Will Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Royal Wedding Blow Up This Menu Trend?

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding is still many weeks away — specifically, it's slated for May 19 in Windsor, but who's counting? — but we already have plenty of clues about what the details of their to-do might look like. And one is contained right in the timing of the wedding, as announced by the palace: noon. That's right, the royal couple is going to have a daytime wedding. While we don't know yet whether traditional brunch foods and cocktails will be on the menu, here's what experts suggest might go down, given the event's noontime schedule.

Brunch weddings are certainly not novel for the royal family. In fact, Prince Harry and Meghan will be following in the footsteps of Prince William and Catherine. "Given what we’ve seen so far, I fully expect the couple to put their own personal spin on the menu," says Kylie Carlson of The International Wedding Trend Report. "I’d love to see a nod to Meghan’s American upbringing, and even a cheeky nod to engagement chicken," says Carlson.

The verdict is still out with the cake. "We could either see the traditional fruit cake or perhaps the couple will make good on the rumors to have a banana cake," says Carlson.

One of the benefits of a brunch wedding is the timing. "You could be wrapped up by mid-afternoon, allowing guests the opportunity to relax with one another," says Carlson. "This gives you the chance to jet off to your honeymoon early, or hang back for the day, catching up with close family and friends," says Carlson.

"I absolutely think we're going to see a push towards more brunch weddings," says Leah Weinberg, owner of Color Pop Events in New York. "Brunch weddings have been trending, at least in New York City, well before the announcement about the latest royal wedding," says Weinberg.

One of the practical reasons why brunch weddings are popular, particularly in big cities, is that it's often less expensive to rent an event space or restaurant for a daytime wedding. Also, it's still considered unique. "It's a great way to stand out amongst your peers on the wedding circuit because it's something unique and different," says Weinberg, who shares she planned a brunch wedding back in 2016. "It brought a totally different energy than an evening wedding and, let's be honest — who doesn't love day drinking?"