The future queen of Sweden and her commoner fiancé wed Saturday in Stockholm in a lavish wedding that attracted royalty dignitaries from around the world.

The ceremony for Crown Princess Victoria, 32, and her former personal trainer Daniel Westling, 36, is the first royal wedding in Europe since 2008, according to The Associated Press. The royal court told the AP that 950 guests were set to attend the event, which is reported to cost $2.6 million.

The weather was good and the atmosphere was peaceful, joyful and a bit quiet. All the 1200 family members and guests including the Kings and Queens from Sweden, other European countries and even Jordan and Japan were transported to the cathedral either by green energy buses or by Volvo cars.

No fireworks and no noise from the police cars or motors, but there were many choirs and bands spread in different parts of the cortege route. People waited for three hours to see them and gave applauses or cheers when they passed by. Due to security reasons, the custom of throwing rice to the bride was omitted.

Thousands of roses decorated in two big baskets by the church door.
The wedding is also considered a festival for the whole city, half a million people standing along the road to watch the couple’s cortege with royal guards riding on the horses after the church ceremony.

After the 6.4 kilometer trip both by the cart on land and the royal barge at the sea, the newly-wed went up to the castle together with their parents, Prime Minister Reinfeldt’s couple and other leaders and waved hands to tens of thousands of the crowds gathering around the castle.

“I like to thank you, the Swedish People for having given me my prince, my husband and I are unbelievably happy and grateful for so many of you coming here to celebrate with us, it means much more than you thought to us, thanks,” princess Victoria said movingly to the public.

Many people expressed that Princess Victoria did a good job and it is great that she married the one she loves. I heard someone in the subway complained that it is the taxpayer’s money to spend 20 million kronor for the wedding, but when I asked a small group of audience about it, they think 2 kronor per person is not a big gift. In fact, among the 20 million about half is paid by the government and half by the royal family. The government gift to the new couple is the same as her father, a set of 1000 Orrefors glasses designed by Erika Lagerbielk.

“I think she did a good job, and it is good she married happily and we are happy for it,” said two women watching the couple standing in front of the castle after the cortege.

After the wedding ceremony, the King and the Queen held a banquet to 500 guests at the Royal Palace.

“It is a major step in life to enter into marriage. Not only for the bride and groom, but also for their parents. The promise you have given to each other today on mutual support and loyalty ties the two of you further together. … From now on, your first loyalty will be to one another,” the King said at the banquet.

“Dear Victoria! You are the successor to the throne of Sweden. It is a mission that comes with duties and responsibilities. …I know that I share this confidence with a large number of the Swedish people. You could, perhaps, with a reference to our ancestor Karl XIV Johan, say “The love of the people is my reward;” the King said.

The King explained that he agreed with the marriage according to the constitution that ‘any person in our country — should have the freedom to choose your life´s companion as your heart desires’.
To the son in law, the King said he and the Queen welcome Daniel to the family.

“We have got to know you as a very ambitious and skilful entrepreneur. I have often been impressed by the purposefulness and the go-ahead spirit which you have shown. And we have with approval noticed the energy and determination by which you have been preparing yourself for your mission as Prince Consort. That is: to give your wife, the Crown Princess, support and confidence,”said the King.

Daniel’s father Olle Westling also gave a moving speech.

“Your marriage is not only a family affair — it is something that affects all the people of Sweden. The warmth and joy that stream towards you today from near and far are a wonderful acknowledgement of appreciation,” Olle Westling said.

“Many people see the fact that you met and fell in love as something of a fairytale. The man of the people who won the Crown Princess. Yes, it is indeed a fairytale, but I do not think it is a coincidence that this has happened here in Sweden, where The King´s motto is ‘For Sweden — With the Times’” he explained.

“We were overjoyed when you told us that you had met a girl that you wanted to bring home to introduce to us. But we hadn´t counted on it being this particular girl! But once we had met you, dear Victoria, and experienced the warmth that you bring and the openness you show to everyone in our family — and not just our family; I remember one day in the lingonberry forest in Ockelbo, how you greeted everyone who crossed your path and showed such wonderful warmth,”he said.

“Daniel, you have had to learn the hard way that life isn’t always a bed of roses. As a sixteen-year-old, you discovered just how important health is. You learned that you would need a kidney transplant — and yet you still kept your positive outlook on life and your belief in the future. Your warmth, your delight in life and your energy are important qualities that I hope you will hold onto all your life,” the father.

He advised the young couple that the best way of dealing with the great and important work that lies ahead is by helping each another, talking with each other, supporting each other and working as a team which will serve them best in the long run.

The bridegroom gave his first opening speech at the banquet telling his love with Victoria.

He said that he couldn’t believe that a frog can really become a prince at the beginning.

“When Victoria had a long mission to China, that was a month, the night before she should have slept, but instead she didn’t sleep for the whole night and she wrote letters. The next day she gave me a box of 30 letters, that is every day a letter to me,” Daniel felt the way Victoria showed her love, but it was after the King and the Queen really admitted their love and decided to give permission for them to be engaged, then the transformation from a frog to prince was realized.

He thanks the generosity of the King and the Queen. The speech won the longest applause from the guests.

The wedding cake was served separately after the dinner and followed by a grand dancing party which ends the wedding.

The wedding festival actually started two days ago with the royal parents’ private dinner, the government reception and banquet on Friday and the parliament’s grand concert for the couple and guests.

The newly-wed couple will live in the Haga park in Stockholm after the wedding.

The royal wedding has been treated as a grand promotion opportunity for Sweden which attracted 2300 journalists and a two week Love Stockholm activities have been held.

FATHER AND THE BRIDE: Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden is led into the church by her father the king Carl Gustaf of Sweden prior to the wedding ceremony between Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Daniel Westling at Stockholm Cathedral. (Photo by Torsten Laursen/Getty Images)

MEETING AT THE ALTAR: Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland, and her husband Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland, are seen during their wedding ceremony. (Photo by Torsten Laursen/Getty Images)

CATCHING THE TRAIN: Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland, and her husband Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland, are seen during their wedding ceremon. (Photo by Torsten Laursen/Getty Images)

NEWLY WED: Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland, and her husband Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland, are seen during their wedding ceremony. (Photo by Torsten Laursen/Getty Images)

Edited From Yahoo!News & People’s Daily Online

The king of Sweden’s – Father Of The Bride Wedding Speech

Prince Daniel – Groom Wedding Speech

Olle Westling – Father of the Groom Wedding Speech

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