Whether you’re enough of a royal family superfan to wake up for Prince Harry and soon-to-be newly minted American princess Meghan Markle’s royal wedding or just want to low-key indulge in some British food and wedding cake, there’s a fun event for you this weekend.
Celebrate with the Brits
Sister restaurants Jones Wood Foundry on the Upper East Side and The Shakespeare in Midtown will both lay out a proper English spread. Guests will be welcomed with a commemorative program, mimosa and sausage roll, the treat that will be distributed to royal fans on the grounds of Windsor Castle for the wedding. Watch the ceremony on large screens while enjoying British and American breakfast favorites like scones, chicken & waffles and bubble & squeak. End with a champagne toast and lemon and elderflower wedding cake modeled after Harry and Meghan’s. $70, doors open at 6 a.m.
Drink the royal wedding cake
You know they were gonna do it: Black Tap has turned the royal couple’s cake into a milkshake. On the day of the royal wedding, stop by any Black Tap location for a Royal Wedding Cake Shake created in collaboration with Magnolia Bakery with vanilla ice cream, vanilla cream and sugar-frosted rim and topped with a two-tiered lemon elderflower mini wedding cake. $19, blacktapnyc.com
A watch party with commentary
The royal wedding gets the play-by-play treatment from Who? Weekly podcast hosts Lindsey Weber and Bobby Finger plus special guests, “including at least one British person,” they promise. Comment on all the hats and traditions as they happen while noshing on English treats at their panel at Freehold (45 S. Third St., Brooklyn), part of this week’s Vulture Festival. $21.77, 7-9 a.m., eventbrite.com
Celebrate with the happy couple
No invitation? No problem! Madame Tussauds is having a bottomless brunch party in the company of “her royal likeness” Meghan and her prince, Harry. Nosh on a spread of Scottish shortbread, Twinings Tea and specialty cocktails and bubbly as you watch the ceremony, with appearances by the cast of Say Yes to the Dress — the first 100 guests will also get a cage bridal veil courtesy of Kleinfeld Bridal. $25 for one cocktail, $45 for bottomless drinks, 6:30-9:30 a.m., madametussauds.com
Wish them well
Send Harry and Meghan some good vibes at Smythson, the official stationery of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Write a message of congratulations on their bespoke wedding cards — tradition is important on occasions like this — and the stationery boutique will bind them into a book and deliver it as a gift to the royal couple. And yes, you can include your address in the hopes of getting a thank-you note back! Free, smythson.com
A royal breakfast feast
Kellogg’s is the official cereal provider of the royal family, and its Union Square cafe hired former Buckingham Palace chef Darren McGrady to create royal-looking treats made with the breakfast food of the people. You’ll enjoy a multi-course menu while watching the ceremony, then make fascinators out of cereal boxes with Project Runway’s Kelly Dempsey. Free, first come first served, doors open at 5:30 a.m.
Take a selfie with the royal couple
Lillie’s Victorian Establishment is named for Lillie Langtry, a 19th-century British actress and socialite. Celebrate the rise of an American to princess status at the Times Square location on the wedding day with a free royal-inspired cocktail like the Veil of Roses (London Dry gin, Lillet rosé, sparkling wine, lavender) for anyone dressed in their royal wedding best, a special lemon elderflower wedding cake and a selfie station where you can pose with Harry and Meghan. Free, lilliesnyc.com
Pretend you’re in London
London has Harrod’s, New York has Macy’s. Come to Herald Square at 2 p.m. on Saturday for a pop-up with Radley London where you can pose in an iconic red phone booth, meet the brand’s dog mascot Scottie along with his corgi friend, then shop a special collection — arrive early because you’ll get a fresh manicure with purchase. Free, mezzanine level
Try the cake as ice cream
It’s ice cream season, and you’ve got two takes to choose from. Van Leeuwen mixes sweet cream ice cream with swirls of elderflower buttercream frosting and housemade lemon pound cake pieces. Over at Ample Hills, their God Save the Cream has a base of lemon ginger ice cream (ha!) with pieces of housemade elderflower butter cake with buttercream frosting.
Have a very decadent breakfast in bed
With the early start of festivities, most of us will be watching from bed. If you want to splurge though, do it at the Lotte New York Palace hotel, where you can luxuriate in bed with a Royal Wedding Breakfast in Bed. Timed to arrive just as Meghan Markle walks down the aisle, the meal includes an assortment of English tea, scones and a mini wedding cake. $75, lottenypalace.com
Go full English (breakfast)
Tuck into a full English breakfast (eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, Heinz beans, fried bread, potato, broiled tomato, toast and jam) plus Strongbow Rose Cider and Harney & Sons teas, including a special wedding brew, at The Chester. Toast with the themed Markletini or a Prince Cup when the couple say, “I do.” $29, thechester.com
Make your own wedding cocktails
You’re not crazy enough to be on the lawn of Windsor Castle to get a glimpse of the happy couple, but you’d still like to toast their union. Make your own wedding cake-inspired cocktails with St-Germain, the elderflower liqueur perfectly paired with bubbly. There’s the on-trend Elderflower Spritz (2 parts Martini & Rossi Prosecco, 1½ parts St-Germain, 2 parts club soda), the Royal Wedding (1 oz Cazadores Blanco Tequila, 1 oz St-Germain, ¾ oz Noilly Dry, ¼ oz fresh lime juice, 5 dashes Chartreuse, ¼ oz of Kaffir lime) and the I Do (2.5 oz Beeswax Dewars 12, ¾ oz St-Germain, 2 dashes Angostura bitters, orange twist).
