Pippa Middleton reportedly demands her wedding guests bring a second outfit

Pippa Middleton heading to the Para Snow Ball

Pippa Middleton and Terribly Moderately Wealthy James Matthews were pap’d this week and she came close to maybe grazing the moderately wealthy bum – you can see the photos here. The conspiratorial side says that Pippa wanted to show that she and Moderately Wealthy James are very hot for each other and very eager to get married so they can touch each other’s bums for eternity. The other side says… maybe she didn’t even touch it?

But in any case, we’re still talking about this bloody wedding. According to the Telegraph’s bridal/wedding experts, Pippa’s wedding will end up costing… £250,000. The Telegraph makes that sounds like some crazy number, but I think if the Middletons can get it done for that amount, that probably sounds about right? The figure might even be sort of low. The estimates include catering at £70,000, Pippa’s dress for £10,000, a six-tier cake at £2,600, a videographer with drones (£4,000), stationary (£5,125) and bridesmaid’s outfits (£2, 250). WAIT THERE ARE GOING TO BE DRONES??????? DRONES!!!! OMG. You know what figure isn’t even included here? Any renovations done to Middleton Manor ahead of Carole acting as hostess for the reception. You know Carole has probably spent the last five months having a ton of work done to the property.

Also, I bet Pippa’s dress + veil + shoes + jewelry will end up being more than £10,000. Not to mention the fact that Pippa needs a second look for the reception! She’s apparently asked people to bring a change of clothes for the reception?

First there was the rumoured ” no ring, no bring ” rule. Next came the claims even best man Spencer Matthews wasn’t allowed to bring his girlfriend. Then it turned out there’s a solid reason why the Duchess of Cambridge won’t be a bridesmaid after all. With a dense cloud of speculation swirling over the big day, it’s safe to say the upcoming nuptials of Pippa Middleton and James Matthews are the most hotly anticipated event this year. No amount of “leaked” detail is too small.

But perhaps the most surprising rumour to have surfaced so far is one relating to the guests’ outfits. As any wedding veteran will tell you, as a guest, there’s a certain amount of stress (and often spending a small fortune) involved in getting the right outfit. Now, imagine being instructed to bring a SECOND outfit for the reception. Reportedly, this is exactly what Pippa has asked guests to do. Whether it’s true or not remains to be seen.

[From The Daily Mirror]

Am I alone in thinking that a wardrobe change really isn’t that weird? Most bigger, celebrity weddings seem to do something similar, especially if the bride and groom want their reception to be, like, a “dance party” or whatever. I feel like a lot of people who do destination weddings do this, plus it’s usually done with any kind of wedding where you would conceivably go back to your hotel room between the church ceremony and the reception. People change their clothes to be more comfortable and less formal. But it does feel like it’s a little bit different if Pippa is, like, demanding that everyone do a costume change for the reception. Micromanage much? DRONE MUCH?

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge arriving at the Grand Duke Jean Museum of Modern Art (MUDAM) in Luxembourg on the first of her five engagements for the official commemoration of the 1867 Treaty of London

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge arriving at the Grand Duke Jean Museum of Modern Art (MUDAM) in Luxembourg on the first of her five engagements for the official commemoration of the 1867 Treaty of London

Photos courtesy of WENN, PCN, archived photo from Fame/Flynet.

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68 Responses to “Pippa Middleton reportedly demands her wedding guests bring a second outfit”

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  1. Digital Unicorn (aka Betti) says:

    Asking guests to change clothes for the evening reception is a bit much – unless its themed and given its the Middletons its highly likely it is. They do love their ‘themes’ – Waity is a notorious theme dresser.

    How much of the alleged £250K is actually coming out of the Middleton pocket – not a lot. I have said on here many times that this wedding is mostly being paid for by sponsors, the shilling on the Fail with blatant brand placements pretty much confirms it. And am willing to bet that they got a Hello deal – the Meghan/Harry angle would have been too much of an opportunity for them to pass by.

    • Megan says:

      We went to a wedding that had a Star Trek themed reception; however, the grooms provided all of the necessary dress up accessories to make us theme-ready. No one was expected to bring a second outfit.

      • graymatters says:

        That sounds like fun. What were the drinks like?

      • Digital Unicorn (aka Betti) says:

        Cool – thats my kinda wedding. From what I recall many of the even guests, who went to the actual event, at Waity’s wedding changed outfits for the evening but don’t know for sure as that part of the royal wedding never made it into the public eye. There were reports that quests were seen arriving in different outfits i.e. Zara Tindal, the York Princesses etc…

    • Lia says:

      They’re all so wealthy that a change of clothes will mean nothing to them. I’m sure they’ll only be too happy to show off a second outfit.

  2. Sixer says:

    Drones? Pfft. Not a patch on flying Elvi.

    This whole thing is beyond cringe, right? Beckham thrones, Beckham schmones.

    • littlemissnaughty says:

      Hey hey, let’s not compare them to my girl Posh. The woman was all in. She was unabashedly tacky and I love her for it. The Beckhams never pretended to be anyone else. These Middleton people are tacky pretending to be classy. We see you!

      On a superficial note, can someone tell the happy couple to moisturize a bit more and use SPF? They both look … parched. To say the least.

      • Sixer says:

        I want the drones to be carrying loads of confetti.

      • Canadian Becks says:

        Loose the Drones and make it RAIN on them there Aristos.

        Carole’ll have Mike vaccumming up the lawn the next day.

    • suze says:

      I want our Flying Elvi to descend while saddling drones. And holding sparklers.

    • Megan says:

      I just can’t with the drones. I just can’t.

    • SKF says:

      Drones are no big deal. A lot of people I know have had a drone at their weddings in the last two years. Just normal weddings. Drones are super fun and they make fabulous wedding videos! If I ever get married I want one for sure.

  3. Canadian Becks says:

    It’s an interesting coincidence that both Middleton sisters are marrying into a family with no daughters of their own.

    It’s interesting because traditionally, an incoming daughter-in-law has to contend with a mother-in-law whose grandmotherly affections are usually directed more towards her own daughters’ children.

    I think that is the experience of the majority of women who become mothers- to see their children be #1 with their own mothers, and perhaps a distant second with their mothers-in-law. (I did not have that problem, though I saw it happen with others)

    Along with marrying into immense wealth, and not ever having to worry about finances, or “making-do”, the Middleton sisters seems to have some dumb luck.

  4. Babs says:

    I always have two outfits at weddings. No need to put a “small fortune” on it, just a little bit of thought and taste and not doing it last minute.

    • t.fanty says:

      I think it depends on the wedding. A formal church wedding and a break before the evening event? I would probably change into something a big more glam.

      And also, “demanding” is probably tabloid-speak for a notation on the invite that the evening is black tie.

      • Lady D says:

        I got a call last night inviting me to the wedding of 2 friends, in front of a judge, this Saturday. There will be 5 of us altogether and we will probably eat afterwards. Apparently it’s semi-casual? Struggling with what to wear, although given the fact their town has flooded and mine is well on its way to flooding, a bathing suit and a dingy might be the way to go.

      • Megan says:

        @Lady D whatever you wear will be perfect.

  5. Andrea says:

    Yes, it’s in Kardashian territory. Just now Hello magazine online, started a clock countdown of the days….I’m cringing as I write this

  6. Scal says:

    It could be that they told people it was okay to change into something more comfortable if they wanted (this is what we did for dancing-and our church had strict rules about formality) and that’s turned into ‘puppy demands people change!’ for the tabs

    Maybe I’m giving her to much of the doubt.

    • Carol says:

      Yes, I feel the need to say that “ask” and “demand” are two different words with very different meanings.

      • tmot says:

        Sometimes asking is just polite demanding.

        I agree this story is dumb. I just wanted to quote Max Headroom.

  7. Indiana Joanna says:

    Pips and Carole are desperate to get some financial traction from the wedding.

  8. Clare says:

    Lord Jesus – that is SO much money. SO MUCH MONEY. I know it is all relative, but…Jesus. Surely these people know the value of money, given they were strictly middle class until a couple of years ago? Insanity.

  9. lara says:

    I would consider two outfits for a wedding normal. One for church/regristar in the morning, usually knee length dress and covered shoulders/arms for the women and a second one, Cocktail or floor lenght for the reception/party.
    Since almost everybody has some kind of sress for formal occasions it also does not cost an extra fortune.
    And I would not want to wear the same dress from morning till night, especcially if there is a hotelbreak in between.

    • Kitten says:

      If it’s normal (and I agree it seems like it is a common occurrence), then Pippa shouldn’t have to say anything and instruct people about it. More importantly, she shouldn’t even have an opinion about it. All the reasons you listed for changing outfits are for the comfort and benefit of the guest. So if a guest decides to wear the same outfit for the entire day, it should totally be a non-issue. Adults can make that decision for themselves.

    • suze says:

      Right. If it’s convention then it should be unspoken.

      Assuming any of this is actually happening, of course.

  10. astrid says:

    Seems a bit presumptuous. I’ll wear what I wear and make choices appropriate for the event.

  11. MinnFinn says:

    Any guesses on how much exercise time per day Pippa needs to maintain her current physique? I’m gonna say at least 2 hours per day – 1 hour of weights plus another at least 1 hour of cross-training-aerobic per day. She’s much more muscular looking in the top photo than her previously very muscular self.

    James always looks like he hasn’t showered in a few days. I hope he goes clean shaven and lays off the Vitalis-hair-oil-for-men for his big day.

    I like Pippa’s blue Erdem dress and the pink jacket she’s wearing in the linked photo where she’s touching James’ arse. Kate is so fragile and neurotic compared to Pippa and just now I’m realizing even the way Kate dresses is anxious when contrasted to Pippa’s style.

  12. Seraphina says:

    I think that considering the guest list and the people hosting the wedding, it would be understood a second outfit may be needed. She insults her guests when telling them to do so.

  13. JustJen says:

    Meh..in my area (NE Ohio) it’s a given that if you have a daytime wedding you wear something church-worthy then change into something less prim and proper for the reception. I think people are so desperate for any sort of news on this “event”, they’re turning everything into gasp-level drivel.

  14. KatM says:

    What exactly does she do for a living?

    • graymatters says:

      She has an English Lit degree from a good university and worked as a part-time party planner after graduation (and wrote the newsletter for her parents’ business). After Kate’s wedding, she tried to parley her fame-by-association into a writing career and got a contract to write a party-planning book, articles for Vanity Fair, and columns for the Waitrose magazine and the Telegraph newspaper. She was pretty busy for a while with that, but then the reviews for her work weren’t very good and almost everyone dropped her. I think she still writes the occasional column somewhere and has co-written a cookbook for charity. She has earned respect for her hobby of endurance sport, which is something she shares with her fiance.

      I can’t believe how much I know about her.

      • Lady D says:

        Her hobby tends to benefit charities a lot of the time, too, so good for her. Not the easiest way to earn money for charity.

      • graymatters says:

        Yes. And she makes speeches promoting her charities. It’s been suggested that she would have made a better duchess than her sister. However, her ambitious attitude, which is great for her athletic life, makes her social climbing all the more blatant.

  15. thaisajs says:

    I honestly don’t see this as much of a big deal. It’s hard to dress for a day wedding that morphs into an all-night rager. Also, it’s not like she’s going to invite the poors to her wedding. All of the attendees can easily afford to bring a change of clothes.

  16. Alexandria says:

    What’s so weird? Some outfits for receptions / parties are not meant for church/mosque/temple.

  17. The Original Mia says:

    I’ve never changed my clothes for a reception. I may change my shoes, but my whole outfit? Nah.

    • AnnaKist says:

      Same here, Original Mia. I’ve never heard of it, but that’s not to say some of my fellow Australians don’t do it. I’ve been to many, many weddings in my time – some very casual, and some quite posh -, and spoken with friends who have done the same, and this has never come up. We’ve always gone to the reception in what we wore to the marriage ceremony, whether that took place in a church or a park.

    • notasugarhere says:

      Ditto. The idea that I’m supposed to give a whole day and night to someone’s wedding is also silly. A morning ceremony and an evening reception? Nope. Attend wedding, travel to reception that follows immediately, reception, and be done in 3-4 hours tops.

  18. Bridget says:

    Church wear and evening wear for this set are 2 different things though, right? Remember when Edward and Sophie got married at an unusual time (evening?) and the women guests were scrambling trying to figure out how to match a hat with their evening dress?

    • notasugarhere says:

      It was a strange wedding time. They banned hats but it was also not a tiara occasion. HM and Queen Mum got around that with feather confections on their heads. HM in a very strange (for her) feather and sparkler on the side of her head. Okay, Queen Mum’s was a hat covered in feathers to pretend it wasn’t a hat.

      • Bridget says:

        It was so strange to me. “Hats” = formal wedding. “Evening wear but NO hats” = more relaxed occasion.

  19. spidey says:

    Well here in the UK I have always worn the same outfit for the day and evening. I wouldn’t buy two – the bride and groom should be glad of your presence without this sort of rubbish.

  20. Tess says:

    Well the church is usually morning outfits” and earlier in the day, and if the reception is in the evening that’s would mean evening/gala or cocktail dress. That’s basically what Will and Kate did on a grander scale. Or course this was going to be Kate’s wedding 2.0 country faux-ristocrat edition, 2 wedding gowns included.

    • DTrain says:

      I agree with the morning/evening activities and outfits. Where I am (Midwest) almost every wedding I have been to is the same, church early and reception in the evening. I wear two different outfits and have never been asked to do so by the couple. I find it very hard to believe that Pippa would be asking/demanding/even noticing or caring whether or not people repeated outfits.

  21. LAK says:

    The PR they hired for the wedding is really brilliant. So much publicity for a private citizen without anything to sell to the public.

    Pippa is essentially Kim K minus the pron and other accoutrements.

    • notasugarhere says:

      Nothing to sell except the product placement in order to get all these things free or at the “royal discount” as they’ve been demanding for years. We’ll get leaks about who made the cake, which drone company they are using, the names of all the individual snack trucks being part of the reception, etc.

  22. homeslice says:

    Pips and Kate get their horrible taste in shoes from their mother. ye gads!

  23. Rae says:

    Talk about storm in a teacup.

    Really not that special of a request, and I doubt it was “demanded”. More like the invitation mentioned a change of clothes for the evening.

    Really rolling my eyes. I’m not a great fan of the Middletons, but people are really out to get them. They’re paying for it themselves, they can chose how to have their own weddings.

  24. KiddVicious says:

    Their kids are going to have the flattest butts ever.

  25. Mannori says:

    I don’t know why this is news: because she’s a woman and she’s been consistently annoying? Guy Ritchie did the same, even worst when he married the latest bimbo chick and nobody noticed it/ reported it. Just another Brit parvenu wedding.

  26. Elaine says:

    What I don’t understand is, where is everyone supposed to change? Are they going back to London, before rejoining in the evening?

    Are the ladies supposed to slip into sparkly evening wear -in the porta-potty? Is that what the Terribly Moderately Rich are doing these days?

    • Canadian Becks says:

      Yeah, I’m windering that too.

      Will some nosy Nora casually wander into Carole’s bedroom under the guise of getting lost looking for the changing room?

    • KiddVicious says:

      Hotels/Inns? If there’s a late night party I would assume people aren’t driving back to London and would be staying over somewhere. Or maybe they got the Fyre Festival tents at a cheap price for people to change and sleep in. 😉

  27. Girl_ninja says:

    If this is true, at this point the only reason to go to this wedding is to get a good view of Meghan and Harry.

  28. Alice Archambault says:

    I agree with the writer of The Daily Mirror above. I don’t like the word “demand” very much, but asking guests to bring another outfit sounds like fun. There is a reason, but what does this mean? Is it outside?
    Also, getting out of formal outfits and dresses sounds like a good idea! But, a second outfit is broad. Shorts and t-shirts? Bathing suits? Casual dresses, slacks, Polo shirts and slacks? Sounds like fun!!

  29. Naptime says:

    Looks like Pippa has had a beautifully done upper blephroplasty for her wedding. She looks great. I wonder why Carol didn’t do this for THE wedding, she would really benefit from one.