Kate Middleton's village Bucklebury celebrates 'special' wedding

It was the moment the home village of Kate Middleton had been anticipating for months.

A packed marquee in Bucklebury was the setting as hundreds of people cheered as they witnessed their local girl say "I will".

The venue was filled with the casually dressed and smartly turned out, many waving flags each time Kate appeared on the screen.

Picnickers popped corks and poured champagne into plastic flutes, while children sat cross-legged at the front, transfixed by the pageantry.

Lining the marquee, photographers with huge lenses snapped anyone excitedly waving a flag or wearing a fascinator.

Jane Johncock, who has lived in the Berkshire village for 24 years, said: "The wedding ceremony was brilliant, it was very emotional and I am overwhelmed.

"It was just beautiful."

Two smartly dressed ladies wearing cream satin outfits and matching hats had travelled from Devon the night before to witness the ceremony in Kate's home village.

"It was very emotional, just like weddings always are," said Elaine Green.

"It's exactly what we expected from the day."

Over the Tannoy the compere announces the next duck race but most of the crowd remained in the marquee, eager to catch every second of the ceremony.

The festivities in Bucklebury are a very English country life affair.

The village green, nestled amid sprawling country lanes, majestic oak trees and grand rural homes, is dotted with marquees selling the local ale, enclosures with ducks, goats and donkeys, and the aroma of hog roast wafting through the air.

The colourful and jingling Kennet Morris Men perform one their fertility dances, called Haste To The Wedding, for the local girl and her husband-to-be.

Howard Haselton from the Kennet Morris Men said: "We dance for a good, harmonious and productive union."

Some of the people from the village where Miss Middleton grew up cannot be here to enjoy the dancing - several were invited to the royal wedding, including Martin Fidler who runs Bladebone butchers.

'One is very happy'

John Haley and his partner, Pam Brown, who run the Old Boot Inn in nearby Stanford Dingley, were also at Westminster Abbey.

Back in Bucklebury, the village from where Miss Middleton's parents still run their mail-order party planning business, "the Queen" is also milling around in all her regalia.

The monarch, played by convincing lookalike Patricia Ford, said: "It's wonderful, it's about time William settled down.

"The Queen" announced the runners in the first duck race

"He's chosen a lovely bride. One is very happy today."

She has just announced the runners in the first duck race, after retrieving her spectacles from her diamante purse.

A remarkable sight at a local village fete is the number of satellite trucks lining the green.

Among the folk of Bucklebury are scores of camera crews, eager reporters and photographers snapping goats eating paper flags and villagers dressed in Union Jack skirts.

A larger marquee in the corner of the green has a large screen, with hay bales to sit on, so we can watch the wedding.

The clouds overhead look ominous but surely nothing will dampen the spirit of these very proud villagers.