Celebrity weddings are million dollar affairs in which no expense is spared, of course, the wedding day has a tendency to outlast the actual marriage, but never mind that. Celeb nuptials should provide us "normal folk" with interesting ideas to execute in a budget friendly manner. It's quite the same as looking to the stars for style advice, we love the 800 dollar Dior shoes, Carrie Bradshaw, but we will glad take the 90 dollar Steve Madden's that evoke the same sassiness. So, since most of us don't have millions of extra dollars laying around I have decided to help make sense of celebrities amazing big days.

Our first magical couple is one of my favorites, Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell. They surprised their guests with a romantic outdoor wedding which took place at the couple's home in Los Angeles. Wedding planner Heidi Asimus of Red25 Events coordinated the laid back affair. Here are a few ideas to borrow from the happy couple.

The Bride. Romijn wore a beaded Ralph Lauren sheath and borrowed Neil Lane Jewels on her big day. If you are a fan of this look, Watters Brides makes an amazing option for under 1,800 dollars. When shopping around for this style, you should be asking about sheath gowns with straps made of lightweight materials such as lace, chiffon, or charmeuse, with or without light beading. STEAL THIS IDEA: for her something blue Romijn had a small blue bow sewn into the lining of her gown. Rebecca looked radiant and ethereal and you don't want to weigh that down with heavy makeup and helmet hair. Make up should be fresh and clean, don't go crazy with the powder because you want to keep your skin luminescent. Mix a small dab of skin luminizer, such as Smashbox's Oil-free Artificial Light Luminizing Lotion, $24, in with your foundation before you apply for an amazing natural glow.  Instead of a powder blush, try Benefits lip and cheek stain called PosieTint, $28, which not only stays on all day long, it really does look like the most beautiful natural flush of color on your skin. I have also been told by makeup artists that applying makeup with your fingers (clean fingers please!) will get you a more natural look. When thinking of your hair you really want to keep it simple. Let your hair do what it does best, don't try to fight straight hair into a curled bonanza and vice versa. If you want your hair up make sure that it is loose or slight messy, nothing should be perfectly in place.

The Groom. O'Connell looked dapper in his slate blue suit and an amazing tie and luckily for us this is a super easy style to duplicate. Men's Warehouse has an handsome Calvin Klein grey tux option for rental. Register your group of guys and if they all rent their tuxedos from them, the groom gets his for free. Not to knock the style over at Men's Warehouse, but the ties are usually not great. You can do what I did and go out and buy classy ties, matching or not, and give them to the groomsmen as a part of their gifts. And totally go with the white shoes, they really look snazzy.

The Pets. The couples adorable dogs were both present and both dressed to the nines. If your canine friends are well-behaved enough to handle the party (mine is not) then head over to Doggie Clothesline and where bow ties are available in a variety of colors for only $13.

 The Paper. Since the guests were invited to a fancy "barbecue," the couple really didn't need to go all out with formal invites that could possibly catch the eye of a jerk-bag paparazzi. They did however print out song sheets so everyone could sing along during the ceremony, the song: "I Want To Know What Love Is," I am not making that up! Since most of us aren't on the run from the shutterbugs we can use their "outdoor chic" lyric sheets for inspiration for our invitations. Keep the color palette really simple neutral colors, browns and reds, and make sure to include a bit of nature, leaves, trees, flowers, etc. Look to online favorites like Paper-Source and MyJeanM for amazing original invites at a wonderful price. And if you want to steal their idea for song sheets head over to Target and purchase one of their super cute wedding invite kits and print your own for a fantastic price.

 

The Food. Guests dined on blue crab salad and grilled prime beef tenderloin, yum. Keep it simple, you don't need lobster and filet mignon, stick to hearty comfort foods. Keep it easy and delicious. There is no need to have 30 food stations set up, if you have 2 or 3 delicious options you won't need a Vegas-sized buffet. When it comes to dessert Romijn and O'Connell really had the right idea. Instead of a traditional cake, the couple served mini-country apple and red velvet cupcakes. Not only is this the cutest idea ever, it is really easy to duplicate on a budget. Publix will whip you up some mighty tasty cupcakes for a fraction of the cost of a fancy 3 tiered cake. STEAL THIS IDEA: use small framed chalkboards to identify the food to your guests.

 

The Decor. Keep things relaxed and fun. The outdoor space included long wooden farm tables with benches adorned with rustic lanterns and wildflowers set with old-fashioned champagne glasses and ivory plates. The napkins were vintage dish towels. The cupcake table was adored with white tulle, wildflowers, and stunning antique plates. I love this wedding for the simple fact that the budget could either be through-the-roof expensive or really modest. Sure, you may have to do some rummaging through fabric stores and antique shops, but when you hit the jackpot it will be soooo worth it. STEAL THIS IDEA: have baskets of sparklers laying out for guests to light up when the sun goes down. 

The Party. The guests kept it real dancing to everything from the hokey pokey to Marylin Monroe. The couple put together eight separate playlists for the evening spun by DJ Dave Meek. DJ's are great for keeping the party rolling, but if you pick great music and provide alcoholic beverages all you need is an iPod and some awesome speakers for a good time. O'Connell also took to the microphone, not once, but twice to serenade his  new wife. One of his choices, Vanessa Williams's "Save the Best for Last," good thing the Ugly Betty actress was in attendance to finish up the song. Most likely, Vanessa Williams or any other scandalous Miss America pop stars won't be showing up to your big day, so in honor of them why not throw a little karaoke into the mix as the evening dwells down. Maybe that is my Filipino other half speaking, but karaoke is a seriously good time. STEAL THIS IDEA: instead of a boring sign here guestbook, why not have guests paint their well-wishes on a large piece of finished wood that could be hung decoratively later

Romijn said it best when she told InStyle Weddings, "The wedding was about celebrating with our friends and having fun-- not about being stressed." Wise words for the future bride.

Lauren