Royal Wedding Fever Hits Florence

The antique capital of Colorado is celebrating the royal wedding of Will and Kate.

Sixteen shops in Florence have decorated their window displays in British theme.

“The Kennedys are the closest thing we have to royalty. I think that we live vicariously through that, and you hope for the best for the young couple,” said Laurie Aves, owner of The Mezzanine Antiques and Collectibles.

The idea of honoring the royal wedding came from Peg Piltingsrud, the owner of the Fox Den, who recently purchased a collectible book on Prince Charles and Diana. She shared the idea at a Downtown Merchants Association meeting and asked everyone to showcase their excitement, said Aves.

Walking down Main Street, window shoppers are sure to see British flags flapping in the wind and exquisite window displays decked out in wedding madness.

“A lot of them have wedding gowns of course; it’s the start of the show,” said Aves.

The displays also showcase collectible china sets, old fashioned hats, bouquets and even a multi-tiered wedding cake.

“It’s really neat watching the stores transform,” said Elsie Ore, owner of Heartland Antiques and Gifts.

Ore said it gives window shoppers something to look at until the big day. The royal wedding will air on ABC on Friday at 2 a.m.

“I’m excited about watching it. Somebody said, ‘You are going to stay up?’ I said yup! If I have to, I’ll set my alarm,” said Ore.