Difference between Royal Wedding and Normal Wedding
Weddings are always important events, but when the people who are getting married are prominent public figures such as members of a royal family, a wedding can be an even bigger and more important occasion. However, weddings of all types and sizes are all based on the decision of two people to join together in marriage.
Size and Cost
Normal weddings can be very expensive, but royal weddings can be even larger, more elaborate and more expensive. Even the largest normal weddings do not have to worry about the same security issues and other costs that are associated with royal weddings. When guests to the wedding will include royals, politicians and other well-known public figures, the costs can escalate wildly. The media attention can also increase the costs of a royal wedding since it is very much a public rather than a private affair. The public expect to see something very special at a royal wedding.
In the United Kingdom, royal weddings typically take place in Westminster Abbey, a location where only members of the royal family have the right to get married. Normal weddings can take place on a much smaller scale and in smaller venues, such as registry offices.
Despite the size and grandeur of a royal wedding, one major difference between it and a normal wedding is that the happy couple will not have to do all of the planning and decision making themselves. They will receive plenty of help and support with every aspect of the organization. The bride will have a dress that has been designed and custom made for her, and the day itself will be organized with the help of lots of staff.
State Occasion
Royal weddings are far more public than normal weddings, particularly if one of the people getting married is a direct heir to the throne or a reigning monarch. When the couple are to become the figureheads of the country, the public will take an interest in their wedding. It will receive a lot of news coverage and it may be broadcast live on television. Royal weddings are sometimes considered state occasions, which marks them out as occasions of particular significance to the general public. However, not all royal weddings will be considered state occasions. The wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William in the UK is being described as a semi-state occasion.
Significance
Any normal wedding can be a very significant event. The couple who are getting married are making a public commitment to one another with the intention of spending the rest of their lives together. The significance of a royal wedding can reach far beyond the happiness of the couple themselves, however. An individual who joins the royal family through marriage will often gain a title and any children that they have in the future could become monarchs.
Similarities and Differences
Weddings are events during which two people proclaim their commitment to one another in public and make a legal commitment to each other.
Royal weddings are often important public events that will generate a lot of media coverage.
Royal weddings can be state occasions. Marrying into royalty can redefine someone as a public figure.
