Royal Wedding: Harry And Meghan's Ceremony Time

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took place on Saturday, May 19, 2018, at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in the United Kingdom. The ceremony began at 12 pm BST (7 am ET), followed by a carriage procession through Windsor at 1 pm BST (8 am ET). The couple exchanged vows in front of 600 guests and millions of television viewers worldwide, with the bride wearing a stunning gown designed by British designer Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy. The wedding broke with several royal traditions, including being held on a weekend and featuring an untraditional lemon elderflower cake. The couple also included a personal touch with a bouquet featuring flowers picked by Prince Harry himself.

The wedding date and time

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took place on Saturday, 19 May 2018, at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in the United Kingdom. The ceremony commenced at 12:00 midday BST (7:00 a.m. ET), followed by a carriage procession through Windsor at 1:00 p.m. BST (8:00 a.m. ET).

The wedding date broke with royal tradition, as it fell on a weekend. Historically, British royal weddings have been held on weekdays. For example, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were married on a Thursday, Prince Charles and Princess Diana on a Wednesday, and Prince William and Kate Middleton on a Friday.

The timing of the ceremony was also unusual, as it did not follow the typical royal custom of a morning wedding. The midday start time meant that the wedding fell during the lunchtime slot, which is uncommon for royal nuptials.

The wedding day was a carefully planned affair, with a great level of detail going into the organisation and execution. The couple wanted to create an intimate experience despite the large scale of the event, and this was reflected in the timing and overall schedule of the day.

The engagement and wedding rings

The Engagement Ring

Harry designed the engagement ring himself, opting for a yellow gold band—as it's Meghan's favourite—and three diamonds. The centre diamond, cushion-cut and estimated at three carats, was sourced from Botswana, a country that holds a special place in the couple's heart as it was where they took their first vacation together. The two side stones were from Princess Diana's personal jewellery collection, included by Harry to ensure his mother was with them "on this crazy journey together".

The Wedding Rings

On their wedding day, Harry presented Meghan with a pure Welsh gold wedding band, gifted to her by the Queen. The use of Welsh gold for royal wedding bands dates back to the Queen Mother's wedding in 1923, and all royal brides since have worn bands of Welsh gold. Harry's ring was made of platinum with a textured finish. The couple exchanged rings during the ceremony, with Harry first placing the ring on Meghan's finger, and then Meghan returning the gesture.

The wedding venue

The chapel provided a beautiful and intimate setting for the ceremony, accommodating a smaller guest list of around 600 people, which was considered a relatively small celebration for a royal wedding. The venue was adorned with floral arrangements created by florist Philippa Craddock, including hand-picked forget-me-nots by Prince Harry in honour of his late mother, Princess Diana.

St. George's Chapel has witnessed many significant royal events, and the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle added to its rich history. The couple's decision to marry in this chapel reflected their desire to honour tradition while also incorporating their own personal touches to make the event intimate and meaningful.

The venue's connection to the royal family extended beyond the wedding day, as it later became the final resting place of Prince Harry's grandparents, Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II, who were buried there in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

The wedding invitations

The invitations to the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were produced by Barnard & Westwood, a company that has held a Royal Warrant for Printing & Bookbinding by Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen since 1985. The invitations were printed on a machine from the 1930s, nicknamed Maude, by Lottie Small, who had recently completed her apprenticeship.

The invitations featured the Three-Feathered Badge of the Prince of Wales, printed in gold ink, and were made using American ink on English card. They were printed in gold and black, burnished to bring out the shine, and gilded around the edge.

The text of the invitations read:

> "His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales K.G. and Ms. Meghan Markle are pleased to invite [name of guest] to the celebration of their marriage at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on Saturday, May 19, 2018, at 12:00 noon followed by a reception at Windsor Castle."

The invitations also specified a dress code for men of "Dress Uniform, Morning Coat or Lounge Suit", and for women, "Day Dress and Hat".

Around 600 people were invited to the ceremony and the luncheon, hosted by the Queen at St. George's Hall, with 200 guests invited to the private reception at Frogmore House, hosted by Prince Charles.

The wedding cake

> I don't want to tell you what to do...the reason why I've chosen you is because I love your baking and your work and your point of view and your ethos.

Ptak and her team spent five days making the cake in the kitchens of Buckingham Palace. The cake was made with 200 Amalfi lemons, 500 organic eggs from Suffolk, butter, flour, sugar, and 10 bottles of Sandringham Elderflower Cordial, made from flowers harvested at one of Queen Elizabeth's private homes. The cake was frosted with Swiss meringue buttercream and adorned with 150 fresh flowers.

The cake was displayed as two single-tiered cakes and one two-tiered cake, all on separate stands, in contrast to the traditional stacked tiers of royal wedding cakes. Ptak's design was inspired by the spring wedding date, with the lemon and elderflower flavours chosen to celebrate the season.

The cake was estimated to have cost $70,000.

Frequently asked questions