What not to miss at the Royal wedding - the 7 key moments

The royal wedding morning will be long. From the moment the first guests arrive at 8:15 a.m. London-time to when the couple appear on the balcony at 1:30 p.m. will be about five hours.

Perhaps only the most hardened royalists will sit and wallow in every moment. For those who need to do the laundry, walk the dog or -- heaven forbid -- do some work, here is a guide to the truly, absolutely, completely important moments. These are the times NOT to go to the bathroom or make a cup of tea.

Follow this guide and you will always be able to say, "Of course I saw the moment when ..."


1. The Dress: 11 a.m. in London (6 a.m. ET)


We will see the dress through the windows of the Rolls Royce as Kate is driven to the church. But our first PROPER look at the dress will be at 11 a.m. London (6 a.m. Eastern) when she gets out of the car at the Abbey. This is the time to ooh and ahh on the design. Whether it is akin to the puffed up style of Diana's or, as some suggest, sleek and satiny like Princess Margaret's, this is THE moment. Don't miss it!!!


2. The Vows: 11:15 in London (6:15 a.m. ET)



It may be cruel, but many will be watching to see if there are any mistakes! Diana got Charles's name wrong (and seemed to marry his father instead). Charles for his part forgot to endow Diana with his worldly goods. Never mind. She got a lot of them anyway in the divorce! Meanwhile, Sarah Ferguson repeated Prince Andrew's middle name twice.
Will tradition strike again or can William and Kate get each other's name right? Don't be feeding the cat at that moment.


3. The FIRST kiss: Any time after 11:15 a.m. in London (6:15 a.m. onwards ET)
It should be after the Archbishop of Canterbury pronounces them man and wife. But Charles forgot to kiss Diana -- we had to wait until the balcony for that moment. Let's see if William and Kate remember.






4. The Fanfare: About 11:30 a.m. in London (6:30 a.m. ET)


Keep an ear out after the register is signed for a trumpet fanfare composed especially for this occasion. It will be performed by the Royal Air Force Trumpeters and is called "Valiant and Brave," the motto of Prince William's RAF squadron. Thirty seconds of ear-blasting trumpets that could well wake some of the 300 dead and buried in the Abbey.


5. Placing the bouquet: After 11:45 a.m. in London (6:45 a.m. ET)


It is fully expected that Catherine will follow royal tradition and lay her wedding bouquet on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey's nave. This tradition was started by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 1923 and has been followed by all royal brides at the Abbey ever since. It will be a poignant moment. Royal London wedding map: Parade route, palaces and panoramic views


6. The Carriages: 12:15 p.m. in London (7:15 a.m. ET)


Which coach will take the happy couple back to Buckingham Palace? If it is dry then they will use the 1902 State Landau BUT if it is "severely wet weather" then they will use the 1881 Glass Coach. Since rain showers are forecast, we won't know until the morning just how much rain has to fall to be "severely wet" and force a carriage challenge.


7. THE kiss: 1:25 p.m. in London (8:25 a.m. ET)


Even if you have slept through the ceremony and missed the procession, you still have time to catch THE moment. Catherine and William and their families will be on the balcony of Buckingham Palace at 1:25 p.m. in London (8:25 a.m. ET). A kiss is expected -- in fact it will be demanded by the million or so people expected on the streets outside.
Charles and Diana started the tradition. Sarah and Andrew followed it. Now it's William and Catherine's turn. Will it be a peck on the cheek or a smackeroo on the lips? Miss this and you have missed the lot.


Royal Weddings like this come around every, oh !, three decades. Don't miss out!


From CNN correspondent Senior Journalist Richard Quest