LONDON -- At 6 p.m. Friday, London time, Addison Welch posted a Facebook message to his friends back in Utah:
"Bre and I got married in a much more beautiful place. But congrats to the royal couple."
Welch and his bride of four months, Breanne Briggs Welch, exchanged vows at the Salt Lake Temple. Earlier this week, they traveled to Britain for a study abroad program through Weber State University.
The Bountiful couple isn't royalty, but could be called a golden couple of the WSU theater department.
Addison Welch, 24, starred in "Anything Goes" and "Sleepy Hollow." Breanne Welch, 21, starred in the WSU production of "The Light in the Piazza."
In an e-mail interview, the couple told the Standard-Examiner that, when they arrived, they found London consumed with excitement about the Friday nuptials of Prince William and his longtime love, Kate Middleton.
"We woke up this morning to go out to be a part of the crowds by 8ish, because we couldn't tell our children we were here in London and just sat inside to watch it on TV," Addison Welch wrote Friday.
"It was absolutely crazy out there. The line of people on the sidewalks for it all were filled by 6:30 a.m."
The Welches bought a map of the best places to see the procession and the kiss.
"We were in Green Park right to the north of Buckingham Palace, and it was gated off because there were too many people, no way at all to the parade routes," Addison Welch wrote.
"We couldn't see the balcony because of trees, but right there, a jumbo screen was perched and we watched it right there with thousands of people.
"It was great to be out and among the crowds to feel their excitement, respect and love for this couple.
"When William left on the procession, there was a sea of cheers and British flags waving with Kate and Will's faces on them, then again for the Duke of Wales, the Queen and Kate.
"The most amazing moments of it all were when everyone, tens of thousands of people crowded like cattle, went completely silent. That happened again when Wills took his vows, and then when Kate took hers, you could hear a pin drop.
"And when Kate got out of the car for the first time and showed her dress, the crowd went wild."
The Welches said they could understand the excitement, even though they are natives of "the colonies."
"We don't have anything close to what the royals are like in America -- the generations for centuries of bloodlines and usurpers and all of that isn't a part of our country," Addison Welch wrote. "So all of the history and centuries of stories there and watching these people grow up has a hold on us."
And there's the fairy tale factor.
"I think Disney has a huge tug on our heartstrings toward royalty and fairy tales and dreams coming true," Addison Welch wrote. "And that type of story is very evident here with this story of Wills and Kate."
He said the royal wedding reminded him of his own wedding day.
"Being newlyweds ourselves, it's a good reminder of how exciting our wedding was, and we hope Will and Kate are as in love as we are. Corny, I know."
Breanne Welch she's a big fan of wedded bliss.
"It makes me excited about marriage, that people are finding excitement in the unity of marriage," she wrote.
"Nowadays, many people have bad feelings about marriage, like it's an ancient idea. So I hope that it encourages others to see the greatness of marriage and let them see that it is an important commitment to make."
The Utah newlyweds have to admit the Brits can throw a pretty impressive wedding with their cushy budget, estimated to be as high as $132 million.
Not that funds like that are required. Addison Welch said his wedding cost a tiny fraction of the royals'.
"If we had the $132 million, I don't know if we would have done anything different, maybe invited more people," he wrote. "With the extra, we would have bought a house, two cars and invested the rest."
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