Every bride and groom deserves to feel like a Hollywood star on their wedding day, and even though most of us could only dream of hosting lavish nuptials like our favourite celebrity couples, it is surprisingly easy to incorporate A-list elements into your own special day. Colin Cowie, the celebrity wedding and events planner who counts Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian and Oprah Winfrey among his famous clients, shares six ways to plan your wedding like a celebrity…
Play with colour
"Colour is the big trend in wedding gowns. Brides are daring to be different and stepping away from the traditional white gown," notes Colin. "Vera Wang started it and Naeem Khan has created a fabulous new wedding collection that features a gown with the perfect pop of color." Gwen Stefani's 2002 pink dip-dyed dress still looks fresh and modern, while Mandy Moore swapped a traditional white gown for blush pink when she married in November 2018.
Fuse your music
"Many people think they have to choose between a classic band and a DJ. … why not have both," says Colin. "I love the idea of a DJ and bring in a few live musicians to play at the same time, perhaps an electric violinist or another musician." Prince Carl Philip of Sweden and Sofia Hellqvist hired both DJ Avicii and music duo Icona Pop for their nuptials.
MORE: How to get the perfect wedding photos - tips from a celebrity wedding photographer
Go Organic
"Farm-to-table is not just the biggest trend in restaurants right now, but it’s also the hottest thing in weddings," adds Colin. "Today, brides are not only asking for organic greens – they want to know the farm that their greens were grown in." Cool couple Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo did it, so you can, too!
Host a destination wedding
For stars like George and Amal Clooney, "The biggest things right now are destination weddings," says Colin. "Celebrities are jetting off with their friends and family to romantic settings for a truly fabulous affair. Why limit yourself to one night when you can celebrate for an entire weekend?" And Colin has designed an exclusive line for Hard Rock All Inclusive so that brides can throw an amazing destination wedding with celebrity style.
Create a dessert bar
"Wedding dessert trends are constantly changing and evolving, from cupcakes to individual wedding cakes to croquembouches, macaroon pyramids and – at the top of my current list – fabulous over-the-top candy bars," Colin says. Blake Lively is known for her baking skills, so she had a decadent dessert bar for her wedding to Ryan Reynolds.
READ NEXT: Your ultimate guide to choosing your wedding flowers - from Pippa Middleton's florist
Full-on flowers
"Mono floral type arrangements (one type of flower per floral vessel all in the same color) are what’s hot," says Colin. "For example, one vessel filled with white tulips, the next white calla lilies, the next white roses, etc." Power actress La La Anthony had all red blooms when she tied the knot with Carmelo Anthony.
Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.