The Bachelor finale is finally this Monday. The word is out that Ben is engaged to someone, but is it JoJo or Lauren B.? If the couple can survive the drama of the show and the taxing media attention and make it to the alter, we expect we'll all get to watch the wedding in a special televised event.
Experienced Bachelor wedding planner, the leading wedding planner to the stars and Wedding Paper Divas' style partner, Mindy Weiss, let me in on her predictions and expertise for what could be the hottest wedding of the year. Mindy has more than 20 years of experience planning weddings and events for Hollywood personalities like Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson, Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello, a number of couples on ABC's The Bachelor and more. She gave me the inside scoop on what she predicts will happen at either JoJo or Lauren B.'s wedding to Ben and told me some fun facts about previous Bachelor weddings she has planned.
Q. How involved were Trista and Ryan in the first Bachelor wedding you planned?
A. "Trista and Ryan were very involved with everything. And this was before the Pinterest age! So Trista would actually cut out pictures to bring to our meetings--she really had a vision. Ryan was the perfectly involved groom. He was at every meeting with her! They (the producers) really let Trista and Ryan do whatever they wanted."
Q. How involved are The Bachelor producers in these televised weddings? Who gets the final say on decisions?
A. "The producers are amazing listeners. The couples are already compromising by having their private moment shared with the world, so the producers are really great about letting the bride and groom have their day and do it their own way. They want it to be as real and genuine as possible."
Q. Your most recent Bachelor wedding was Sean and Catherine's wedding. Any special story you can share about their special day?
A. "I didn't have a chance to meet their families ahead of time. When I met them on the day of, they were so amazing and appreciative and I really loved that. Sean and Catherine are lovely and are exactly what they were like on TV."
Q. Speaking of families, how do the families usually feel about the televised weddings?
A. "All the families are really supportive and extremely grateful. They don't take any of it for granted and really appreciate that the happy couple is getting their dream wedding."
Q. Do they have a separate non-televised ceremony for friends and family afterwards?
A. Nope, what you see on TV is what actually happened!
Q. You are currently a Wedding Paper Divas Style Partner and its resident authority on the latest wedding trends, what has been on trend this year?
A. "One of the biggest shifts I've been seeing is in wedding gowns. They've gotten so much sexier and more daring! Brides really want to make a statement with their dresses and want to look and feel their best. This year, that's translating into sleeker silhouettes, low backs, and sheer detailing and cutouts."
Q. Do you have any idea of what wedding dresses JoJo or Lauren would wear for their weddings if Ben chooses them?
A. "I don't have any information on their wedding dresses but I predict JoJo will go for something a little daring while Lauren may opt for the beachy vibe."
Mindy definitely puts wedding planning for The Bachelor couples into perspective saying, "The couples are just like any other couple dreaming of getting married. They have their own visions and their own styles, just like all my clients. And I'm there to make their wedding dreams come true, which, as always is a rewarding experience." She said the biggest difference between Bachelor weddings is that they are filmed and televised. "The whole process also happens in a very short period of time so there's not a lot of time for planning. When you meet, you have to get a lot of information in a very quick manner. It's a whirlwind, but the end product makes it worth it."
See Mindy's predictions on Sage for JoJo and Ben's wedding or Lauren B. and Ben's wedding below and check back next week when we chat with Mindy more about 2016 wedding trends and some of her other celebrity weddings.
Wedding Predictions
JoJo & Ben's Wedding
Everything is bigger in Texas! Since Dallas is JoJo's hometown, we can expect the nuptials to be lavish and extravagant with many guests in attendance.
However, we expect a touch of whimsy with her wedding style and décor - she did step out of the limo in a unicorn head, after all!
After posting on her Twitter page that she is a "firm believer that no white after Labor Day was the worst fashion myth to ever exist #allwhiteeverything" I anticipate lots of white at her wedding, from her own dress and bridesmaids' dresses and to the florals and décor.
As you can see by her final rose ceremony dress, we can expect to see a sexy simple silhouette, perhaps with a plunging neckline on the big day.
A formal silver foil-stamped wedding invitation like this Stunning Vow design from Wedding Paper Divas would be perfect for Jojo and Ben's elegant nuptials.
Lauren B. & Ben's Wedding
Their wedding would be beachy, simple...and at a tropical, exotic destination! Lauren B. has done a ton of traveling as a flight attendant so a destination wedding is a natural fit.
They'll pick light, soft colors like blues and blushes (hello Pantone Colors of the Year!) and really subtle décor and flowers.
Her bridesmaids will wear light blue dresses. I think it will be an intimate gathering on the smaller side. Her sister will be her maid of honor and it will only be close friends and family.
Lauren is very trendy and loves a two piece outfit with a cropped top, so think she might take a risk and go with the more modern styled two piece dress. That said, I still think it will be simple and beachy (no lace and minimal beading).
As for their invites? This beach-inspired design from Wedding Paper Divas will help them get the look.