• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, 5 hours ago

Exhausted by breathless coverage of Jeff Bezos’ $10 million wedding to Lauren Sanchez? JCPenney seems to be, too.

So the retailer pulled together a beautiful wedding in Venice, California, for a cool $10,000 -- and not a single water taxi, helicopter or sinister security team in sight.

The effort celebrated Estefany Gomez and Leonardo Rendon, a pair of Los Angeles high school sweethearts who reunited after 14 years apart. The pair got hitched earlier this week. The ceremony, admittedly a different kind of fairy tale vibe than the high-security affair the Bezos camp put together, included a $99 wedding gown, a $350 tuxedo and outfits for every wedding guest.

It’s the latest move in the “Yes, JCPenney” campaign, launched in April, aimed at surprising consumers with unexpectedly chic and affordable fashion at middle America’s oldest department store.

The JCPenney event also covered tablescape, décor, and beauty and styling experts from JCPenney salons.

The bride thanked the brand afterward in a heartfelt Instagram post. “From flying in our parents from Venezuela and Texas, to dressing every single guest like a runway model, to the dream rings, the most delicious food, and the perfect officiant—every single detail was magic,” she wrote. “I’m still in shock, trying to process the most magical day of my life.”

For JCPenney, the point is proving that weddings needn’t be extravagant to be perfect, and can be pulled off well below the cost of the party thrown by billionaire-villain Bezos and his journalist-turned-astronaut betrothed.  They can even be organized for less than $36,000, the average cost of a wedding in the U.S. this year.

“Most of us aren’t planning our weddings with a ten-million-dollar budget or a palazzo on standby,” said Marisa Thalberg, Catalyst Brands’ chief brand and marketing officer, in the announcement after the big event. “At JCPenney, we know that the most memorable celebrations are the ones filled with real moments surrounded by the people we love, and style that surprises everyone, and that’s why we’re quietly redefining what’s possible for couples everywhere -- delivering wow-factor memories, minus the jaw-dropping price tag.”