The Royal Wedding Date Was Just Announced (Plus Everything Else We Know So Far)

Great Britain (and the rest of the world, for that matter) can’t wait to hear wedding bells for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. And as expected, the couple, who started dating back in July of 2016, have already set the wedding industry afire with predictions for what their royal celebration will include. But there are some details we know are already nailed down (including the just announced date!):

The main event is set to take place on Saturday, May 19, 2018, the palace announced today. And seeing as there’s only a couple weeks left in 2017, you may be thinking that it seems like a rather short engagement for the duo. Well, you’d be right: Word is that Harry wants to ensure that his 96-year-old grandfather can be there to see his big day. Royal expert Kate Nicholl told Entertainment Tonight that Harry and his grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, share a strong bond. “He’s incredibly close to his grandfather and, being 96, Harry thought it was it was a great thing to [have] the wedding sooner rather than later, so his grandfather could be there, fit and healthy.”

Prince Harry designed Meghan’s engagement ring himself, and made sure to include a piece of his beloved mother, Princess Diana. Two of the diamonds on the band are from her personal collection, while main stone is from the country of Botswana, where Harry is a frequent visitor.

According to the BBC, the ceremony will take place a St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. In an official statement, St George’s Chapel is described as “an incredibly special place” for Harry and Meghan. But it has some logistical benefits too; Harry didn’t want to get married at the same place as his older brother, William, but he also wanted to keep the trip simple for his family. “He wanted something close to home for the Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen,” says Nicholl. The venue is a bit more intimate, as well: St George’s Chapel holds around 800 people, while Westminster Abbey can hold as many as 2,000. While 800 may not seem particularly quaint for us normals, it’s actually very subdued for a royal wedding. And the staff of St. George’s Chapel is planning on getting familiar with almost every face at the main event; Historian Hugo Vickers, who is Captain of the Lay Stewards, confirmed to the Daily Mail that he’s “told the Stewards to get Netflix and watch Suits, so they know who everyone is at the wedding.”

It has yet to be announced who will design Markle’s dress, but she did give an interview last year in which she let out a few personal opinions about her tastes while speaking about the wedding of her character, Rachel Zane, on Suits. “My personal style—wedding or not—is very pared down and relaxed,” Markle told Glamour last year. “Classic and simple is the name of the game, perhaps with a modern twist. I personally prefer wedding dresses that are whimsical or subtly romantic.” As for her favorite celebrity wedding dress style, Markle chose Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, calling her dress “everything goals.”

In a unique twist, word on the web is that Harry and Meghan’s wedding cake could be absolutely bananas… literally. According to The Daily Telegraph, Harry loves “anything with banana,” like banana ice cream and banana flan. The top tier of the wedding cake is traditionally a fruit cake (since it is long lasting and is then served at the christening of the couple’s first child) but we’d certainly understand if they’d want to bag that tradition.