Exclusive album: Prince William's cousin Maddison Brudenell's modern wedding with Canadian husband Bret

Unable to share her special day with her frail 96-year-old grandmother, Maddison found a way to spend time with Lady Pamela ahead of the ceremony. She was pictured getting ready with her mother Edwina inside a yellow wallpapered bedroom in Pamela's home, which held sentimental value as it is where she "spent a lot of time growing up."

Prince William's third cousin explained: "I was so grateful that I was able to spend the morning with her. We had the most precious, cosy talk together in her bedroom before the service."

In a unique twist, Bret joined his bride-to-be and his four groomsmen at Lady Pamela's home, ignoring the tradition that the bride and groom should not see one another before the ceremony.

Lady Pamela gushed about the special family occasion, telling HELLO!: "I enjoyed the morning so much. Maddison looked beautiful. Moses was especially handsome in his suit and the bridesmaids all looked wonderful."

Her sister Jordan, actress and musician Laura, friends Poppy Page, Elaine Sackey and Khara Greenough, and Bret’s sister Lindsay looked stunning in sage green dresses by Maids to Measure alongside silver heels and jewellery by Caroline Svedbom and Edblad.

Coordinating with the bridesmaids, flower girls Daphne and Phebe looked adorable in handmade white linen dresses with sage sashes and tiaras to match Maddison’s.

Pageboy Moses tied in with his stepdad's blue colour scheme in a navy suit from John Lewis, while Maddison and Bret's baby son Michael remained cosy in a cream woollen babygrow.

Bret cut a dashing figure in a classic three-piece morning suit with a black tailcoat and a top hat from Lord Mountbatten's tailor Hawes & Curtis.

His smart attire captured the attention of his grandmother-in-law. "I liked having Bret next to me in his top hat. He has been so wonderful with Maddison’s children ever since they met," she said, adding: "Bret’s family are lovely. I loved meeting them so much and it was very special to me that they came to my house and made it easy for me to be part of their special day."

Opening up about their close bond, Bret recalled: "When we were taking wedding photos, Lady Pamela said to me: 'I need more top hats around me more often! You look so smart and handsome.'"

Maddison was a beautiful bride in a bespoke wedding dress by Laura Green of Modern Bride featuring a sheer organza illusion neckline and a satin A-line skirt that fell to the ankles. 

With its shorter length, Maddison showed off her white platform Christian Louboutin heels. Styled by Lily Lam, she accessorised with delicate earrings and a silver replica of the Mountbatten Pearl and Diamond tiara featuring an aquamarine pendant.

It combined each element of "something old, new, borrowed and blue" and provided a sweet nod to her "grandmama" Lady Pamela. 

"There was a stunning tiara that my great-grandmother Lady Mountbatten had, which was passed down to my grandmother and my mother," she said. "It’s sadly not in the family any more, but a fantastic jeweller, Susi Smither of The Rock Hound, created one for me, with a nod to the Mountbatten Pearl and Diamond Tiara."

The bride said her grandmother was "really surprised" by the sentimental gesture.

Beauty-wise, Maddison chose wintery makeup including flushed cheeks, lined eyes and a deep rose lipstick by MUA Jade Soar, whose father worked on The Queen's Flight.

Speaking about the hidden royal links in her bridal outfit, she added: "My hair was cut by James Salter, whose father was a pilot who flew my mother’s godmother Queen Elizabeth."

After the cut, her long brunette locks were styled into a chic up-do by Lady Pamela’s housekeeper Joyce Stuart's daughter Melissa Hadland.

Reacting to his bride's appearance at the church, Bret said: "I was almost ready to cry. It was happening and my beautiful wife was walking towards me."

Maddison arrived at the St Mary the Virgin church – which was festooned with natural green foliage from friends and neighbours – in a classic white Rolls Royce and glided down the aisle alone. 

She explained: "I’m a mum of four now and decided that I’m my own woman. I can walk myself down. Once I was there at the front with Bret, I felt safe. I kept looking into his eyes and everything was fine."

Holding hands at the altar, they had an emotional ceremony conducted by the Rev. Mel Stanley including readings by both of their families and a performance by bridesmaid Laura Andresen Guimarães, who showcased her incredible voice with renditions of At Last by Etta James and Be Thou My Vision by Audrey Assad.

Overcome with emotion, the bride admitted: "I was struggling to speak. It’s such an overwhelm of joy – if I’d let my tears go, it would have taken a minute."

After saying "I will" in front of their closest friends and family, the couple shared a kiss while baby Michael slept throughout.

Thoughtful groom Bret secretly designed his bride's gold wedding ring, which features a diamond as a symbol of their baby Michael. It followed the same sentimental theme of her 18-carat gold engagement ring, which contains three diamonds to represent her older children. 

Maddison – who got engaged in April 2023 after meeting Bret through friends in Ontario in October 2022 – said she was "obsessed" with her rings.

The couple and their 150 guests then travelled to their reception in the Earth Trust's converted barn in Wittenham Clumps, Oxfordshire.

Twinkling fairy lights and foliage had been draped across the beams to create a warm ambience for the evening, which combined Bret's Canadian heritage with Maddison's British background. 

As well as table decor rented from Maison Margaux, which she said her grandfather and interior designer David Hicks would have loved, she also had personalised Tony’s Chocolonely chocolate bars as wedding favours and place name settings.

The newlyweds were the picture of happiness as they cut their four-tiered wedding cake by Fraser from Barefoot Bakery, who used to be Lady Pamela and David Hicks' caterer at their former home, Britwell House.

Autumnal flavours made up each layer of the cake, including coffee and walnut; pumpkin and ginger; peach, hibiscus and raspberry; and rhubarb, apple and custard.

Maddison and Bret both did an outfit change for the evening. Maddison looked resplendent in a deep green gown by Forever New with an off-the-shoulder neckline, a velvet bodice and a pleated skirt. 

She accessorised with white gloves, pearl drop earrings by Caroline Svedbom, and a custom-made necklace by The Rock Hound featuring pearls and an aquamarine pendant from her bridal tiara.

Co-ordinating with his bride, Bret wore a green velvet tuxedo jacket with black satin lapels from Hawes & Curtis.

After enjoying a saxophone performance by bridesmaid Laura and dancing to the 145s Band, the couple made their way to bed ready to resume parenting duties the following day.

"We went home around 1am. We have our baby; we couldn’t ask for anything more," said Maddison, and her new husband added: "No matter what you do the night before, you’re still mum and dad first thing in the morning.”

Maddison opened up about her kids' favourite parts, stating: "Moses’s favourite part was the sweeties, Daphne’s was the dancing and Phebe loved all of it." In her own words, she described her wedding as a dream.

"In a world full of dreams, I just lived my favourite one," she said.