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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's May 19 wedding will feature many traditional markers, but it will also have its share of unique moments — a fitting event for a couple who has already broken many royal molds along the way. Here are eight ways Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's big day will go against the norm. (Photos via Victoria Jones/WPA Pool/Getty Images + Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images + Dominic Lipinski/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
The Date: Traditionally, royal weddings fall on a weekday and constitute a bank holiday in England. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, however, will marry on May 19, which falls on a Saturday this year. Per British PM Theresa May, there will be no holiday on the big day. That's not a huge deal for those of us in North America, but it does mean an extra-early weekend wake-up for people who want to watch the 7am ET ceremony. (Photo via Victoria Jones/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
The Location: In the last century or so, most royal couples (including Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton) have been married at Westminster Abbey in London. But Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will wed at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, about 20 miles outside England's capital. (Photo via Dominic Lipinski/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
The Cake: Goodbye, traditional fruitcake — and hello, modern and whimsical lemon elderflower creation! Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tapped London-based Violet Bakery to create their custom cake, which will feature seasonal and organic ingredients. The wedding cake will "incorporate the bright flavors of spring" and "be covered with buttercream and decorated with fresh flowers." We need this thing in our Instagram feed, stat. (Photo via Victoria Jones/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
The Guest List: While invitations are typically reserved for guests who will be attending the ceremony and reception, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle broke from tradition by inviting 2,640 members of the public to the grounds of Windsor Castle to watch the arrivals and carriage procession. Tessa Hince and Hayley Ash (above), who founded the Shipston Christmas Community Lunch, are among the invitees.
In another surprising move, the couple opted not to invite politicians and world leaders to the wedding. However, they are expected to have many celebrity guests. (Photo via Andrew Matthews/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
The Bill: Although this is not necessarily the norm now, in the past, tradition dictated that the bride's family would foot the bill for the wedding. These days, it's common for couples to split the cost. And in the case of the royal wedding, Prince Harry's family is expected to pick up the bulk of the tab.
As they did for Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding, the royal family has offered to contribute the majority of the funds for the day, which comes with a hefty price tag. While Middleton's family reportedly contributed generously to her wedding, no announcement has been made about whether Markle's family will do the same (and they're not expected to). (Photo via Stefan Rousseau/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
The Procession: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will partake in a post-ceremony procession, but like the wedding itself, it'll be a smaller-scale production than the traditional royal procession through London. Following their nuptials, a horse-drawn carriage will take them through the streets of Windsor to celebrate with the public, leaving Windsor Castle via Castle Hill and proceeding along the High Street through Windsor Town before returning to Windsor Castle along the Long Walk. (Photo via Victoria Jones/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
No Balcony Kiss: St. George's Chapel doesn't have a balcony like the one at Buckingham Palace (which is a considerable distance away), so we won't see the newlyweds share a kiss in front of onlookers the way other royal couples — such as Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton, and Prince Charles and Princess Diana — have in the past. We're confident they'll create a memorable moment of their own, though. (Photo via Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)
Meghan's Potential Reception Speech: While details of the private reception following the ceremony aren't known, it's been reported that Markle will give a speech — which, in the UK, is something typically reserved for the groom, the best man, and the father of the bride. Her father, Thomas, will still have an important role, however: Kensington Palace confirmed that he will walk his daughter down the aisle during the ceremony. (Photo via Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
