Is Kate Setting Wedding Fashion? Local Brides Say No

When Kate Middleton walks down the aisle to marry England's Prince William Friday morning, four Niles brides will not be watching.

Oh, two will record the event. One will check out Kate's dress if she happens to see a photo. And the fourth couldn't care less. 

But will Kate's choices influence the four brides, who are all due to be married in May and June?  Nope.

It's a far cry from the 1981 wedding of Princess Diana, whose fairytale gown influenced bridal dresses for years.

Kate who?

"To be completely honest, I haven't followed her (Kate) at all. I've been so completely focused on my own wedding," said Melissa Stancy, who will marry Michael Scaletta at St. John Brebeuf Church in Niles on June 4. 

"It just doesn't spike my interest, maybe," continued Stancy, who won't bother to watch the British nuptials on the telly.  

'Stresses me out'

Becky Greco, who will marry Dan Stavin at SJB on May 21, has enough to worry about without worrying about Kate.

"It stresses me out to read about the royal wedding," she said. "It's too much for me. I just wish they'd leave her alone."

With 200 people coming to her wedding, Greco said she can't imagine what it must feel like to be Kate, who will be watched by millions.

She'll sneak a peek at the royal wedding dress--but says that none of Kate's choices influenced the style of her own wedding.

Co-workers will wear crowns, gloves

Amber  Lee, who is getting married to Franco Granito on May 21 at Our Lady of Ransom Church in Niles, has only caught bits and pieces of information about the royal wedding, but said she's excited to watch it. 

"I'm not really influenced by it, because I already had things in place before Kate announced her wedding date. Frank and I have been planning since July," she said.

Nevertheless, she wants to see Kate's dress, how she wears her hair and what her attendants are wearing.

She already knows what her co-workers at Sleepy Hollow School, where she teaches third grade, will be wearing Friday: crowns and purple gloves. She'll be wearing them too.

Will influence future fashion

Camille Gitter, who's marrying Alberto DeCicco on June 25 at Our Lady of Ransom, is having her bridal hairstyle and makeup trials tonight. So when she wakes up Friday to watch tape of the Westminster Abbey event, she'll be bridally appointed from the neck up--though pajamas might not complete the look, she acknowledges.

The royals won't influence her choices of bridal dress or hairstyle, though she's curious to see whether Kate's tresses will be pinned up or long and flowing.

"I think the royal wedding will influence bridal fashion in the near future, but for people like me, I've had my stuff planned out for a long time," Gitter said. "But I think many people will be influenced by them, just like with Charles and Diana back in the 80s."

Please, please, Brits-- let it not be a puffy-shouldered dress.