Calgary, Alberta -- (SBWire) -- 05/18/2009 -- With the economic downturn wedding budgets are being slashed and that is creating wedding envy in brides when they see the over the top weddings in bridal magazines according to Ciara Daykin of Firefly Occasions, a wedding planner in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

“I have brides and grooms come to me and tell me that they are really upset because the weddings in the magazine seem so amazing and they actually have a bit of wedding envy as they don’t think that their budget will afford them the opportunity for that wedding magazine look,” says Daykin

But Daykin has a cure for wedding envy. “There are 3 places where you can really make a difference in your wedding décor. Lighting, centerpieces and table linens. Renting lighting for your wedding is actually quite inexpensive and it changes the look of the whole room,” says Daykin, “that’s quite often the look that so many brides and grooms love in the magazines.”

And don’t forget candlelight says Ciara, “It may seem like a no brainer but you’d be surprised how many brides forget the power of candlelight on their décor.”

And what about the wedding centerpieces? Ciara Daykin stated that “tall centerpieces made of inorganic materials can give you the WOW factor with your guests but can cost significantly less than using flowers.” Daykin mentioned using items such as feathers and branches. “A Manzanita branch spray painted light blue with seashells hanging from it can be stunning for a beach wedding.”

Ciara also suggests that wedding décor doesn’t have to be all matched as was so popular in the past. “At Firefly Occasions we encourage our brides and grooms to think outside of the box. Mixing up the style of table linens can give you a total wedding magazine look, just stick in the same color palette,” says the Calgary wedding planner, “I love using a variety of table cloth styles and opposite centerpieces to give the room a Bohemian chic look.” And by adopting this type of look a bridal couple can pull items from their home and their parent’s homes. “If the tables don’t have to match you can get really creative, pull in your Mom’s vintage silver tea set for one centerpiece, your Grandmother’s silver candlesticks for another, and then fill in the gaps with mint julep cups filled with small inexpensive flowers.”

Ciara Daykin of Firefly Occasions really stressed that what makes a wedding magazine worthy wedding is that, “the couple’s personality shines through in all their wedding details and that the wedding is unique to them.”

Firefly Occasions specializes in taking weddings from cookie cutter to couture and assisting brides and grooms with infusing their personalities into the wedding details. This team of wedding planners and event designs is based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada but will travel internationally for their clients. View ideas for weddings at http://www.fireflyoccasions.com