Throwing a watching party for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton doesn’t have to be a royal pain.

But with the wedding scheduled for 6 a.m. East Coast time April 29, you probably are going to find that plenty of coffee is, so to speak, your cup of tea.

"I would recommend serving food that can be prepared in advance," said Jessica Butzer, Brenau University director of catering, who has already set her digital viewing recorder to capture the vow exchange across the pond.

"Fresh-fruit muffins are always popular and they can be made the day before."

Patra Wroten, who lives in the Washington, D.C., area and writes about parties and other occasions on her blog, I Do Declare, has found a workaround to the inconvenient timing — a slumber party for some friends.

"We just love weddings," she says. "It really was just a great excuse to get a group of our girlfriends together, take off work and theme a party around such an exciting wedding."

The party will start on the evening of April 28 and go right through to the April 29 festivities with a few hours set aside for rest.

They plan to watch a tape of the marriage of the prince’s parents, Charles and Diana, eat English food such as mini shepherd’s pies, and may just have a little drinking game — a sip for every time someone says "future princess," for instance.

And, of course, there will be fake tiaras.

Even though Butzer will have to settle for watching a recording of the wedding, if you’re planning to invite a crowd over to watch live, she has a few tips for pleasing a crowd.

"Making a breakfast casserole with eggs is a lot easier than scrambled eggs," Butzer said.

"A casserole stays hotter longer than scrambled eggs and it can be made in advance and popped in the oven to warm up. Mini sausage or ham biscuits also hold their temperature very well. A fresh-fruit salad is also a good choice.

"And don’t forget the tea."

For Penny Bradley, co-owner of the Lyon restaurant in New York’s Greenwich Village, throwing a wedding party took a bit of smooth-talking. Specifically, she had to persuade her partner in the restaurant, French chef Francois Latapie, to be English for a day.

He agreed and now neighboring businesses, including the British restaurant Tea & Sympathy, are joining in. Festivities will start with a Champagne breakfast and screenings of the ceremony, with reruns for later in the day.

On the menu: bacon and egg sandwiches, smoked haddock with scrambled eggs and mimosas. There’ll be bunting, big hats are encouraged, and the dinner menu will include such notable items as toad in the hole and Lancashire hotpot.

Though the wedding isn’t making quite the same splash that Charles and Diana’s did 30 years ago, it’s launched many a promotion.

Beefeater Gin has come up with a cocktail for the day with a cheeky nod to the late Queen Mother’s reported fondness for gin. The cocktail, called Beefeater Royal Punch, consists of gin, Dubonnet, pomegranate, lemonade and Angostura bitters.

Bradley, a native of Yorkshire, England, sees the occasion as a break from everyday life, one that is especially welcome considering all the grim news that’s been happening of late.

"These are events that don’t happen very often in anyone’s lifetime and people love to celebrate them," she says. "They really enjoy watching the wedding and all the glitter of the carriages and the spectacle. It’s something that’s really amazing."