Fairytale Wedding ~ Five Ways to Royally Celebrate
~ second in a three-part America’s Princess series
by Sonja Rouillard
author, Romance
Readers Guide to Historic London
Even though the wedding is just a week away, it’s not too
late to plan something fun so that you can feel part of this unique moment in
history. It’s not every day a new princess is made and this time she’s one of
ours!
The most obvious choice is holding a viewing party, but
here’s the rub—the wedding takes place at 12:00 noon London time. For us Yanks,
that’s 7 AM on the East Coast and 4 AM on the West Coast. Ouch! And you’ll want to start watching at least two hours earlier
to see all those fancy people show up in their fancy garb. Coverage starts at
4:30 AM EST. Of course, you can always tape it and watch it the next day. So,
the first thing you need to do is get together some friends and together decide
whether to stay up all night or watch it taped the next day.
And, here are five ways you can celebrate along with the
Royals:
I.
Royal
Pampering! ~ The American princess is going to be quaffed, gussied, and
powdered (well not powdered—wrong century). But Meghan will want to look her
best. Wouldn’t you, if 80 million people (via tv or streamed live) were going
to be staring at you? Even though we’ll be celebrating in private, there’s no
reason we shouldn’t also look our best. So, grab a couple besties and go out on
Friday to get a mani-pedi or pick up a funny hat to wear. Burlington Coat
Factory is great for that. For an inexpensive tiara, a certain big box store
(starts with a w), carries them for about $10 and they’re pretty. Here’s
gorgeous tiara that belonged to eldest daughter of King Louis XVI,
Marie-Thérèse, (circa 1819).
II. Viewing Parties ~ Celebration activity
number one, pampering—done. On to number two—how to watch the wedding in style?
Host an Afternoon Tea but in the middle of the night! There are tons of
ideas online, but don’t forget to offer a prize for the best fascinator. Fancy
it up with a request for Sunday-best attire and top hats, and invite your
friends with beautiful wedding-style invitations. Or try a Cream
Tea or High Tea. Since it’s the
middle of the night, offer lighter fare with a Cream Tea (doesn’t mean cream in
the drink, but rather just scones and desserts) or go for a full, beefy meal
with a High Tea (which refers to the height of the table, not the royal-ness of
the event). Or offer a traditional English
Breakfast, especially apropos for the US east coast.
Next Day Parties yield lots of flexibility. You can do an Afternoon
Tea that’s actually in the afternoon, a black-tie evening reception, or even
just a pizza party (try making individual pizzas in the shape of crown).
A Princess Bachelorette Party would be perfect if there’s a friend
getting married in the near future. You can do it as a RW watch party and or
just go with the American Princess theme and give all the attendees a tiara
(although in the UK, traditionally only married ladies can wear one).
Royally Romantic Night ~ You can make this an uberly romantic
celebration with your special someone. Go to bed early, get up in the middle
the night, and just lay in bed together watching the wedding. Do it up right
and have your favorite fancy treats and champagne or, better yet, stay
overnight in a nice hotel with a beautiful city or water view and watch from
there. Why not? Usually, we waste our nice hotel stays…sleeping. We can do that
back in our humdrum bedroom the next day.
III. Royal Fundraiser ~ Says Kensington
Palace, the couple is “incredibly grateful for the goodwill shown to them since
the announcement of their engagement and are keen that as many people as
possible benefit from this generosity of spirit.” Prince Harry and future
Princess Meghan have politely requested that well-wishers wanting to offer
gifts, make a donation to one of their seven charities, which range from the
Children’s HIV Association to one that empowers women in Mumbai’s slums. You
can make donating a part of any event you host or do a bake-sale or other
activity to raise monies. See the full charity list at https://www.today.com/news/prince-harry-meghan-markle-seek-charity-donations-not-wedding-gifts-t126708.
When Kate and Wills married they did the same thing and $1.7 million was raised
for charity.
IV. Hotel and Restaurant Parties ~ From
pubs to fancy hotels, there are ready-made parties around
the world where you
can celebrate with other royal wedding fans. Here’s just a few:
London’s exclusive Devonshire Club is allowing non-members
to attend their Afternoon Tea complete with a mini Royal Wedding Cake (£32). https://www.devonshireclub.com/member-events/royal-wedding-garden-party
Boston’s Fairmont Copley offers an RW Viewing Party ($75-$750). https://www.eventbrite.com/e/royal-wedding-viewing-party-at-fairmont-copley-plaza-tickets-44452960000
In Chicago check out this RW Reception at The Drake Hotel,
featuring the “Queen of Cabaret” singer Denise Tomasello and her 17-piece
orchestra. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/royal-wedding-reception-gala-featuring-denise-tomasello-tickets-43773064414
Or near Atlanta in Marietta, the
British-American Business Council is holding a fancy-dress Indian Hills Country Club RW Watch Party ($55 members; $65
non-members). https://www.babcga.org/event-2805939
In San Francisco, check out this
fancy rebroadcast party by Crown &
Crumpet at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel ($95-125pp)—fancy dress and
fascinators encouraged! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-afternoon-tea-to-celebrate-the-royal-wedding-on-19th-may-2018-tickets-44390690751
Live in Meghan’s old stomping
ground in LA? You can go to a Royal Slumber Party at the Cat and Fiddle pub ($25pp). https://www.eventbrite.com/e/royal-slumber-party-the-royal-wedding-hosted-by-cat-and-fiddle-brits-in-la-tickets-45542743572
I bet just about every British Pub
in the U.S. will be open for business, so you might find the perfect party in
your neck of the woods.
V. And,
lastly, my favorite (admittedly self-serving) suggestion for celebrating is to
join our Royal Wedding Facebook Hop
and celebrate along with 25 best-selling historical romance authors who’ll be
giving away prizes all weekend. There will even be live posts from Windsor
Castle the week before, author-made insider videos of the castle and the
church, and live author chats during the wedding. https://www.facebook.com/groups/RWHop
Whatever you choose, it’s going to be a fun weekend. And, if
you want to know more about the places that are important to Meghan and Harry,
such as Kensington Palace or Windsor Castle, consider getting yourself a copy
of my Romance Readers Guide to Historic
London, and you can read my previous article at RomanceReadersGuides.com,
“American Royalty — 5 Americans Who’ve Married Up” for more information on
Meghan and Harry’s relationship.
~ Sonja
Photos in the public domain.
Painting by Thomas Sutherland, 1819.
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These novellas were previously published in the anthologies Dancing in the Duke's Arms and Christmas in Duke Street.
If you love stories about royals you won't want to miss
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Waiting for a Duke Like You
There's no such thing as the perfect hero ...Nathan Cauley, Duke of Wyndover, is so handsome ladies swoon—but Nathan doesn't want a fawning miss for his duchess. Then he stumbles upon a filthy young woman sleeping under a bridge, and his protective instincts are raised. When he recognizes her as the woman he loved years before, he's determined to win back her heart.
Or is there?
Princess Vivienne is the last of the royal family of Glynaven. Vivienne is all alone and on the run when the Duke of Wyndover comes to her rescue. Vivienne barely remembers meeting him years before, and wonders if he is any more than a pretty face. But when the assassins return, Nathan might just prove to be the man Vivienne's been waiting for.
A Prince in Her Stocking
When it's cold outside ...Prince Lucien of Glynaven spends the cold winter days in a small bookshop, searching for a book that's the key to saving his life. When Lady Cassandra Ashbrooke comes in to shop, her lovely face is almost enough to make him give up his search. But when assassins track him, he must end the budding romance and abandon his last chance at ever reclaiming his identity.
A prince is just the man to make Christmas a little more cozy.
When the widowed Lady Cassandra catches a glimpse of an attractive man in her favorite bookshop, she decides to meet him, hoping to add a small spark of excitement into her dull life. Soon the prince's kisses are more passionate than Cass can imagine. But with danger closing in on all sides, is it too late for a holiday miracle?
These novellas were previously published in the anthologies Dancing in the Duke's Arms and Christmas in Duke Street.
