YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A CELEBRITY TO HAVE A CELEBRITY STYLE WEDDING!

A celebrity style wedding on a budget, possible? Absolutely! Here is how to get married like a STAR despite the down-to-earth wallet. Just follow these stylish ideas on flowers, theme, favors, and more to achieve your own celebrity style wedding!

Who says only the rich and famous get to have the fancy weddings? You, too, can get married like a star -- without the Hollywood price tag! The trick is to get inspiration from celebrity weddings and execute the ideas with creativity and thrift in mind.

From your wedding cake to the gown, there are many ways to recreate that spectacular celebrity style on a shoestring budget.

Here's how:

THE GOWN

Celebrities often call upon world-renowned designers to create their wedding dresses. You can find reasonably priced designers who offer similar gowns at a fraction of the cost -- do your window shopping on the Web at sites such as WeddingChannel.com or TheKnot.com. Britney Spears had a gorgeous Monique Lhuillier gown with a trumpet silhouette that cost almost $30,000. It was a tight-fitting, strapless, A-line gown that flared at the knees. You can get the same look for less from wedding dress designer MoriLee for only $500. Carmen Electra wore an embroidered, beaded, off-white Badgley Mischka gown at her wedding that was rumored to have cost $10,000. Looking for a strapless, embroidered A-line, we found a gown that has a similar look at Mon Cheri for only $800. Go to your local bridal shops and try on as many dresses as you like. Once you have found "the one", make sure you make a note of designer and style number and price it with Pearl's Place or RK Bridal. They are both reputable, well known companies that ship all over the U.S.

THE CAKE

Some celebrities opt for miniature wedding cakes for each of their guests over the traditional large wedding cake. Instead of serving individual cakes, you might have one centerpiece wedding cake for each table. It serves each guest at the table and doubles as a centerpiece. It's very cool and unexpected. It's also an interactive and fun thing -- each table could cut their own cake as the bride and groom cuts theirs. It's a classy touch that solves two separate issues -- the wedding cake and the flowers for the centerpiece. Carmen Electra had a towering multitiered white wedding Oreo cookie cheesecake decorated with fresh red roses, with 50 to 60 Swarovski crystals suspended on wires and shooting out from each layer. The cake cost more than $5,000. But by going to a craft store, you can find tear-shaped crystals for under a dollar apiece, and have your baker recreate the same elegant wedding cake for a fraction of the cost.

THE "BLING"

Celebrities often get jewels worth thousands of dollars on loan from famous jewelry designers such as Neil Lane, Fred Leighton and Harry Winston. Jennifer Lopez borrowed a diamond bracelet and necklace from Neil Lane for her wedding to Marc Anthony. Tori Spelling borrowed a beautiful vintage floral brooch for her hair. Borrowing jewelry from friends or family or raiding grandma's jewelry box is a wonderful way to create your own distinctive look.

RECEPTION IDEAS

You can add unique personal touches to your wedding that cost very little money. Here are some ideas from these a few celebrities we know. "Anger Management" star Adam Sandler handed out Krispy Kreme doughnuts -- his favorite -- at his wedding. Another celebrity groom had waiters carrying great silver chafing dishes filled with McDonald's hamburgers. "Bachelorette" Trista Rehn had personalized heart candies. Take these celebrity ideas and personalize them to fit your style. For instance, you can find "message hearts" that are just as nice for only $6.75 for 16 ounces. You can personalize M&M candies with up to 8 letters. And if the groom loves McDonald's, it's a fun hors d'oeuvre that isn't at all expensive to add. You can pick a signature drink, as oppose to having a full bar. One celebrity couple's favorite cocktail was a pomegranate martini. They served a nice white wine at the table and champagne for the toast, but at the bar served only pomegranate martinis. It was their drink and a HUGE hit at their reception and one that does not break the bank.

FAVORS

If you are on a tight budget, wedding favors are the first thing to go. But if you really want to give a favor, select something that's very personal. Sharing a little bit of your love story is a beautiful touch that could easily be done inexpensively in a variety of ways. You could add your story to the "Save the Date" card and print it yourself on your computer or have it done by a printing company. You could put your wedding story inside an inexpensive picture frame to use as a favor or even use the frames as place cards. Britney Spears gave small silver picture frames to her guests, and so did Shaquille O'Neal and his bride, promising to send a wedding picture later (I personally LOVE this idea). Silver-plated or beaded frames can be purchased for under $2 each.

AMBIANCE

What better way to create ambiance than the use of candle light? Instead of expensive candleholders, you can buy really cheap juice glasses and put candles in them. You can hit the stores after Christmas and buy jewel-toned candleholders on sale. You can also buy red cut-glass dishes in Target's kitchen section and put water in them and float candles. Don't be afraid to spray paint votive cups in your chosen color, either. Get creative and invite your friends and family to help with these projects :) It will make for a great Saturday afternoon get-together!

FLOWERS/DECOR

Some of the celebrity brides add expensive crystals to the wedding bouquets they carry down the aisle. Tori Spelling carried a bouquet of lilies of the valley with antique lace wrapping the stem of the bouquet, as well as Swarovski crystals. Brides can do something similar for much less by purchasing a special fabric or snipping a piece of lace from the underskirt of their mother's wedding dress. It's a special touch that can double as something borrowed and something old. And if you don't like flowers another money saver is to use tall branches (such as manzenita branches). Place them in tall cylindar vases (they come in different heights and dimensions) spray paint the braches white if you want, add glitter to give it that extra sparkling touch. Hang votives or crystals on clear fishing line and you will certainly impress all of your guests.

BRIDESMAID DRESSES

Custom-created bridesmaid dresses might be in the budget for celebrities, but can be too pricey for the average bridal couple and their court. Experts suggest checking out the better department stores such as Macy's, Nordstrom or even Target that stock bridesmaid dresses.
If this does not bring you luck, visit your local bridal store, try on the styles you like and price them with Pearl's Place or RK Bridal. Many brides have ordered their bridesmaids gowns and even their wedding gowns from these places and have saved a fortune!

BRIDAL PARTY GIFTS

Tori Spelling and Britney Spears each gave their attendants pink Juicy Couture jumpsuits that cost $99. But you don't have to give an elaborate keepsake -- just something fun and trendy. If you can't afford a $99 jumpsuit, you can buy tank tops or thongs. They can even say "bridesmaid" on them. You can even make this a DIY project and buy some iron on patterns and place them on your t-shirt/tank of choice. Britney's groom, Kevin Federline, gave his groomsmen $100 Tiffany sterling silver money clips. It doesn't have to be Tiffany, but you can have the same look and spend $25 to $35 each.

The idea is to take elements from celebrity weddings and do it your own way. Let it spark your imagination. Regardless of how much money they spend, whether the affair is formal or casual, the celebrities make the event something about them and something they really love. You can do the same, whether it is the colors you choose, that special drink or a fabulous wedding cake. You can focus on one thing and make it memorable. That will have your guests talking about your wedding for months and years to come!

The Official Dessert of Florida...Unique Wedding Favor Idea

Besides my passion for planning weddings and special events, I love to cook and try new recipes. I just finished baking these yummy Key Lime Tarts (pictured above, recipe listed below) that I saw on one of my favorite TV channels, The Food Network, and thought I would not only share the recipe, but a little bit about the history of the dessert. This is also something that a lot of my brides use as a favor idea, especially those having a destination wedding in Florida, which I seem to be working on a lot lately and LOVE it! So I thought I would share a little bit about the history of the Key Lime Pie and some favor ideas that you may want to incoporate at your wedding.

History of the Key Lime Pie

Key Lime Pie is the Florida state pie. In 1994, the State Legislature officially recognized Key Lime Pie as an important symbol of Florida. The road to becoming the official state pie, was not an easy one. Since the 1980s, North Florida lawmakers have debated that a pie made of pecans, grown in Florida, would better reflect the state’s history. House Bill 453 and Senate Bill 676 of the Florida Legislature's Regular 2006 Session made the Key Lime Pie the official Florida state pie as of July 1, 2006.

The key lime tree, which is native to Malaysia, probably first arrived in the Florida Keys in the 1500s with the Spanish. Key limes look like confused lemons, as they are smaller than a golf ball with yellow-green skin that is sometimes splotched with brown. They are also know as Mexican or West Indian limes. When a hurricane in 1926 wiped out the key lime plantations in South Florida, growers replanted with Persian limes, which are easier to pick and to transport. Today the key lime is almost a phantom and any remaining trees are only found in back yards and their fruit never leave the Florida Keys. Key limes are also grown for commercial use in the Miami area.

Favor Ideas

When planning a destination wedding in Florida, selecting a unique and tastey favor native to the state is the way to go. It will excite the palate of all of your guests! Some ideas that you may want to incorporate are key lime cookies, key lime bark, mini key lime pies or even something as simple as key lime flavored jelly beans in a cute personalized jar. I have shared some of my favorite websites with you to get ideas and inspiration from.

http://www.blondgiraffe.com/
http://tinyurl.com/keylimesable

http://tinyurl.com/keylimesable2

http://tinyurl.com/keylimebark

http://tinyurl.com/keylimesnaps
http://www.keylimeshop.com/

http://dotstreats.blogspot.com/2007/09/menu-and-pricing.html

http://tinyurl.com/keylimejellybeanjar

Key Lime Tart Recipe
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

This recipe can be easily doubled to make as many tarts as you need.

• 24 Key Lime Cooler cookies (I could not find these and used these delcious Brent & Sam's Key Lime White Chocolate Chip Cookies that I found at my local grocery store...any subsitute of this kind will do as long as they fit in the bottom of a muffin tin as the key lime tart base)
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons lime juice, preferably Key lime (FYI, key limes are those tiny little round limes)
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• Fresh sweetened whipped cream (1 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 1 tbsp maraschino or vanilla extract) or canned whipped cream or cool whip is fine as well
• Mint leaves or lime zest, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Fill 2 (12-muffin) mini muffin tins with paper cups and spray cups with cooking spray. Place 1 Key Lime Cooler cookie in the bottom of each cup, flat side down.

(Note: when I made mine, I made about 12 key lime tarts for the amount of filling it made)

Prepare filling. Beat together cream cheese, egg, sugar, lime juice, and zest until well mixed. Fill the cups to the top. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove tarts to cool. When completely cool, fit a star tip in a pastry bag and fill with the whipped cream. Pipe the whipped cream on top of the tarts. Garnish with tiny mint leaves or lime zest.

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AVERAGE WEDDING BUDGET

With the economy the way it is today, no need to go into the details, we are all feeling the effects from the extreme gas prices to the difficult housing market. I thought it would be interesting to share what the average couple spends on their wedding today.

On average, U.S. couples will spend $27,573.00 for their wedding (I have seen this number creep up to $29,000 in more recent studies and according to The Wedding Report, Inc. is expected to dip slightly). This does not include cost for a honeymoon, engagement ring, bridal consultant or wedding planner. Add that in and cost could reach $35,530.00. You should note that wedding cost can very widely and this is just an estimated average of what couples will likely spend based on our research at The Wedding Report, Inc., which researches trends in the wedding industry.

Here is a breakdown of the average cost by wedding category:

Wedding Attire cost
$2,595.00
Wedding Ceremony cost
$2,515.00
Wedding Favors & Gifts cost
$1,117.00
Wedding Flowers cost
$1,960.00
Wedding Jewelry cost
$2,057.00
Wedding Music cost
$949.00
Wedding Photography & Video cost
$3,673.00
Wedding Reception cost
$14,109.00
Wedding Stationery cost
$844.00
Wedding Transportation cost
$408.00

A wedding planner can help you minimize your cost for the greatest return on your dollar! This is where we can step in to help you achieve not only a fabulous wedding but a budget friendly one specific to your needs and desires. More and more wedding experts are seeing an increase in what we call "budget brides". They would rather save the money and put it towards a down payment on a house. This does not mean that even though couples are not able to spend as much as they would like on their wedding, that they cannot have the beautiful wedding of their dreams. There are ways to cut corners and save money. With the guidance and knowledge of a professional wedding planner, they can not only help them stick to their budget, but deliver the wedding they have always dreamed of having.

Wedding Budget Calculator
Here is a useful link to help guide you with your budget and how to distribute the costs.

http://www.yourweddingcompany.com/templates/planning/budget_calc.php/action/showProject/planId/3/

TIPS TO ENSURE YOU MAKE THE MOST OF AND ENJOY YOUR BIG DAY

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a happy and safe 4th of July weekend.
Here are some of my tips that I use to relax and motivate my brides/grooms. I hope it does the same for all of you :)

- Don't do anything the day before the wedding. Just enjoy it.

- Get plenty of rest the night before the wedding...it will be a long FUN day ahead!

- Make detailed schedules for everyone, including the boys, and pass them out at the rehearsal. Be as detailed as you think is needed. (ie."eat breakfast" at ? o'clock, shower, be ready for picutres at ? o'clock, etc.

- Have your florist label all the bridal party flowers with who they are for.

- Don't forget to set aside extra programs for yourself, your parents, etc.

- Bring water bottles and snacks for the day of with STRAWS for you to drink from. Then you won't spill on yourself and ruin your lipstick.

- Learn to breathe. Any time you feel overly excited just stop, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. If the two of you are together, hold hands and look into each other's eyes while you breathe.

- Take a Moment. At the end of the ceremony after you recess, it is okay to take ten minutes alone. There is really no rush to take photographs, stand in a receiving line or do anything else. You just got married. Take ten minutes to let it sink in.


- Make sure you plan lots of time for pics just of you and your FI. Even if you think you don't want a lot of posed ones, you will want some of those. Print a list of must take pics and make sure your photographer has a copy. For family pictures, start big and whiddle down to pics of just you and immediate family.

- HAVE FUN! This is your day...the day you have been waiting for ALL YOUR LIFE and have put all your hard work, time and effort into planning it...it will go by so fast so enjoy every second!

Top Ten Wedding Planning Tips

Well...the website is still in the works, so I thought I would leave you with some useful wedding planning tips...

Top 10 Wedding Planning Tips
Planning a wedding is one of the most exciting and rewarding things a person will ever do, but it is also one of the most stressful. As a wedding coordinator I see all of the excitement and frustrations that a bride goes through. The following is a list of tips that I give brides that I work with. We have found them very helpful, and I believe you will too.

1. Start planning as early as possible. Places and service providers are booked earlier and earlier each year. So to insure that you get exactly what you want, start early. It also gives you plenty of time to find investigate other options if your first choice does not work out.

2. Know your service providers. The reputation of the service providers you choose is of the utmost importance. Avoid unpleasant surprises on the day of your wedding by selecting service providers with impeccable records.

3. Put everything in writing. When you book your service providers, anything that you discuss, including special arrangements or deals, that you want included in your package for the quoted price make certain is written in the contract. People can't remember promises they made to you a year ago verbally, so make sure all the details are written in the signed contract.

4. Be organized. In order to avoid feeling overwhelmed by the number of tasks ahead of you, stay organized. Make an action plan by week of what you are going to do, and keep track of progress. This will help you to keep your thoughts and plans in order.

5. Pursue proper etiquette. Following proper etiquette has two advantages. Firstly, you will avoid embarrassing social blunders that can ruin your most special day. Secondly, since weddings are an emotional event for everyone involved, not just the bride and groom, it is important to keep all relevant parties happy and excited. By following the proper rules of etiquette you can never go wrong. People cannot argue with what is right!

6. Invite people to participate in your wedding party because they care about you, not out of obligation. I can't tell you how often a bride asks someone to be in her wedding out of obligation, and is only frustrated by that individual's lack of interest and participation. This is the one of the most important days of your life. Only involve people who genuinely share in your happiness and love. If they don't, there is no way they can behave the way you might expect them to. It is impossible.

7. Watch your budget. It is very easy to get drawn into spending more on your wedding than you planned or may be able to. There are so many wonderful choices available to brides that you should not have to put yourself in debt to have the wedding you want. If you start out with a budget, stick to it and find alternatives that allow you to do that. You do not want to start your new life with your partner paying off wedding bills for years to come!

8. Compromise. Knowing how to compromise will save a lot of stress through the planning process. You, your groom, and families all should enjoy the wedding and be proud of it. While the bride and groom should do what makes them happy, be open to suggestions and sensitive to the feelings of those around you. If you disagree with their recommendations, speak about it calmly and diplomatically until an understanding is reached. It will make the day more enjoyable for all!
9. Confirm and follow-up. Make sure as the date gets closer, about 2 months before, that you follow-up with your service providers such as the band, limos, photographer, florist, and videographer to confirm your arrangements, provide any last minute instructions, and reiterate timing of all activities. It will make you feel secure and will insure that they understand your expectations.

last but certainly not least...
10. Relax and enjoy! It is a fun, happy, beautiful time. Do not let the planning process mask that for you. Take moments to step back and enjoy what is happening. Especially the day of your wedding, just enjoy it. At that point, you have done all you can and it is in the hands of the trustworthy people you have hired.