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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s royal wedding took place in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018. Much of the guest list was made up of A-list celebrities including Sir Elton John, George and Amal Clooney, Oprah Winfrey, Priyanka Chopra, Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, Serena Williams, and David and Victoria Beckham.
There was also plenty of press on hand to capture every moment of the event. But the couple had their own private photographer shoot the official wedding portraits after the ceremony took place.
Now, that photographer is sharing some behind-the-scenes secrets about that day, including who he had to bribe to get the perfect shot.
Warning every guest was given before they entered the chapel the day of the wedding
Alexi Lubomirski, the photographer who snapped the duke and duchess’s engagement pictures, was chosen to shoot the Sussexes’ wedding portraits as well.
Because Lubomirski’s services were not needed until after Meghan and Harry said their vows, he attended the ceremony with his wife as a guest and remembered the warning everyone was given as they entered the chapel.
According to Lubomirski, the security guards stationed on the grounds of the castle reminded guests that the wedding was televised and warned: “Ladies and gentlemen, please be careful what you are saying to each other because the world can lip read.”
In an Instagram video he posted relaying the story, Lubomirski covered his mouth with his hand and said, “As you walk in, you see a lot of people sort of talking like this.”
Who the photographer had to bribe after the nuptials
During his “ReSHOOT” series on TikTok, Lubomirski talked about taking the Sussexes’ official wedding pictures in the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle.
Meghan’s mother, Harry’s immediate family, and the young bridal party that included Prince George and Princess Charlotte, were all summoned there for the photos. Lubomirski said that Harry had warned him in advance that his grandparents, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, weren’t fans of lengthy photo sessions.
Speaking about his grandmother and grandfather, the duke told Lubomirski: “You know, they’re very old, they’ve taken so many pictures in their life. If you don’t get it quickly, they’re going to just move out.”
With that in mind, Lubomirski apologized the the queen during his setup for needing “five more minutes.” To which she replied, “It’s not me you need to worry about (referring to Prince Philip).”
In order to get the best shots without losing the queen and her husband, Lubomirski knew he had to bribe the children who made up the bridal party so they would sit still long enough and focus on posing and smiling at the camera. He had previously heard a nanny bribing the kids with candy and figured he’d try that.
“They’re all running around, and I could see the queen shuffling in her seat. So I suddenly shouted, ‘Who likes Smarties?’” he recalled. “Harry suddenly said, ‘Me!’ and everyone laughed and smiled.”
Lubomirski was then able to get the shots he needed and looking back on the day, said: “It was such a beautiful moment …[the pictures] ended up getting billions and billions of views.”
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