Andrea Correale of Elegant Affairs (elegantaffairscaterers.com) is a celebrity event planner that has worked for Donald Trump, Billy Joel and Hillary Clinton. Now she’s letting everyone in on celebrity secrets so you can have a wedding fit for a star.
Fond Memories
Correale’s fondest memory is of a wedding that occurred on a private estate. The event took place over an entire weekend and was very intimate—there were 50 guests who stayed in the 25-bedroom mansion. The bride and groom set up an itinerary for their guests that included wine tasting, swimming, golf and tennis. On Saturday night the wedding ceremony took place against a sunset background and was followed by a formal dinner. “The whole thing just exuded love,” recalls Correale.
Stargazing
Correale has noticed a few things that differ at celebrity weddings:
- They tend to be more heartfelt. Celebrities like to write their own vows.
- There is a focus on natural elements and elegance.
- The menu choices are health-oriented. They think outside the traditional menu and opt for chicken, fish, couscous and lots of vegetables.
- Celebrities personalize every aspect of their weddings to ensure everything is very unique. They have custom chairs and tables, bring in real chandeliers and use designer china.
- Celebrities like to use clean and classic colours like white, muted brown and pale shades of blue, green and yellow.
Copycat
You can emulate a celebrity wedding by taking Correale’s advice to think outside the box:
- Don’t use the banquet hall’s accessories. Rather go to a rental place that has unique chairs, linens and china. Getting something special will set you apart from the rest.
- Model your cake after the design on your wedding gown.
- Instead of having many different hors d’oeuvres, select only a few of high quality.
- Have your dinner in one room and move your guests into another room for dancing.
- Have an element of surprise like a flaming dessert tableside.
- Pay attention to the menu. Go away from a traditional meat-and-potatoes meal.
Tight Purse Strings?
If you want to have a celebrity wedding but don’t have a celebrity-sized bank account, Correale suggests focusing your money where it counts:
- Focus on the details that will separate your wedding from others. Get designer menu cards and programs, or monogrammed napkins.
- Change the layout of your reception so it doesn’t look like a typical banquet hall wedding.
- Bring in a lighting designer. Lighting can make or break a room.
- Choose fabric and china that will make the room pop.
Upcoming Trends
Correale let us in on some upcoming trends so you can stay ahead of the game:
- Stay away from the traditional seated dinner. Encourage more mingling between you and your guests.
- Focus on creating a beautiful atmosphere. Take all senses into consideration.
- Have food that is appealing to the eye as well as the mouth. Talk to your chef about creating something visually unique on the plate.
Advice from the Expert
Correale gives you the advice she gives her celebrity brides and grooms:
- Take your pictures before your wedding. “I know a lot of people will hate this idea,” admits Correale, “but it will save you a lot of time and stress.” The benefit of taking your pictures ahead of time is that you will be in a relaxed environment instead of worrying about time. It makes a huge difference on your big day.
- Correale gives one piece of advice to the couple on their wedding day: “Enjoy it!” There is so much stress and pressure on the couple the day of their wedding that sometimes they forget to put themselves in the moment.
- Don’t fret the small stuff. If something goes wrong, just go with it, don’t stress out about it.
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