How To Throw A Royal Wedding Party: Meghan Markle, Prince Harry Celebration Ideas

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Royal Wedding is almost here! Are you ready for it? The grand affair’s only one day away, but don’t worry if you don’t have your watch party all planned out yet. From what to wear to what to eat, we’ve got you covered.

Guests will start arriving at the wedding at 4:30 a.m. EDT, so make sure yours do the same in order to ensure no one misses a moment of the regal event. Before they all arrive, check out this breakdown of everything you’ll need in order to have the best party ever.

Decorations:

Deck your living room and kitchen area with items fit for royalty, as well as for both Americans and Brits. Put up some American and British flags, spread out a collection of fake jewels on your tabletops and maybe get a life-size Markle-Prince Harry cutout if you’re feeling over-the-top. Pick up some red, white and blue paper plates and napkins, which work for both countries, and make the place sparkle a little more with some gold streamers thrown around.

Attire:

It’s pretty early in the morning, but if you’re already going to be up and having a watch party, you might as well go all-out. Kindly request that all of your guests dress up in their finest clothes as if they’re actually attending the wedding. Well, their finest, comfortable clothes, at least. You will be sitting on a couch watching a TV at the crack of dawn, after all. Gowns and suits or not, picking up a few crowns for everyone to wear could only make the party that much more fun (and the pictures that much better!).

Food:

Eat like a royal when you use Chef Darren McGrady’s recipe for peanut butter and jelly muffins, which Prince Harry and Prince William loved to eat when they were younger and McGrady was their chef. He detailed many of his recipes in his latest cookbook, “The Royal Chef at Home: Easy Seasonal Entertaining.”

If you’re looking for something perhaps a bit healthier, you can’t go wrong with one of Markle’s favorites — an açaí bowl. She also enjoys a nice omelet for breakfast, noting that they — and everything else —taste better with some hot sauce on top. Try some classic Frank’s RedHot for a little kick, Secret Aardvark’s Habanero Hot Sauce for a little Tex-Mex flair or PexPeppers’ To The Moon for major heat.

Drinks:

What’s a wedding celebration without a festive cocktail? The Royal Blush, a nice play on a royal flush and a blushing bride, is the perfect option. With Santa Margherita Sparkling Rosé, limoncello and fruit, it’s a sweet and refreshing way to toast the new bride and groom.

To make the drink, combine a 3/4 cup of limoncello with one cup of raspberries and a cup of strawberries in a pitcher. Mix in in the full 750-ml bottle of chilled Santa Margherita Sparkling Rosé and half of a cut-up lemon. Stir it all together and pour the cocktail into glasses for your guests, making sure each one has extra berries to top it all off.

If drinking alcohol at this time of the day isn’t your or your guests’ thing, then go ahead and reach for a can of Trader Joe’s’ Lemon Elderflower Soda. It’ll make you feel like you’re right there at the wedding reception, taking a bite of the couple’s lemon elderflower cake.

Goodie Bag:

The party might be over, but you’ll want to give your guests one last good memory on their way out. That’s where a little “Thank You For Coming” present comes in. Staying on theme, give them the gift of having yet another royal story to enjoy. Rachel Hawkins’ new novel, “Royals,” is the perfect pick because it has a little bit of something for everyone, whether they’re feeling optimistic about finding love after the Royal Wedding or feeling pessimistic about Markle having to give up parts of herself for her new family. Throw in the crown from earlier, a Prince Harry and Markle waving flag and some British tea, and your guests will leave still in a happy, festive mood.

The Royal Wedding festivities begin on Saturday at 4:30 a.m. EDT.