It has been billed as a low-key royal wedding - but when the couple in question are hosting their reception at Buckingham Palace, the reality is anything but.
Yesterday, just a month before Prince William marries Kate Middleton, palace officials offered a glimpse of the venue and the team working round the clock to ensure their big day goes without a hitch.
Those lucky enough to have been invited, will have access to 19 state rooms, decorated in opulent style, following the Westminster Abbey ceremony on April 29.
On the walls, will be Old Masters brought out from the vaults of the Royal Collection in honour of the couple, who will no doubt appreciate their finer points, as they met studying history of art at St Andrews University.
The focus of the reception will be the picture gallery, where the wedding cake - a traditional multi-tiered fruit cake Ð will be on display surrounded with works by Canaletto, Rembrandt and Reubens.
Guests will also be able to wander through areas normally reserved for heads of state and other dignitaries, in the palace’s west wing, including the White and Blue Drawing Rooms, the Music Room and State Dining Room, all of which date back to the 1820s.
Remarkably, just 60 staff, from chefs and footmen to housekeepers, will be on duty catering for up to 900 guests.
But Edward Griffiths, deputy master of the household, whose department is responsible for all hospitality, says his staff are well drilled. Guests will be offered champagne and canapes “from the moment they arrive”, he explained. Their glasses will be topped up throughout the day - although the Prince and his new wife plan to stick to soft drinks (bar a glass of champagne for the toasts) until later, it is understood.
The Queen’s head chef Mark Flanagan admitted his team would be under pressure but was confident his 21-strong staff - who produce 550 meals a day when the Queen is in residence - were up to the task. The cooks will be using copper pots to create the wedding breakfast, some of which were first used 190 years ago during the reign of George IV.
Mr Flanagan would not reveal details about what they planned to serve but promised to use “the best of British” and source much of it from the Queen’s gardens and estates. Each canape is made to be consumed in just “two bites”. Delicacies served up at previous events include quails eggs with celery salt and a modern twist on old favourites such as mini roast beef and Yorkshire puddings. President Obama was served Cornish pasties when he came to tea. - Daily Mail