West Weddings on the Royal Wedding: the day before

Mario Testino via the Telegraph

So the big day is nearly here. Up and down the land, people are preparing their bunting, Pimms and cucumber sandwiches. In London, the police are doing last minute security checks, the dignitaries are flying in from all over the world and the organist at Westminster Abbey is feverishly practising for the hymns. I'm sure Kate Middleton is doing all the last minutes preparations every bride does on the day before their wedding - having a manicure, making sure the dress and accessories are all ready, praying that a nail doesn't break or a spot doesn't emerge.

There's a lot of bah humbugging going on at the moment about the wedding, and I can totally understand where people are coming from. Yes, it's costing the taxpayer money at a time of economic bite. Yes, it involves the Royal Family, who many regard as out of date and out of touch. And yes, it's been difficult to avoid if you really, really don't like weddings and all the resulting media frenzy. All of these topics are worthy of debate, to consider whether the British public should be bankrolling the lifestyle of an elite group of people.

But, if you're reading this, I'm going to guess that you're either planning your own wedding or really like them. And that is the point I'd like to focus on: the wedding. And more importantly, the couple in question. Because, what it really comes down to, ignoring the 1900 guests and the security forces and the questions surrounding the dress and all the hoop-la of a spectacle played out on the world stage, is two people saying that they love each other and want to spend the rest of their lives together. I was lucky enough to be able to do that last year, and have all my family and friends toast this new chapter in our lives. As a couple who seem to be very much in love, William and Kate deserve to have that too, and I really hope that their big day is everything they wanted and more. 

A wedding is such a happy, happy occasion. So tomorrow, at 11am, I will be raising my glass to William and Kate, and wishing them all the best for their lives together. Because that's what a wedding is about.

What will you be doing for the Royal Wedding? If you're in Bristol some of the WW team will be down in Millennium Square watching it on the big screen - come say hello if you're there too!

 - Helen