There are so many decisions for a bride to make and the wedding tiara has just got more controversial and difficult.
It may seem a little strange to think of a royal wedding and a princess without a tiara, but that could be exactly what happens at the next British Royal wedding. Rumour has it that there is a difference of opinions between the generations at Buckingham Palace. It is believed that Prince Charles and Camilla are pushing for Kate Middleton to wear a tiara, while Kate is tending towards the idea of flowers in her hair. I guess it rather puts Prince William on the spot, but I would imagine that he is going to support Kate in what ever she wants.
The question is what will all the other brides do? Royal weddings are notorious for setting trends. When Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer tied the knot the first copy of her dress was produced before the ceremony was finished. And it looks like this wedding will be the same.
Future brides, whether their weddings are within a week or a year of William and Kate getting hitched will be affected by Kates decisions. Many brides will be making changes according to what she does and wears. And for some brides who have not made firm decisions they may see the proposed costs of their day change; there is always a financial implication when there is a sudden change in demands and styles.
Not all brides have the same shape, and most brides will want their dress to special, so it will not be exact copies which fill the bridal showrooms, but there will be influences. For example, if Kate chooses a dress with a corset back and a straight skirt, there will be a flood of straight skirts and corset backs in the bridal shops, but not necessarily always teamed together; a corset back with a pleated skirt, or a corset front with a straight skirt.
Equally, if Kate does not wear a wedding tiara, there is going to be a big upset in the world of bridal accessories. Will real flowers be the way forward? Will every bridal shop have to have a florist on hand to ensure that they are able to offer the complete bridal service? Will the tiara become a 'no-no' overnight?
These are all questions which the bridal industry cannot answer until the big day, but many will try and guess the answer. So, will Kate choose a wedding tiara and please the old school traditionalists? Or is the next generation of British Royals going to write their own rules and play it all their own way? John Jay Amarant
