps and look to Alexander McQueen’s creative director Sarah Burton to create the winning gown. But with favourite designers including Matthew Williamson, Ellie Saab and Jenny Packham, Pippa is going to have a hard time whittling down the competition.

Pippa Middleton wearing a Jenny Packham dress
Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images

The minimoon

Given that hedge fund boss Mr Matthews has a busy working schedule, time restraints might scupper Pippa’s plans for a lengthy romantic holiday on an exotic isle. Considering he got down on bended knee during a trip to the Lake District at the weekend to propose to Pippa, perhaps they’ll be tempted to return back to the national park for a quick, local getaway. A romantic weekend in Cumbria would be perfect for sporty Pippa, who regularly signs herself up for running, hiking and cycling challenges.

Everything you never knew about Pippa Middleton

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The maximoon

But when he can clock off from the boardroom, Matthews might like to whisk his bride off to the elite and expensive island of St. Barths. His parents own the exclusive Eden Rock hotel on the Caribbean Isle, a luxurious boutique complex that’s essentially a hot-weather playground for the glamourous set. White sandy beaches, plentiful sun worshipping spots and more romantic views than you can shake a stick at are sure to keep Pippa happy for the two week holiday. The draw for the couple will be the small size of the island - it has a population of just 35,000 - and how difficult it is to get to, which makes it less of a target for paparazzi and celebrity spotters than other Caribbean islands. Oh, and it helps if your parents-in-law can shut down the entire hotel for you for a fortnight.

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