The opportunities the royal wedding provides for retailers, marketers and advertisers are extensive. Already, makers of memorabilia have been hard at work producing items to commemorate the day.

The legalities surrounding the occasion are largely common to all major public events, but reviewing relevant regulations is advisable for anyone intending to take commercial advantage of the celebrations. Provisions particularly relevant to activity around the royal wedding are found in the Trade Mark Act, the CAP Code, the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act and the Lord Chamberlain's advice on souvenirs. For retailers, the temptation exists to emblazon their wares with everything royal. However, royal imagery and devices, including arms, emblems and titles are all protected under the Trade Mark Act and cannot be used legally without permission. Care should also be taken with photographs of the royal couple, as the copyright may belong to a third party.

While no specific legislation has been passed for the royal wedding – unlike the Olympics, which has its own act to protect the rights of official sponsors – the Lord Chamberlain's office has released 10 guidelines on the production of approved souvenirs. They detail what kind of souvenirs the palace approves of and agrees to a temporary relaxation of the laws governing the commercial use of royal photographs and insignia for approved souvenirs in certain limited circumstances. While there will be no commercial pressure on the palace to crack down on products breaching the guidelines, it appears that many producers are choosing to comply with the guide for the sake of public taste and respect for the couple.