Prince William and fiance Kate Middleton - Official Engagement Photo

LONDON (AP) — Prince William is giving up his bachelor status to take a bride, but a palace official said Thursday that he will not be wearing a wedding ring.

His fiancee, Kate Middleton, plans to wear a wedding ring made of rare Welsh gold, a long-standing royal family tradition dating back nearly 90 years, after the couple marry on April 29 at Westminster Abbey.

A spokeswoman for Prince William who spoke on condition of anonymity because of palace policy said these decisions represent the royal couple’s personal wishes.

She said details about the design of Middleton’s wedding ring, and the source of the actual Welsh gold used to fashion it, will be released before the wedding.

Welsh gold, prized for its quality and scarcity, had been used in royal weddings since 1923 and has been worn by Queen Elizabeth II, and the late Princess Diana.

Traditionally gold from a nugget from the Clogau Gold mine was used, but the mine has been closed and only a sliver remains.

However, the British Royal Legion gave the queen a small quantity of Welsh gold in the 1980s for incorporation into wedding rings, and it is possible this may be used, as it was for the 2005 wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla.

Charles wears his ring under his larger signet ring, so many casual observers believe he does not wear a wedding band.

There is still no word about the design of Middleton’s wedding dress, or about the menus and wine selection for the two receptions that will follow the ceremony

The wedding of Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth Saturday night turned into a star-studded affair, RadarOnline.com has learned.

Tobey Maguire, Robert Downey Jr. and his wife Susan, and Renee Zellweger all attended, as previously reported by RadarOnline.com.

Also there were Colin Hanks, Salma Hayek, Conan O’Brien, Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher, and Alyssa Milano with her CAA agent husband David Buglian.

Showing that their own romance is getting even more serious, Sean Penn and Scarlett Johansson attended the ceremony together.

The wedding took place at Reese’s $7 million country estate in Ojai, CA, and was a traditional affair in many of its details

She wore a magnificent Monique Lhuillier wedding gown, and walked down the aisle to the strains of Here Comes the Bride.

After the couple said “I do,” several dozen white doves were released

More Photo’s Here

The 1902 State Landau open carriage

The horse-drawn coach that will transport Kate Middleton from Westminster Abbey for her first ride as a princess is one fit for a queen – quite literally. The 109-year-old State Landau that has been set aside for Kate and Prince William is the one used mostly by Queen Elizabeth when she is entertaining visiting heads of state.

And, being open-topped, the carriage (which was built for King Edward VII) will give well-wishers a great view of the happy couple as they are taken to Buckingham Palace for the first of their wedding day parties.

Come rain or shine, the palace has a plan. If heavy rain fills the London skies April 29, the couple will instead get to ride in the famous glass Coach, which was used by Princess Diana on her wedding day 30 years ago.

Both carriages were unveiled at Buckingham Palace Monday. So was the car chosen to will bring Kate and her father Michael Middleton to the Abbey: The same Rolls Royce Phantom VI that was attacked by rioters when it was carrying Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, to an event in December.

Read the whole story at People.com!

The Glass Coach built in 1881 will be used in the event of bad weather.