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It goes without saying that your wedding day is all about celebrating the love between you and your partner. However, in order to fully enjoy yourself and make the most out of this once in a lifetime opportunity, you’ll want to feel like a million dollars. Non-lace wedding dresses might be your go-to style if you see yourself as more of a contemporary bride.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with lace wedding dresses — in fact, you’ve probably seen numerous bridal gowns that feature lace, whether worn by someone you know or spotted on a celebrity. IMO, the most memorable lacy wedding dress of the past few years is Kate Middleton’s lacy wedding gown. As a born and bred British gal, I was glued to the screen on the day of The Royal Wedding, admittedly because I couldn’t tear my peepers away from Kate’s beautiful bridal attire.

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Although lacy wedding dresses are obviously fit for royalty, they’re certainly not everyone’s cup of tea. When used in a wedding dress, lace has connotations of femininity, modesty, and queenliness and while all these things are all wonderful, they may be the exact opposite of the attributes you want to portray.

So if you wish to be true to your personal style, but lace doesn’t fit in with your aesthetic, here are some gorgeous non-lace wedding dresses for contemporary brides.

1. The Classic Gown

A simply stunning gown with a train will help to put all the focus on you during your big day.

2. The Strapless Wonder

A girly strapless gown is a great choice for anyone who wants to feel like a princess for the day.

3. The Embellished Maxi

Bring a little glitz and glam to your celebrations with an embellished maxi dress.

4. The Classy Sheath Dress

You don’t need any bells and whistles with this sassy, yet classy, sheath dress — available in sizes XS to 4X.

5. The Grecian Gown

6. The Wrap Dress

Gals celebrating a casual affair will love stepping out in this subtly sophisticated wrap dress.

7. The Plunge Dress

If you want to show a little skin on your wedding day, go for it! This sumptuous dress will help you out.

8. The Back Cowl Gown

Reminiscent of old Hollywood screen sirens, this fancy frock will have you feeling like Audrey Hepburn in no time.

9. The Dramatic Mermaid Dress

Everyone wants their wedding dress to be memorable, so make a super statement with an organza ruffled mermaid dress like this one.

10. The Short But Sweet Style

Mesh is a fabulous choice for those who like the feminine vibe that lace lends, but fancy a different fabric instead.

11. The Minimalist Dress

Brides who love the minimalist aesthetic will need this elegant dress to fit their theme.

Don’t feel pressured to forsake your personal style on your wedding day — you don’t want to look back at the photos and cringe. Ditch the lace if it’s not your bag and opt for something else, there are tons of other wedding worthy fabrics out there!

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*Custom guest entertainment nearly tripled between 2009 and 2015 from 11 to 36 percent including cyber rolling stations, wine and liquor tasting and live dance performers, according to a study by XO Group publisher of The Knot, The Nest and The Bump.

However, modern twists and personalized services don’t mean couples can’t embrace traditional wedding traditions. There are plenty of ways to put modern twists on long-standing, favorite traditions and still have the wedding of your dreams. Here are six ways to get started.

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Go Architectural

Round, traditional floral bouquets can bring a soft and personal touch to a wedding, but can embrace a whole new architectural style. For example, FTD offers classic wedding bouquets that feature long, sweeping forms and pops of dramatic color like pairing white and black flowers. Additionally, small bouquets and buds tied to the end of the pews with white ribbon can give your venue a dazzling, traditional touch.

Be Bold

Get bold with your patterns and colors this wedding season. According to Brides.com, more couples are opting for personalized calligraphy wedding invitations paired over a fun and funky print with bold colors.

You can apply this same concept to just about anything on your wedding day. For example, a vintage black and white dress with a large skirt and tailored bodice can give your wedding dress a modern twist. Meanwhile, using red napkin rings, colorful cake toppers and brightly colored sashes on your bridesmaid dresses can breath more color into a traditionally white day.

Surround Yourself in Love

At the end of the day, weddings are about surrounding yourself with the people you love from family and friends to your chosen partner. Honor the loved ones in your life by mixing up the traditional wedding party roles. Men can stand-up for the bride among bridesmaids, and women can join the groomsmen. Choose complimentary outfits and colors and choose from friends, cousins and extended family to create the perfect wedding party.

Curate Old-fashioned Cocktails

Open bars and wine tables are the norm at weddings, but you can personalize the experience by curating your own list of old-fashioned cocktails. Tie ribbons and fabric that match your wedding colors around mason jars, or opt for traditional cocktail glasses. Choose from your favorite old-fashioned drinks from Black & Blue Bourbon Lemonade and Pimm’s Cups to delight your guests.

Get Creative with Your Sweet Tooth

The wedding cake tradition is a long-standing favorite where couples cut the cake together and serve their eager guests a sweet treat. But wedding cakes don’t need to be tiered, white wonders of frosting and fondant. Instead, try individual wedding cakes topped with fresh fruit and personalized with your guests’ names. Beyond the cake, more couples are opting for their favorite treats like frosted donuts and wedding day pies with whipped toppings.

Serve a Snack

If you’re prepared to celebrate late into the midnight hours, remember to recharge your guests and offer a savory snack. Opt for something fun that’s always a crowd favorite like slider hamburgers or bacon and egg sandwiches. Pair with colorful sodas and your curated cocktail list for one last refill before the party makes their journey to their hotel rooms or shuttles.

The real secret behind throwing a successful, modern wedding is focusing on personalization and making the celebration about loved ones. There is no right or wrong in choosing the perfect flowers or snacks, as long as it’s representative of your unique style.

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A Sheffield couple is celebrating after scooping the top prize in a competition to give them the wedding of their dreams.

After a tense finale, Hallam FM’s Win Your Wedding competition was won this week by Luke Scanlon and Emma Rhodes from Sheffield, who raised a record breaking £19,713.67 to take the title and win the wedding of their dreams.

The annual campaign, sponsored by The Crown Hotel in Bawtry, who have provided the wedding venue and reception at the Doncaster hotel, is part of a £30,000 package which includes a honeymoon and dance tuition.

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Six couples from across South Yorkshire were also in the running with family fun day events, supermarket bag packs, FIFA tournaments, raffles, sweepstakes and bungee jumps were just some of the activities the couples arranged which contributed towards the final total of £58,166.49.

Allan Ogle, charity manager for Hallam FM’s Cash for Kids, said: “We are completely blown away by how much the couples all raised this year. That’s absolutely phenomenal fundraising in such a short space of time, they are all heroes to Cash for Kids. Thank you so much to every person and business that supported them all to make this happen.

“This incredible amount of money will enhance the lives of thousands of children across South Yorkshire.”

Anybody inspired by their efforts can now sign up to 500 Faces, Cash for Kids next fundraising campaign, which is recruiting 500 people across South Yorkshire to raise £100 in 2017 which will generate £50,000 to support sick and disadvantaged children across South Yorkshire.

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Just because they’re celebrities doesn’t mean their weddings have to come with all the bells and whistles.

In fact, plenty of Hollywood’s biggest couples have taken the low-key route when it came time to say “I Do.”

As Gossip Girls star Penn Badgley surprised fans by subtly marrying Domino Kirke in a Brooklyn courthouse on a Monday no less, the new Mr. and Mrs. added themselves to a growing list of famous pairs who escaped the wedding spectacle typically expected of Hollywood’s rich and famous.

From quiet civil ceremonies to Las Vegas elopements, these fellow stars vowed until death do they part in similar no-frills fashion.

When Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard promised themselves to each other in 2013, they did so in “a quiet room in the Beverly Hills courthouse.”

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The entire ordeal cost the couple $142.

“it was still one of the best days of my life,” Bell said on CBS This Morning.

Jessica Alba and Cash Warren have celebrated more than eight years of marriage and two children together—and it all began in a courtroom.

In fact, the mogul and her film producer husband exchanged vows in the same courthouse as their peers, Bell and Shepard.

Seven months after the ceremony and the birth of their first daughter, Honor, they celebrated their marriage with an official reception at their home.

Keira Knightley and her hubby, James Brighton, also went the frill-free route when they wed in 2013, only this time it was in a town hall in the chic south of France.

At the time, E! News spoke to Mayor Aimé Navello, who married the actress and her beau. “Their two witnesses (for the marriage ceremony) were Keira’s parents,” Navello said. “The other people were all brothers, sisters and family. There were no other celebrities as part of the town hall ceremony.”

The wedding was so simple that there weren’t even flowers in the room. Despite the bare ritual, the newlyweds seemed to love every minute of their special day.

“It was really lovely. They were really happy. You could see it. They were laughing and sharing this moment with family,” Navello added. They were really simple, nice people…They seemed very happy and in love.”

While some may claim a wedding in Vegas can only end in disaster, it proved to have quite the lasting power for daytime television star Kelly Ripa and her actor husband, Mark Consuelos, who have been married for 20 years.

They headed to the Chapel of the Bells in Sin City and became husband and wife in a ceremony that cost them less than $140.

“We didn’t have cake because he was so cheap,” Ripa recalled on her show years later.

As for her white dress, “it was $199 on final clearance sale,” she told her audience.

As for blockbuster star Matt Damon, he met his wife of 11 years, Luciana Barroso, while she was bartending and he was in town working on a movie. After two years of dating, the couple tied the knot in a private ceremony in New York City before Damon had to head back to filming.

10 years later, the husband and wife celebrated their anniversary with a star-studded vow renewal ceremony in St. Lucia.

While they redid their nuptials, stars like Stanley Tucci and Chris Hemsworth watched from the audience. As for the price tag, the actor reportedly rented out the entire Sugar Beach Resort on the island.

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Weddings are one of, if not the, best days in people’s lives. It’s no surprise that as a result immense amounts of planning, precision and detail go into them.

The options with weddings are endless. There are so many different styles and designs out there that it can become overwhelming, yet at the end of the day a wedding is expected to be perfect. Dresses, cakes, flowers and jewelry are all some of those hard-to-decide aspects of a wedding, but luckily in Clark County there are people who are ingrained in the wedding game — people who know what works well. Below is a collection of their thoughts.

Dresses

A bride’s dress is arguably the highlight of a wedding. It’s something she’s been thinking about and imagining for years, meaning she might already have a pretty good idea of what it’s going to look like. But what about how it feels?

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According to Brenda Smith of Tutus en Tournant, a custom bridal wear producer in Clark County, a lot of brides in the area aim for comfort as more of a premium.

“As far as requests for custom bridal dresses, some of my brides have asked for Bohemian styles — more casual for outdoor venues,” she said. The idea makes perfectly good sense when you consider how many couples take advantage of the Pacific Northwest’s beautiful scenery and have outdoor weddings.

Having more or less comfort though, doesn’t affect the next key factor of a wedding dress — the color. White is usually the base color of the dress, but that is just the start.

“Some (brides) want a little color mixed in their gowns/dresses. Lots of lace,” said Smith. “Not bright colors, just a hint of like a blush or mixtures of different shades of ivories. Most dresses that I work on are not white-white, they are usually a diamond white or a soft white, or soft ivories.”

The use of other colors on a dress in addition to the plain white are important to consider.

“I’ve heard brides say many times that pure white does not work well with their complexions,” Smith said.

Something that seems to be hot right now is getting creative with the veil. Smith said recently she made a veil for a bride from the bride’s grandmother’s old wedding dress. She also put together a birdcage-style veil with the incorporation of some flowers the bride was using as decor for the ceremony to match.

Flowers

The types of flowers that are used in a wedding generally depends on what the overall theme of the wedding is. In a lot of cases, certain flowers can be made to work with pretty much anything. According to Wendi Reynolds, owner of Clark County Floral, roses are one of those flowers.

“Most of my brides like to use roses due to the fact they see it as romantic flower,” said Reynolds. “You really can’t go wrong with roses because of so many themes you can use them in.”

Reynolds believe roses go great with weddings themed “a little out doors,” such as a garden theme or a country theme.

But once a type of flower(s) is picked out, the floral planning side of things for a wedding isn’t over yet. Careful consideration goes toward the volume of flowers that will be used. The amount can greatly vary.

“That (the number of flowers) depends on how big the wedding is, it could be 75 flowers up to like thousands,” said Reynolds. “I have a bride for this month of February that has ordered over 300 stems of just roses, that’s not including the greens.”

Too often Reynolds said brides lose their flowers right before the big day.

“They don’t realize they need a cooler to keep them cool when the weather gets hotter in the summer. We have had many brides come in and said they lost flowers due to heat,” she said.

Another mistake Reynolds said she sees brides do with flowers is trying to do it alone.

“I think the biggest mistake is the bride taking on a task of doing her own wedding flowers. There is so much more to do than to spend time doing their own wedding flowers the night before the wedding,” said Reynolds, adding many brides have said after their wedding they didn’t think it would be so difficult without any help.

Reynolds said one use of flowers that’s popular is to decorate the stage arches or aisle arches with them.

“Most of our brides love the flowers on the arches,” she said.

Reynolds also noted that at Clark County Floral they will often add floral to chandeliers in weddings.

Cakes

Cakes are a special part of every wedding because they’re one of the only things that’s part of the event that brings a whole other sense to the party — the sense of taste.

That is perhaps the perfect explanation for why the wedding cake scene seems to be changing perhaps more than anything else regarding weddings.

Traditional cakes with all kinds of fondant on them aren’t as big today as they’ve traditionally been. According to Desirey Gibson, the cake designer for Battle Ground Bakery, customers seem to favor with “naked cakes” lately — cakes that don’t have much icing on them.

“People don’t seem to like fondant anymore I think because it just doesn’t taste as good,” said Gibson. “It’s always been used more for decor than taste, and I think people are just valuing that higher these days.”

A lot of wedding parties aren’t even using cakes for dessert. Many people now, Gibson said, will order a smaller-sized cake (one to three tiers high instead of four or more) just for the bride and groom and then feature a secondary desert around it. Cupcakes and ice cream are prime examples.

With that new trend, decorating hasn’t gone away. Some people love getting cakes for their weddings and theming them. Right now the hot theme seems to be to make it look natural.

“Flowers, trees, anything that looks outdoorsy,” Gibson said of the more popular natural trends. Most decorations today are edible she said. Rarely anymore do people still want something on the cake that is just there for show, such as a plastic bride and groom on the top.

Jewelry

At the end of every special wedding day everything becomes just a memory, stored away in people’s minds and reminisced on through pictures. One thing that will last is wedding jewelry.

Jewelry might be small, but it’s expensive for a reason. It’s elegant, and that’s why the tiniest of tiny details matter so much.

Right now, halo designs for bridal rings are the fad, but another, perhaps more interesting shift in the industry is that brides aren’t doing two piece ring sets as much anymore (engagement ring, then added wedding band after). Instead, more and more brides are doing away with that tradition.

A bridal ring style that’s been pretty steady for several years now is white-gold coloring. In the past yellow-gold coloring was the popular way to go.

Randall Brown of Celebration Jewelers in Battle Ground said the rise of alternative metals for men’s wedding rings is significant. Black and grey rings from titanium, cobalt, and ceramic steel have become as popular as gold rings.

Wedding jewelry isn’t just limited to rings. According to Brown, pearl necklaces are popular for brides, and pendants (any color) are often given to bridesmaids to wear.

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Memorizing the Quran has always been appreciated among the Palestinian Muslim community. The Hamas-affiliated Al-Tayseer Society for Marriage and Development in partnership with the Riyad Charity Society on Feb. 4 announced the launch of Ridwan (Satisfaction), a program to provide free weddings in Gaza for individuals who memorize the Islamic holy book. The project is being funded by the Palestinian Charity Committee, affiliated with the International Islamic Charity Organization in Kuwait, a prominent organization that collects donations to help the poor in the Arab and Muslim worlds.

The spread of poverty and high unemployment, which according to figures issued by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics stood at 41.2% in the first quarter of 2016, have made wedding ceremonies and dowries expensive propositions for young people.

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Riyad Shahin, chairman of the Riyad Charity Society, said during the press conference announcing the program that it targets unmarried “huffaz” — people who have memorized the Quran — 26 and older. The aim, he said, is “to encourage youth to read the book of Allah and strengthen ties and social solidarity.”

Hasan al-Juju, head of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Courts, said at a Jan. 29 press conference in Gaza City that the marriage rate in Gaza dropped by 8% from 2015 to 2016. He attributed the decrease to poverty and unemployment.

A number of young men told Al-Monitor that they disapprove of the memorization requirement to obtain a free wedding. Mahmoud al-Batrawi, an unemployed university graduate, dreams of getting married, but he is unable to find a spouse because he lacks the financial means. He has not memorized the Quran and therefore cannot benefit from a free wedding courtesy of Tayseer, the most prominent organization helping young people with the financial burdens of marriage.

“Some have been blessed with the ability to memorize the book of Allah, and so they have,” Batrawi said. “Today, those who lack this ability will be denied the chance to benefit from this project. This is why I believe this is an unreasonable condition, and I hope it will be reconsidered because memorizing the Quran means memorizing around 78,000 words, i.e., about 6,000 Quranic verses. No ordinary human being is capable of doing so; only those with an extraordinary talent for memorizing can do it.”

Ibrahim al-Ejel, who works in a blacksmith shop in the Shujaiyah neighborhood, east of Gaza City, makes $150 a month. He told Al-Monitor that he has been saving for eight years so he can get married, and he got engaged two years ago. He has not yet, however, been able to save enough for a wedding, which on average costs around $10,000.

“I realized that a young man living in Gaza cannot get married without help,” Ejel said. “This is why I had high hopes for a charity to help me out in overcoming this [financial] difficulty and finally achieving stability in my life. I was extremely frustrated when I found out that Tayseer’s project was only for huffaz.”

He added, “Young people from all social classes in Gaza need help getting married. This is why all discrimination in terms of social and religious standards should end now.”

Tayseer director Wael al-Khalili stressed that the free wedding program for huffaz is only part of a series of social projects to youths. He told Al-Monitor, “ We chose huffaz as worthy of receiving such help because they represent a special and unique segment in our society.” Khalili said that his organization also helps youths in general through the Tayseer Marriage Fund, which was established in 2010. The organization provides a loan from the fund to cover the wedding, and the newlyweds repay it in regular installments.

“The huffaz are the young people with the highest morals in our society,” Khalili asserted. “They deserve to be treated differently, and so they do not have to pay back the money they get for their weddings.”

As for the huffaz who stand to benefit from the project, Khalili said, “We do not have a specific number for the time being, but the funding is enough for dozens of huffaz. Each one will be granted an amount to cover the costs of the entire wedding.”

Mouin Rajab, an economics professor at Al-Azhar University in Gaza, noted that Palestinians from all social classes are living under difficult economic conditions, which is why thousands of unemployed graduates are in need of assistance to deal with life’s troubles.

“Although honoring the huffaz is appreciated by Palestinian society, Palestinian youths — college graduates in particular — are unemployed, have no income and are unable to pay for a wedding,” said Rajab. “This is why they should all be receiving help without exception.”

He added, “Even the ones working need assistance to cover the costs of weddings, because they can barely earn a decent living in light of the low wages in Gaza and the difficulty in saving.”

Palestinian youths in Gaza are mired in economic problems that render them unable to live normal lives. Social, partisan and government organizations are able to provide some help for those hoping to marry, but many are stuck between the hammer and the anvil when it comes to financing weddings and dowries and meeting social and religious standards.

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After attending a friend’s civil wedding ceremony and seeing how poorly prepared the celebrant was, Will Flanagan decided he could do better.

“There was a definite lack of sincerity expressed by the celebrant,” Will told the Leinster Express. “She seemed disinterested and detached, like she didn’t really care. My friends deserved better!”

Originally from Derrylamogue, Co. Laois, Will decided his affable personality along with experience in acting and public speaking provided the perfect foundation for a career as a celebrant.

Will, who hails from a farm, embarked on a training course with the Irish Institute of Celebrants, where he, and fellow course mates formed Alternative Weddings Ireland, a group whose common goal is to help couples create the wedding of their dreams.

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Also a teacher in Dublin, Will sailed through his assessment in January 2017 and is now an accredited celebrant. He is fully qualified to help with weddings, vow renewals, naming ceremonies and also funerals.

“If you’re looking for help with choosing the perfect readings, heartfelt vows or music that will make your wedding unforgettable, I’m here to help,” he said.

Wedding ceremonies appeal to everyone and couples like to add those special touches that make their celebration personal. This is where Will works his magic. He says he ensures that the little things that matter to a couple’s beliefs, stories and personalities, are included.

“I’ll bring sincerity, joy and humour to your wedding day. Guaranteed!” Will declared.

Those of us who are married might recall how, prior to our wedding day, discussions revolved around venues, catering, dates, rings, clothes and so on.

In all likelihood, the ‘heart and soul’ of the day, namely the celebration, was overlooked. Imagine then, having a dedicated professional like Will, whose sole task is to help you, the couple, channel energy into that one, very special aspect.

“Ireland is a magical place and there’s a whole lot of mysticism in some of the ancient rites and rituals celebrated here,” says Will. “To give you an example, we have the Celtic knot fasting ritual, which is where the term ‘tying the knot’ comes from. Imagine entwining a couple’s hands with traditional burlap and ribbons that they’ve chosen for the occasion. How romantic is that”?

Will’s parents still live on the family farm in Laois. He splits my time between there and Dublin where he works Monday – Friday as a secondary school teacher in Dalkey.

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First comes love, then comes paying for the wedding.

Weddings cost an average of $35,329 nationally — excluding the honeymoon — according to The Knot’s 2016 Real Weddings Study. That’s the highest reported average cost since the survey began in 2006.

But you’re not obligated to spend that much, and many couples don’t. We asked experts how you can set a reasonable budget and cut costs on some of the most expensive elements of your upcoming nuptials.

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The budget

1. BE REALISTIC

Don’t start your marriage in debt, says Anne Chertoff, a trend expert for WeddingWire. “Most couples don’t anticipate how much a wedding is actually going to cost, so they end up underestimating what they’re going to spend and then going over their budget,” she says. Set realistic spending limits from the beginning that account for all areas of your wedding. If you overspend in one area, cut back in another.

2. USE A CREDIT CARD — RESPONSIBLY

It can be smart to use a credit card for wedding-related purchases — as long as you’re not taking on more debt than you can afford to pay off. Chertoff recommends using accumulated points toward your honeymoon, particularly if you have a card with travel rewards.

The date

3. CONSIDER A WINTER WEDDING

Not all wedding dates are created equal. Find out which are most popular on WeddingWire’s wedding date calendar. If there’s more demand for a given date, you’ll usually pay a higher price for a venue. You could score a discount for choosing a less popular month, such as January or February, Chertoff says.

4. BOOK A SUNDAY

Saturday is a popular day for weddings, but it’s also generally the most expensive day to get married. You can likely reserve your venue at a lower price if you hold your wedding on a Sunday, or even a weeknight.

The guests

5. PUT A TWIST ON ‘PLUS ONE’ ETIQUETTE

Instead of giving all guests older than 18 a “plus one,” limit them to couples you socialize with regularly, says Sharon Naylor, author of dozens of wedding books, including “1,001 Ways to Save Money … and Still Have a Dazzling Wedding.” To avoid awkward questions, explain how you’re determining the guest list.

6. MIX UP YOUR INVITATIONS

You’ll probably want to mail out traditional invitations, says Stephanie Cain, an editor at The Knot. But you can post wedding weekend itineraries on your wedding website and email save-the-date alerts. That’ll save you the cost of printing and postage.

The dress

7. CHECK OUT A PROM SHOP

Brides aren’t finding dresses at just the bridal shop these days, Naylor says. You can pick up a white dress in the prom or party dress section of any department store. The popularity of colored dresses makes formal gowns a nice substitute, too.

The national average spent on a wedding dress was $1,564 in 2016, according to the The Knot’s latest Real Weddings study. A simple Google search for white prom dresses pulls up options that cost a fraction of that.

8. BUDGET FOR YOUR ACCESSORIES

There’s more to your dress budget than the dress. Cain suggests taking extras such as tailoring fees, shoes, jewelry and a clutch into account when setting a spending limit. To save on your veil, Chertoff recommends making it your “something borrowed” and wearing a family member’s.

The venue

9. NEGOTIATE

Lots of unexpected expenses can pop up during planning, including cake-cutting and corkage fees or power for your DJ and photo booth. Naylor says you don’t have to take them as they are. If a cost seems unreasonable, respectfully request to have it removed.

10. USE THE VENUE’S RESOURCES

Some venues provide tables and linens, Cain says. If you opt for a backyard wedding, you’ll have to rent items like these. Always read a venue’s contract in its entirety before signing so you know what is and isn’t included.

And keep an eye out for requirements. You might not want to be obligated to use the venue’s caterer, for instance.

The decor

11. COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR VENDORS

Naylor says some floral designers have warehouses with excess inventory they’re willing to give away or lend out for free. Once you’ve placed an order, ask about expanding your options.

12. BORROW FROM OTHER NEWLYWEDS

Ask friends who have recently gotten married if you can borrow centerpieces or other items that they have left over.

13. SCOUT OUT DECORATIONS AT CRAFT STORES

Look for wedding decorations — especially light-up decor — in places like craft stores. They have “more than glue guns and glitter,” Naylor says.

The flowers

14. STICK TO IN-SEASON BLOOMS

You might have your heart set on pink flowers to accent your bridesmaids’ bouquets, but consider settling for a different shade or variety. Local blooms that are in season at the time of your wedding are generally less expensive. Also, “local flowers tend to look fresher because they didn’t have to travel for days,” Cain says.

15. GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR FLOWERS

A larger flower, such as a hydrangea, naturally looks fuller and takes up more space with fewer stems, Cain says. And you can repurpose ceremony flowers for the reception, instead of buying more. For instance, use a ceremony arch to adorn your sweetheart table at the reception.

The menu

16. GO FOR A SHORTER CAKE

The more tiers on your cake, the more it’ll cost you. Cain suggests sticking to two tiers and having sheet cakes to serve. The cake you cut for your pictures doesn’t have to feed all of your guests.

17. CUT DOWN ON DRINK SIZES

Arrange for the bartender to serve your signature drinks in smaller glasses. “Most people will go and try the signature drink, take a sip, put it down and go back to their regular drink,” Naylor says. Minimize the cost of your bar tab by opting for shooters.

The rest

18. CHOOSE A CHARITABLE FAVOR

Don’t want to buy a favor for each wedding guest? Make a charitable donation on behalf of all your guests, Chertoff says. That way, you can set the amount you’re comfortable spending, donate to a cause you care about and write off the contribution on your taxes.

19. LIMIT YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER’S HOURS

Save money by shaving off some of the time your photographer and videographer are present, Naylor and Cain suggest. You’ll likely want them there for the ceremony, but you might not need footage of the end-of-reception dancing.

Bottom line, these experts suggest keeping a close eye on your wedding spending. “Anybody — whether they have a $10,000 budget or a $500,000 budget — is still working on a budget,” Cain says.

Devote the biggest parts of your budget to the areas that are most important to you and be willing to compromise on the rest.

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The groom was 60-years-old and the wedding was seven years ago, yet the magic and romance of the moment continues to inspire not only the couple themselves, but the 800 witnesses to that momentous occasion—many of them complete strangers.

Yaakov and Marsha Motzen were joined in holy matrimony in a ceremony that adhered strictly to the Jewish wedding traditions and kosher laws that they both hold dear. Unlike most religiously observant couples, however, they chose to get married on the open seas.

“Our ketubah (marriage contract) may be the only one in the world to list under location of the wedding, ‘Between Fort Lauderdale and St. Thomas,’” Marsha says of her cruise ship wedding.

Since the groom is one of the most famous current cantors and performers of Jewish music, the wedding was destined to melodically fill the ship. In fact, more than a dozen big-name cantors and other musical luminaries were on board to add their voices to this event, including Avraham Fried, Naftali and Natenel Herstik, Binyamin Helfgot and Dudu Fisher, plus Amiran Dvir and his band.

Jewish destination weddings constitute a growing trend, according to those involved in such celebrations. More Jewish couples are opting to exchange vows in gorgeous places around the world—without sacrificing Jewish tradition in the process.

Taking this trend to the next level, a leading kosher cruise and travel company, Kosherica, is now partnering with the Atlantis Paradise Island resort in the Bahamas to create a program for picturesque Jewish destination weddings and other celebrations (such as bar/bat mitzvahs).

Atlantis, a 20-year-old resort, is now providing everything from a decorated chuppah (wedding canopy) overlooking the vivid blue Bahamian waters, to a local rabbi, to cuisine prepared under the direction of world-class chefs, to a mashgiach (kosher supervisor). Some packages also include photography and dolphin swimming for the guests.

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Kosher hors d’oeuvres at a Jewish wedding. The Bahamas-based Atlantis Paradise Island resort and Kosherica, a leading kosher cruise and travel company, are now offering wedding packages that include kosher catering. Credit: Maloman Studios.“Atlantis has the advantage of having a facility where you can make it into an entire wedding weekend, which is what most families want to do,” says Kosherica spokeswoman Aliza Seidman.

“Some families prefer to keep the weekend casual with buffet meals and maybe a Saturday night barbecue, and then the wedding on Sunday is more formal,” she adds.

In the fall of 2015, Avi and Nicole Yurman of Toronto were the first couple to be married under this partnership. “Having our chuppah overlooking the ocean was so beautiful,” says Nicole. “We were able to have a smaller wedding, just 115 family and close friends, in an unforgettable location. It was perfect for us.”

Kosherica, which was founded more than two decades ago, offers cruise travelers kosher food prepared by five-star chefs. “We’ve had winter weddings in tropical Caribbean, bar mitzvahs with Alaska glaciers in the backdrop and renewal vows in the gorgeous Mediterranean,” says Kosherica Chief Financial Officer Helit Edelstein.

How much will such a kosher destination wedding cost? Ceremony site fees for events for Kosherica start at $3,500, and costs are calculated based on how many guests and meals are included. The wedding packages with Atlantis run about $400 per person for the festive weekend.

Atlantis representatives anticipate that the partnership will be a fruitful one for everyone involved.

“In our efforts to continue to expand our offerings and market reach, we knew there was a need for kosher catering in the destination segment,” says Jessi Hill, Atlantis’s executive director of weddings and special events. “Groups wishing to hold true to their traditions don’t want to be limited in their geographic location.”

At least one rabbi is happy to welcome Jewish groups to the region.

“I applaud Atlantis for going out of their way to accommodate kosher weddings and bar and bat mitzvahs,” says Rabbi Sholom Bluming of Chabad of the Bahamas. “This program is a very exciting development for the island.”

But it’s probably even more exciting for the Jewish couples who embark on their lives together in these exotic locales.

“I like to say that aboard ship, we had an intimate honeymoon with 800 people, our kids and grandkids,” says Marsha Motzen, who recalls a memorable moment under the chuppah during which she wondered if the ship’s movements were strong enough to knock her off her three-inch heels.

Seven years have passed, but the memories live on for the Motzens and their incidental guests.

“I can’t tell you how many people come up to me after a concert, wherever I am in the world,” says Yaakov Motzen, “and they say, ‘You may not know this, but I was at your wedding!’”

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Her glitzy marriage ceremony was spectacular enough to win Celebrity Four Weddings.

So it came as no surprise to see Tina Malone, 54, pulling out all the stops ahead of renewing her vows with husband Paul Chase, 33.

Following her announcement that they’d be having the ceremony this year, the Shameless star, 54, couldn’t wait to get planning as she was seen trying on wedding gowns at Dreams Bridal Boutique in Liverpool on Tuesday.

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Showing off her slimmed-down frame, the actress slipped into an array of gowns, each one more stunning than the last.

Keen to highlight her slender figure, each dress nipped in at her tiny waist and boasted an eye-catching design.

The first gown was a traditional ball gown style, featuring a cream bodice adorned with silver beading and sequins.

Flaring out with a dramatic tulle hem, the garment flattered her lithe frame, although Tina did seem a bit concerned with the fit, grasping her bust as she cried out in shock.

Tina also donned a fishtail gown which flattered her slimmed-down figure.

Adorned with lace, the garment also featured a sheer panel across the back which enabled her to show off her incredible figure whilst remaining demure.

Tina and Paul tied the knot in 2010, and the couple were crowned the winners of Celebrity Four Weddings after going up against Debbie McGee, Big Brother three contestant Spencer Smith and glamour model Linsey Dawn McKenzie.

After losing a staggering 12 stone Tina announced her plans to renew her wedding vows so that she could live out her dream of being the ‘perfect bride’.

She told Closer magazine: ‘ I’ve always had the dream of being the perfect bride, so I thought: “Why not do it again?” I’m the youngest I’ve ever felt.’

Tina and Paul share three-year-old daughter Flame, whilst Tina also has a 35-year-old daughter Danielle, who recently gave birth to a little girl of her own.

Whilst Tina looks well on her way to renewing her vows, she might find it harder to achieve her second goal.

As a result of her newfound body confidence, she recently admitted she would love to bare all for Playboy magazine – which could be a tough request as nude models no longer appearing in the publication.

She told Closer: ‘If Playboy rang offering me £250,000 to do a naked shoot, of course I would do it!

‘Women should celebrate their bodies, and after years of having such a s**t one, it’s time I showed off how phenomenal I look!’

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