Celebrity reception style

Posted in Love & Sex

A-List Party Inspirations

We want to know which designer bag they're carrying, where they're spending vacations, even what cocktails they're sipping, so of course we want to know what they did for their wedding! Here are three of our favorite celebrity weddings and the themes that made them so unique. Even if you don't have a big wedding budget, you can still find plenty of inspiration.

Alice in Wonderland

A-List Inspiration: When Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz got married last year, they took a cue from this classic story, weaving references into almost every detail, from the reception site to the food, drink, and decor. The reception took place in a red-and-black tent filled with 10,000 Black Magic roses. During the cocktail hour, guests were served drinks in little "Drink Me" bottles, and waiters passed appetizers on trays decorated to resemble playing cards. At dinner, the bride and groom took a load off in giant heart-shaped chairs. And, for the centerpieces, you guessed it, rose-filled teapots and saucers decorated the tables.

At Your Wedding: A tea party theme is ideal for an afternoon or early evening reception. Throw your party in a lush English garden or immaculately manicured courtyard. For the decor, pick rich colors and don't shy away from patterns -- they won't look garish if you use them sparingly, like on a ribbon around your centerpieces. Another fun idea: Use puns from the book to name your tables! As your guests arrive, serve a variety of teas (both hot and cold) in lieu of a signature cocktail. For the menu, stick to traditional finger foods, like biscuits and jam and cucumber sandwiches. If it's not an evening wedding, guests are less likely to expect a big meal. You could order a Mad Hatter cake -- one big trend now is unexpected cakes -- but a less over-the-top option is to have cupcakes with fondant playing cards sticking out. Gift your guests with specially themed favors, like personalized tea bags or tea cups, displayed in oversized gift bags or boxes.

Two Become One (With Nature)

A-List Inspiration: Charlie Sheen married Brooke Mueller in a nature-themed ceremony and reception. During their evening reception, guests sat at wooden tables with centerpieces filled with pears and oranges. The menus were even adorned with twigs. Finally, guests enjoyed a four-tiered cake with a bird motif.

At Your Wedding: There are so many ways to create this kind of an earthy vibe. You can go the rustic route and have details like hollowed out wooden candle holders that look like little tree stumps serve as your centerpieces, or have flats of wheatgrass display escort cards. Another option is to channel those vintage botany books which would give the reception a more refined feel. Think: the stem of a single wildflower wrapped around each napkin, tables marked by a plant name (maybe with the genus and species written in script), and a simple cake featuring an outlined butterfly instead of a monogram.

A Heavenly Event

A-List Inspiration: Last year, Beyonce and Jay-Z were married in a lavish all-white spring wedding at the groom's New York penthouse. The intimate evening reception was held in the living room, and more than 70,000 white dendrobium orchids were flown in from Thailand to make the space look heavenly. Before sitting down for a seven-course meal, guests (who were also asked to wear all-white) enjoyed caviar, shrimp, and fried chicken appetizers.

At Your Wedding: Are $100,000 worth of dendrobium orchids a bit over your budget? No problem! You can still get that elegant, ethereal feeling. Here's how: Fill out the corners of your space with lush pairings of white peonies (stick with a single flower type to get more for your money), all-white Chinese paper lanterns, and twinkle lights. Choose champagne or silver ribbons or bows to accent your all-white table linens and place settings. For the centerpieces, skip the flowers and place varying arrangements of small white votive candles and large white floating candles in glass cylinders to make your tables glow.