Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Latest Issue
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Autumn Winter 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    1. Life
    2. Relationships

    The Wedding of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall

    As the year's second set of royal nuptials draw near, brush up on all the details...

    By Marie Claire
    Published 25 July 2011 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Zara Phillips & Mike Tindall Wedding preparations - Marie Claire - Marie Claire UK
    Zara Phillips & Mike Tindall Wedding preparations - Marie Claire - Marie Claire UK
    (Image credit: PA Photos)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    As the year's second set of royal nuptials draw near, brush up on all the details...

    The Wedding of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall

    The wedding preparations

    With less than 24 hours to go until royal Zara Phillips ties the knot to her rugby player boyfriend Mike Tindall in Edinburgh, preparations are well under way.

    The wedding preparations

    The wedding preparations

    Zara Phillips & Mike Tindall Wedding preparations - Marie Claire - Marie Claire UK
    (Image credit: PA Photos)

    With less than 24 hours to go until royal Zara Phillips ties the knot to her rugby player boyfriend Mike Tindall in Edinburgh, preparations are well under way.

    The wedding preparations

    The wedding preparations

    Zara Phillips & Mike Tindall Wedding preparations - Marie Claire - Marie Claire UK
    (Image credit: PA Photos)

    Canongate Kirk, the couple's wedding venue of choice, has been a hive of activity all morning. Earlier today florists were spied ferrying beautiful white roses, beech tree branches, carnations and stargazer lilies inside.

    You may like
    • Wedding planning I Love My Fiancé, but I Resent the Emotional Labour of Planning Our Wedding
    • Eva Omaghomi After 17 years in the Royal Household, Eva Omaghomi Talks Bringing African Design Talent to Harrods
    • collage of October fashion collaborations From Rixo to Burberry and M&S Lingerie, These are the Fashion Collaborations We’re Excited About Right Now

    The wedding preparations

    The wedding preparations

    Zara Phillips & Mike Tindall Wedding preparations - Marie Claire - Marie Claire UK
    (Image credit: PA Photos)

    Although photographers will no be allowed inside Zara and Mike's private family ceremony tomorrow, some snuck a peek at the royal preparations going on inside.

    The wedding preparations

    The wedding preparations

    Zara Phillips & Mike Tindall Wedding preparations - Marie Claire - Marie Claire UK
    (Image credit: PA Photos)

    Preparations for the couple's glittering reception are also in full swing, with deliveries coming and going from the royal family's Scottish home. A fleet of luxury cars - which it's thought will be used to provide transport for guests - has also been lined up outside.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    The happy couple

    The happy couple

    The Wedding of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall - Zara Phillips Wedding - Zara Phillips Mike Tindall - Royal Wedding - Marie Claire - Marie Claire UK
    (Image credit: Rex Features)

    The second royal wedding of 2011, Zara Phillips and her rugby-player boyfriend Mike Tindall will marry in Ediburgh on Saturday July 30 in a small, private ceremony. The 'delighted' couple revealed plans to marry in December last year - less than six weeks after Prince William and Kate Middleton announced their engagement - after Mike popped the at their Gloucestershire home.

    The pre-wedding party

    The pre-wedding party

    The Wedding of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall - Zara Phillips Wedding - Zara Phillips Mike Tindall - Royal Wedding - Marie Claire - Marie Claire UK
    (Image credit: Rex Features)

    As their wedding draws near, it's thought the soon-to-be married couple have arranged a pre-wedding cocktail party for 150 of their closest friends onboard the iconic Royal Britannia yacht. It's thought Zara - who reportedly set her heart on hiring out the craft - has fond memories of her childhood onboard.

    The venue

    The venue

    The Wedding of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall - Zara Phillips Wedding - Zara Phillips Mike Tindall - Royal Wedding - Marie Claire - Marie Claire UK
    (Image credit: Rex Features)

    Zara and Mike will tie the knot in a private ceremony at the historic Canongate Kirk on Edinburgh's royal mile - described by minister Rev Neil Gardner as 'one of the simplest buildings in Edinburgh'. It's thought Zara and Mike chose the stunning location - next the Palace of Holyroodhouse after the royal revealed she was 'desperate' to marry in Scotland. Reports suggest another couple had already booked Canongate Kirk on Zara and Mike's chosen date, but were reportedly 'quite happy' to step aside for the royal event.

    What to read next
    • Chloe Fashion Has Officially Escaped to the Country—From Kilts to Coats, These Are the Brands We’re Wearing
    • Cara My Life in London Cara Delevingne on Designing Her First Collection for Topshop and London's Best-Kept Secrets
    • Oxfam “The Water Used to Produce Britain’s Unworn Clothes Is Enough to Supply 1 Million People for a Lifetime”: Oxfam’s Latest State of Style Report Finds

    The dress

    The dress

    The Wedding of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall - Zara Phillips Wedding - Zara Phillips Mike Tindall - Royal Wedding - Marie Claire - Marie Claire UK
    (Image credit: Rex Features)

    Although Buckingham palace have yet to comment on the designer of Zara's all-important bridal gown, the rumour mill is already abuzz with whisperings the royal could have chosen the Queen's favourite designer Stuart Parvin. Other contenders include Paul Costelloe - who designed the silver dress Zara wore to William and Kate's April wedding - and Marchesa. 

    The guests

    The guests

    The Wedding of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall - Zara Phillips Wedding - Zara Phillips Mike Tindall - Royal Wedding - Marie Claire - Marie Claire UK
    (Image credit: Rex Features)

    It's thought Zara and Mike have set their heart on a small, private wedding - with nowhere near the 1500-strong guests who attended the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's lavish nuptials. The newlywed royal couple are expected to attend - alongside the rest of the royals - with Mike's rugby team mates and Zara's eventing pals also on the list.

    The reception

    The reception

    Holyrood House - The Wedding of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall - Zara Phillips wedding - Marie Claire - Marie Claire UK
    (Image credit: Rex Features)

    It's thought lucky guests will celebrate Zara and Mike's royal nuptials at the Palace of Holyroodhouse - the Queen?s official residence in Scotland. Rumour has it the monarch has has reimbursed the £40,000 which could be lost by the venue being closed to the public during the busy tourist season, and arranged for it to be off-limits for five days.

    The magazine deal

    The magazine deal

    The Wedding of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall - Zara Phillips Wedding - Zara Phillips Mike Tindall - Royal Wedding - Marie Claire - Marie Claire UK
    (Image credit: Rex Features)

    It's thought Zara and mike have decided against selling the rights to their wedding - and are have turned down up to £1 million in magazine deals - after Buckingham Palace vetoed the coverage. It?s thought officials have been keen to steer clear of selling Zara's wedding pictures from the start, after her brother Peter Phillips upset several members of the royal household back in 2008, for selling the rights to his wedding to Autumn Kelly.

    Explore More
    Weddings
    Marie Claire
    Social Links Navigation

    The leading destination for fashion, beauty, shopping and finger-on-the-pulse views on the latest issues. Marie Claire's travel content helps you delight in discovering new destinations around the globe, offering a unique – and sometimes unchartered – travel experience. From new hotel openings to the destinations tipped to take over our travel calendars, this iconic name has it covered.

    Read more
    Wedding planning
    Relationships I Love My Fiancé, but I Resent the Emotional Labour of Planning Our Wedding
    Eva Omaghomi
    Fashion After 17 years in the Royal Household, Eva Omaghomi Talks Bringing African Design Talent to Harrods
     
     
    collage of October fashion collaborations
    Fashion From Rixo to Burberry and M&S Lingerie, These are the Fashion Collaborations We’re Excited About Right Now
    Chloe
    Fashion Fashion Has Officially Escaped to the Country—From Kilts to Coats, These Are the Brands We’re Wearing
     
     
    Latest in Relationships
    AI relationships: Woman lying in bed at night, looking at her smartphone while seeking relationship advice from a chatbot.
    Relationships AI Knows All Our Relationship Problems. Is That an Issue?
    Carrie Bradshaw and Mr Big standing outdoors in Sex and the City, a show that influenced what women expect from men in romantic relationships.
    Relationships “I Expected Men to Be Financial Providers, But Not Emotionally Safe”—What We Ask From Male Partners Has Changed, But Is It For Better or Worse?
     
     
    Abstract woman portrait in glitch style - stock photo
    Relationships His Girlfriend Died. Eight Years Later, An AI Version Of Her Replied
    Why We Hold Onto Things From Our Past: A Collection of Sentimental Keepsakes, Old Photographs and Letters
    Relationships Why Is It So Hard to Throw Away Things From Our Past?
     
     
    Latest in Features
    Is Skincare Really Backed by Science? What Clinical Trials Prove
    Skincare The Evidence Revolution: Is Skincare Finally Taking Testing Seriously?
    Conceptual shot of woman having bad condition from broken heart, sadness or feeling loneliness etc.
    Life I Didn’t Know What Happened to Me Was Rape—How Religion Warped My Understanding of Consent
     
     
    Motherhood and raising a child with additional needs: Woman standing in a softly lit home, seen from behind.
    Life I Love Being a Mother, But I Hate Having to Fight for My Child on a Daily Basis
    Overconsumption: Rhode raises a wider beauty question
    Beauty Beauty Wants to Talk Anti-Consumption. But Can an Industry Built on Selling More Really Change?
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.