Real Life Wedding Planning

Planning your wedding on a tight budget?  In the current issue of Us Weekly Magazine, Jen Schefft, from the television shows The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, spoke about her plans for her upcoming wedding.  Schefft recently lost her job so she is being really careful about sticking to a budget.

Here are some of her cost-saving ideas:

• Guest List – keep the count low
• Venue – chose a location that has it’s its own tables, chairs and linens.
• Linens – use what is available at the venue, no special order colors or textures
• Food – have a cocktail party reception with finger food or only serve three courses at dinner
• Music – use a DJ instead of a band
• Wedding Dress – try sample sales, check online. In the magazine, she modeled wedding dresses that were priced less than $500.
• Shoes – buy a reasonably priced pair that you can use again
• Jewelry – wear what you already have
• Makeup – Schefft is doing her own, do it yourself only if you do it well
• Hair – use your regular stylist

Think about how you can use some of her ideas to keep your wedding costs low.

Planning a destination wedding outside the United States?  Before you leave, make sure you know the requirements the destination country has in order for a marriage to be legal.  Requirements might include a residency of anything from 24 hours up to seven days, birth certificate, passport, or a blood test taken in their country. Check US rules also to assure your wedding in a foreign country is legal when you return.

Actor Bruce Willis married model Emma Heming at his home in Parrot Cay in the Turks and Cacios Islands on March 21.  They had a second civil ceremony in a friend’s home when they returned to Los Angeles to make sure their marriage was legal.

Reality stars Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, of  the television show, The Hills, got married in a secret ceremony in Mexico on November 20, 2008 but it turned out their marriage was not legal.  They never obtained a marriage license nor did they follow some of the other requirements Mexico has that makes a marriage legal.  They later went to have a civil ceremony during an episode of The Hills but canceled to have a big wedding in the future, or so they said.

You can get help planning your destination wedding from wedding planners here in the United Sates or in the distant county, just make sure they are familiar with all the rules.

Get great wedding planning ideas from singer Natasha Bedingfield’s March 21 wedding to filmmaker Matt Robinson.  Natasha gave information about her event to Us Weekly magazine.

Here are the ideas you can steal:

• Have a sunset ceremony, on a hillside with a view of the ocean.  Natasha’ s was at the Church Estate Vineyards in Malibu, the same place singer Fergie married actor Josh Duhamel.
• Spinkle the aisle at an outdoor wedding with rose petals.
• With a simple wedding dress, feel free to have a fancy hairstyle.  Natasha wore a custom designed Vera Wang gown and styled her hair long, using hair extensions and slightly curled.
• For an outdoor wedding, be prepared for the wind and anchor your veil tightly to your head.  Natasha had to trouble holding her veil down.
• Walk down the aisle to the song “What a Wonderful World”.
• Colors were peach and purple.  The bridesmaids’ wore purple, short and sleeveless dresses.  The flower girls wore ivory dresses with purple sashes.  Reception linens were purple with centerpieces of peach roses and ivory candles.
• Have fun, at the reception there were prizes for the best dressed couple and the couple who traveled the farthest.

Wedding of Fergie and Josh Duhamel

Top wedding planner Mindy Weiss coordinated the celebrity wedding of singer Fergie and actor Josh Duhamel.  The new, January 26, 2009, issue of Us Weekly magazine has the details and photos that will give you ideas for your wedding.  Here are some of them:

• Black and White color theme.  This was seen on the invitations and attire.  The train of the bride’s white mermaid dress was held with vintage black and white crystal floral brooches and the bridesmaids wore black while carrying bouquets of gardenias and white roses.

• Outdoor lakeside location with a fishing theme, one of the groom’s favorite activities.  The lake was filled with fish and guests were given fishing poles.

• An enchanted forest theme in three tents, for the ceremony, reception and after party.

• First dance song was “Sweethearts Together” by the Rolling Stones.

• Wedding cake was shaped like a castle and was half banana and half chocolate.

• Wedding favors were rubber bracelets inscribed with the words “perfect pair”.

• Gifts to the bridesmaids were cashmere wraps to wear at the event.

• Cell phones were banned!