My next bride, Noelle, came from a line of strong, independent women. She was hard-working and determined to make her wedding day what she always wanted, even if it meant she would have to do it all herself! When an unfortunate financial situation wiped out everything Noelle and her fiancé had saved, she had to become even more resourceful. While she was doing the best she could with what she had, she still had trouble pulling together an elaborate affair. When we met, I was ready to change her luck by changing everything about her wedding.

Noelle planned to have her wedding in the backyard of her parents’ house, but there was one humongous problem–there was no way she would be able to fit everyone she had invited on her asphalt driveway! She had decided some of her guests would sit inside a tent and some would sit on the grass outside it. I couldn’t let her have some unhappy people on her hands when she (and her guests) should be enjoying her wedding day to the fullest.

A venue switch was the first thing needed: her “southern belle” wedding theme (not to mention her guests) would fit much better in a real southern estate! A brand new wedding gown was also a must to replace a sundress she was using after she sold her real gown to finance other parts of the wedding. New dresses and accessories for her bridesmaids helped me do away with homemade headpieces and embellishments and brighten their look (and Noelle’s big day!) with splashes of color. And what is a traditional wedding without “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue?” And the surprises kept unfolding for a bride that needed them the most.

A star-worthy cake by cake guru Sylvia Weinstock took Noelle’s wedding to the next level, and the décor for her ceremony and reception had just the right amount of quintessential charm… At the end, Noelle gave her guests a great helping of home-style sweets and southern hospitality. Stay tuned to see this elegant affair this Sunday on “My Fair Wedding!”