I love all things wedding… Especially wedding reality shows! And a new one, Mikie Saves the Date, airs tonight on FYI at 10pm ET! The series follows Long Island born and raised event planner extraordinaire Mikie Russo, as he executes weddings in the tri-state area. He’s known for his “do it yourself” attitude (a passion I share, even if it’s not always successful). Each episode follows a new couple as Mikie turns their dream wedding into a reality, no matter the budget. I’m so excited to watch for ideas for my own wedding (and hopefully, to witness some drama that will make me feel better about my own. Wedding planning is stressful.) And Mikie himself was sweet enough to answer my most pressing questions! Read on for the guru’s advice…

There’s not exactly a college major for wedding planning… What about your upbringing helped you become a wedding planner? What made you want to become one in the first place?

Working at a florist from an early age really groomed me to become a stellar wedding planner. I would work with many brides on a daily basis, helping them select flowers for their perfect day. Brides would show me their dress, bridesmaids gowns and many other elements from their wedding to ultimately help them pull their wedding vision together using flowers and décor elements.

What are the top 3 unexpected variables that can happen on a wedding day?

1. Having to deal with other people’s emotions and stress.

2. Bride’s gown getting dirty or stained (ALWAYS HAPPENS).

3. Vendors not being on time…

How do you cope when something goes wrong? Any back-up game plans brides should always have?

The only thing that can go wrong on wedding day is the WEATHER. Make sure you have an indoor option which can accommodate all guest comfortably. As long as you plan/make sure all vendors are well prepared with timelines and specific duties, you’ll be in great shape. Also, ensure your wedding party knows their roles and times as well, you’ll be golden…

Let’s say, hypothetically, a bride (not me) has a mother (not mine), who drafted a guest list of her 150 “best friends” the day after her hypothetical daughter got engaged? And that number has since climbed well past 200? And (again, hypothetically) includes a couple from Canada she met on a cruise 5 years ago? How should this bride (who is not me) handle? How do you referee disagreements between the couple and their families?

Well… Who is paying for the wedding, that a huge factor? My best advice would be to give mom a “hard” set number of guests she’s allowed to invite. Make this number equal for all parties: X for her, X for the groom’s family, and the rest will be for you and your groom. If you happen to have some open slots on your guest count, maybe you can offer them to Mom…. Yikes, good luck….

What are the bridal trends you expect to see in 2015? Any wedding trends you’d like to see fade into the distance and never return?

Bridal trends for 2015 are lots of DIY weddings and rustic chic.

Trend I would LOVE to see go away is sheer/nude cut outs for bridal gowns… I’m SO not a fan….

What’s the biggest bridal meltdown you’ve ever witnessed? Can we hope to see some ourselves on your show?

Biggest bridal meltdown is when a mother of the bride just isn’t willing to be flexible and the bride crumbles… Stay Tuned :)

Who’s worse, bridezilla or groomzilla?

GROOMzilla…. All the way! Men tend to see things ONLY one way, so when they don’t get what they want, they tend to become unrealistic. Where on the other hand, brides think more logically and sensibly, so it’s easy to give them options.

In addition to our own wedding this August 1, we’ve been invited to 15 weddings (and counting) over the past year. What makes for a good wedding guest? What is the worst guest faux pas you’ve witnessed?

What makes a great wedding guest, is a guest whom you want to witness you exchange vows with your loved one and who will be entirely thrilled for you on one of the biggest moment of your lives.

Worst guest faux pas I’ve witnessed is a guest of the bride wearing a white gown, with a TRAIN….

Weddings tend to break the bank. What is worth the splurge? What are “necessities” that you actually can lose, or scrimp on?

Splurge – Wedding Planner

Lose- Expensive stationary/invites

My fiancé wants to go skydiving for his bachelor party… He also wants to rappel down a rope to the ceremony. And have a Wang Chung cover band play the reception. Yay or nay?

Is that really a question, NAY!

What are you most excited for about your new show? (I am most excited to watch.)

For brides and grooms to see that they aren’t the only ones going through stressful and tricky situations. However, I show them how to overcome their obstacles with laughter and happiness.

Any words of wisdom you’d like to leave us with? What is most important for a bride to remember about her Big Day?

On your wedding day everything is planned and you can’t make changes so, you have one job….. BE A BRIDE, leave all the details to the experts and professionals you hired.

Thank you so much for chatting, Mikie! I can’t wait to tune in tonight!!

 Mikie Saves the Date airs *tonight* (January 13) on FYI at 10pm ET!