Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s May 19 wedding is fast approaching — and because it is a Royal Wedding, and therefore a very public wedding, people all over the world will be celebrating it, even if they’ve never actually met the two lovebirds. Are you one of those people? Awesome! That sounds like a blast. Obviously, that also means that you’ll be needing a few Royal Wedding party ideas, so if you’re just starting in on the planning process, here are a few suggestions to get your brainstorming juices flowing.
When Harry’s older brother, William, married Kate Middleton in 2011, fans around the world joined together to mark the occasion. They held viewing parties, they traded memorabilia, and they generally had the time of their lives toasting the happy couple. Harry and Markle’s wedding is likely to see the same kind of celebratory spirit when they meet up at the altar, because, well… for some reason, we’re obsessed with royalty. And to be fair,Harry and Meghan both seem like delightful and relatable people, despite their extraordinary lives — so perhaps us non-royal folk can be forgiven our interest in all things royal.
Personally, I’d be more inclined to throw a Royal Wedding party from the comfort of my own home; however, there’s no reason that you can’t adapt any of the ideas below into something you can take to the pub with you, or to a public viewing of the wedding, or wherever else you might be thinking of celebrating. Time to get planning!
1Tiaras (Or Hats) For Everyone
I mean, duh. British Royal Wedding brides tend to wear tiaras on the big day (here’s a look at Diana’s and Kate’s via TODAY, for example), so naturally, everyone attending your Royal Wedding celebratory event should also be provided with a tiara. Heck, you could even make tiara-decorating a party activity in and of itself. You get a tiara! And you get a tiara! Everybody gets a tiara!
Not into tiaras? Not a problem. Spectacular hats and fascinators also tend to make an appearance at Royal Weddings on the heads of guests, so why not have a fascinator-decorating area set up instead?
2Don’t Forget The Décor
Royal Wedding Watch Party invitations, $15, Etsy
Start with the invitations; these delightful, printable Royal Wedding Watch Party invites from Etsy seller JazzDoodles will fit the bill nicely. Don’t forget to top your Royal Wedding cupcakes while you're at it (because of course you're having cupcakes, right?) — JazzDoodles has you covered there, too. And this set of Royal Wedding party supplies from Etsy seller TwoFunnyGirlsTx takes care of your cups-and-napkins situation.
As for the rest of your space? You might get some fake or fresh flowers for the place, making sure you include some myrtle in the mix; it’s traditional for royal brides to carry it in their bouquets. Don’t forget to hang a few banners — it’s not a party without them — and if you’re feeling especially silly, have some paper masks of the Royal Family on hand. Goofy? Heck yes. Fun? Also yes.
3Turn On The Telly
The Royal Wedding likely be televised, just like William and Kate's was back in 2011; as such, the obvious thing to do for a Royal Wedding party would be to, y'know, watch the Royal Wedding.
However, the timing may also not be quite right if you're throwing your party in somewhere other than Europe. Harry and Markle’s wedding won’t be happening quite as early as William and Kate’s did — although Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's whole shebang kicked off at a perfectly normal time in the UK, their ceremony was at 6 a.m. ET/3 a.m. PT for those of us in the United States — but the younger royals will still be heading to the chapel earlier than what most of us consider an acceptable party time: According to recently released information from Kensington Palace, Harry and Markle’s ceremony will begin at noon in the UK, or at 7 a.m. ET/4 a.m. PT.
The upshot of all of this is that, even if you have a party celebrating the Royal Wedding, you might not actually be watching the Royal Wedding during it. So, if you want to keep something playing in the background— or, heck, if you want to have an all-out marathon — you’ve got two options: Put on Suits, or put on a variety of royalty-themed movies.
Amazon Prime has you covered when it comes to Suits; Seasons 1 through 6 are streaming over there, so if you’ve got a Prime subscription, you’re good to go. And for movies? If you want to go high-brow, The Young Victoria, Mrs. Brown, Elizabeth, Victoria and Abdul, and The Queen are all good picks; or, if you want to go lower-brow (nothing wrong with that), break out some old favorites: The Princess Diaries 1 and 2, The Prince And Me and its many, many sequels, and so on and so forth.
Or, y’know, just put The Crown on Netflix and call it a day.
4Play Some Thematically Appropriate Party Games
Bustle’s Claire Warner has some terrific suggestions, like playing Royal Wedding bingo or having a fabulous hat contest (put those fascinators you decorated earlier in the party to good use!); or, you could get yourself a pack of these British monarchy-themed playing cards and break out some old classics — Anglophenia has some suggestions (Whist, anyone?). If you’re feeling really creative, get yourself a Cards Against Humanity expansion pack that includes a ton of blank cards and write your own Royal Wedding-themed additions to tuck inside the deck. The Queen might not approve, but your friends probably will.
5Have A Royal Photo Booth
Just because it’s not your wedding doesn’t mean you can’t have a photo booth for it. A Practical Wedding has some instructions and pointers for DIY-ing your own booth; then break out those tiaras or fascinators you decorated earlier and add some props to the mix — this slightly cartoon-y set from Etsy should work, as should this sign reading, “I Love You More Than Harry Loves Meghan.”
6Nibble On Some Royal Eats And Sweets
Not sure what to put on the menu? Well, if you want to get classically British about it, you can’t go wrong with tea sandwiches, scones, clotted cream, jam, and a nice cuppa; however, if you feel like thinking outside the box a little, there’s some room for creativity, too.
You could, for example, serve a fruitcake, which is apparently a longstanding tradition at British weddings; you could serve a banana cake, which rumor has it might be in the cards for Harry and Markle; or, you could take a look at the menus of Royal Weddings through history and cherry-pick based on what sounds good to you and your guests. For some inspiration, head over to The Spruce to see William and Kate’s complete wedding reception menu, or check out Food & Wine’s terrific feature on what was served at royal weddings ranging from the Queen Mother’s to Fergie’s (by which I mean Sarah Ferguson, not Stacy Ann Ferguson).
7Make A Toast To The Happy Couple
Of course! Raise a glass to Meghan and Harry with one of Markle’s favorite wines — Tiganello, for example, or something from the Jordan or Flowers Wineries. Or, fill ‘er up with something from the Chapel Down winery; it’s rumored to be the winery chosen for the Royal Wedding itself (and, while we’re on the subject, it’s also where William and Kate’s wedding wine came from).
Also, please enjoy this delightful photo of Prince Charles and Camilla giggling together over what look like some very nice glasses of red.
8Send Everyone Home With Royal Party Favors
Royal Crown Favor Boxes, $26.96, Etsy
Those tiaras and fascinators can count here, but you can also send your guests home with some other swag — Meghan and Harry earrings, maybe? How about a one-two punch of some good tea plus a small bottle of bubbly? Or, pop some sweets in these cute little crown-topped treat boxes for a delightful little treat. There are loads of options, none of which have to break the bank if you’re on a budget.
9Have A Fundraiser & Donate The Proceeds To A Harry & Meghan-Approved Cause
You could, of course, also do something totally different with your Royal Wedding party: You could make it a fundraising event and donate the proceeds to a cause that Harry and Markle hold near and dear to their hearts.
Harry himself has done a lot of work in the arena of supporting those who have served in the armed forces; helping to organize and launch the Invictus Games is one of the best examples of this work. He’s also been an outspoken advocate for mental health awareness, and has been working with William and Kate on the Heads Together initiative. Markle, meanwhile, has supported a huge array of causes and organizations, including World Vision and the Myna Mahila Foundation, according to Harper’s Bazaar; she has also said that after the wedding, she plans to shift her focus to philanthropic efforts.
Brainstorm with your pals and see what causes and organizations you’d think the royal couple might support — and then give your shindig a whole new purpose. What could be better? Everybody wins!
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will tie the knot on May 19, 2018 at St. George's Chapel. Here's to the soon-to-be newlyweds!
