Nick Metcalfe

There's nothing the British like more than their traditions, and keen observers were watching Prince William's wedding to Kate Middleton, to see how many of them were set to continue on the big day.

Royal brides customarily wear a veil on their wedding day, but there was speculation beforehand that Kate would go her own way. As it turned out, she did wear a veil in her all-white dress, made by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen.

One of the more recent royal wedding traditions, dating back to the Queen Mother's nuptials, is that the ring is made from Welsh gold. That tradition is continuing, with the ring for this wedding made by a family jewellers from Bangor, from a piece of gold given to Prince William by the Queen.

The bride often arrives for her wedding in a horse-drawn carriage, and millions will recall with fondness Princess Diana's memorable arrival to marry Prince Charles in 1981. Kate travelled to Westminster Abbey by car however (a Rolls-Royce Phantom VI), with the royal couple said to be mindful of the current economic climate. She later accompanied Prince William in an open-top 1902 Landau carriage from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace after the service, escorted by a 'Captain's Escort' of members of the Household Cavalry.

The Archbishop of Canterbury traditionally writes the message at the front of the official programme, but this time the happy couple left their own message. The signatures 'William' and 'Catherine' were seen underneath the message, during which the couple say they have been incredibly moved by the affection shown to them by people during their engagement.

The bride broke tradition when she made her vows at Westminster Abbey. She didn't vow to 'obey' Prince William, but instead promised to 'love, comfort, honour and keep' her husband.

Kate Middleton's bridal bouquet was expected to contain a sprig of the royal herb, myrtle. This is a tradition that dates back to the early 19th century. And the new Duchess of Cambridge was keen to continue the tradition of leaving her bouquet at one of Westminster Abbey's most poignant memorials, the grave of the Unknown Warrior.

The royal wedding cake has often been a fruitcake, and that happy little tradition continues. The couple are quite literally going to have their cake and eat it however, with a choice for lucky guests. There will be a multi-tiered fruitcake, and a McVitie's chocolate biscuit cake.

Another long-standing tradition of these occasions is that the happy couple live in a royal appartment appointed for them. Prince William and Kate Middleton will forego this and live in Wales until after his service in the Royal Air Force is over.