England’s royal family definitely knows how to throw a wedding. Take Prince William and Kate’s 2011 wedding — every detail was carefully arranged, from the custom-made dress to $800,000 worth of flowers to the luxurious menu.
Luckily, it looks like you don’t have to be a full-fledged royal to enjoy these perks: Pippa Middleton just celebrated her own wedding on May 20 and took plenty of inspiration from her sister, the Duchess of Cambridge, especially on the culinary side of things.
Ready to learn the secret to eating like a royal? Here are the best eight things guests enjoyed at Pippa’s wedding reception.
1. Ruinart Blanc de Blanc Champagne
Like at every great party, great booze is key. Pippa’s celebration started with an elegant champagne reception, serving Ruinart champagne, which comes straight out of Champagne, France and retails for about $70 a bottle.
2. Parmesan Cheese Wheel
After the bubbly started flowing, the guests moved on to a variety of canapés and hors d’œuvres, including a huge wheel of parmesan. Although it likely cost at least $2,500, that’s a solid investment for any cheese-loving couple.
3. Beluga Caviar
An anonymous Russian donor reportedly contributed $52,000 worth of beluga caviar to the party. Definitely an unconventional wedding gift, but I’m sure Pippa and her wedding guests more than appreciated it. Also, someone please let me know where I can find friends like this.
4. Fresh Lobster
Lobster is practically synonymous with luxury, so it’s no surprise that it found its way onto Pippa’s menu. She may have even taken some inspiration from her sister, as Kate and William served a variety of fresh meats and seafood at their own wedding.
5. Serrano Ham
Serrano ham was another perfect addition to the wedding, since it is considered one of the world’s finest gourmet foods. This Spanish specialty is a cured meat, made only from several breeds of white pigs.
6. Carpaccio
Although it’s unclear what kind of protein was used in the carpaccio served at the reception, any of the typical choices of beef, veal, venison, salmon, or tuna surely complemented the rest of the appetizers.
7. Finger Sandwiches
Pippa did not forget about the children in attendance, including her adorable nephew and niece, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. They snacked on a variety of finger sandwiches and crudites.
8. Four-Tier Fruit Cake
Last but not least, Pippa had a gorgeous custom cake from Domino Purchas Contemporary Cakes. The fruit cake had four tiers and was frosted in classic white icing.
This cake may seem a bit underwhelming compared to sister Kate’s, which had eight tiers and took 29 days to design. Still, we can’t blame Pippa. After all, not everyone can get married to a Prince. But having a parmesan cheese wheel at your wedding? Now that’s legendary.