Entertainment

Meghan Markle & Prince Harry's Wedding Invitations SCREAM Royal Wedding

by Allyson Koerner
Chris Jackson/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Yet again, there is some more exciting news about the upcoming British Royal Family wedding. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding invitations were revealed by Kensington Palace on social media Thursday. In no surprise whatsoever, the invites are extremely elegant and scream royal wedding. "Invitations to the wedding of Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle have been issued in the name of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales" (aka Prince Charles), the palace tweeted before revealing an actual photo of the invitations.

Even at first glance, you can tell these invites are truly special. The script is pristine. The colors are simple, yet classy. And, of course, there is a royal badge at the top. "The invitations follow many years of Royal tradition and have been made by @BarnardWestwood," according to Kensington Palace. "They feature the Three-Feathered Badge of the Prince of Wales printed in gold ink."

These aren't your typical invites. Crafting the invitations is an intricate process not just anyone can do. A specially-trained individual in bookbinding and fine printing is responsible for creating every single invite. In the case of Harry and Markle's invites, Lottie Small, who just finished her apprenticeship, made them. As revealed by the palace, Small used a die stamping process on a 1930s machine that she named "Maude".

Apparently, Barnard Westwood has a long history with the royal family. The company has been making invitations for them since 1985. That's over 30 years of business. According to The Telegraph, Barnard Westwood's managing director, Austen Kopley, said, "The wedding of Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle will be a truly special occasion and we are thrilled to be able to create equally special invitations for their guests." He added, "We are incredibly honoured to continue our longstanding work for The Royal Family, and to be involved in such an important moment for the couple and their family and friends."

"Using American ink on English card, the invitations are printed in gold and black, then burnished to bring out the shine, and gilded around the edge," the palace tweeted." And if you zoom in on the card, you can see what was printed.

The first line reads: "His Royal Highness The Prince Of Wales, K.G., K.T. requests the pleasure of the company of..." There are two blanks underneath for the guest name, and then it continues:

...at the Marriage of His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales with Ms. Meghan Markle at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on Saturday, 19th May, 2018 at 12 Noon followed by a Reception at Windsor Castle

The bottom right of the card lists the required attire. It reads: "Dress: Uniform, Morning Coat or Lounge Suit, Day Dress with Hat".

Kensington Palace also revealed, "Guests have been invited to the service at St George's Chapel and to the lunchtime reception at St George's Hall, which is being given by Her Majesty The Queen. Later that evening, around 200 guests are being invited to the reception at Frogmore House given by The Prince of Wales." Frogmore House is where Markle and Harry posed for their official engagement photos.

According to The Telegraph, those from the congregation at St. George's Chapel will celebrate with Markle and Harry at their first reception at St. George's Hall and the second reception thrown by Prince Charles will be solely for close family and friends.

As expected, their wedding is going to be thrilling and a time to unite the public. They even invited members of the public inside the Windsor Castle walls to partake in their special day. The public will also be able to enjoy the couple's traditional carriage procession, which they will embark on after they marry. The wedding, of course, will be a huge affair with a total of 2,640 individuals receiving invitations.

"Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle have said they want their Wedding Day to be shaped so as to allow members of the public to feel part of the celebrations too," Kensington Palace said in a March 2 statement. "This wedding, like all weddings, will be a moment of fun and joy that will reflect the characters and values of the Bride and Groom."

The wedding is definitely starting to take shape and the invitations make it all the more official.