The moment we'd all been waiting for

Sealed with a loving kiss... Will and Kate

It's finally over. After months of hype and speculation, Royal Wedding fever reached its pitch yesterday - culminating in not one but two balcony snogs.

Having never been a royalist - and a few years too young to have experienced Charles and Diana's wedding - I found it impossible to understand what the fuss was all about.

Shrouded in secrecy... Kate's dress

But the second I switched on the TV I was hooked. The celeb guests. The outfits. The carriages. The lavish venue. The open-topped Aston Martin. The Cartier tiara. And who could ever forget that £250,000 Alexander McQueen dress. The opulence of the whole affair blew me away - so much so I found myself glued to the screen for hours watching re-runs and speculating whether Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie had actually looked in the mirror before they left the house or if Harry and Pippa would get it on at the after-party.

Never mind that every penny spent probably came out of the public purse. Normally I'd be up in arms about such blatant frivolity, but after years stuck in recession depression it was a breath of fresh air to see the country come together and celebrate. For a nation so unpatriotic we can't even be bothered to celebrate St George's day, it was endearing to see crowds out in force with smiles on their faces and flags in their hands.

But despite all the pomp and formalities, the best thing about the Royal Wedding was the fact the bride and groom are clearly very much in love. Unlike Princess Diana who - when not completely shrouded by her hideous meringue - looked miserable throughout her wedding celebrations. It just goes to show that, despite the issues and alleged cover-ups of the last 25 years, the royals are finally moving into the 21st century.

Plus Harry's still single so there's hope for us all yet!