Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Are Making Their Wedding Bee-Friendly

At every royal wedding, you can bet certain fashion trends will show up: ridiculous fascinators, silk gloves, and epic dress trains. But at the union of Megan Markle and Prince Harry, one outfit in particular is being encouraged: yellow jackets.

Ok, not literally. In reality, the royal couple has made it clear that pollinators will be welcomed at their celebration, hiring florist Philippa Craddock to create bee-friendly floral arrangements for the event.

The eco-friendly arrangements are a nod to the incredible impact bees have on our planet. These pollinators are a vital part of the life cycle of most of the world’s plants, not to mention our food chain and agricultural systems. At least a third of the food we eat relies on bees — but in recent years, bees’ numbers have sharply declined, leading to worries about their (and our food system’s) future.

One of the best ways for people to help bees is to plant and use pollinator-friendly plants. And that’s exactly what the royal couple plans to do on their big day. Craddock’s arrangement will feature plants that naturally bloom around the date of nuptials (that’s May 19th, for those of you not glued to royal wedding coverage), including white garden roses, peonies, and foxgloves.

“The final designs will represent them as a couple,” Craddock said in a statement, “which I always aim to achieve in my work, with local sourcing, seasonality, and sustainability being at the forefront.”

Craddock has said she has been collaborating closely with the couple on the arrangements. The entire wedding will be a celebration of spring and the new beginnings it represents, and will feature a lemon and elderflower cake from pastry chef Claire Ptak (elderflowers are also bee-friendly, FYI).

Like all royal weddings, the Markle/Prince Harry union promises to be a huge media event. More details are sure to keep coming out as the date approaches, so stay tuned for further buzz (sorry!).