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After almost 30 years in the industry, Mindy Weiss is still on top. With countless celebrity weddings under her belt (most recently, she planned Paris Hilton’s lavish three-day celebration in Bel-Air), she’s the go-to planner to the stars thanks to her unique eye for design, wild (in a good way) imagination, and the signature warmth and kindness she brings to every project she touches.

So, when she partnered with J. Lo’s new wedding rom-com Marry Me and Envy Apples to host the Love at First Bite contest—one couple will win a grand prize of $50,000 to use for their dream wedding—we jumped at the chance to talk to the wedding industry legend. Naturally, she had plenty to say about Marry Me (“Anything with J. Lo, getting married or being a wedding planner has changed our industry”), wedding decor (she’s a big fan of fruit and florals right now), and planning a wedding on a budget—with or without prize money.

Ahead Mindy breaks down her favorite 2022 wedding trends, budgeting tips, and advice for engaged couples everywhere.

How to Make It Work (On Any Budget)

“I always tell my couples: First of all, enjoy that moment for a minute. And don’t rush out and book everything before you’ve taken the chance to figure out the budget and allocate it properly. But once you get the cost of your food and beverage, then you can move forward because that will be your big chunk. What I always say is ‘What are your priorities?’

“Is music really important to you? Let’s put that up there. I always suggest photography being the next because that is where all your memories will be captured. So we kind of make the list and allocate the importance. And then from there, we find the course the vendors that can meet our budget, but it’s very laid out.”

The Decor Detail She’s Loving Right Now

“I’m seeing couples getting a little more creative. And bringing in elements of fruits, vegetables, crystals. It’s not just about the flowers, but there’s an added element to my tables now. So we are adding fruits and vegetables and bringing those in with the beautiful flowers. One [COVID] bride—I drove her crazy about this—because when she was getting married the first time we were doing tangerines, so now, looking forward, I still want to bring in my fruit. So we’re bringing in pears instead.”

The Wedding Trend She Wants to Leave Behind in 2021

“I’d like to see the big ceiling treatment go away. I still am doing a little bit here and there. So, I am suggesting to my clients that instead of the big expense in the ceiling, put it on the table. Because that’s what your guests are looking at for four to six hours. Yes, looking up is wonderful. But the expense is extraordinary. I find that you tend to need more time to put it up. So if you are watching your budget, I’m hoping that that trend does go away.

The Wedding Trends She Wants to See More of in 2022

“What is gonna make your wedding stand out? I think the only thing that you can really do is bring in your personality. What are [your guests] going to walk in and say, ‘Oh, this is so them I know exactly where I am.’ Whether it’s a sense of humor, whether it’s a color, whether it’s a food that everyone knows you love. That creates a memory. I am pushing really hard the personalization of the wedding.

“Guest experience—it’s huge. They don’t just want them to come into cocktail hour. The bar is so important to people. And we are making sure there are enough bars so no one standing in line. Nobody wants to wait! But, that’s part of the guest experience. Don’t wait. Don’t wait in line for a drink. Make sure there’s plenty of food. Do what can you do for an experience. So that’s where we come up with a tequila bar, which really isn’t new, but it is exciting because tequila has not gone away as a trend.”

How to Make Your Florals Stand Out

“Push the seasonality of the flowers. Some people want peonies year-round, and we have to explain to them, ‘you know they’re only available at certain times.’ So, we substitute them, and we work through the flowers and find out what their favorites are. Because flowers connote a definite style. If you’re a romantic, we go fluffier. If you’re modern, go sleeker, like Calla lilies. I’m still the planner who loves to find unique things. Just [create] another experience where people look at the flowers and go, ‘What is that? I’ve never seen that.’ We’re doing a lot of those hand-dyed colors now: nude, toffee, blush, but it doesn’t have much pink in it. You know people are loving these hand-dyed, gorgeous, interesting colors now.”

2022 Is All About the Old Hollywood Wedding

“I am obsessed with Danielle Frankel. She is my drug of choice right now. And she has a little bit of everything from sleek, Old Hollywood. There’s a trend for you: Old Hollywood. I’m doing five old Hollywood weddings. And Daniel Frankel has that dress, the sleek, satin dress off-the-shoulder with long, almost ‘too long’ of a sleeve. I think she’s got it right now.

“Most of my brides are done with the low back look, and they’re going into this more old Hollywood look. They’re still buying that second dress though. I thought that would go away, but it’s not. They all are still buying the second dress [for the reception].”

“To Go” Bags, Individualized Cakes, and Comfort Desserts Are Back

“The individual cakes may be back. Obviously, I’ve done it before, but I think the big dessert table is also back. Not so much the candy shops. For my bar and bat mitzvah, everything was candy. But for my weddings, I’m not seeing as many candy shops as I did in years past (it was every weekend). Now, we’re back to these dessert buffets, but with familiar desserts: Twinkies, HoHos, these old-fashioned huge chocolate chip cookies. We are also putting dessert boxes together. Because you know, some people really want it, but they don’t want it then. So we were making really cute personalized bags and boxes that say ‘to go.’ I love that.”

You can enter the Marry Me x Envy Apples Love at First Bite contest through March 8, 2022.

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