Prince William, second-in-line to the British throne, and his long-time girlfriend Catherine Middleton have wed at a ceremony in London's Westminster Abbey.

The newly titled Duke and Duchess of Cambridge beamed in their outfits for the evening, basking in the goodwill offered by the estimated 1-million people around the palace.

It was the grandest British royal wedding in 30 years.

As the first "commoner" to marry a prince in more than 350 years, Catherine on the arm of her father walked down the aisle at the historic Abbey.

Some 1,900 people had been invited to the service and another 2 billion worldwide were expected to have watched on television and online.

The couple left the Abbey in a carriage to Buckingham Palace. Prince William and Middleton sealed their wedding with a kiss on the palace's balcony in front of a crowd estimated by police at one million people.

It was followed by another kiss, then a flyby of vintage and modern Royal Air Force planes. Then they delighted the crowds outside of Buckingham Palace by going out for a spin in a dark-blue Aston Martin Volante. The car, driven by the Prince accompanied by his wife, was festooned with ribbons, bows and balloons.

Later after a brief rest, the newlyweds arrived at Buckingham Palace for their evening reception. The Duchess of Cambridge changed into a second Sarah Burton creation, a white strapless evening dress. And her husband, Prince William, was dressed in a dinner jacket with a black bow tie.

The palace is holding two parties, one hosted by the queen for 650 guests, and an evening dinner dance for 300 close friends. The Queen and her husband have promised to retire for the evening, leaving the younger royals free to party the night away. Prince Harry will make his best man's speech away from his grandparents' ears.

The Duke and Dutchess of Cambridge will spend their first night as a married couple at Buckingham Palace.