Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s May 19 wedding is just around the corner. As you put the final touches on your viewing party plans (don’t forget to set your alarm), here are some royal wedding traditions and customs to review, in no particular order:

1. The monarch must give written permission

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Per the Royal Marriages Act of 1772, anyone who is “one of the 6 persons next in line to the succession to the Crown must obtain consent of Her Majesty before marrying.” This means Prince Charles, Prince William, and Prince Andrew have had to seek Queen Elizabeth II’s permission and, when the time comes, Prince George and Princess Charlotte will have to do the same. In March 2018, some four months after Harry and Meghan announced their engagement, the Queen gave her formal consent to her grandson, writing, “I declare My Consent to a Contract of Matrimony between My Most Dearly Beloved Grandson Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales and Rachel Meghan Markle, which Consent I am causing to be signified under the Great Seal and to be entered in the Books of the Privy Council.”

2. She must also send out the invitations

Royal wedding invitations are formally sent under Queen Elizabeth’s command, as she is the current head of the Church of England. On March 22, 2018, Kensington Palace confirmed that invitations for Harry and Meghan’s wedding had been sent out.

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3. There’s almost always a formal royal engagement announcement

This is traditionally followed by a brief photo call and first official joint interview. Harry and Meghan did all three on Nov. 27, 2017, as did Princess Eugenie and her fiancé Jack Brooksbank on Jan. 22, 2018.

4. The wedding must take place at the Chapel Royal at St. James’s Palace

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This tradition began with Queen Anne’s wedding in 1638, but over the years, due to the increasing number of guests (only 100 can fit inside St. James’s Palace) and the royal family’s openness with the public, the venue has changed several times. Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and St. George’s Chapel have been in a royal rotation of sorts.

5. The bride usually arrives via horse-drawn carriage while she sits in a glass coach

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Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret, and Princess Diana famously arrived to their weddings via glass coach, but Kate shocked all in 2011 when she rolled up in a 1977 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI (on loan from the Queen).

6. The bridal party has traditionally been young

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In December, royal expert Marlene Koenig told Town & Country, “Most royal brides do not have adult bridesmaids,” which could mean that Princess Charlotte, who will be 3 by the time the wedding happens, will have a role. In 2011, Kate Middleton broke this tradition when her sister Pippa, who was 26 at the time, served as maid of honor. Meghan’s BFF, Canadian fashion stylist Jessica Mulroney (age 37), has long been rumored to be her maid of honor.

7. The royal family must sit on the right side of the church

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If the groom does not have royal blood, you can find the royal family on the left side during the ceremony.

8. The bride must wear white…

This is pretty much a given, but since Queen Victoria’s wedding in 1840, every royal bride has followed suit, including Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, and Kate Middleton. Wedding gowns have also included lace in recent decades.

9. … and a tiara

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Meghan still gets the final decision on whether she’ll even wear a tiara on her wedding day. But if she does, count Kate’s 2011 headpiece, the Cartier Halo, out. The tiara, which originally belonged to the Queen Mother and was later given to Queen Elizabeth II when she turned 18, is part of an upcoming exhibit that will take place from May 30 to July 22 at the National Gallery of Australia. No need to sweat though, Meghan still has plenty of other sparkly pieces to choose from, including The Spencer Tiara (which Diana wore on her wedding day).

10. The groom must wear a military uniform

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This tradition dates back to Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert, who sported a full uniform on his wedding day in 1840. Harry, who’s served in the Army for a decade, has completed two tours of Afghanistan.

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11. The bride’s bouquet must have myrtle

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Since Queen Victoria’s 1840 wedding, which included a bouquet made of the herb of love, myrtle, every British royal bride has carried a bouquet with a sprig of myrtle. And it’s not just from any local florist – the sprigs have been coming straight from the myrtle shrub Queen Victoria planted after her wedding. In 2011, Kate Middleton’s bouquet included lily-of-the-valley, hyacinth, ivy, sweet William (yes), and myrtle.

12. Following the ceremony, the bride must lay her bouquet at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior

At Queen Elizabeth’s (later, The Queen Mother) wedding in 1923, she unexpectedly laid her bouquet at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, located at Westminster Abbey. The move was a tribute to her brother, Fergus, who was killed at the Battle of Loos during World War I. Every royal bride has done this since.

13. Guests must adhere to a dress code that includes military or lounge suits for the men and day dresses for the women

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And the hats! Let’s not forget the hats.

14. Vows traditionally have included the word “obey,” but it hasn’t been used lately

While Harry and Meghan’s vows will be from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, don’t expect the Archbishop of Canterbury to ask the bride if she will “love, comfort, and obey” her husband. In 1981, Princess Diana famously changed her vows to read, “love, honor, comfort, and keep.” Kate Middleton made the same changes to her vows in 2011 and Meghan will likely do the same, unless she wants a repeat of the royal wedding of 1999, when Sophie, Countess of Wessex, caused a panic when she promised to “obey.”

15. Wedding speeches are typically given by men

Royal weddings of the past have included speeches by the groom, the father of the bride, and the best man. But according to The Sunday Times, Meghan will take the mic on her wedding day and let her father, Thomas, sit this one out as he is a “very private” person. Meghan’s speech will reportedly be an “affectionate” tribute to Harry.

16. The bride’s wedding ring must contain Welsh gold

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Since The Queen Mother’s wedding in 1923, wedding bands given to the bride have been made with some Welsh gold, which is perfect for Meghan, who received a 14-karat engagement ring from Harry.

17. The ceremony must take place at or around noon

This tradition has been kept by Harry and Meghan, who announced in February 2018 that their wedding will begin at 12 p.m. local time.

18. Guests are usually then invited to a lunch reception hosted by the queen

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The most recent royal weddings have also included a dinner in the evening. For Harry and Meghan’s big day, Prince Charles will host a reception for “around 200” guests at Frogmore House, Kensington Palace announced in March 2018.

19. Shellfish will not be served

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Royal menus typically don’t include shellfish to begin with because of food poisoning concerns, so don’t expect Harry and Meghan’s royal wedding menu to include clams, crab, or any other mollusks from the sea. Garlic is also a no-no, according to former Buckingham Palace chef John Higgins, who told the National Post in 2016, “The Queen is a wonderful lady, the royal family are wonderful people but they’re missing out on garlic because at Buckingham Palace you don’t cook with garlic. I suppose, in case you get the royal burp.”

20. There must always be fruitcake

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Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding included an eight-tiered fruitcake that was decorated with some 900 sugar-paste flowers. Fruitcake has been the go-to for many royal couples, including Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, and Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson. In March 2018, Kensington Palace announced that Harry and Meghan had hired London-based pastry chef Claire Ptak to make their cake, which will be “a lemon elderflower cake that will incorporate the bright flavors of spring,” covered with buttercream and fresh flowers. There is often a second cake at royal weddings so, don’t fret too much, fruitcake fans!

21. There will be a formal wedding portrait

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Who else is looking forward to seeing what adorable faces Princess Charlotte and Prince George will make in this portrait?

H/T Cosmo US