Mindy Weiss; Photography: The Smart Group

A Passion for Old, So Much That's New, All in Shades of Mindy Blue

"Mom—what a big year for you: your book, your products and the store," wrote the eldest of Mindy Weiss's three sons in her Mother's Day card. "You're still the best mother in the world; I don't know how you do it," he added.

Weiss, who got her wedding-industry start creating stationery products at home, knows the power of customized, deeply-personal expressions. Her invitations were such a hit, she was soon asked to plan parties. A request from Brooke Shields and Andre Agassi to oversee their 1997 nuptials led to more high-profile celebrations. Many A-list clients later, she still gets "very excited when a celebrity calls."

From Heidi Klum to Gwen Stefani to Eva Longoria, Weiss's famous clients "are just like every bride," although she knows they turn to her not only because "I stay calm, and I have a very funny sense of humor," but because she's sensitive to their privacy desires. "They can trust me," she says.

“The Wedding Book,” Weiss's hefty, 485-page manual co-written with Lisbeth Levine, is filled with friendly, realistic advice upon which elite brides have relied and knowledge accumulated over two decades of orchestrating more than one thousand weddings. Weiss says her publisher identified the need for a book that "encompasses everything from the minute you get engaged until you return from the honeymoon that talks to you with a sense of humor and with personality, whether you are a millionaire or have very small funds." During her cross-country book tour, Weiss was touched when one bride mentioned: "I'm going to pass this on to all of my friends who are getting married, and we're all going to sign it."

"I love anything vintage," says Weiss, who drags her kids to flea markets every Sunday, even if she's worked until 2 a.m. "You see really unique colors; you see interesting textiles," she says. Unlike most fluffy, tulle-enveloped wedding products, the new line she's created for Two's Company reflects her classic, whimsical style. Yet the products—everything from "I Do" slippers to organizational tools—have "a hip factor" and the coordinated look of her signature color: Mindy Blue. "It's calming. It's also ‘something blue,’" she says of the hue that also adorns her office and bedroom.

Weiss's resurrection of L.A.'s Owen's Market may be a hint of what's to come from the designer, who'd love to see her brand extended into post-wedding memories: setting up a home, entertaining, babies, etc.

Amidst the chaos upon which she thrives, Weiss is conscious of the need for balance. Sunday night family dinners are "a tradition" that "means a lot to me," she says. In addition to his thoughtful card, Weiss's 24-year-old son gave her the "best present:" He phoned her office to reserve her first available Saturday.

Weiss advises couples to remember what's truly important. "It doesn't matter in the end how many flowers you have," she says. Envision a hurricane sweeping everything away, she tells brides. "All you're going to think about is: He's still there."

Written by Kim Knox Beckius