The happy couple have planned a weekend of wedding celebrations. Copyright: Palais Princier

Dinner under the night sky

It has today been confirmed that the wedding dinner will take place under the stars on the terraces outside the Salle Garnier, Opera de Monaco. Although the Palace has so far refused to name the gourmet master who will be trusted with the task of catering for this momentous event, speculation is rife that the Monegasque three-star Michelin chef, Alain Ducasse, will be the chosen one.

A major event accessible to everyone

Putting William and Kate’s one-day affair in the shade, there will be triple the fun in the Principality with three days of festivities planned. Undoubtedly a glamorous wedding, HSH Prince Albert II is adamant that the celebration is enjoyed by his people as much as it is by his VIP guests.

The party will commence the day before the wedding, with a free concert by the Eagles. The US band will be serenading the royal couple with classics such as Hotel California at the Stade Louis II and invitations for the show will be predominantly handed out to those who live or work in Monaco and the surrounding area.

The day before the Big Day

On Friday, 1st of July the civil marriage will be celebrated at the Palace, in the privacy of the throne room, at 5pm. It’s been disclosed that the pen used to sign the civil register will be a Mont Blanc encrusted with precious stones. The general public will be able to attend the ceremony too: through a live stream transmitted on two huge screens on the Place du Palais. After the service, the couple will appear on the balcony and the world will be holding its breath anticipating their first kiss as husband and wife.

The newlyweds will then join local people for cocktails on the square, with these lucky Monegasques sharing two precious hours with their prince and their new princess. That evening, after another cocktail with Principality residents, the bride and groom will attend a spectacular music event with French lighting-wizard Jean-Michel Jarre, on Monaco’s port. Tens of thousands of spectators are expected to attend what will inevitably be an incredible show.

The morning after... and another wedding day begins

The party for the bride and groom will likely not go long into the night on Friday, however, for they must be looking radiant and glowing for the following day's religious ceremony. Again taking place at 5pm, this is when the 33-year-old South African will cross the Place du Palais on the arm of her father, in front of 3,500 guests. After many years together, it will be a highly emotional moment for couple. In a charming move away from royal tradition of choosing aristocrat misses and misters, the six bridesmaids and two page boys accompanying the couple are children plucked from Monaco and the surrounding communities (Cap d'Ail, la Turbie, Menton, Beausoleil, Peille Roquebrune).

Mass will be celebrated in the courtyard of the Palace. A historic setting that will be instantly familiar to many watching the television broadcast on screens around the world.

For those living in the region, this is a wonderful opportunity to be part of European royal history in the making and it is expected that people will flock to the Principality. Celebrity spotters will be kept happy with some of the world’s biggest names in film, music and fashion in attendance, not to mention many members of Europe’s major royal families. And most importantly, there will be the sight of the joyful newlyweds making their celebratory lap in a convertible Lexus LS 600h L hybrid, specially designed for them. The princess will be driven to the chapel, where she will, as tradition dictates, offer her bridal bouquet to St. Devote.

Finally the couple will be able to relax and really let their hair down. Cocktails, a gala dinner and fireworks: it will be a night to remember. The prince and princess will open the ball and under the gold ceiling of the Salle Garnier in the Opera de Monte Carlo, they will dance their way to a new life together, happily ever after. The end.