Who: HRH Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip

When: November 20, 1947

Where: The future queen of England and her prince declared their love inside Westminster Abbey.

The Ceremony: Parry's bridal hymn rang out in the 900-year-old Abbey as the princess made her way down the aisle toward the Archbishop of Canterbury and the man she loved. As the bride promised to "obey" her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh pledged his devotion and slipped a band of Welsh gold on Elizabeth's finger, which would be worn along with an engagement ring fashioned from diamonds that once graced the tiara of the groom's mother.

At the conclusion of the Church of England ceremony, Mendelssohn's Wedding March accompanied the bride and groom as they made their way outside the house of worship, where they were met by the roar of an appreciative crowd.

The Dress: British designer Norman Hartnell (who had created the wedding gown for the legendary romance author Barbara Cartland) knew that nothing short of a work of art would suffice for the future queen's bridal attire, and the couturier found his fashion muse in the form of Flora in "Primavera" ("Spring"), a masterpiece by Italian artist Botticelli.

The embodiment of a nation's regenerative power after the devastation of the second world war, the white satin gown was embellished with ten thousand crystals and seed pearls fashioned in the shape of white York roses, orange blossoms, lilacs, jasmine and ears of wheat which shimmered in the light of the cathedral like dew clinging to the earth at the dawn of a new day.

A waterfall bouquet from The Worshipful Company of Gardeners was comprised of orchids and, in an homage to Queen Victoria, a sprig of myrtle. A demure sweetheart neckline showcased a double strand of pearls, a gift from the king to his darling "Lilibet", and a tiara, which held in place a white tulle veil that draped lightly over the gown's fifteen foot long train, provided an overall ethereal effect to the ensemble.

The Reception: Upon their return to Buckingham Palace, one hundred and fifty guests found that a feast of casseroled partridge and fillet of sole laid out on gold dinnerware awaited them. Drawing a ceremonial sword, the groom sliced into a four-tiered wedding cake adorned with the newly betrothed couple's initials, cupids, and recreations of Windsor Castle, Balmoral and Buckingham Palace.

The Honeymon: Cascading rose petals tossed by family and friends tumbled into the open landau which carried both the newlyweds and the bride's favorite canine companion to Waterloo Station, from which they embarked on a honeymoon to Broadlands (Lord Louis Mountbatten's Hampshire abode), and Birkhall, the bride's childhood home on the Balmoral estate.

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