We are all wishing we had the coveted royal wedding invite…but if you *did* receive one, would you know what to do? What etiquette rules might differ from the weddings you have attended? Here are a few tips to get you ready for the big event!

Photo via Unsplash

Leave your phone behind
Guests will likely be forbidden from using social media. I’m willing to bet phones (or other cameras/recording devices for that matter) will not be allowed and that all the images and details shared with the media and the public will be tightly controlled by the palace. (This was the case with Will and Kate’s big day.)

Punctuality
Be sure to arrive 20 minutes prior to the wedding start time and don’t dream of leaving the party before the newlyweds!

An American in England
American guests are not required to bow or curtsy as the Queen walks by, but may absolutely do so out of respect. Would you really pass up a legitimate excuse to curtsy? I wouldn’t!

Royal greetings
Do not shake the hand of any royal unless he/she holds her hand out first to shake your hand. If you are lucky enough to have an audience with the Queen herself, be sure to address her as “Your Majesty” upon first meeting, but you may then address her as “Ma’am” on subsequent interactions.

Royal gifts
And you thought your BFF was hard to shop for! Not to worry. No gifts should be brought to the wedding and most royal couples will ask for donations to specific charities in lieu of gifts. Easy and generous! Now you just have to worry about what to wear….

Cheers!
Don’t forget, royal wedding or not, those precious champagne flutes are always to be held by the stem!

—Amber Harrison, Head of Weddings at Shutterfly