1:37It wasn't Westminster Abbey, but Brit's Pub was the next best thing in Minneapolis on Friday morning .
A standing-room-only crowd of about 900 people packed Brit's on Nicollet Mall before sunrise to watch Prince William and Kate Middleton exchange vows via flat-screen TV. Braving temperatures in the 30s, eager wedding watchers were lined up on the sidewalk before the downtown bar's special 4 a.m. opening.
The pub ran out of coffee by 5 a.m. as the caffeine-craving mass drank Brit's dry. A nearby Caribou Coffee provided reinforcements. Beer couldn't be served till 8 a.m.
It was a Minnesota crowd, but a few proud ex-pats were in attendance.
"We do pageantry very well," said John Okell, who grew up in Manchester, England.
The hour was early, but no one came in pajamas. Some men wore suits. Women came dressed to party in furs, feathers, sundresses, sheer white gloves and hats.
Julie Pfaender, 34, and her three girlfriends bought their outfits at a vintage shop. The women, who work at Target Corp., were heading to the office afterward but didn't feel a need to change. "I might take my gloves off," Pfaender said.
Jim Nicholson, who grew up in Northern Ireland, has seen several generations of royal weddings. Dressed in a kilt, he shed a tear while watching the nuptials. A former soldier, he said he appreciates William's and brother Harry's military service. "Besides their mother, I think they're more in touch with the people than any other member of the royal family," Nicholson said.
