As the country descends into royal wedding fever some of Rotorua's wedding planners will be paying close attention because, as one says, "everyone's going to want what Meghan wants".
At 11pm tonight (NZT) Prince Harry will marry former American actress Meghan Markle at St George's Chapel, in the grounds of Windsor Castle.
Blue baths events co-ordinator Alice Wareing said she had seen her fair share of weddings but was definitely looking forward to watching this one.
"Meghan and Harry are the next big thing," Wareing said.
"Everyone's going to want what Meghan wants, what she decides to wear, what style she goes for."
"It will definitely map out the pathway for what all the in trends will be for the next year or so."
Meghan's dress, reported to be a $180,000 beaded creation by London-based Australian designers Ralph & Russo, is the thing everyone would be watching, Wareing said.
"Any bridal stores with a dress like hers will certainly be doing very well.
"I think it will be like Kate's but more slim fitting. She's always pushing the boundaries, so I feel like she'll do that even more with her dress."
Rotorua wedding planner Rolando Lorilla is looking forward to watching the royal wedding. Photo/Ben Fraser
VR Group food and beverage manager Rolando Lorilla has been helping couples organise their weddings in Rotorua since 2014.
He said while he would be watching the wedding it was his suppliers who would be taking notes to make sure they had matching decorations in stock.
"This will have a big influence on what we see in 2019.
"It might be that next year or even for the next few years we are seeing brides dressed like Meghan Markle."
The royal wedding has a guest list of about 600 people and an expected international audience of more than a billion.
"That will definitely attract more people into getting married," Lorilla said.
