Saturday 20th May will mark one of the most talked about weddings of the year, with Pippa Middleton set to marry fiancé James Matthews in a church ceremony attended by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte, Princes George and Harry and, yes, even Meghan Markle herself.
The rumour mill, naturally, has gone into overdrive, with speculation rife about the details of Pippa’s big day, from the designer behind her wedding dress to her choice of florist to her reportedly adopting a ‘no ring, no bring’ guest list policy.
Now, it’s been reported that Pippa’s 350 guests have been asked to comply with a surprising request: they’ve been asked to bring a second wedding outfit to change into for the reception.
Daily Mail diarist Richard Eden took to Twitter to share this latest insight into Pippa’s impending nuptials, writing: ‘Guests at #pippamiddleton’s wedding have been asked to take second outfit for reception. Is this a trend? Sounds like a bore to me.’
It’s not unusual for brides to change into a second dress for the evening reception. Ahead of the Buckingham Palace reception, Pippa’s elder sister Kate swapped her lace-sleeved Alexander McQueen gown for another Sarah Burton creation: a strapless gown in ivory satin with diamante detailing at the waist. What is less common, however, is to ask your guests to follow suit, particularly given that even attending a wedding can prove financially draining: a recent survey by One4All has found Brits are willing to spend an average of £827.45 on being a wedding guest.
A recent estimate by wedding planning website Bridebook.co.uk predicted that Pippa and James' wedding could cost as much as £246,949, nearly 15 times as much as the average UK wedding, so perhaps the happy couple think it's only fair to ask their guests to invest in a second outfit for the occasion...
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