Royal Wedding: 7 Top Tech Ways for Keeping Up

April 26, 2011— -- You may say that you're tired of all the royal wedding hoopla now. But just wait until Friday.

As Kate Middleton, Prince William and the royal family parade down the streets of London in their Rolls-Royces and horse-drawn carriages, you know you're going to want a glimpse of the once-in-century pomp and circumstance.

Luckily for you, the best seats in the house for this royal wedding might be high-tech, not high-society.

A-list guests may have to crane their necks for a view of the happy couple walking down the aisle of Westminster Abbey, and fans of the monarchy might have to camp out overnight for a peek at the royal motorcade. But you can use Twitter, Facebook, live-streamed video, real-time photos and more to enjoy the scene without getting out of bed (which, considering the time difference, is a real possibility).

Below, check out seven top tech ways for following the royal wedding:

Get 3-D Views of Wedding Procession, Westminster Abbey

Not planning to cross the pond for the big event? Not a problem. You can get a so-called "royal's-eye" view of the wedding procession on Google Earth.

Using new aerial imagery of London, Google's mapping tool highlights the landmarks that Prince William and Middleton will see on the way from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, including the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and the Prime Minister's residence in 10 Downing Street.

You can even dive deep for a 3-D view of the trees lining the route and the famous buildings they'll pass.

Once you reach the virtual Westminster Abbey, for $4.99, you can upload an iPhone application that will give you 3-D images of the world-renowned church where the bride and groom will exchange their vows.

The app, Abbey 3-D, provides well-labeled views of the royal church, along with archived photos, historic facts and biographies of important people connected to the Abbey. According to the royal wedding's official Twitter account, all proceeds from the app go to charity.

British Monarchy Hits YouTube

We've seen wedding videos become YouTube sensations before, but the nuptials of Will and Kate stand to leave them in the dust.

The Royal Channel on YouTube, which will live stream the entire event starting at 10 a.m. London time (5 a.m. ET) Friday, has already been viewed more than 3.6 million times. The live stream will include the wedding procession, marriage ceremony and balcony kiss.

Those who want a bit of a British perspective can read the live blog commentary that will accompany it. And, if you want to get a jump on the festivities, the monarchy has opened a video guest book on YouTube, for anyone who wants to give their well wishes to new couple.

Royal Tweets Build Buzz

If you're already itching for the big day to arrive, the official Twitter account for the royal wedding should satisfy you through the week.

The account, @ClarenceHouse (named for the official residence of Prince Williams' father, the Prince of Wales), is sharing photos of nearby activity and choice bits of information, like the wedding reception seating chart and where the Middleton family will sleep the night before the wedding.

It also released an official hashtag for the event, #rw2011, and is counting down the days until the couple says "I do."

Fans Follow Will and Kate on Facebook

For Facebook fans, it will feel as though the royal wedding were being served up on a silver platter. Already, dozens of groups let members share information, opinions and tips for hosting viewing parties.

If you want to let Queen Elizabeth know that you plan to attend the event online, you can RSVP on The British Monarchy event page.

On the day of the wedding, you'll be able to watch the event live streamed on the page of the U.K.'s ITN, or on the Facebook pages of ABC, NBC, CNN or E!

Mobile Apps Put the Entire British Monarchy in Your Pocket

When it comes to mobile apps for the royal wedding, the options seem as endless as the British Empire at the peak of its power.

If you really want to absorb the British flavor, check out the free Royal Wedding Insider from the BBC, the free Royal Wedding by Hello! app and the Mirror's Royal Wedding - The Will and Kate Story ($1.99).

All available for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, they include highlights of the couple's relationship, video and photos. Nitpickers might enjoy the wedding etiquette section in the BBC's app, while fashion lovers could get a kick out of the designers' wedding dress predictions in Hello's app.

Not to be outdone at its own affair, the Royal family released its own wedding app for Apple and Android devices, called Royal Weddings. The app, which costs about $2.95, features historical facts and pictures from key weddings of members of the British Royal Family over the past 150 years.

E-Books Bring Royal Romance Into Digital Age

This royal wedding could be a record-breaking event for videography and photography but if you still have a soft spot for the written word, you can get into the wedding spirit with several new e-books.

As an expected 600,000 extra tourists visit London this weekend for the weekend, Frommer's released The Royal Wedding electronic travel guide to help visitors navigate the city. The $3.99 e-book gives insight on how to enjoy the city and the biggest event it will host this year.

"A Modern Fairy Tale: William, Kate, and Three Generations of Royal Love," a Hyperion/ABC News video book, combines the writing of best-selling British author Jane Green with ABC News' archival video.

For $7.99, you can read about the dreamy romance between Will and Kate, while watching video of Princess Diana and exploring interactive maps of royal real estate.

Even the Dummies Guides are getting in on the action with "The Royal Wedding for Dummies." The $9.99 e-book breaks down the entire British monarchy and lays out all the royal customs and etiquette practices. It also includes royal trivia (sure to be a hit at viewing parties) and London-specific tips for those traveling to the U.K.

Download the Royal Wedding Soundtrack

The wedding hasn't even happened, but already its soundtrack is available for pre-order in Apple's iTunes store.

The $11.99 album is expected to be released May 3 and will feature all of the live music from the royal wedding, including performances by The Choir of Westminster Abbey, Band of Welsh Guards and the readings and vows in the ceremony.

If you can't wait to fill you iPhone with the sound of wedding music, take a look at The Wedding Tea Towel App for iPhones. The 99-cent download includes royal wedding trumpet solos and organ music to tide you over until Friday.