When celebrities want a smashing wedding day, one of the people they call on to help make it happen is event planner Mindy Weiss. "We were lucky enough to do Fergie and Josh Duhamel’s wedding, which was really fun!" she says. She's also worked with Gwen Stefani and Hillary Duff, and says for Fergie's lakeside event they had a special request from the groom. "We stocked the lake so his groomsmen could go fishing before the wedding, it was fabulous!" she says. "You have to personalize the event, so that really helped us personalize it."

It's that kind of personalization, she says, that every bride should try and bring to their day to create an A-list party on any budget. Rachael asks if she'll share some tips with a bride-to-be in the audience, who is planning a spring wedding on the water, and Mindy has a bunch of ideas to get her started. Get all of her tips below, plus, Click here to check out Mindy's iPhone app.

• Use succulent plants and candles instead of flowers for centerpieces. "Not only are they beautiful, but they are green and can be replanted which is good!" she says. "And candles, which tend to be a little less than flowers."

• Get creative and make your own place cards. Mindy suggests using quirky decorations like picture frames or even seashells to hold guest's names.

• Choose whimsical party favors. Mindy suggests getting $2 flip-flops and wrapping them in festive sheer bags for each guest. "You can hang them on the backs of the chairs!" Mindy says.

• Skip larger room decorations in favor of cute touches at the tables. "I always say, put the money where it’s in their face," she says, explaining the table decorations can have a greater impact than details elsewhere in the room. "They’re looking at it for four hours, you know?"

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Mindy Weiss

South Street Seaport