Displayed against a backdrop of Kelly's Disney character-inspired wedding gowns, bridesmaids' and flower girl dresses called "Kirstie Kelly for Disney Fairytale Weddings," the line consists of six rings with matching wedding bands.

Each ring and its matching band, like the wedding dresses, were designed in the spirit of a one of six Disney princesses, including the classic princesses Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty and modern-day heroines, including Princess Jasmine from Aladdin, Ariel from The Little Mermaid; and Belle from Beauty and the Beast.

"It's different, in the sense that there's a story behind each princess," Kelly said.

Milano, wearing a custom gown by Vera Wang and holding a bouquet of lily of the valley flowers, walked down an aisle strewn with cream-colored rose petals and natural grass to the tune of John Lennon's "Imagine." The couple exchanged traditional vows under a wrought-iron gazebo decorated with willow, calla lilies and roses. Among the guests was actor Bradley Cooper, a friend of the groom.

Following the ceremony, wooden signs directed guests to the cocktail area, decorated with rattan furniture and hay bales serving as cocktail tables. Dinner was served family style on rustic farmhouse tables in a tent with wood flooring and wrought iron chandeliers. Event planner Colin Cowie created just the right atmosphere for the family-oriented couple.

"My Italian family still eats Sunday dinner together every week," says Milano. "We wanted to capture the same feeling with people passing around beautiful bowls of food and talking and laughing."

Some businesses, however, are capitalizing on the economy. For New York-based Adorn Brides, which rents out bridal jewelry (including Sethi's earrings, which cost $100 for the weekend), the recession "really has worked in our favor," says co-founder Laura Carrington. "Even if a bride is spending $200,000 or more, a $10,000 or $20,000 necklace is still not a practical purchase" when you can rent one for $350.

Steal the Time, a New York-based luxury watch leasing company, recently outfitted a Manhattan groom and his four groomsmen with Rolex Submariners (the company's 30-model collection ranges from $52 to $308 a week, pieces that go for $850 to $14,200 retail). "We do live in an image-obsessed society, and people always want to portray an image that may not be there anymore," says founder Justin Figari.

But at Chicago's Cakegirls bakery, gone are the elaborate $7,000 confections. Starting in January (a big planning month for summer weddings), co-owner Mary Maher noticed a shift "right away": Couples began choosing smaller, simpler creations. Right now, the average cost is about $900 for a cake; a year ago it was $1,200 to $1,500. The change indicates "they might be curbing the guest list and doing weddings that are a little more modest," says Maher, whose shop appears on WE's Amazing Wedding Cakes.

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Even deep-pocketed couples are trimming the trappings. Sethi trimmed her $300,000 Bahamas wedding — to the tune of $50,000 — by using local musicians instead of flying in a band and nixing hand-calligraphed menu and seating cards. She felt "really guilty" about asking her 62 guests to travel, given the expense and time off required. So for some, she and her husband, Raj Sethi, helped pay the hotel bill.

The goal is to cut costs while sustaining style. "You don't want to look back on it and say, 'What a great budget wedding I had.' But you do want to be a smart consumer," van der Meer says.