6 biggest moments from the royal wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

In a fairy-tale wedding at England's Windsor Castle Saturday, Prince Harry married American actress Meghan Markle, becoming the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The major moments you need to know from their historic, star-studded nuptials: 

1. Harry mouths "You look amazing" and melts our hearts.

The bride was radiant in a sleek silk dress, which she matched with a flowing, 16½-foot veil and diamond bandeau tiara on loan from the queen. Two pageboys helped carry her veil as she walked down the aisle, where she was met midway by Prince Charles, who escorted her in father Thomas Markle's absence. (He recently suffered a heart attack and was reportedly unable to attend on medical advice.) 

Meghan beamed as she approached the altar, where Prince Harry could be seen telling her, "You look amazing. I'm so lucky." Although understandably nervous at times, the newlyweds smiled throughout the ceremony, and laughed at the crowd's whoops and cheers when they exited the chapel for their first married kiss. Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, looked on, teary-eyed, and appeared to receive comforting words from Charles outside. 

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2. African-American minister quotes Martin Luther King Jr. during rousing sermon.

The landmark wedding moved the royal family into the modern era with the help of Bishop Michael Bruce Curry, who paid homage to Duchess Meghan's African-American heritage by quoting Martin Luther King Jr.: "We must discover the power of love, the redemptive power of love. And when we do that, we will be able to make of this old world a new world. Love is the only way."

He continued with an old slave spiritual from the antebellum South about the transformative power of love. "They sang a spiritual, even in the midst of their captivity," Curry said. "It’s one that says there is a balm in Gilead, a healing balm — something that can make things right. There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole.”

The ceremony marked the most diverse royal wedding yet, with a black preacher (Curry), cellist (Sheku Kanneh-Mason) and gospel group (The Kingdom Choir), which sang Stand by Me and This Little Light of Mine. 
 

The gospel group The Kingdom Choir performed "Stand By Me" at the royal wedding, before the Archbishop of Canterbury led Harry and Meghan's vows. USA TODAY

3. Newlyweds seal it with a kiss in a tradition-breaking moment. 

The lovebirds broke from palace tradition when they locked lips on the steps of St. George's Chapel, becoming the first royal couple to forego a first smooch on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in nearly 30 years. They followed the kiss with a  25-minute carriage procession through Windsor to greet adoring onlookers, many of whom had camped out for days to catch a glimpse of them. 

4. Prince Harry sports rule-breaking ginger beard. 

Leading up to the big day, speculation raged about whether Prince Harry would shave his beard. According to military standards, facial hair is forbidden for people in uniform. But Harry, a former soldier and Captain General of the Royal Marines, bucked tradition by wearing his uniform with (well-groomed) beard intact.  

5. Prince George, Princess Charlotte make waves with their waves. 

William and Kate's eldest children — ages 4 and 3, respectively — couldn't have looked cuter as they held hands with other young bridesmaids and pageboys entering the church. But their reactions after the ceremony became instant memes, as fans shared GIFs of Charlotte's exaggerated royal wave and George's smaller, seemingly agitated gesture on social media.

6. Oprah Winfrey, Amal Clooney give us major style goals.

Celebrity guests including Victoria Beckham, Serena Williams, Carey Mulligan and Priyanka Chopra turned heads in their high-fashion ensembles, but it was Winfrey and Clooney who stole the show, wearing the same designer. Winfrey opted for a light pink frock paired with a feathered hat — a last-minute switch after realizing yesterday that her original dress was too white, friend Gayle King said on CBS. Clooney arrived with husband George in an eye-popping canary-yellow dress, which she accessorized with a wide-brimmed hat with netting.