For all of you in the midst of wedding planning and gagging at the costs — take note:  gazillionaire Mark Zuckerberg got married on Saturday in his plain old backyard.   There were no bells and whistles at this wedding to longtime Harvard girlfriend (nine years!), Priscilla Chan.   In fact, the 100 or so guests didn’t even know they were attending a wedding.  They thought they were there to celebrate Chan’s graduation from med school.   Surprise on them.  

Here’s more on the wedding details from Forbes.com, but we do take issue with one factoid:  “As for the dress, it was a creation of little-known designer Claire Pettibone with a price tag of $4,700.”   Claire Pettibone is no Vera Wang, but it IS a pretty well-known brand.  And the dress was simple but tasteful.  Kudos to the new Mrs. Facebook. 

Prices range from $35-$150, and as you can see, they come in all sorts of sexy styles and colors – including traditional blue.

• The sparkly sequins of the Classic Sparkles – I Do glimmer in white and  pink
• The jeweled Bailey Button – I Do has a genuine Swarovski crystal button
• The ultra-indulgent shearling covered Fluff flip-flop – I do charms in white or baby blue

 We enjoy UGG boots on occasion, but would you really wear these on your wedding day?

Fifth Avenue, NYC, 212.764.3040

Simone Carvalli May 4-6

Avant Bride-Headpieces and Accessories May 10

Ines Di Santo May 18-20

Boutique De Voile-Headpieces, Veils and Accessories May 31

Ines Di Santo June 29-July 1

Carle Place/Westbury, NY, 516.742.7788

Lazaro May 4-6

Avant Bride-Headpieces and Accessories May 9

Ysa Makino Bridal & Evening Wear May 18-20

Boutique De Voile-Headpieces, Veils and Accessories May 30

Tina Di Martina Evening June 8-10

With the new Rent the Runway Weddings, not only can brides-to-be rent accessories for the big day and complete looks for the numerous occasions surrounding it (engagements, bachelorettes, showers, etc.), but your bridesmaids can now wear exclusive fashionable designer dresses for just a fraction of the price. They’ve got gorgeous bridesmaid dresses in a variety of colors, length, fabrics, and sizes (0-16) from Badgley Mischka, Calypso, Robert Rodriguez, Shoshanna, Nicole Miller and more.

So whether you’re a bride, a bridesmaid, a guest, or just a visitor, please check it out and tell us what you think…

Massapequa, 3 Broadway,  Massapequa, 516-795-2222

March 30-April 1 – Maggie Sottero
April 13-April 22 – James Clifford

Carle Place, 80 Westbury Ave, Carle Place,  516-742-7788

March 30-April 1 – Stephen Yearick Bridal & Evening
April 6-April 7  – Ines Di Santo
April 11 – Avant Headpiece
April 13-April 16 – Tina Di Martina Evening
April 25 – Boutique de Voile Headpiece
April 27-April 29 – Simone Carvalli

New York City, 260 Fifth Avenue (At W. 28th St), 212-764-304

March 30-April 1 – Ines Di Santo
April 12 – Avant Bride
April 20-April 22 – Ines Di Santo
April 26  – Boutique De Voile
April 27-April 29  – Eve of Milady

David’s Bridal has several stores on Long Island:

108 Alexander Ave
Lake Grove, 631-982-2028

Sunrise Promenade
5290 Sunrise Highway
Massapequa Park, 516-882-5397

1504 Old Country Road
Westbury, 516-741-9898

Then this weekend,  a very special Alvina Valenta Maids trunk show is taking place at their Carle Place/Westbury salon.  Be sure to call 516-742-7788 for an appointment (and bring your BFFS!). 

And here is Bridal Reflections’  Wedding Wednesday Tip, which they graciously shared on Facebook:   When ordering bridal, bridesmaids or evening wear gowns it is important to rely on your measurements. The measurements taken are the bust, waist, and hip. This determines the size that is ordered, so it is important that they are done properly. Trust your consultant and do not go with your ready-to-wear clothing size which will most likely be inaccurate. Each designer has a measurement chart that the salon uses to determine your size. Typically, whatever size the largest measurement falls into is what we would recommend. There are of course other factors, such as the type of style being ordered, but always remember – custom ordered gown sizing typically runs small and differs greatly from ready-to-wear, so don’t be surprised if you fall into a larger size!

The process is fairly simple:   Visit NEWLYMAID.com and purchase a trade-in mailer for sending one garment.  The mailer includes two types of packaging, one clear bag for the dress and one shipping bag.  A prepaid return shipping label is also included, along with packing and shipping instructions.  Once NEWLYMAID receives the garment and the criteria for trade-in credit are met, special pricing (30 to 50 percent credit) for a  new dress is unlocked for that customer’s account on the NEWLYMAID.com site.

(This new service is courtesy of  The Dessy Group, a leading manufacturer of bridesmaid dresses, social occasion dresses, flower girl dresses and destination wedding gowns under the labels Dessy Collection, Cynthia Rowley Bridesmaids, After Six, Alfred Sung, Lela Rose Bridesmaid and Sandals Destination Wedding Dresses.)

Background:  Yumi Katsura is one of Japan’s and the world’s most prolific designers, whose wedding dresses are considered modern masterpieces.  Katsura will showcase the most expensive wedding dress to date, valued at one billion Japanese yen (US $8.5 million).   Made from silk-satin and embellished with zari-embroidery handiwork, the dress is decorated with 1,000 pearls, a green 8.8 carat diamond emblem, and a 5 carat white gold diamond, one of the two existing in the world.  Check out some of the more, shall we say, accessible gowns below: