St. George's Chapel is decked out in white garden roses, the final alterations have been made to Meghan Markle's wedding dress, and Prince William is busy masterminding the tamest Best Man prank of all time (if I had to guess, hiding Prince Harry's shoes on top of the wardrobe?), which can only mean one thing - it's almost royal wedding time! In just a couple of hours, we'll be gushing over adorable flower girls and chic mother-of-the-bride style (we think Doria's going to nail it!), but for now, we wanted to gather all the essential royal wedding info in one place. We've even provided a wedding timeline, so you know exactly when to park yourself in front of the TV and when to pop the bubbly! Cheers!
Meghan and Harry's Royal Wedding Timeline
The Royal Wedding Order of Service
The Night Before the Royal Wedding
- Meghan and her mum Doria Ragland will stay in Cliveden House on the National Trust's Cliveden Estate in Taplow, about 10 miles north of Windsor.
- Harry and William will stay in Dorcester Collection's Coworth Park in Ascot, about 8 miles south of Windsor.
The Morning of the Royal Wedding
- Meghan's glam squad will be led by hairdresser Miguel Perez, who previously worked with Amal Clooney.
- Meghan and Doria will travel to Windsor by car, possibly the same 1978 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI that Kate Middleton used on her wedding day, which is owned by the royal family.
The Royal Wedding Guests
- 2,640 people will be invited into the grounds of Windsor Castle including 530 members of staff from the Royal Household and Crown Estate, more than 600 people from the Windsor Castle community, 100 local school children and 200 people from various charities that Harry and Meghan work with.
- The only confirmed attendees at the church ceremony are members of the royal family and members of Meghan's family.
The Celebrations Around Windsor
- Food stalls and facilities - including big screens showing live footage of the wedding - will be installed on the Long Walk and in Alexandra Gardens.
- Windsor town centre will be decorated with bunting and ceremonial banners along parts of the Procession route.
- There will be live entertainment from local groups throughout the town centre.
Prince Harry's Royal Wedding Outfit
It's generally thought that Prince Harry will wear military uniform - he was made Captain General of the Royal Marines last year, a role which carries a navy uniform with red and gold detail. He could also opt for a morning coat or lounge suit, in accordance with the dress code on the invitations.
Meghan Markle's Wedding Dress
The designer of Meghan Markle's wedding dress is being kept under wraps... for now! Good bets include Ralph & Russo, Erdem and Stella McCartney.
The Royal Wedding Ceremony
- The Dean of Windsor, David Connor, will conduct the service and Bishop Michael Bruce Curry, from Chicago, will give the address.
- Thomas Markle was originally slated to walk Meghan up the aisle, but a recent statement given by the palace has confirmed that he won't attend. Prince Charles will now accompany Meghan up the aisle.
- All three siblings of Diana, Princess of Wales will be in attendance and Lady Jane Fellowes will give the reading.
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The music will be under the direction of James Vivian, the Director of Music at St George’s Chapel, including the Choir of St George's Chapel, and a selection of choral groups, soloists, and musicians including cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Karen Gibson and The Kingdom Choir.
The Royal Wedding Bridal Party
- Prince Harry's older brother, Prince William, is Best Man.
- Meghan Markle has opted not to have a maid of honour, according to a palace spokesman. "She has a very close-knit circle of friends and she didn’t want to choose one over another,” he said.
- Meghan will have a whopping six flower girls and four page boys by her side on the day. They are: Prince George and Princess Charlotte, Florence van Cutsem (Harry's goddaughter), Remi and Rylan Litt (Meghan's goddaughters), Ivy Mulroney, Brian and John (children of Meghan's close friend Jessica Mulroney), Zalie Warren (Harry's goddaughter) and Jasper Dyer (Harry's godson).
The Royal Wedding Flowers
The Carriage Procession
After the ceremony, an open carriage called the Ascot Landau will take Meghan and Harry on a procession through Windsor for approximately 25 minutes. The horses who will pull the carriage are called Storm and Tyrone.
The Lunchtime Reception
- After the ceremony, all 600 guests will head to St. George's Hall for a standing-only reception.
- Royal chef Mark Flanagan will prepare canapés for the guests, which will include locally-sourced vegetables like asparagus, garden peas and artichoke. Sweets include dessert truffles, bite-sized crème brûlée, biscuits with mango panna cotta and yellow macaroons.
The Evening Reception
At around 5pm, 200 guests will travel to Frogmore House in Windsor for the evening reception.
The Gifts
Instead of gifts, Meghan and Harry have asked for a donation to one of seven charities that they support - CHIVA (Children's HIV Association), homeless charity Crisis, the Myna Mahila Foundation, which empowers women in Mumbai’s urban slums, a charity for bereaved armed forces children Scotty's Little Soldiers, UK sporting charity StreetGames, marine conservation charity Surfers Against Sewage and The Wilderness Foundation UK.
The Music
Meghan and Harry are expected to have special guests performing at their evening reception. Mel B hinted that the Spice Girls will reform for the occasion, but you'll have to check back here for confirmation on who's performing!
The Royal Wedding Cake
Meghan and Harry's guests will enjoy a lemon elderflower cake with buttercream icing, made by Claire Ptak of London bakery Violet.
The Photographer
The Official Hashtag
Following the excitement on social media? Don't forget to use the hashtag #royalwedding!
The One Fab Day team will be watching the wedding together on Saturday morning, so make sure you follow us for all the latest! Hats at the ready people!
Featured image credit: royal.uk