How to Throw a Star-Worthy Wedding From Celebrity Planner Mindy Weiss

Live Music

If you're going for a glamorous, celebrity-worthy wedding with a less-than-celebrity budget, Mindy recommends you prioritize the big-ticket items like live music. "If you could have a band as compared to a DJ, live music is more glamorous," she says. So if there's a way to save money and still do live music, it will go a long way.

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Ombré Decor

Mindy dishes on some of the hot celebrity wedding trends that the everyday bride can use for her own big day. One of the big trends is the ombré look — a shade gradient in a specific color that goes from pale to dark — that can be used in unexpected ways.

"What I'm loving right now in the flower world is that people are doing an ombré look," says Mindy. "You could even have a small centerpiece, but it makes for a story when the florist starts from one side going light to the other side going dark."

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VIP Guest Treatment

You don't have to have an Oscar-worthy invitee list to want to treat your wedding guests like VIPs. "It's all about taking the time to go around and greet everybody," Mindy says. "It's almost your responsibility. These people have come, some of them have traveled, they've brought a gift, they're there to celebrate with you. The biggest impression you can leave is by making the effort and going up and looking them in the face and thanking them for coming."

She adds, "And I don't recommend a reception line because I think that's painful. If you can have a plan to walk around to each table with your partner — do not separate."

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Go Glam

Everyone has a different idea of what "glamorous" means for them, but that traditional blingy look is often considered "Old Hollywood glam." Mindy gives some advice for getting that style without spending too much, and it just requires a trip to a fabric store.

"We just did a wedding where we went to a trim shop, and I actually bought yards and yards of Swarovski crystal ribbon," Mindy recalls. "We used the linens from the venue, but I wrapped this ribbon around the napkins, which made the entire table pop. I also trimmed that ribbon around the votive candles, so you had your flowers, but then you had these candles that just glistened because you had all the crystals on it."

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Be Bar Smart

When you're on a budget, it's important to know what's worth splurging on and where you should save. "Alcohol becomes a big issue no matter what, price-wise," Mindy says. "I just did a wedding at a home, and we did a whole SkinnyGirl theme; that's all we offered for our liquor. And not only did it have a great theme and cause conversation, but it looked really good. So if you have one signature drink as opposed to a full bar, it's great for cost-cutting." On that note, a glass of wine goes further than a sip of Champagne, so skip the Champagne toast.

Put your money into photography, which at the end of the day is all you'll have when your big day is over, Mindy points out. But since you pay per person for the cake — and there's usually a lot leftover — you don't have to order cake for every guest. Mindy says if you have 250 guests, for instance, do 25 people less, at least, for the cake.

Also, use the venue's linens and rent an inexpensive colored napkin or go to a flea market and buy a mixture of linens from 25 cents to a dollar.

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Succulent Love

Mindy notes that another celebrity wedding trend to try your hand at is using a lot of plants, specifically succulents. She gives some pointers: "I just did a table with five succulent plants on the table. So not only could the bride and groom take them and plant them in their garden, but the guests were able to take them if they wanted to. Succulents and an organic-looking feeling is very big right now."

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Dinner Table Details

To have a glam wedding on a budget, Mindy says it's all in the details. "The things that are in front of them are at their dinner table for four hours," she says. "So think a little bit less about the ceremony. The ceremony's beauty comes from the vows. Of course have some flowers and everything, but they're typically only there for 30 minutes, but they're at their table for four hours."

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Candlelit Rooms

Another simple way to give your wedding that star-worthy glow is to use a lot of candles. "Candles will always be in," Mindy says. "Always fill in with candles." But she warns that the cost can add up if you're using them as centerpieces, so buy smart. Discount stores can offer a variety of simple candles and holders for cheap.

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Thoughtful Thank-Yous

Give your guests the VIP treatment with personalized thank-you notes. Mindy says she has a bride who wrote an individual note on each seating card for each guest thanking them for coming.

Another one of Mindy's celebrity brides, King of Queens star Leah Remini, had beach bag favors for her hot Vegas wedding. "She wrote a personal thank-you note to every person in their bag," recalls Mindy. "It just says so much."

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Celebrity Wedding Inspiration

Image Source: Getty

Glean some ideas from Mindy's celebrity clientele and their special moments that stood out to her.

"There's always one thing I take away that I love," she says. "Gwen Stefani's wedding gown was my favorite. And Denise Richards got married under this tree that was filled with 3,500 roses hanging down. For Fergie's wedding, we made the inside tent look like an outside garden. It was like you wanted to put a tent in there and just sleep in there. Kimberly Williams and Brad Paisley did a surprise wedding. Everyone thought they were there for a rehearsal of their wedding, that they thought was the next day, but they ended up getting married then. And then they had a big picnic the next day."

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