In pictures: Pippa Middleton's marriage to James Matthews sealed with a kiss

The bride and groom shared a tender moment when they left the picturesque St Mark’s church as the youngsters, including Prince George and Princess Charlotte, played around their feet.

The society nuptials of the year was witnessed by family, close friends and famous faces including tennis star Roger Federer and wife Mirka, celebrity Donna Air, Princess Eugenie, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.

Also among the congregation of the 12th century church in Englefield, Berkshire, was Pippa’s controversial uncle Gary Goldsmith and Lady Gabriella Windsor, daughter of Prince and Princess Micheal of Kent, but missing was Harry’s US actress girlfriend Meghan Markle.

After the ceremony, Pippa and James walked hand-in-hand from the church and posed for the waiting press before sharing a lingering kiss at the lych gate as their married life began.

Ahead of them the tiny pageboys, dressed in gold-coloured britches and shirts, and bridesmaids in cream sash dresses had scattered confetti petals from baskets.

The bride, who looked tanned and toned, had managed to keep her wedding gown a secret until she arrived - a bespoke Giles Deacon wedding gown, crafted to create the impression of being seamless.

When she first arrived with proud father Michael in an open-topped vintage Jaguar, big sister Kate played a vital role and ensured her younger sibling looked her best for her big day.

She rearranged her train and other parts of her dress before she made her procession into St Mark’s, a reversal of Kate’s 2011 wedding to William, when Pippa was pictured fussing over her sister’s gown.

Kate, who wore a peach dress by Alexander McQueen and matching hat by Jane Taylor, acted as a much-needed chaperone for the bridesmaids and page boys, although her nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, wearing her distinctive brown Norland uniform, was also at the service.

The duchess arrived with the young group, who wore outfits by exclusive children’s clothing company Pepa & Co, and marshalled them back into the two luxury limousines that ferried them to the church.

As they drove away, future king George gave a wave to the small group of photographers and cameramen capturing the social event.

The best man was the groom’s brother, former Made In Chelsea regular and reality television personality Spencer Matthews.

He also played a traditional role welcoming guests at the lych gate and being a point of contact for St Mark’s clergy.

After the ceremony, the bride and groom led the way for their wedding guests to the nearby Englefield House, where a champagne reception was staged in its long gallery.

Mother of the bride Carole, who wore a peach outfit by Catherine Walker, beamed as she left and Harry was spotted chatting to a female guest.

The wedding party included around 200 people who made their way up the slight hill to the house to enjoy champagne.

The reception lasted two hours and the happy bride and groom were later spotted driving away in an E-type Jaguar convertible to cheers from well-wishers.

With the Middleton family home just a few miles away in the village of Bucklebury, the couple and their guests will not have far to travel for the evening reception.

The wedding attracted around 100 royal fans who stood near a public road and cheered at key moments, including arrival of the bride.

Security was also tight with a large number of security personnel on duty. The road approaching the church was blocked off to those not involved with events and there were reports of a sniper in the church’s bell tower.

The wedding is rumoured to have cost Pippa’s parents Carole and Michael hundreds of thousands of pounds, with an expensive glass marquee and posh portable toilets, hired for the evening reception at their Bucklebury home.

Reports suggest the wedding dinner will be a lavish affair, with a nod to the groom’s Scottish connections included in his outfit, entertainment and the food, with haggis on the menu along with Scottish lamb and whisky, while there will also be a piper and a Spitfire flypast.