Royal wedding: Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly tie the knot

Autumn Kelly looked elegant in a cream Sassi Holford wedding gown as she and the groom emerged hand-in-hand after the ceremony to pose for photographs with senior members of the Royal Family, including the Queen and Prince Philip.

Absent from the Royal family picture, however, were two potential brides to be: Prince Harry's girlfriend Chelsy Davy and Prince William's girlfriend Kate Middleton, who stayed out of the limelight to ensure that their presence would not overshadow the bride and groom on their special day.

Their presence at such a high-profile Royal event has renewed speculation about impending marriage.

Miss Davy, 22, who has been going out with Prince Harry for four years, was to be formally introduced to the Queen for the first time.

Ms Middleton, 26, had the more daunting task of being at the event without Prince William, who had a prior engagement – the wedding of a close friend in Kenya.

Mr Phillips, who is 11th in line to the throne, and his bride, who are both 30, exchanged vows at the chapel and then hosted a reception and dance at Frogmore House, Windsor, which has been lent to them by the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh. Mr Phillips is the first of the Queen's eight grandchildren to get married.

Many senior members of the Royal family attended the wedding, including the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke of York with his daughters Princess Beatrice and Eugenie, the Earl and Countess of Wessex and their daughter Lady Louise, and of course, the Princess Royal, Mr Phillips's mother. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent were also present, along with the groom's father, Mark Phillips.

Among the 300 guests at the 55-minute ceremony were 70 friends and family of Miss Kelly who travelled from Canada. From now on, the bride, who converted from Catholicism to marry into the Royal family, will be known as "Mrs Autumn Phillips".

It has been reported that the Queen herself had calmed the bride’s nerves. The two allegedly bumped into each other in the castle minutes before the service and the Queen swiftly helped the bride relax by telling her how beautiful she looked.

Miss Kelly, who arrived at St George's Chapel in a maroon State Bentley, was given away by her father, Brian. She wore a tiara on loan from her new mother-in-law, the Princess Royal, and earrings and a necklace bought for her by the groom. The bride walked down the aisle to the Prince of Denmark's March by Jeremiah Clarke. The couple vowed to "love, honour, comfort and keep" each other but Miss Kelly did not pledge to obey her husband.

She was attended by six bridesmaids: Zara Phillips, her new sister-in-law, Jacqueline Aubie, a friend from Canada, and Susannah Toynbee, a friend from England, each wearing dresses by Vera Wang; and children Stephanie Phillips, Peter's half-sister, Jessica Kelly, Autumn's half-sister, and Rosie Bush, Peter's god-daughter.

Ms Holford, the wedding gown designer, said: "Autumn was incredibly composed but slightly nervous. She was also very excited. … She has been very enthusiastic and so easy to work with.

"She had definite ideas about the style she wanted: one that would befit a society wedding but also reflect her own style."