WHILE it might take all the king’s horses to put together the kind of wedding day that Kate Middleton and Prince William are expected to enjoy on April 29, any wedding planner worth his royal oats could put together an, um, equally regal affair right here in New York.

Why book Buckingham Palace when at a rather princely fee of $25,000, plus tax and tip, 100 guests can eat like kings and party at a former queen’s palace instead. That would be the New York Palace hotel, which is ideally suited for exchanging “I dos” on a Friday.

Friday? Who gets married on a Friday? Not only the little people, but the royal couple, too.

“People might now say, ‘Well, Kate and William got married on a Friday, why not us?’ ” said Nicky Reinhard, a wedding planner in New York. “They might suddenly think that a Friday wedding is not just a way of saving money, but an elegant and beautiful affair. Because Kate and William did it, and it’s obvious they aren’t trying to cut costs, it becomes a seal of approval.”

Bridegrooms shopping for the perfect ring need look no further than the Internet for the Mi Princess Francesa, a tiara-shaped, 18-karat white gold French crown design with diamonds, by the Spanish jeweler Carrera y Carrera. Put it on her finger for a pauperly $2,109.

Of course, no royal wedding would be complete without a red carpet. Props for Today in New York has two sizes, a 4-foot-by-10-foot roll for $100, or a 4-by-24 for $160. Also available are thrones, made of wood and velvet, that can be rented by the king (or queen) of the castle for somewhere between $500 and $600 per event.

Jennifer Mosely, a project consultant at Props for Today, added that a royal crest can be created for the newly wedded couple for a mere $190. Ms. Mosley also noted that while scepters are unavailable, “like everything else, we could create a custom piece.”

Any couple planning a fairy-tale wedding might consider taking notes on April 29, as the global event is sure to provide what Andrea Correale, a wedding planner and caterer based in New York, called “an inspiring return to classic wedding traditions.”

Ms. Correale, who has planned such events in castles, complete with candelabra, dinner and seating cards rolled into scrolls, food plates covered with silver domes and waiters in white jackets and gloves, said: “Brides are very impressionable, so the royal wedding could be the next big trendsetter.

“Everything from their invitations to their table settings to their first dance to their wedding cake will all be new ideas. In much the same way that Madonna changed the way little girls dress, this royal wedding will change the way brides think their weddings should look and feel like.”

If a tiara becomes all the rage, a princess bride can top off her wedding with a solid platinum 20-carat diamond tiara (eBay’s buy-it-now price is $29,500).

If that’s a bit too royal for your blood, call Ricky’s, a chain of cosmetics stores that sells costumes, including crowns and tiaras that cost from $24.99 to $69.99.

Regal indeed.

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“ NYC Carriage rides NOT a rip off if you do it right!!!! ” Dec 12, 2010, 3:27 PM  midwestbigguy Kansas City...  From www.Tripadvisor.com  part of this review doesn't pertain to Manhattan Carriage. The part below does. I found them by Googling "carriage rides in Central Park" and came across Manhattan Carriage co. They have a very thorough website. I called the number. I was a little frustrated at first because I kept getting the voicemail. It is a pretty long outgoing message, but it does say that they will call you back in 24 hours "if you leave a message." So, I said screw it and just left a message rather than trying to call over and over again. I was surprised to get a call back within a few hours. Where it seems like most services that you call in New York are really abrupt, they get you on the phone, talk real fast, and seem like they want to get you off the phone as soon as possible, the guy who called me back was very thorough in explaining the process for reserving and it seemed like he wanted me to know exactly what I was purchasing before committing. He actually told me that I didn't have to reserve a carriage because they were available off of the street. I told him that I remembered trying to do that before and I would rather reserve. The price for the reservation was higher than what I wanted. As it turns out, all the carriage drivers got a raise from the city, I guess it is regulated. So, the 20 minute rides are no longer $34. They are now $50. The guy explained to me that because the drivers make so much by turning around the 20 minute rides all day, in order to reserve the carriages, the reservation prices have to reflect how much they could make while waiting for you to show up and during your ride. They don't reserve the 20 minute rides. They only reserve the 40 minute rides and more.

I told my daughter that this was going to be part of her Christmas present since it was so expensive and I booked the reservation. I was given the carriage driver's cell phone number and what his carriage looked like and also the location where the carriage would be waiting for me. I also was able to specify the time that I wanted it there. i was very skeptical, but I went ahead.

We showed up about 10 minutes before the reservation time even thought the guy who took our reservation said that the driver would probably be there on the dot because he would have another reservation before ours. He actually showed up 5 minutes before the reservation, so I guess they book 40 minute reservations in 45 minute slots. We saw another family walk up to the carriage before we could make it over and we heard the driver say to them that his carriage was reserved but that they could wait in line for the walk ups. He pointed to the long line of people waiting where other carriages were pulling up. That family looked really disappointed. We walked up to the driver and gave our name and confirmed that we were his reservation. The driver was named Chris and he was really friendly.

I was still skeptical. I was sure that the driver was just going to race around the 20 minute loop twice and dump us off, but instead he took us on a full 40 minute loop that went farther into the park. I didn't even realize the park was that big. We are from Kansas. We saw a big fountain and the lake. I think we saw the fountain that was from the opening of Friends. You can see the Ghost Busters building from there too. I can't remember what it was called. My wife and I are children of the 80's so that was cool. We asked Chris if we could hop out and take some pictures. He said it wasn't technically legal, but let us do it anyway and he snapped pictures of us at that area. I think it was Cherry Lane or Cherry Hill. My daughter asked if she could feed the horse and Chris gave her a bit of a carrot. And the horse is named Roger.

I actually was timing the ride and by the time we were dropped off back at our pick up location it came out to 43 minutes and a few seconds. So it was actually a few minutes longer than what they guaranteed of 40 minutes. haha. We were very happy with this. Chris took his time saying goodbye to us. I didn't even feel rushed getting off of the carriage even though a young couple walked over and said they were his next reservation. I tipped the driver an extra $40. I never do that and i think the 18% that you are expected to tip in New York for everything is ridiculous, but I made an exception in this case.

Be warned, the reservations are expensive. I think I said that before, but it was worth it. We only get to New York once every couple of years, so I didn't mind spending the extra cash for a good experience. And I am now the hero of the family, HaHa.

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It's probably the quintessential New York tourist activity, piling the family into the back of a horse carriage for a stroll through Central Park. However trite, it's popular for a reason - the reason being the magic your grandchildren feel being drawn around by a gorgeous equine and marveling at the skating rink, carousel, ponds and statues that characterize Central Park as a whimsical respite from the rest of the city's craziness. Rides vary in length, you need no reservation for the standard 20 minute tour. Just find the carriage parked at 59th Street and 5th Avenue,& hop in!