Choosing Kate's Dress--royal wedding update

In England the latest wedding buzz is about the dress.  Word is that Kate has chosen her designer but won't let out the secret until the wedding. Kate's mother and sister were seen visiting Bruce Oldfield, a favorite designer of Princess Diana. But somehow I can't see Kate wanting to look like a "bloody great marshmallow" as Diana's dress was described to me once.

For one thing she's older and more sophisticated. She has a good sense of self and who she is, and she opts for elegance. So expect simpler lines and less frou-frou. Also I believe the royal couple is conscious that this is a period of austerity and that costs should be kept to a minimum while making sure that the wedding is the kind of spectacle everyone is hoping for. Not an easy balance, is it?

Most of us have to juggle wedding costs, but usually it's band versus DJ or whether we can afford three or four hors d'oeuvres. I don't suppose you've had to decide whether you want three carriages or four, the household cavalry to accompany you down the Mall, and the trumpeters as well as a symphony orchestra at Westminster Abbey. And then there is the grand ball afterward. Another dress needed plus all that food and drink, but necessary if the heads of state from around the world are coming to attend.

The closest I ever got to this was my goddaughter's wedding in Cornwall. It was a three day event, starting with church service, then reception with sit down dinner for 250, Cornish country music. Later another 150 people joined us for pasties and beer, and a jazz quartet, ending with a disco in the wee hours.

The next day was a cricket match, family versus the village, then a pig roast in one of the barns. Day three a cruise up the river Fal to a pub lunch and in the evening a grand ball. Lots of fun and very little sleep.

So what do you think Kate's dress will look like? Do you think she'll opt for simplicity and elegance over extravagence?