As an American became a member of the British Royal Family today, it was no surprise that a few American wedding traditions snuck their way into the celebrations. Meghan was born and raised in California and naturally wanted to have a bit of her culture included in the wedding.
Many also commented on how the flowers decorating St George’s Chapel were very “American.” There were significantly more floral arrangements than the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge back in 2011.
During the wedding, Bishop Michael Bruce Curry from Chicago delivered the Address. He was very passionate and animated his speech and had the congregation in a fit of giggles. There were various reactions from the Royal Family, including Zara Tindall sitting with her mouth open. This was very different from royal weddings in the past as they are more demure. American reporters even commented about how the speech was normal for American weddings but confused the British.
As the couple left St George’s Chapel, “This Little Light of Mine” was sung by the Chapel’s Choir. This song was an anthem for the Civil Rights Movement in the USA in the 1950s and 1960s. The Choir’s performance was also very recognisable to those in the American South with their sound.
In the UK, fruit cake is the typical flavour of cake served at weddings. This was true for the 2011 nuptials of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, 1947 wedding of The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh and the 1981 wedding of the Prince of Wales and the late Diana, Princess of Wales. However, Harry and Meghan chose to go with the American tradition of wedding cakes. They decided on a lemon elderflower cake with buttercream frosting that was decorated with fresh flowers.
Additionally, the first reception at St George’s Hall, hosted by The Queen, had an American touch with it being slightly less formal and more relaxed like many American weddings. Bowl food is reportedly being served instead of a sit-down breakfast like other Royal Weddings. The Duchess of Sussex is due to give a speech during the reception, as well, which is more common in the United States.
