How to Host a Royal Wedding Viewing Party
We love weddings, but we especially love royal weddings (*grabs fascinator*). So it should come as no surprise that we’ve been formulating our own watch plans for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s big day since we first got word of their engagement. If you’re in the same boat (your fascinator looks great, too), we’ve we gathered the best tips, tricks, and DIYs to know to host a royal wedding viewing party on May 19 that truly takes the (wedding) cake. Our founder and CEO Brit Morin shared these with the audience on Good Morning America (see the video above!) , and we’re here to gie you the full recipes and deets. Scroll down to get the celebration started!
diy tea sandwiches
Going with classic British dishes is a no-brainer for your shindig, and there’s nothing that’s more on theme than traditional finger sandwiches. All you need are a few different types of bread, toppings, and cookie cutters to create these tasty bite-sized treats for all of your guests to nosh on during the event.
Ingredients:
- 1-2 cans biscuits, like Pillsbury Grands Junior Flaky Biscuits ($1), cooked
- 1 loaf Pepperidge Farms Very Thin Sliced White Bread ($4)
- 1 loaf Pepperidge Farms Swirl Bread ($4)
- 1 small container Philadelphia Whipped Cream Cheese ($3)
- 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced thinly
- lemon pepper seasoning, like Lawry’s Lemon Pepper Salt ($3)
- 1 package dill
- 1 container smoked salmon slices
- 1 container smoked, thinly sliced ham
- 1 container pre-made egg salad
- 1 container pre-made pimento cheese
- mustard
- optional: Brie cheese or apple slices (lemon juice squeezed on top)
Instructions:
Allow guests to assemble their own finger sandwiches, using cookie cutters to create fun shapes and garnishing to their own tastes and preferences.
elderflower cupcakes
The couple will serve lemon elderflower cake in lieu of the traditional British wedding fruitcake. To pay homage to their sweet taste, whip up your own delish cupcake version.
Once it’s ready, take your dish up a notch by displaying on a fancy tiered stand. If you don’t have one on hand, DIY it by hot-gluing two candle stick holders between three decorative plates. Once the glue dries, top the stand off with an artfully arranged display of cupcakes. Finish it off with these cheeky, printable decorative toppers that provide the *perfect* finishing touch.
Ingredients:
- nonstick spray
- lemon cake mix, like Betty Crocker Super Moist Lemon Cake ($2)
- water, eggs, vegetable oil (called for in the box instructions)
- 1 tablespoon elderflower syrup, like Elderflower Spritz ($8)
- ready-made lemon frosting, like Pillsbury Lemon Frosting ($2)
- water and salted butter
Instructions:
- Make and bake cupcakes according to package instructions. Add 1 tablespoon elderflower syrup to batter. Allow to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, use frosting according to package instructions. Add salted butter if desired for better flavor.
- Ice cupcakes and garnish with the cupcake toppers. (Note: We sized ours down to match our mini cupcakes.)
british trifle
The more desserts, the merrier! Pair ripe berries and and light-as-air angel food cake and add creamy Cool Whip for another delectable option that’ll rule the buffet table. After laying in all the delicious ingredients, finish off your breakfast-friendly creation with a topper fashioned after the British flag. Then, dig in and enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 1 pre-made angel food cake, cut in 1 ½-inch pieces
- 1 batch vanilla pudding, like Jell-O Vanilla Instant Pudding ($1)
- boiling water (for pudding)
- 2 containers Cool Whip Original Whipped Topping ($2)
- 2 containers large strawberries, sliced in half
- 2 containers blueberries
- 2 containers raspberries
- 1 can Reddi Wip Original Whipped Cream ($2)
Instructions:
1. In a large clear trifle bowl, make a layer of angel food cake and dollop ⅓ of the pudding on top. Carefully lay strawberries, cut side exposed, around perimeter of glass bowl.
2. Fill with ½ the container of Cool Whip. Repeat process until you have 1 inch of space remaining in the bowl.
3. To form British flag using berries and cream on top, assemble raspberries so they form a cross. Create diagonal lines of raspberries in between each right angle to form 8 triangles.
4. Fill in each of the eight triangles with blueberries. Carefully create white lines in between all raspberries and blueberries with Reddi Wip to complete the flag.
tea-making station
With the ceremony set to begin at 7am ET (4am PT!), caffeine is a *must*. Instead of your usual morning brew, present your guests with their own cuppa complete with customized tea bags and cheeky tags (“Harry’s Getting Married!”).
To make your tea bags, cut a coffee filter into a rectangle. Place your tea in the center of it, folding the sides into the middle and twisting the material. Wrap the string around the bag several times to secure. Top them off with a custom printable tea tag to finish. Then sip — pinkies up!
DIY paper flowers
Hello, gorgeous decor! This next idea ties in the theme of “springtime in England.” Using this DIY crepe paper flower tutorial, you can create a stunning centerpiece for all of Your Royal Highnesses. Try draping cascading garlands of handmade tissue flowers or paper ranunculus to really bring the blooming theme home. Either route you go (we encourage both!), be sure to have a camera handy to snap your final creations and share them with us @BritandCo!
Follow us on Pinterest for more ideas to celebrate the Royal Wedding!
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(Styling + DIY Production: Cassidy Miller + Kayla Haykin, Photography: Brittany Griffin)