This week designer Breegan Jane is our first guest. Breegan starred in HGTV's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and is now the host of the new show, The House My Wedding Bought. On the show, Breegan helps couples who are simultaneously getting married and buying their first house to budget and plan without breaking the bank or bickering. Marianne asks Breegan what is the key to helping couples compromise when they disagree on big life-event decisions. “We all tend to prioritize things differently,” explains Breegan. “What is really important to one person might not be important to the other one. That allows me as a third party to come in and show them both options and help guide them through the [decision-making] process.”

When asked about 2021 wedding trends, Breegan says she loves that as a result of the pandemic, wedding celebrations are coming back to the root of family and friends because we all had to spend so much time apart. She adds that the big extravagant, show-off wedding is not as trendy as having a curated collection of people.

On our Defend the Trend segment of the podcast, Marianne asks Breegan if she’s a fan of wedding favors. Breegan thinks we can let that trend go — unless it’s really important to you and you want to give something specific or custom. But don’t do it for the sake of handing out a give-away item, as it just ends up in our junk drawers, and nobody wants that.

Next, Marianne welcomes Chelsea Faulkner, an editor at HGTV.com and a former wedding florist. Chelsea shares a wealth of information on how to save money when hiring a florist and where and when to DIY. If you do decide to DIY your wedding florals, Chelsea’s advises to prep, order your flowers early (about 6 to 8 weeks before the big day) and leave the hard stuff to the professionals — like have a pro do your bouquet but have the bridesmaids make their own. Also, to save money, shop local flower farms and go with what’s in season. "If you get married in December and you want peonies, it's just not going to happen. You will be paying $15 per flower," advises Chelsea.

Marianne and Chelsea also discuss several ways to preserve your bouquet after the wedding. But for the rest of the florals, they suggest instead of throwing the flowers away, donate them to an organization that will pick them up at the end of the wedding and deliver them to hospitals and nursing homes. To find out about the latest floral trends for weddings, make sure to listen to this episode of the podcast.

Hair and makeup expert Claire Balest then joins Marianne to discuss the latest wedding trends and looks. Claire talks about how brides are going away from heavy makeup and traditional looks and opting for more lived-in, natural make-up. "It's so important to me that people see the bride and not the makeup first. Makeup should not steal attention away from a bride, it should just be her look," says Claire. She also shares the number one thing you can do in advance of your wedding to help you look your best. Listen in to find out what that thing is.