Everything We Know About Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Royal Wedding
May 16, 2018
We've been anticipating Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding since they first announced their engagement in November. And while there are still a lot of unanswered questions about the big day, you can bet that it will be celebrated with all the pomp and circumstance we've come to expect from the British royal family. Here's everything we know (so far!) about the exciting event, including the who, what, where, when, and more.
When is the wedding? Kensington Palace officially announced Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding date via Twitter last December. The big ceremony is scheduled to take place on May 19, 2018, so start planning your royal wedding tea party now. (Photo via Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
What time is the wedding? The ceremony is set to commence at noon local time, which is 7am ET (4am PT!), so this will be an early one for those of us in the US. Set your alarms! (Photo via Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Where is the wedding? Unlike Prince William and Kate Middleton, who married at Westminster Abbey, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will have their ceremony at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. The chapel is where Prince Harry was baptized as a baby and where Prince Charles wed Duchess Camilla in 2005. (Photo via Dominic Lipinski/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Have they mailed the invitations? The couple tapped Barnard and Westwood to create their gorgeous invitations, which feature American ink, English card stock, and the Three-Feathered Badge of the Prince of Wales printed in gold. The invitations were sent in March, so guests should have them in hand by now. We're sure ours just got lost in the mail. (Photo via Victoria Jones/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Who's invited? In addition to family members, there are likely to be a few famous faces among the guests at the royal wedding, since both Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have their share of celebrity friends. A few possible contenders? Serena Williams, Priyanka Chopra, James Blunt, and Ellie Goulding.
We'll find out for sure who made the cut on the big day, but we do know who won't be in attendance. "It has been decided that an official list of political leaders — both UK and international — is not required for Prince Harry and Ms. Markle's wedding," Kensington Palace said in a statement. "Her Majesty's Government was consulted on this decision, which was taken by The Royal Household." That means no invitation for the Obamas, who have become friendly with Harry in recent years. (The prince even interviewed former President Obama for BBC Radio 4.) (Photo via Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation)
Is there a dress code? According to the royal wedding invitations, the dress code for the big day is a "uniform, morning coat, or lounge suit" for men, and a "day dress with hat" for women. The hat (or fascinator, if that's your preference) is the main event, as you can see from Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie's getups for Prince William and Kate Middleton's nuptials. (Photo via Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Has the queen given her blessing? Queen Elizabeth II gave the union her official approval — a necessity, according to the Royal Marriages Act of 1772 — in March, writing in a letter to the Privy Council, "I declare My Consent to a Contract of Matrimony between My Most Dearly Beloved Grandson Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales and Rachel Meghan Markle, which Consent I am causing to be signified under the Great Seal and to be entered in the Books of the Privy Council." (Photo via Steve Parsons/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Who's designing Meghan Markle's dress? The bride's choice of wedding dress designer is one of the biggest unanswered questions about the special day, but according to longtime royal reporter Omid Scobie, she had her first fitting in mid-January, with BFF Jessica Mulroney by her side for guidance. (Mulroney is thought to be a front-runner for maid of honor, too.)
Scobie told ABC News that Markle "expressed the desire to wear something simple and classy and very elegant," which echoes what she told Glamour in a 2016 interview about her Suits character's wedding style. "I have the luxury of wearing beautiful pieces of clothing every day for work, so my personal style — wedding or not — is very pared down and relaxed. Classic and simple is the name of the game, perhaps with a modern twist," she said at the time, citing Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's as a favorite. "I personally prefer wedding dresses that are whimsical or subtly romantic." (Photo via Jeremy Selwyn/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Who will officiate the ceremony? According to Kensington Palace, the Dean of Windsor, Right Reverend David Conner, will conduct the service, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby (pictured above), will officiate the couple's vows. (Photo via Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images)
What happens after the vows? While Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding day probably won't feature a romantic balcony kiss like Prince William and Kate Middleton's — St. George's Chapel is too far from Buckingham Palace — the newlyweds will enjoy a carriage procession following the ceremony. The horse-drawn procession will leave Windsor Castle via Castle Hill and proceed along the High Street through Windsor Town before returning to Windsor Castle along the Long Walk. (Photo via Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Will there be a reception? Yes! Kensington Palace announced that the newlyweds will have two receptions: one at St. George's Hall for the couple and the guests from the congregation, and another hosted by Prince Charles at Frogmore House later in the evening for just "close friends and family." (Photo via Dominic Lipinski/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
What kind of flowers will they have? Prince Harry and Meghan Markle chose London florist Philippa Craddock to lead a team for the arrangements at St. George's Chapel and St. George's Hall. According to the palace, the royal wedding flower displays will use "locally sourced foliage … from the gardens and parkland of The Crown Estate and Windsor Great Park," with a focus on in-season and pollinator-friendly plants including "branches of beech, birch, and hornbeam, as well as white garden roses, peonies, and foxgloves." (Photo via Dominic Lipinski/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
What kind of cake will they have? Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have decided against the traditional wedding fruitcake in favor of "a lemon elderflower cake that will incorporate the bright flavors of spring." They chose Claire Ptak, the owner of Violet Bakery, to create the confection, which will feature seasonal and organic ingredients and decorations of buttercream and fresh flowers. (Photo via Victoria Jones/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Is there a royal gift registry? What do you get the couple who has everything? In Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's case, nothing. The bride and groom have asked that well-wishers consider making a donation to charity in lieu of sending a wedding gift. They've chosen seven organizations that reflect their shared values: the Children's HIV Association (CHIVA), Crisis, the Myna Mahila Foundation, Scotty's Little Soldiers, StreetGames, Surfers Against Sewage, and The Wilderness Foundation UK. (Photo via Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Are there any special plans to involve the public? In fact, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have invited more than 2,000 people to Windsor Castle to watch the beginning and end of their procession following the ceremony. Included in that group are people who have shown strong leadership or served their communities in some way, 200 guests from the charities the royal couple support, 100 students from two local schools, 610 Windsor Castle community members, and 530 members of the Royal Households and Crown Estate. Phillip Gillespie (pictured above) is one of the lucky invitees; he lost his leg in Afghanistan and now raises funds for an Army charity. (Photo via Michael Cooper/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Will Meghan Markle have a bachelorette party? Markle reportedly confirmed in February that her bachelorette party — or "hen do," as it's called in the UK — was "sorted." And if this Times' report from early March is accurate, it involved a day of pampering at a spa with her closest friends. Sounds luxurious! (Photo via Dominic Lipinski/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Will the wedding be televised? Details about how and where you can watch the wedding have not yet been announced, but according to reports, there will be a pool camera inside St. George's Chapel for the ceremony, similar to the setup for Prince William and Kate Middleton's nuptials. "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 statement. (Photo via Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
What kind of music will they have? Contrary to rumors, the Spice Girls are not on the program — at least not for the wedding ceremony. The couple has lined up several other musical acts, though, including 19-year-old cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, and Karen Gibson and The Kingdom Choir (pictured). (Photo via Rick Findler/Pool/Getty Images)
Who's their photographer? Prince Harry and Meghan Markle chose a photographer who was there for another very important moment in their life — their engagement photos. Alexi Lubomirski snapped the pair at Frogmore House back in December, and will be on hand again to capture their newly wedded bliss. (Photo via PA via Getty Images)
Who is Harry's best man? Though royal weddings typically favor "supporters," Harry has asked his older brother, Prince William, to be his best man. Harry, of course, served as best man when William married Kate Middleton in 2011. (Photo via Andrew Milligan/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Who's in the wedding party? In addition to Prince William, the wedding party will feature 10 page boys and bridesmaids, including, of course, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The others are Prince Harry’s goddaughters Florence van Cutsem, 3, and Zalie Warren, 2; Markle’s goddaughters Remi Litt, 6, and Rylan Litt, 7; Prince Harry's godson Jasper Dyer, 6; and Jessica and Ben Mulroney's three kids, Ivy, 4, and twins Brian and John, 7. (Photo via UK Press Pool/UK Press via Getty Images)
What food will they serve? Violet Bakery is making the cake, but most of the food will be made by head chef Mark Flanagan and his team from the royal kitchen at Windsor Castle. A full menu has not been shared with the public, but pastry chef Selwyn Stoby is hard at work on several desserts, including chocolate truffles, bite-sized crème brûlée, biscuits with mango panna cotta topping, and yellow macaroons. (Photo via David Parker/WPA Pool/Getty Images)