52-years-ago today, just days before her 25th birthday, Sharon Tate married Roman Polanski at the Chelsea Registry Office in London. Their wedding was supposed to be a simple event, but turned out to be flooded by press and onlookers who came to witness the celebrity jamboree. Roman later proclaimed that photographers outnumbered their wedding guests.
After the traditional tossing of the bouquet—which was caught by Sharon's "Valley of the Dolls" co-star and maid of honor, Barbara Parkins—the group headed off to the star-studded reception which was held at the London Playboy Club. Many of the guests had traveled from all across the world to attend. It was said that half of Hollywood and all of London was there.
Some of the most notable guests were: Leslie Caron, Ursula Andress, Jacqueline Bisset, Warren Beatty, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Marianne Faithfull, Peter Sellers, Joan Collins, Candice Bergen, and Micheal Caine.
The Supremes sang for the special event.
Once it came time for the cake-cutting ceremony, there was a mixup. The couple's friends had pulled a joke on them, they received the wrong cake with an inscription that read, "Happy Retirement, Hilda!" Everyone thought it was hilarious and posed for a photo with the cake. "Someone brought the wrong wedding cake. It read 'Happy Retirement, Hilda.' Now why did it have to be a name like 'Hilda?' Retirement was bad enough! But we don't mind if Hilda doesn't."—Sharon later said.
Sharon and Roman ended up leaving half way through the festivities to go back home to their house in the Mews and open their gifts, they couldn't take anymore partying or champagne and at one point had even lost each other in the crowd of their guests.
Roman wore an all-green Regency double-breasted suit—Sharon, a cream satin mini-gown custom made by Alba(which was sold by Julien's Auctions for $56k in 2018).
Carrie White, who was Sharon's hairdresser and the one who styled her hair for her big day, entwined pink Baby's Breath and white ribbons into her hair. Their wedding was said to be one of the biggest celebrity events of 1968.