Not quite as closely guarded a secret as the big dress, Kate's choice of bouquet is also sure to inspire brides around the world.
Flower fads come and go but the most popular wedding choices right now in the UAE are romantic roses, says Abbey Dean, creative director of Bliss Flowers & Design in Abu Dhabi. "The classiest choice of flowers would have to be all the beautiful garden varieties including large-headed roses, peony roses, spray roses, hydrangeas and ranunculus. Less popular ones might be chrysanthemums and anything tropical such as anthuriums."
With wedding flowers adorning everything from the ceremony to the reception to the bride and even the car, couples are likely to spend a significant proportion of their budget on blooms, says Dean. "Decor and flowers are two of the biggest expenses and typically would range between 40 to 60 per cent of a wedding budget. Royal weddings tend to start at 1,000 guests upwards and while flower budgets vary depending on the design elements involved, a starting point would be approximately Dh500,000.
"The biggest royal wedding we've handled was 2,500 guests in Dubai World Trade Center and on two occasions we've had clients spend over Dh1.2 million on flowers alone," Dean says. "Keep in mind though, the overall budgets for these weddings exceeded Dh10m."
If that type of spending leaves you crying in your camellias, fear not. Getting the best for a little less is certainly appealing in these cautious economic times, and it's something wedding florist and decor stylists at Dubai's UpScale & Posh heartily advocate.
"Spending-wise, with flowers, the sky is the limit. It's really dependent upon how integral a part the flowers are for a bride's vision of her wedding," says the co-owner, Tiffany Fowler. "I've had brides who want to be engulfed in flowers, while for others it just wasn't that important.
"An average-sized wedding is 100-200 guests and costs between Dh20-40,000. But of course it's our desire to work within every couple's budget to achieve their dream wedding and their budget might be between Dh2,000-6,000," Fowler says.
The Royal wedding: Full coverage of Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding
Last Updated: Apr 27, 2010
Never mind Kate's wedding dress, what will the guests be wearing? We get the lowdown from top designers on what to wear wedding this wedding season. Read article
Princess what's-her-title What's in a name? And what will Kate Middleton be called after she marries the future king of England? Read article
A bulletproof vest and a Rolls: two sides of royal nuptials We will all watch yet another fairytale wedding, and while I am not much for romantic stories, I have to admit, it is nice to watch a love story unfold instead of the usual more tragic news story. Read article
Put a ring on it? Prince William will reportedly not wear a wedding ring, so should other married men follow his example? Read article
Your wedding-day crowning glory (crown not included) London's hairdressers have been rushed off their feet in the count-down to Friday's royal wedding. Read article
More on the Royal Wedding
So what's big in blooms at the moment? Calla lilies epitomise style and grace, says Fowler. At the other end of the scale, a flower that's had its petals bruised in the past is making something of a comeback: "Carnations are among the most economical flowers available for weddings. In fact, carnations are one of our favourites to work with. When five or more are grouped together they take on the appearance of a large lacy ruffled flower and the texture adds a lot to your centrepiece."
One trend no one could have predicted has come out of the royal wedding: with a forest being constructed in Westminster Abbey, it looks like trees are growing for 2012.
For more information, visit www.blissdubai.com or call 04 430 8501; www.upscaleandposh.com, 055 542 8640.
Follow us on Twitter and keep up to date with the latest in arts and lifestyle news at twitter.com/LifeNationalUAE
more from Janine di Giovanni
Results
1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1hr 32mins 03.897sec
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull-Honda) at 0.745s
3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) 37.383s
4. Lando Norris (McLaren) 46.466s
5.Sergio Perez (Red Bull-Honda) 52.047s
6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 59.090s
7. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) 1:06.004
8. Carlos Sainz Jr (Ferrari) 1:07.100
9. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri-Honda) 1:25.692
10. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin-Mercedes) 1:26.713,
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
