Melissa Rivers reveals her unconventional approach to planning her second wedding

Melissa Warburg Rosenberg (known professionally as Melissa Rivers) is getting hitched!

The television personality and only child of comedian Joan Rivers is marrying Steve Mitchel in March of 2025 at an undisclosed location in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Extravagant and over-the-top are a few words to describe Melissa's first wedding to horse trainer John Endicott in 1998 at New York City's Plaza Hotel.

'It was an amazing event that people still talk about, shares Melissa. Adding, 'this is very different,' about her forthcoming nuptials. 

The hilarious host reveals exclusive wedding planning details to Daily Mail, plus genius tips on how to throw a low-key — but not boring — ceremony.

Melissa Warburg Rosenberg (known professionally as Melissa Rivers) is marrying Steve Mitchel in March of 2025 at an undisclosed location in Jackson Hole, Wyoming 

Her first lavish celebration reportedly cost a whopping $3 million and the planning was documented on her reality series Joan & Melissa; Joan Knows Best? 

For her second time around, Melissa is opting for something more casual and laid-back, but still elegant and sophisticated. 

'The big difference is your parents aren’t paying for it,' she says. 

'Suddenly you’re paying for it yourself, that makes you look at the budget a little differently.

'My mother planned my first wedding. I was simply the reason to do it. I was allowed like three decisions, and every thing else she did one of those “would you like this or this."   

Be intentional, sincere and authentic 

Melissa is planning a beautiful wedding that reflects her taste and relationship with the LA-based lawyer.

'Both of us had big weddings in our past and neither of us feel the need to replicate it. 

'This is like let's get everyone together for a really fun ski weekend and we're going to give you three meals and leave you alone,' she jokes.

Learning from past experience, the mom-of-one is ditching tradition, setting a budget, prioritizing the overall guest experience, and staying super calm along the way.  

'I'm taking everything I don't like and throwing it out the window. I'm thinking more about sh*t that I hated and making sure I don't do any of that.'

Keep the itinerary loose 

'When you go to a destination wedding it's wonderful to have events, but I hate it when the time is over-scheduled, especially since we're going to a ski destination, everyone goes skiing. 

'I am not over scheduling the weekend, we’re not even having a big night before dinner, we’re going to do après-ski. 

'And then the next day we’re doing a continental/grab-and-go breakfast, stop by and grab a muffin, cause either people are going to want to be out skiing or they are leaving for the airport. 

'Nobody wants to sit at brunch, especially me. I want to be out skiing.'

'My mother planned my first wedding. I was simply the reason to do it. I was allowed like three decisions, and every thing else she did one of those “would you like this or this"

Create a realistic budget 

Unlike her multi-million extravaganza staged at the Plaza by Joan, this wedding is smaller in scale and a bit more budget-friendly.

'The funny thing is that I'm the one who keeps saying we're going over budget,' says Melissa.

'We keep joking that Steve is the blushing bride. I'm like just so you know, I'm not going a cent over what I budgeted, all this comes out of your half.'

Choose the perfect theme

With picturesque mountain backdrops, sprawling meadows, and serene lakeside settings, Melissa is taking advantage of all Wyoming has to offer.

'It's going to be rustic, we’re very much using the environment of where we are, the room has big windows looking out and I just want pretty - I want rustic but elevated rustic.'

Joan spared no luxury in 1998 with a Winter Wonderland theme where the alter alone was blanketed with 25,000 white roses and lisianthius as well as bunches of lily of the valley and white hydrangeas. 

'I said to the florist do not even say the word Ecuadorian Rose to me because I still remember every one saying we’re flying these roses in from Ecuador. 

'That is not what the vibe is. The vibe is going to be really fun.' 

Don't be afraid to break tradition

'I have not bought my dress yet and I'm not wearing a wedding dress,' reveals Melissa.

Forgoing a custom design (like the embroidered Vera Wang gown she wore in 1998), Melissa plans on saying "I do" in a pretty, off-the-rack cocktail dress.

Steve will not be wearing a tuxedo, but rather 'whatever suit I tell him he's wearing.'

As for guests, 'I want to say casual but not, it’s full-on cocktail attire and proper cocktail attire.'

The brunette beauty does not plan on walking down an aisle.

'We're going to stand up at one point in the evening, one of our friend's is going to officiate a little ceremony, and then everyone goes back to the party.'

'This is like let's get everyone together for a really fun ski weekend and we're going to give you three meals and leave you alone,' she jokes

Greet guests with a welcome bag 

A lot of thought and organizing goes into a wedding weekend. 

Fortunately, having attended many destination ceremonies over the years, Melissa has picked up a few pointers.

'Nothing in the welcome bag will be bigger than the size you can fit in a carry-on,' says Melissa.

'I love a good welcome bag, but please do not give me things that I cant fit in a carry-on or that you are not offering to ship.'

Taking a practical approach to the gift bags Melissa and Steve are including what they know people will need.

'They're going to be skiing and out in the snow so we're doing sunscreen, lip balm, good moisturizer, snacks, etc...'

Support local businesses 

Instead of shopping large chain stores, the couple will be supporting local artists and business, and turning to regional wedding professionals for guidance.

'We're trying to source everything within the local general area because we love Wyoming and all different parts of it. 

'Wyoming has been so good to me, I want to make sure that I'm keeping everything as much as I can in the greater community or at least within different areas of the state where I've been.

'I'm using a local wedding planner and a local florist. 

'I'm not doing the fly someone in and do all that, I'm staying as much in the area as i can because i think that's the right thing to do and there's amazing stuff there.' 

'I have not bought my dress yet and I'm not wearing a wedding dress,' reveals Melissa. Forgoing a custom design (like the embroidered Vera Wang gown she wore in 1998), Melissa plans on saying "I do" in a pretty, off-the-rack cocktail dress

Opt for unconventional food options

All guests will be served a formal dinner but there will also be a junk food table filled with everyone's favorite fast food treats.

'I know for sure that I will be having a kid's bar. I was just at a second wedding, and they called it a grazing station but it was a kid's bar.

'It had chicken fingers, onion rings, sliders, and french fries. We are definitely having that because that is what I ate off of.'

Go rogue with place cards

The seating chart is often considered the most stressful part of wedding planning. 

'There's so much anxiety of who are you sitting with. Is it a good table? Is it this? Is it that? I'm like with certain groups of friends I'm going to let them figure it out,' says Melissa.

'My first wedding was so formal, my mother was so formal, and from my mother I inherited doing things, and that there's a way to do things.

'But I looked at my list of friends and I'm like I don't know where I'm going to put everyone so basically instead of all of them having table 1 or table 2, I'm saying you guys are allotted tables 1-3,  figure it out yourself -  I don't care who sits at which table.' 

Melissa believes her mom would not approve of her laissez-faire approach, saying 'she would be horrified that I'm not place carding each table, even at dinner parties everything was very planned out.'

'She would say "Melissa this is not a free for all", I'm like with certain groups of people it is.'

'I miss just handing it all over to her and knowing that it will be beautiful and amazing, and every detail thought through.

'With my kind of more causal attitude, I'm waiting for lightning to strike!'

Keep guests engaged and entertained with games 

Wedding venues are often large spaces to fill and too much empty space could feel uninviting.

Melissa has a very clever solution for space not being used.

'You know when you enter these big ballrooms and conference rooms there's always the foyer area where you put out the tags for the table and such?

'You never use that space again, so we're going to have the table and any furniture cleared out and we're putting in lawn games, like cornhole, a mini bocci, maybe a putting green.

'I just thought that so much fun, Steve wants to get the giant Jenga. 

'I'll be on etsy next week looking for these things,' she says in jest.