How To Throw A Royal Wedding Viewing Party

Ever since Prince William and Kate Middleton got married over seven years ago, I have been Royally infatuated you could say. Since I was in college during the last Royal wedding, I wasn’t able to have a proper viewing party with my friends (I think I watched most of it on my laptop during my 8 am class!). As soon as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their upcoming nuptials, I knew that a viewing party with my girlfriends was a must! Whether you decide to wake up early or have your friends come over later that morning to watch it on your DVR, today I’m sharing easy party planning ideas and tips on how to make the morning of May 19^th not your typical Saturday brunch!

ATTIRE
Early mornings mean a grown up pajama party is totally necessary. I first became of fan of Lake Pajamas when I got a pair for my trip to Charleston last June and they continue to be one of my favorite pajama brands. They are the ideal spring pajama thanks to their array of colors, super soft fabric and also, the variety of styles. We all chose the short style in an array of stripes in spring colors and know these will be well worn throughout the spring and summer.

FOOD AND DRINKS
Tea and pastries are of course the ideal way to start the day in England, so the same should be for pretending you’re there too! To keep things stress free that morning, set up a serve yourself breakfast table complete with pastries, hot tea and a bellini bar. I set up the table the night before with tea party items such as this rose gold serving tray, glass ice bucket, three tiered glass stand, champagne flutes, teapot and tea cups and then was able to add the food and drinks right before guests arrived the next morning.

Since scones are such a key treat in classic English tea service, I knew that would be the one item I would focus on making homemade. I turned to my grandma’s recipe to make fresh mixed berry scones the night before so that all I had to do was warm them up in the oven that morning for my friends to enjoy with butter and jam. My Mimi is the best baker I know (and where I got my love for baking as well!) so I knew her scones would be the favorite treat of the morning. Follow her simple and delicious recipe below to make for yourself!

One of my favorite party tricks for the rest of the food is turning to store bought bakery items and just adding my own personal homemade touch to save time. From Whole Foods, I selected an assortment of their flavored shortbread cookies and added a simple royal icing and an edible flower petal to each to make them look extra seasonal for the spring. I also added some flowers to the display of mini waffles from the bakery as well on this tiered glass tray. All of this took less than five minutes and totally transformed the pastries display and made the morning completely stress free.

For drinks, let your guests serve themselves with either hot tea or a spring bellini. I picked up a variety of tea and juices for everyone to pick from, and just added a bottle of champagne to chill in the ice bucket when guests arrived. Another easy spring party trick is the night before, add a variety of edible flower petals into the ice cube tray to freeze. Like the cookies, it was such an easy and quick thing to do, but it totally transformed the table into a colorful spring buffet.

DÉCOR AND GAMES
For décor, make sure there are a lot of cozy pillows and blankets around for everyone to sit on and watch with. I also picked up my favorite seasonal flowers, peonies and lilacs, for the table and it also filled the room with a fresh, spring scent.

Another fun element for the morning is to do a Royal Wedding Bingo! I created this fun bingo game for everyone to use throughout the morning and to look out for funny moments (especially from Prince George and Princess Charlotte)! Download and print for you and your guests as well!

Download my printable Royal Wedding Bingo HERE

MIMI’S MIXED BERRY SCONES RECIPE
Ingredients
2 ¾ cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ cup cold butter
1 cup of mixed berries (I used blackberries, chopped strawberries and blueberries)
2 large eggs
½ cup of milk or half and half

Instructions
1. In large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.
2. Work in cold butter Just until mixture is crumbly, ok for large chunks of butter to remain
3. Stir in fruit
4. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry until all is moistened and holds together
5. Line baking sheet with parchment sprinkle with small amount of flour
6. Scrap dough into floured parchment pan and divide in half. Round each half into 5/6” circle, each should be about 3/4 thick
7. Brush each circle with milk and sprinkle with white sugar or cinnamon
8. Using a knife that you’ve run under cold water slice each circle into 6 wedges
9. Carefully pull the wedges away from the center to separate and there should be about 1/2 space between them
10. Place sconces in freezer for 30 mins, uncovered
11. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown
12. Remove from oven and cool briefly on pan. Serve warm with butter or jam. Enjoy!

Rose Gold Serving Tray, Glass Ice Bucket, Teapot, Tea Cups and Saucers c/o of Pottery Barn
Champagne Flutes, Three Tiered Glass Stand
Pajamas c/o Lake Pajamas

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Photos by Allie Provost