Bridesmaids and Pages
The Bridesmaids' dresses
The ivory dresses with ballerina length pleated skirts, puff sleeves and gold sashes, made of wild silk, tied in a 'sumptuous' bow, were by bespoke childrenswear designer Nicki Macfarlane. The four dresses were hand-made by Ms Macfarlane and her daughter Charlotte Macfarlane at their homes in Wiltshire and Kent.
The Bridesmaids' dresses used the same fabrics as the Bride's dress. The full, box pleated skirt gave the dresses a sculptural quality, with the layering of ivory over white satin gazar adding depth of colour. They were hand-finished with delicate English Cluny lace, wvisible under the skirts, and four layers of net underskirt. The puff sleeves and neckline were trimmed with the same English lace as the Bride's underskirt. The backs were finished with the same button detail.
The Bridesmaids' shoes were designed and made by Devon-based Rainbow Club. The classic Mary Jane style shoes were made from satin and finished with a Swarovski crystal buckle. Devon-based Rainbow Club have been designing, making and colouring handmade wedding shoes since the mid-1980s.
The younger bridesmaids wore ivy and lily-of-the-valley hair wreaths, which were inspired by the headdress worn by Kate's mother Carole Middleton at her wedding in 1981.
The bouquets held by the Bridesmaids replicated the flowers used in the Bride's bouquet, and they incorporated lily-of-the-valley, sweet William and hyacinth.
As a special memento, each of the bridesmaids have had their name and the date of the wedding hand-embroidered onto the lining of each dress.
The Pages' Uniforms
The Pages wore a uniform in the style of that worn by a Foot Guards officer at the time of the Regency (the 1820s). The uniform draws its insignia from the Irish Guards, whose Colonel is Prince William.
The tunic is Guards' Red with gold piping, Irish shamrocks are on the collars and its buttons are arranged in fours, denoting the Irish - or Fourth - Regiment of Foot Guards. The buttons feature the Harp of Ireland surmounted by the Crown Imperial. The breeches are ivory and are worn with white stockings and black buckle shoes
The Pages wore a gold and crimson sash (with tassel) around their waists. The sash was worn by officers in the Irish Guards when in the presence of a Member of the Royal Family.
The uniforms were designed in the Royal Household and were created by Kashket and Partners, who also fitted Prince William's uniform for his Wedding Day. The collars and cuffs were created by the Royal School of Needlework.
Who's Who
The Bridesmaids and Page Boys were:
Miss Grace van Cutsem. Aged 3 - daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh van Cutsem (née Rose Astor); goddaughter of Prince William.
Miss Eliza Lopes. Aged 3 - daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Lopes (née Laura Parker Bowles); granddaughter of The Duchess of Cornwall.
The Lady Louise Windsor. Aged 7 - daughter of The Earl and Countess of Wessex; first cousin of Prince William.
The Hon. Margarita Armstrong-Jones. Aged 8 - daughter of Viscount and Viscountess Linley (née The Hon. Serena Stanhope); second cousin of Prince William.
Master William (Billy) Lowther-Pinkerton. Aged 10 - son of Mr. and Mrs. Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton (née Susannah Richards); no relation; son of Prince William and Prince Harry's Private Secretary.
Master Tom Pettifer. Aged 8 - son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Pettifer (née Alexandra [Tiggy] Legge-Bourke); godson of Prince William.
The ages above are the Bridesmaids' and Page Boys' ages on the day of the wedding.
