It’s safe to say that it has been a whirlwind since news broke that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were engaged. And after a myriad of official statements, photoshoots, interviews and public appearances, the much-awaited royal wedding of the year is finally happening this weekend on the 19th of May 2018 at the Kensington Palace. Before the big day, we thought we’d recap on everything we know so far about the history-making affair.
Location and time – Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be wed at the St. George’s Chapel inside the Windsor Castle. It is situated about an hour from London. The wedding will begin at noon.
Wedding reception – After their holy matrimony, the couple will host a lunch reception at the St. George’s Hall inside Windsor Castle. As for their evening reception, about 200 guests are expected to show up at the Frogmore House on the same castle grounds.
The officiant – The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
Photographer – Alex Lubomirski, who photographed the couple’s engagement photos, will be responsible for photography for their big day.
A statement from Ms. Meghan Markle: pic.twitter.com/TjBNarmuBU
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) 17 May 2018
Guest list – Aside from Prince Harry’s close family including the Queen, Meghan Markle’s mother and close friends comprising her best friend Jessica Mulroney and a handful of the Suits cast have been confirmed. Meghan’s dad, who was originally supposed to walk her down the aisle, unfortunately wouldn’t be attending the royal wedding due to “health issues”, as stated in an official statement released by the bride-to-be herself.
On top of guests, about 2,640 people of various walks of life such as students, well-wishers and other members of the royal household, have been invited to witness the arrivals of the bride and groom. The guest list also includes celebrity friends including the Spice Girls, David and Victoria Beckham, Serena Williams, and Priyanka Chopra.
Royal procession – Prince Harry and Meghan will be taking a carriage procession from the St. George’s Chapel through Windsor at about 1pm so the public will surely get to catch a glimpse of the bride and groom on that very special day.
Wedding cake – The unconventional cake, which will be prepared by Claire Ptak of Violet Bakery in London, will be lemon and elderflower flavoured. It will reportedly encapsulate the “bright flavours of spring” and be covered in buttercream adorned with fresh edible flowers.
The invitations follow many years of Royal tradition and have been made by @BarnardWestwood. They feature the Three-Feathered Badge of the Prince of Wales printed in gold ink. pic.twitter.com/cd7LBmRJxO
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) 22 March 2018
Wedding invitations – Designed by London-based printers Barnard and Westwood, the simple yet classy wedding invitations are gold-trimmed and feature black cursive writing. Each one is also embellished with the feathered badge of Charles, Prince of Wales, which origin dates back to the 14th century.
Bridesmaids and page boys – None of Meghan Markle’s A-list friends have made it into the bridal party. Instead, the Kensington Palace has confirmed that Princess Charlotte will serve as a bridesmaid and Prince George as the page boy. Other bridesmaids include Ivy Mulroney, 4, Florence van Cutsem, 3, Remi Litt, 6, Rylan Litt, 7, and Zalie Warren, 2, whereas other page boys comprise of Jasper Dyer, 6, Brian Mulroney, 7, and John Mulroney, 7.
Performers at the royal wedding – It has been reported that Elton John will be performing at the royal wedding. Following the official announcement of the date of the wedding, the crooner went on to cancel two of his Las Vegas performances, seemingly to clear off his schedule for the wedding. Mel B of Spice Girls have been dropping hints about performing, but that has yet to be confirmed.
New titles – It has been reported that the two will be known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Their customary Scottish titles? Earl and Countess of Ross.
Maid of honour and best man – While Meghan Markle has decided not to go with a maid of honour, the Kensington Palace has announced that Prince William will take up the role of best man to Prince Harry.
Bride’s tiara – It has been reported that the tiara will feature “jewels from the royal collection made available to her by the Queen.” We’ll just have to wait and see how it looks like!
Wedding gifts – Instead of being showered with gifts, the couple has chosen to give back. They will set up a wedding fund for guests to make donations, and the amassed amount will be segregated to various charities supporting different causes such as women empowerment, social change, HIV and more.
PS: TLC Asia (Astro Ch 707) has an exclusive TV special on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding you shouldn’t miss! Harry & Meghan Said Yes will premiere on Sunday, 20th May 2018 at 9pm within 24 hours of the wedding ceremony. The one-hour special will showcase all the details and trivialities of the couple’s big day, as well as wedding experts who will weigh in on all the nitty-gritties.
