By Don Tagala, ABS-CBN North America Bureau

June 2, 2011

NYACK, N.Y.  – Creating an unforgettable wedding day yet keeping costs to a minimum is a must in today’s economy.

Wedding designer Lyna Larcia Calvario had that in mind when she put together a shabby-chic Pinoy wedding in small town Nyack, New York. Dressing up the whole wedding entourage cost one newly-wed couple under a thousand dollars.

Wedding designer Larcia Calvario of  Kasal, New York  said, “For the bridesmaids dresses, under a hundred dollars from head to toe, for this wedding. They got that dress from H&M. It’s like under 50 bucks, the shoes are from Forever 21 and the accessories, the bride actually made them.”

Budget conscious brides like Ashley Pizarro says some do-it-yourself projects could help keep the expenses down. She said making one’s own ring bearer’s holder, bridesmaids sash and even a rustic table seating guide made from old windows costs  less than $50.

Bride-to-be, Ashley Pizarro said, “Doing it yourself is kind of stressful but at the same time it’s rewarding ‘coz you get to see your work on other people.”

Groom Lionel Del Fierro said, “It was hard work, if you’re the husband, I get to do all of that, but it was worth it in the end.”

Multiple tier wedding cakes may cost at least a thousand dollars, but for the budget conscious, a wedding cake can still look fabulous with a little bit of creativity that could save up to 70% of the actual cost.

Pan De Sal Chef de Cuisine Sal Biadora said, “If you’re budget conscious, we make the base alone edible and the rest of the tier, not edible, meaning it would be made of styrofoam,  but still with sugar and it would smell and look like the real cake… and nobody will ever know.”

For social network savvy brides and grooms, nothing beats  same-day-edits and be able to show one’s wedding video to their  guests at the end of the day.

The  new trend may come with a big price tag but the instant gratification of posting a wedding MTV on a Facebook wall on the same day of the wedding is just a social network addict’s dream come true.

My Pinoy Wedding Entertainment’s owner Glenn Maningas said, “Depende sa song na binigay ng client, it’s approximately 3 to 5 minutes and we incorporate all the highlights of the day into that video and we show it to make like an MTV style video.”

But the biggest tip for a successful and stress-free wedding can only be summed up by the groom himself, who said, “Do what the Bride says, you just follow along, you say ‘Yes Dear!’ before and after the wedding,” said Del Fierro.