With just hours to go before the long-awaited wedding of HRH Prince Albert II and Miss Charlene Wittstock in Monaco, the Principality is caught up in a whirlwind of people working overtime to put the finishing touches to the decorations, public entertainment and huge sound system and light show down on the Port de Hercule.

And for those of you who can't wait to catch a glimpse of the bride in her wedding dress (which has been created especially for her by Armani) the whole ceremony will be filmed up to the evening of the 2nd July by 100 cameras which have been placed all over Monaco, including 6 special cameras which will produce live 3D footage of the big day. The TV networks will be covering all the important moments during the day including the religious ceremony, the speeches, the toasts, the wedding cake and the fireworks display which is planned for Saturday evening.

In keeping with Prince Albert's longstanding commitment to protecting the environment, all helicopter footage of the day has been banned as they are not an environmentally friendly means of transport, but visitors to Monaco during the wedding weekend will be able to use the brand new hybrid bus which the Monaco bus company CAM has commissioned just in time for the wedding. The new bus reduces fossil fuel emissions by 40 percent compared to conventional diesel buses and as an added incentive to travel in an environmentally friendly way, all bus services in the Principality are free of charge during the weekend.

If you're one of the lucky few who has been invited to the wedding breakfast by the happy couple, you are in for a treat as the celebrity Monaco chef Alain Ducasse has been put in charge of the four course meal which will be prepared and served by his 350 staff members. The 500 guests including heads of state, European royalty and celebrities from the world of cinema and fashion will be served a menu with a Mediterranean theme in keeping with Prince Albert's upbringing and the meal will be accompanied by South African wines to celebrate the future Princess Charlene's background. Some of the ingredients have been home-grown on the Prince's Rocagel estate where he spent a lot of time with his family as a child, and where Charlene has been in residence for the past few weeks to escape the paparazzi and photographers in Monaco during the build-up to the wedding.

One of the most important aspects of any wedding are of course the flowers and the Royal wedding is no exception, with a team of 14 professional Monaco florists working around the clock to decorate the Palace Courtyard, and the Salle Garnier for the big day. The predominant colour for the decorations will be white and over 12,000 peonies, roses, lilies and hydrangeas have been order to create floral garlands and table decorations. As for the bride's bouquet, it will be composed of flowers native to South Africa in honour of Charlene's homeland. One member of the team Christian Carlesi-Sorasio is also the grandson of the original florist, who created the decorations for the wedding of Prince Albert's parents Prince Rainier and Princess Grace in 1956 so the couple are surely in safe hands as the 1956 Royal nuptials are still referred to by many as "the wedding of the century".

The official wedding timetable released by the Palace shows the upcoming public and private events over the weekend in Monaco:

Friday, July 1st

5pm: The civil wedding ceremony will take place in the Palace throne room, celebrated by Philippe Narmino, President of the Council of State. 6,000 Monegasque citizens are expected to watch the ceremony via a giant screen in the Place du Palais.

5:30pm: The Prince and Princess will appear on the Palace balcony.

6pm: A cocktail will be offered to Monegasque citizens in the Place du Palais, followed by presentation of their gift by the Mayor Georges Marsan.

8pm: Reception at the Port Hercule for Monaco residents.
10:30pm: Son, Lumiere & Video with Jean-Michel Jarre in the Port Hercule.

Saturday, July 2nd

5pm: Religious ceremony, celebrated by the Archbishop of Monaco, Bernard Barsi, in the Palace Cour d'Honneur.

6:30pm: Motor cortege to Saint Devote.

9pm: Official, invitation-only, dinner and ball, Salle Garnier.

Midnight: Firework display with music.

With only the last few details left to arrange for the event of the century, it only remains for FR2DAY to wish the happy couple the best of luck for the big day and their new lives together as husband and wife!

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