The big day is almost upon us and we’re here to help you shine with your own royal wedding watch party. There are so many traditions being contemporized, that the possibilities for food and beverage are unique and practically endless.

This won’t be your typical tea and fruitcake (the traditional cake of royal weddings) gala. It’s rumored that on-trend bowls will be making an appearance at the wedding reception. And we’ve been doing our research, from articles, to Meghan Markle’s former blog, as well as coming up with our own ideas to make your party sing.

Caffeine May Be Required

For those in western time zones; however, you may want to start your watch party with coffee! But no worries, there will be news coverage and replays running well into the evening. The wedding day, itself, if a full-day affair anyway. Following the ceremony, there’s a wedding breakfast, followed by a luncheon hosted by the Queen, and later, a more intimate private evening reception and sit-down dinner.

Prince Charles will be doing double duty. Not only will he escort his future daughter-in-law halfway down the aisle, he’s also the official host of the wedding reception, which is held at St. George’s Hall. The chapel at St. George’s, where the wedding takes place, is the place of worship within the oldest occupied castle in the world. It seats 800, but rumor has it, only 600 have been invited. And, in this case, it’s not the parents of the bride who must give permission to marry, but the Queen herself.

One break in tradition is the wedding day, with it being on a Saturday as opposed to a weekday. There are many, many firsts with this wedding, and we’d expect nothing less from Prince Harry. Now on to the food and drink!

Cover photo: Photo by Luca Micheli on Unsplash.

Appetizer/Salad Ideas

Watermelon is reportedly one of Meghan Markle’s favorites foods. It’s been said she eats it as often as she can. And it makes for some beautiful appetizers and desserts (which we’ll get to later, unless you want to break with tradition and have dessert first). If you need a tutorial on how to cut a watermelon, click here.

Watermelon Peach Pizza

Yep, we made a watermelon pizza topped with peach cream cheese spread, mixed with a little whipped topping and powdered sugar. We then layered with peaches and blueberries, topped with shaved white chocolate. Recipe here.

Watermelon and Heirloom Tomato Salad

From Guest Contributor Roni Proter, the combination of sweet watermelon, juicy heirloom tomatoes, crunchy cucumber, bright herbs and salty feta is perfection! Recipe here.

Watermelon Muffins

Incorporate this cool summer treat made with fresh watermelon, cream cheese and lime yogurt. Recipe here.

There’s More Than Watermelon

Roasted Beet and Whipped Goat Cheese

This hand-held appetizer combines beet arugula salad with goat cheese for an unexpected and delightful taste experience. These would make great canapes for your party. Recipe here.

Baked Brie with Almonds and Mango

Use the puff pastry to bring this sweet, crunchy treat to your mouth one bite at a time. Simply decadent, this dish is perfect either before a meal or for dessert. Perfect for your wedding watch party! Recipe here.

One of Meghan’s favorite foods is nostalgic: Grandma Markle’s Apple Butter Toast. Our take:

Apple Pear Butter

Tangy-sweet apples and ripe orchard pears are slow-simmered until thick and bubbling-hot. Flavored with apple cider, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, this easy-to-prepare variation on traditional apple butter will be a hit with everyone. Serve on toast. Recipe here.

The Main Course

It’s said that Prince Harry and Meghan like to cook and on the night he proposed, they were making roasted chicken.

Rustic Herb Roasted Chicken

This succulent herb-roasted chicken is seasoned with lemon, garlic and fresh herbs and will fill the entire house with a rich, comforting aroma as it slowly roasts in the oven. Allow the chicken to rest prior to carving to ensure that all the succulent juices remain in the meat and not on your cutting board. Recipe here.

It’s also rumored that bowls will be served at the wedding reception.

Bodacious Lobster Bisque Bowls

Take your party “Over-the-Top” with this signature appetizer recipe from Contributor Laura Kurella for Bodacious Lobster Bisque Bowls. A sweet, split tail swimming in a silky bisque that’s brimming with flavor, but can be further enhanced by the addition of a crisp and crusty, baked potato skin bowl, adding even more edible enjoyment for your guests! Recipe here.

 

For Wedding Watch Party, Part II – Beverages and Desserts, click here.