The celebrity weddings keep rolling in, and celebrity brides are pulling out all the stops. They’ve had some major celebration footsteps to follow, after all, with Prince William’s Royal Wedding earlier this year in England and Prince Albert’s nuptials recently in Monaco! Certified wedding and event planners are likely to have brides following the details of every celebrity celebration so they know what The Next Big Thing is in the wedding industry. Here are some of our favorite celebrity wedding details of the past few months.

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Sara Rue: Every bride knows how hard it can be for her and her fiance to choose a wedding-cake flavor. That’s why we love the route Sara Rue took at her May wedding: She had three cakes! “I’ll be having one of each,” Rue told PEOPLE of the three wedding cakes planned for the nuptials, including a red velvet and a pumpkin caramel confection. How fun is that?

Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz: While we love a big, beautiful wedding as much as the next planner we also love sweet, intimate events. Not many details are known about the Craig-Weisz nuptials, but the idea of saying “I Do” in front of only your children and officiant strikes us as super-sweet.

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Dylan Lauren: When your dad is famed fashion designer Ralph Lauren there’s no question who is going to design your wedding gown! “I wanted to just give her something that she’d really treasure, give her something that would be really amazing, and I wanted her to feel fantastic,” Lauren told Oprah, according to People. And of course Dylan, the owner of Dylan’s Candy Bar stores, put her own touch on the dessert bar!

America Ferrera: We’ve all fallen in love with America as we’ve watched her grow up on television and movies so it’s so sweet to see her fall in love and have the wedding of her dreams in real life! America married her fiance on a Monday, and our favorite detail? Her dress and styling. How gorgeous is she?

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Niecy Nash: If you’re a TLC fan you already know all about Niecy’s wedding because of her show, Niecy Nash’s Wedding Bash. If not, however, you might not know that Niecy took a moment to sit down with each of her attendants before the wedding. She tells Essence.com, “I had a little time with each one of my bridesmaids… they just kept coming to my room, one by one, and we had conversations about our friendships, and what kind of woman they think I am and I was just like, ‘Oh my God!’ I was so overwhelmed that women I hold in such high esteem thought so highly of me. I definitely had to lay down for a little while and put ice on my eyes because I was so emotional.” This has to be one of the sweetest wedding moments we’ve ever heard about, don’t you agree?

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Prince Albert and Charlene Wittstock: This wedding, a calm, religious ceremony, took place in a palace courtyard because of the large guest list. We loved all of the traditional details, down to Albert’s cream-colored summer uniform of the palace guards. But our favorite parts? The couple exchanged vows in French, which the bride religiously practiced before her big day. And second? The couple rode to their reception in a Lexus hybrid - showing their green side! We wonder if they had a Green Wedding Planner working behind the scenes…

Do you have a favorite celebrity wedding moment?

Wedding trends come and go, but there is one current trend that’s hard to ignore because it’s popping up everywhere: the vintage look. Whether you’re a bride or a certified wedding planner there is tons of inspiration out there for incorporating vintage details into your event. Here are a few of our favorite ways to put a vintage spin on your weddings.

Photo Courtesy of Posh Girl Vintage

It goes without saying that vintage weddings are also green weddings, even if the bride or wedding planner isn’t purposefully going in an environmentally conscious direction. For the serious green bride, however, a vintage wedding gown is a must. Most big cities have clothing stores that collect and sell vintage clothing, and a bride who starts early and checks often may find the vintage gown of her dreams at such a store. Online clothiers are also a good place to look, and a certified wedding and event coordinator is a great person to turn to for advice on which sites are the best to work with. A bride choosing a vintage gown should remember, however, that tailoring will almost definitely be required so going vintage isn’t always the least expensive option. And of course vintage wedding gowns aren’t the only kind available - bridesmaids can also wear vintage pieces! This may give off a more eclectic vibe, however, because it can be difficult to find several vintage gowns in the same style. Going with a specific hue, or choosing gowns of many different colors - which is very popular right now - is a great idea for many brides. Check out these beautiful vintage gowns featured on Style Me Pretty.

What are some other ways to incorporate vintage details into your wedding?
* Choose an era then just let your creativity flow! Feathers, brooches, antique liquor bottles, and Art Deco decor all hearken back to the 1920s. Soda fountains, tea-length gowns, muted colors, and birdcage veils recall the 1950s.
* Choose music that corresponds with the vintage era you were inspired by. Classic jazz? Elvis and Sinatra? Motown? Just go with it!
* Black and white photos of family members or famous celebrity couples are sure to give off a vintage vibe.
* And don’t forget the makeup and hair! Every era has had very distinct fashion when it comes to makeup and hair design. Short and tightly curled? Beehives? Bright red lipstick? Look it up and make your beauty ideas fall right into step with your fashion plans.

Here are some sites we’ve gathered to get your creativity flowing:
* Six Easy, Vintage Wedding Style Ideas
* Photos of vintage ideas from The Knot
* Vintage Glam Inspiration at Style Me Pretty

Have you ever planned a vintage-inspired wedding? What details did you incorporate?

This month’s spotlight for Real Weddings from LWPI Graduates comes from Jen Taylor, the owner of Taylor’d Events by Jennifer in Woodinville, Wash. She won a 2010 Wedding Wire Bride Choice Award and was named Best Day of Wedding Coordinator in 2010 by Seattle Bride Magazine. Taylor is also an instructor with LWPI at Everett Community College.

Taylor says, “I started working with this couple in November 2009 for their August 8, 2010, wedding. This couple was fun and I loved working with them, but they were also challenging to me as a planner. Working with them really helped me learn how to help a couple throughout the process of planning their wedding. They were both in jobs that were very analytical and that is how they went about planning their wedding; both of them knew what they did not want in their wedding, but they could not express what they wanted. That is where it helped that I have a great team of vendors to surround my clients and help create their vision.”

For example, Taylor explains, “The florist wanted to give the couple several ideas, but I wanted to compare apples with apples so I tried to keep the options about the same. When the bride received quotes for the flowers she was very concerned that the quote did not include how many of each flower would be in the arrangements. It was my job as the planner to let the couple know that the florist would make the arrangements match what they had in mind. At one point the bride created a Powerpoint presentation of flowers that she liked and did not like, which was helpful. It was also helpful that the florist agreed to do a mock-up arrangement, which helped give the bride pretty good idea of what the bouquet and centerpiece would look like.”

We absolutely love the color scheme that this bride chose and Taylor executed. Purple can be a hard color to work with if it’s overused, but in this case we think Taylor did a great job of incorporating different hues and even heading in the blue direction, as the cake shows. We see some great lighting in the background, which continued the theme. We also see some great, personal touches, such as the pats of butter shaped into flowers, and the napkins standing on end at each plate. The napkins especially were a great way to add visual interest to the tables and reception overall. And by the smile on the bride’s face we’d say she agreed!

Are you interested in becoming a certified wedding and event planner trained by Taylor? Be sure to register for her class, which begins February 1. And to learn even more about Jennifer check her out on Facebook and Twitter or visit her website. (And by the way: A Preston Bailey Signature Wedding Design course is also available at Everett, with a different instructor. Check out more about the class, which starts Feb. 3, and register today.)

Here is some more information on the vendors Taylor worked with to create this gorgeous wedding:
* Columbia Tower Club
* Elements in Bloom
* Sean Hoyt Photography
* Crème de la Crème
* Wavelink Music
* L & M Chair Covers
* AA Party Rentals

Lovegevity’s Wedding Planning Institute is excited to bring you another Real Wedding this month, this time from LWPI graduate Shafonne Myers! Shafonne founded and is president of Making Your Event Special, a top wedding and event consulting firm in Richmond, Va., and now Indianapolis, Ind. Continuing her tradition of bringing people together, she organizes socials and workshops to provide couples with tips and tricks to help plan their weddings as well as wedding and event planners looking for continuing education. Shafonne is also an instructor with LWPI, and she has tons of experience and advice to offer students.

According to Shafonne: “This was a wedding that I did in Virginia last year. The bride and groom, Rachel and Geoff, were amazing. They were actually referrals that I had gotten from previous clients. The venue was beautiful. It was at the end of April and everything was in bloom.”

We love so many of the details from this amazing wedding. And all of the beautiful blooms are exactly why so many women want to be spring brides! It’s hard to create a better venue than nature provides, don’t you agree? The blue and pink accents are a perfect match for the understated beachy theme that the couple chose for their reception. (Read below for links to the fabulous vendors that Shafonne worked with in Virginia.)

Wedding Planner: Making Your Event Special
Venue: The Manor House
Flowers: Flowers Make Scents
Dress: Jingles
Cake: Batter Up Cake Company
DJ: Bill Holliday
Videographer: Drop to Design
Photography: David Abel Photography

Are you interested in becoming a wedding and event planner? Take a moment to check out a tour from Lovegevity’s Wedding Planning Institute. Lovegevity also offers a Signature Wedding and Event Design course from Preston Bailey, and a Green Wedding Planning course. Combination classes are available, too, as well as online courses. You can meet our instructors and see a list of some LWPI partner schools here.

Photo courtesy of weddingchicks.com and Fantasy Floral Designs

The bridal bouquet has a long and storied past. A quick Internet search will show that no one knows exactly where and when the tradition started, but many stories have a similar beginning. Regardless it’s a tradition that has stood the test of time and is beloved by brides all over the world no matter their budget or style. Researchers say that wedding bouquets were originally made of herbs and spices and were used to keep away evil spirits that could plague the future, but others suggest that the bouquets were a way to show love to the couples’ friends and family. As time went on the bridal couple began to share flowers with their guests, which may reveal the history of the bridesmaid bouquet and groomsmens’ boutonnieres. The first record of wedding flowers dates to the ancient Greeks, who used fresh flowers to make a crown and garland, which represented new life and fertility for the bride and groom.

Photo courtesy of Rue 42 on Etsy

The story goes that when Queen Victoria married Prince Albert the traditional herbs and spices were replaced with fresh flowers (but often edible flowers, especially marigolds.) Throughout the Victorian age specific flowers took on specific meanings, and in the 19th Century floriography - the study of flower meanings - was established. Roses, for example mean love; freesia means trust; ivy means fidelity; violets mean hope; and ferns mean sincerity. Dill was often included, and later eaten by the bridal couple, because it was said to increase lust. In modern times, of course, flowers are chosen mostly because of style and color and are used to complement the bride’s choice of bridesmaid gowns and decor.

Tips for choosing a bridal bouquet:

* A bridal bouquet should not be so large that it competes with the details of the bridal gown.

* Weight of the bouquet should be considered because some brides like to hold their bouquet throughout the evening.

* If the bride has allergies you may want to discuss flower smells with the florist.

* The price and availability of flowers depends on season (unless, of course, the budget has no limits.) If your bride has her heart set on a bouquet of certain flowers it would be wise to discuss her wedding date first!

Photo courtesy of realbadkitty on Etsy

* Some photographers suggest avoiding blue flowers in winter because the season’s dull light will also dull the color of the flowers in photographs.

* Brides are often choosing silk flowers for their bouquets because they are obviously long-lasting. Another good suggestion is to make a silk bouquet for bridal portraits, which the bride can keep, and use fresh flowers for the wedding so the bride has a bouquet she won’t mind throwing at the end of the reception.

Wedding and event planners have to do a lot of research to stay on top of trends, especially in the wedding industry. Bouquets made of buttons and brooches are popular because they’re not only unique keepsakes, but they’re also “green” choices. What trends are you seeing in bouquets? What are some of the favorite choices you’ve run across as you’ve worked with brides?

Ah, spring. Everything is green, and there is a feeling of newness in the air. The flowers and trees are loaded with blossoms, and color is everywhere. It’s no wonder that this is the most sought-after time of the year for weddings. Brides have more inspiration than they can handle! The same goes for Lovegevity’s certified wedding and event planners. Everywhere you look there is a new idea to jot down. Here are some of our favorite ways to inject spring into your weddings.

* The most obvious inspiration is color. The cherry trees are in bloom everywhere you look so consider the ways you can create a pink, cherry-blossom motif. Invitations are an obvious choice. Aren’t these beautiful? The invitation sets the tone from the get-go, and from there you can take the cherry-blossom theme into programs, bridesmaid gowns, decor and especially the cake!

* Add green as a color. Green means new and fresh, which is exactly the thing many brides are going for. Consider green hydrangeas or hints of green in the reception flowers. Grasses can be very dramatic in centerpieces, and the bonus is since they’re usually considered “filler” they’re less expensive! Green bridesmaid gowns can even be gorgeous, especially when paired with beautiful pink or blue flowers.

* When it comes to food at a spring wedding think fresh! Think picnic! Think whimsical! Pink and yellow lemonade in big, glass pitchers would be a cute addition to any table. While everyone thinks of eggs in the spring you don’t want the choice to be too obvious. Use them within appetizers, such as deviled eggs with smoke salmon on top, which would be an elegant but spring-like choice. Salads are an obvious choice, but don’t go the usual green or Caesar route. Consider adding springtime berries, such as strawberries and blueberries, to the plate. A good caterer will know what’s fresh and in season for the spring - pick their brain for advice! Consider asparagus wrapped with prosciutto; custard-filled phyllo cups; or mousse with sliced strawberries on top. Fresh is best in the spring!

* As for favors consider candied bird nests filled with jellybeans, colored to match the wedding theme, or Easter egg candies, which won’t be hard to find in the spring! You can also go with tiny flower pots with packets of seeds, tied with gorgeous grosgrain ribbon to match the bridesmaid gowns. Or if your bride is in fact getting married near Easter weekend just go traditional: Chocolate Easter bunnies for everyone!

There is little doubt that as a certified wedding and event planner you’ll be planning a lot of spring weddings. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year in the wedding business. Follow the trends, and incorporate the most spring-like ideas into your weddings. Keeping things fresh will keep the brides coming. And with everything new springing up around you this won’t be a problem!