What you didn’t know about Prince William & Kate’s Marriage! From the wedding ring to the wedding cake things you didn’t know about the marriage of England’s royal family 18. Their wedding date was officially considered a national holiday- Kate and Will both tied the knot at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011. Their wedding date was declared a national holiday given to British territories, Turks, and Bermuda, as well as Caicos and the Falkland Islands. The couple first met in 2001, in college, where they both attended St. Andrews in Scotland. Kate actually got really shy and started blushing and ran off when she met William for the first time. Kate is also the first Royal wife in British History to have a degree! She has a Masters degree in the History of Art. William majored in geography. 17. Spared no expense- The total cost of the wedding came out to be a shocking $34 million. Their venue was free of charge, but the two cakes cost $80,000, and the flowers cost a whopping $800,000, and we can’t forget about Kate’s dress which totaled out at $434,000. Those are insane amounts of money, but would you expect anything less from a royal family. 16. No makeup artist needed- Kate took four makeup lessons from a makeup artist in London. Her makeup teacher, Arabella Preston was supposed to come on her big day, but she didn’t have to, Kate was comfortable and confident enough to do it herself. 15. Ellie Goulding- Famous British singer Ellie Goulding performed at the royal wedding. She sang her own version of Elton John’s “Your Song” as the couples first dance. Ellie said she was so nervous about performing for the royal wedding her hands were shaking. 14. No ring exchange- You would think the fancy, royal bride and groom would have a point in their wedding when they show off and exchange their wedding rings, but that wasn’t the case. If you’re a big fan of the royal couple, you may have noticed that the Duke of Cambridge doesn't wear a wedding ring, in fact, he doesn't wear any jewelry. William made the decision to ditch the tradition and go ringless. It was his personal preference and something him and Kate discussed prior to the wedding. Maybe he got the quirk from his grandfather, Prince Philip because he never wore a ring either. So ring exchange only went one way in this wedding. Prince William isn’t one to wear jewelry, but Kate’s engagement ring, of course, is to no surprise, the same sapphire and diamond stunner that Prince William’s mother Princess Diana wore. Prince Harry had been keeping the ring safe but when he found out William wanted to propose he happily handed it over to him.