iVows: Britain’s Royal Wedding to Be Made Available on iTunes

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Getty images/Chris Jackson

When Steve Jobs and Apple brought out the iPod and iTunes 10 years ago, who would have ever thought that it could one day be used to showcase the Royal Wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton?

That dream day is getting closer, in light of the announcement Wednesday that, for the first time in history, the entire April 29 ceremony at Westminster Abbey — including the couple’s vows — will be released digitally within hours via Britain’s Decca Records to online retailers such as iTunes.

(More on TIME.com: See pictures of Kate Middleton)

If you’re more old fashioned about your Royal Weddings (and a young NewsFeed can remember getting the day off school to watch the 1981 nuptials between Prince Charles and Princess Diana) then fear not, for the official audio recording on CD, vinyl or — yes! — cassette will be in stores from May 5. And it could be argued that you get a certain amount of bang for your buck (or should that be pound?) as the the physical album will contain a special collector’s booklet featuring the complete order of service, the readings, vows, hymns, blessings, all the music from the ceremony, with one lucky recipient getting a ticket to the honeymoon (we kid, we kid).

Decca, who also recorded the Charles and Diana wedding, said that the album will be produced by multi-Grammy-nominated producer Anna Barry, who duly noted the “great honor and enormous responsibility” of her role. “The wedding means so much to millions of people all over the world,” Barry said in a statement. “We have to capture every note and every nuance perfectly and have the recording ready within minutes of the end of the ceremony.” No pressure there then.

And if any of the 1,900 guests are reading this, woe betide any of you who make a noise if you’re asked if you know of any lawful reason why the happy couple shouldn’t get married. Because when a wedding recording goes on iTunes, you know it’s serious. (via AP)

(More on TIME.com: See how to turn Kate Middleton into Princess Kate)