Recreate Chelsea Clinton's Wedding On a Budget

Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky's glamorous affair is rumored to have cost roughly $3 million.

But what if you want the presidential look -- without the cost?

Carley Roney, editor in chief of TheKnot.com, shared how you can recreate the lavish presidential affair for less.

Pictures: Chelsea Clinton's Wedding Day
Crowd on VIP Alert at Clinton Wedding Site
Chelsea: Presidential Kid in the Public Eye
Photos: Chelsea's Wedding Preps
Washington Unplugged: Chelsea's Wedding
Chelsea Clinton to Join the "Power Wedding" Ranks
Chelsea Clinton's Wedding Day Details
FAA Bans Flights Over Wedding Venue
Rhinebeck Ready for Its Big Day
Photos: Chelsea Clinton through The Years
Photos: Presidential Daughters
Photos: White House Weddings
Photos: Power Weddings
Photos: Kids in the White House
Vera Wang's Celebrity Brides

Chelsea's Gown:
Chelsea wore a strapless Vera Wang gown that had a raw-edged laser cut swirling silk organza full skirt and train -- very on-trend. The bodice was a silk tulle diagonally-draped bodice. The dress was also accented by embellished beading at the waist.

It was a classic wedding gown look that was elevated with these special added touches. Wang has designed wedding dresses for celebrities like Ivanka Trump, Jennifer Garner, and Jennifer Lopez. A cathedral-length veil added to the drama of the dress. You're paying for a designer name and the best fabric with a couture gown.

Budget Bridal Gown: David's Bridal wedding gown: $850
Try this organza tiered ballgown from David's Bridal for only $850. It has the great organza tier detailing on the skirt, as well as flattering asymmetrical ruffles accenting the neckline and skirt.

• Tone down "bling" and beading." This dress actually didn't come with any beaded embellishment at the waist like Chelsea's dress, so we actually went to a local fabric store and bought this beaded fabric for only $60. Doing this can save you hundreds of dollars and still give you that extra "wow" factor on a gown. You can also do the same thing with a veil.
• Shop sample sales. Hitting a sample sale can help you cut costs by as much as 80 percent. If you're having a fall or winter wedding, check out sample sales during April or May, and if you're having a spring or summer wedding, hit the sample sales in October and November.
• Vera Wang has her own sample sale in December where bridal and bridesmaid dresses are 35 percent to 75 percent off regular retail prices! The sale is comprised of one-of-a-kind samples and limited quantities of stock overruns from previous collections

Savings on Bridal Gown: $24,050

Chelsea's Wedding Jewelry: Presidential Jewels: $250,000 estimated
Chelsea reportedly wore $250,000 worth of jewelry at her wedding. She had on diamond drop earrings and a simple diamond bracelet

Budget Jewels: AdornBrides.com jewelry: $225
You don't need presidential bucks to have all that gorgeous bling! One hot trend for weddings is to actually rent the wedding day jewelry from companies like AdornBrides.com. Think of it as your "something borrowed."

• Shaye Earrings: 1.15 diamond cluster earrings worth $5,000, rent it for $75.
• Abbott Earrings: 1.76 floating diamond marquis earrings worth $7,200, rent it for $75.
• Masterson Bracelet: Round bezel diamond bracelet with 4.5 carats for $11,660, rent it for $150.
• Clark Bracelet: 5 carats worth of round diamonds for $11,400, rent it for $150.

Savings on Jewels: $259,775

Mother-of-the-Bride Gown: Presidential Gown: $15,000 estimated
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stuck with her tried-and-true designer Oscar de la Renta when it came to her mother-of-the-bride gown. Hillary wore a plum-colored Oscar de la Renta gown that had a fitted bodice and floral appliques on a ball skirt.

Budget Mother-of-the-Bride Gown: Bridal Reflections Dress: $1,000
This CM Couture dress from Bridal Reflections is $1,000 and has a crinkled iridescent bodice and a ruched bust. Silk flowers on a full A-line netted skirt add extra detailing; the dress comes with a shrug or shawl.

Savings on Mother-of-the-Bride Gown: $14,000

Presidential Flowers: Bridal Bouquet: $500 estimated
Chelsea carried a chic and understated monochromatic ivory bouquet of pricey white gardenias and white roses. Six gardenias usually run about $85! This monochromatic look is very on trend!

Budget Flowers: Bridal Bouquet: $150
Swap out pricier flowers like gardenias for more inexpensive flowers like what LDF Floral & Event Design created the bouquet seen on "The Early Show." It's a mix of calla lilies, white roses, white garden roses, and white astromeria. These flowers are in-season all-year round, which also means flower markets are always stocked with them and there's no need to have to make a special, pricey order. These flowers also give the same round shape that Chelsea's had.

Savings on Flowers: $350

Presidential Cake: $10,000 to $12,000
Chelsea and Marc's wedding cake was a whopping nine tiers, 500 pounds and 4-feet tall made by a 9-person team at La Tulipe Desserts in Hudson Valley. The cake was very traditional and elegant. It was mostly white with little accents of silver. There were small circular designs on the base of each cake (almost like half-wheels of little silver beads) with 1,000 edible sugar flowers (mostly roses, a little bit of hydrangeas, calla lilies, and two types of orchids) that were delicately brushed with pearl accent. Since Chelsea is allergic to gluten and is a vegan, the wedding cake was gluten-free (not vegan, though) and vanilla with dark chocolate mousse. Plus all the ingredients were local, and the cake was mostly organic. La Tulipe Dessert's prices start at $12 per slice.

Budget Wedding Cake: Sweet Element: $4 per slice
We had Sweet Element in New York create a similar wedding cake using four key budget elements: One big way to save is to actually "fake the cake." Just have your baker make a smaller wedding cake, and serve guests with a sheet cake from the back. Trust us -- your guests won't even notice! Instead of time-consuming and costly sugar flowers, ask your cake baker to work with your florist and use fresh flowers as the cake decor instead. Fresh roses are about $5 a bloom; White orchids are about $5 a bloom. Plus, by the time the wedding cake is supposed to be cut, chances are, your guests are pretty full! So order half the size of a wedding cake you'd need (i.e. 500 guests means cake for 250 people) and actually serve half-servings. Opt for butter cream icing! Butter cream not only is less expensive than fondant, but some cake connoisseurs also say it's more delicious than fondant.

The total for the Sweet Element cake and $4 per slice -- so a total of 75 percent less than La Tulipe Desserts.

Savings on Cake: $9,000 - $11,000

Presidential Flowers: Huppa: $35,000 to $45,000 estimated
Chelsea's huppa was probably $35,000 to $40,000 because of the branches and flowers covering the top. Most people use fabric for the top of huppa since it's more cost-effective.

Budget Flowers: LDF Floral & Event Design Arrangement: $500
We also had LDF Floral & Event Design create an altar with two tall buckets of branches ($125 each), and a splattering of white hydrangeas only on the front and bottom. By only placing flowers in the front, you'll only need about a dozen flowers between the two branches costing about $100. Estimated price of this altar? Just $500!

Savings on Flowers: $34,500 to $44,500