Here is a minute-by-minute blog of the wedding of William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, last Friday morning at Westminster Abbey in London — with a running comparison to more familiar simchas.  Read from the bottom up to follow events as they occurred.  All times are Pacific Daylight.

~3:27 a.m. As the Royal Couple is now married, I bid you a lovely slumber.  Till the next royal simcha!

~3:26 a.m.  Catherine’s little bro attempts a spiritual speech.  Sounds good to me, even though I have heard this same type of speech before at shul but never with a lovely British accent.  His speech is like a bunch of terse little sayings.  Lovely but I think it’s enough now.

~3:20 Short and sweet cermony.  No long speeches.  I hope not because I am massively tired.  Never mind there is more hymn singing.  The acoustics at the church are fab.

~3:19 a.m. The archbishop’s drasha is much shorter than  . . .    I won’t finish that thought.

~3:17 a.m. Catherine promise to love William for “richer or poorer” Seriously?

~3:16 a.m. I think Catherine is trying hard not to laugh at the Arch Bishop’s hat.  Catherine does not vow to “obey” her husband

~3:12 a.m. The Archbishop of Canterbury begins the Anglican matrimonial ceremony.

~3:10 a.m. The queen looks sadly frail.

~3:08 a.m. Catherine’s father does not let go of his daughter’s hand even though she is beside her soon to be husband’s side.  The wedding ceremony is surreal.  The choir sounds magnificient.

~3:06 am  Pippa walking with the flower girls and page boys are so adorable as they trail behind Catherine and her father.  What must be going through the faher’s mind?  Is he worried about his child’s future.  Hashem only knows.

~3:05 a.m. The sun comes out the same instant as Catherine steps foot into the church, with her father leading her down the aisle.  The orchestra plays a beautiful hymn, Lady Diana’s favorite.  The pomp, the majesty, the grandeur is just awe-inspiring.  Mazel Tov William and Catherine.

~3:00 a.m. Pippa comes out to the car to meet Catherine, bedecked in the most beautiful and traditional wedding gown.  Her father steadies her as she walks down the aisle.  The aisle is a four minute long walk.

~2:59 a.m.  Catherine is holding a bouqet of Lilies of the Valley, the Queen’s favorite flower.

~2:55 a.m.   The bodice of Catherine’s dress is in a glamorous 40s style.

~253 a.m. The crowd goes mad for Catherine Middleton!!!!!  She is wearing some sort of tiara, despite rumors that she would not wear one.

~2:52 a.m. OMG We catch a glimpse of Kate and she looks beautiful, serene, and elegant.  So tasteful.

~2:49 The crowd goes mad as the Queen steps out of her car.  The orchestra plays a majestic introduction for Her Majesty.  Cannons are fired in the background.  The Queen kind of snubs Camilla.  The Church Bells are ringing.

~2:47 a.m.  The crowd is cheering in anticipation for the the beginning of the wedding ceremony.  Pippa (short for Phillipa) Middleton is responsible for watching over the flower girls.

~2:42 a.m. The Queen arrives dressed in Yellow. She looks very cheerful!

~2:38 a.m. Charles and Camilla arrive.. Indeed she is the ugliest stepmother.

~2:33 a.m. Carol Middleton looks lovely  in a Katherine Walker sky blue dress. She’s a lovely Mother of the bride.

~2:25 a.m. The Middletons have left the Hotel and are headed for Westminster Abbey.

~2:22 a.m. William is charming everyone on the Middleton-Spencer side.

~2:18 a.m. The church bells are ringing as William and Harry step out of the Bentley and into the church.

~2:12 a.m. The princes are headed to the Westmnster Abbey in a Bentley.

~2:11 a.m. Waiting for William and Harry to leave Clarence House

~2:08 a.m. How do the guest stay entertained without any food?

~2:06 a.m. Tony Blair, the former Prime Minster, not invited, a shanda. Eh, not so bad, the Obamas weren’t invited either.

~2:04 a.m. Prime Minister and his wife arrive without any noggin accoutrements!

~1:57 a.m. I still don’t get the hats! Some of them just sit on the side of the faces of the women. How do they stay?

~1:54 a.m.  Guests arrived in coaches ie busses.

~1:47 a.m. Sir Elton John arrives.

~1:33 a.m. Princess Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer arrives with his fiance.

~1:28 a.m. Just checked the official royal wedding website and they spelled Catherine with a “C” not a “K”

~1:20 a.m. Victoria Beckham should use a smile as an accessory rather than that hat.

~1:17 a.m. The Beckhams have arrived! David is god-like!

~1:17 a.m. Kate will be doing her own make-up!

~1:14 a.m. Where will Princess Diana’s family sit?

~1:10 a.m. The guests look like massive idiots in their bizarre hats!

~1:06 a.m. Millinery has been revived!

~1:04 a.m. Prince Harry’s date Chelsea Davy wore an Alberta Ferretti Frock.

~1:02 a.m. Britain’s Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks arrives with a kippa!

~12:55 a.m. Precision timing is a hallmark of the British Royal Family.  Everyone arrives at their designated time.  So unlike most simchas I have ever been to.

~12:51 a.m. Friends and family of the Middletons will be entering via the North door of Westminster Abbey which was used for dignitaries only at Lady Diana’s and Charles’ wedding.

~12:46 a.m. Westminster Abbey is decked out with trees which gives it an English country feel. -Leave it to a Commoner to bring the outdoors indoors…

~12:44 a.m. If anyone cares, Prince William will be wearing a red tunic of the Irish Guard and a gold sword sling.. but the sword will be MIA.

~12:39 a.m. It looks like Shabbat at Beth Jacob!

~12:37 a.m. The women are dressed in elegant outfits and hats galore!

~12:32 a.m. The first wedding guests begin to arrive. They are the rather unimportant ones that have to wait a while for everyone to arrive.

~12:29 a.m. Kate is also an 8th cousin 7 times removed to George Washington and a 13th cousin twice removed to general George Patton. This legitimizes.. Nothing.

~12:24 a.m. Did you know Kate and William are 14th cousins once removed? Yeah it’s true. Genealogist Patrick Cracoft-Brennan says so.

~12:17 a.m. 1,900 people are due to be packed into the Westminster Abbey.

~12:12 a.m. It is speculated that the designer of Kate’s dress will be Sarah Burton, artistic director of Alexander McQueen.

~12:08 a.m. Did you know that from a bird’s-eye-view, Westminster Abbey is shaped like a cross? That makes sense since it’s a church

~12:00 a.m. Her Majesty, The Queen is to give the royal couple the title Duke and Dutchess of Cambridge.. ooh lala

Current Condition in London, UK, 7:45 am.  Though it’s mostly cloudy, the weather is holding at a chilly 50 degrees F, but it feels like 48 degrees. Kate and William will arrive in Westminster Abbey separately for their 11 am ceremony.  I can’t wait to see whether Diana’s family will be snubbed or honored.

Hannah-Leeba Ellenhorn followed the Royal Wedding Live with commentary.