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On a beautiful spring day at the luxe Marriott Marquis in Times Square, hundreds of brides gathered for the opportunity to meet with and sample the work of dozens of bridal vendors.The Great Bridal Expo — the nation's premier bridal showcase—has over 30 years experience connecting the best vendors in the industry to brides across the country.

The Great Bridal Expo featured row after row of booths containing everything brides need, from photographers and cake artists to travel experts and registry pros. Here are a few of the top trends from the event:

Flowers 
The hottest flower this year: Hydrangeas. Brides love how lush and full these flowers look in bouquets and centerpieces, and they're great for brides on a budget, since each stem is so voluminous. Other top picks: Splurge-worthy peonies and their more budget-friendly alternative, garden roses.

I chatted with Danisa’s Flowers, a wholesale flower shop from Silver Spring, Maryland. They pointed out that these days, it won't stretch your budget as much if your favorite flower is not in season during your wedding month— flower distributors like Danisa's regularly import hundreds of blooms from carefully-selected farms worldwide, so no flower is ever truly out of season.

Edible treats and favors are always a hit with party guests; whether offered at a bridal shower, a lunch or dinner with bridesmaids, the rehearsal dinner or wedding reception, you can bet that your nearest and dearest will appreciate having a little something edible to indulge their sweet tooth with later on.

Recently, I came across adorable cookies from the Whimsy Cookie Company, located in Memphis, TN. Now, for those of you who are fans of the hit movie The Blind Side, you probably remember NFL star Michael Oher’s little sister, Collins, played by actress Lily Collins. Fast-forward to 2013 and Collins Tuohy is now the co-owner of the Whimsy Cookie Company, along with founder Laurie Suriff, who used her mom’s delicious sugar cookie recipes to start her company. As Collins recalls, “I knew after the first time I tried Laurie’s sweet treats I wanted to make sure everyone had this magical dessert experience. I became partners with Laurie, and from then on, we have been taking the sugar world by storm!”

Collins (left) and Laurie (right)

Their company offers an amazing variety of custom-designed, hand-decorated cookies shaped as wedding gowns, wedding cakes or rings.

Professional photographers are great for your timeless wedding photos, but what about capturing the big day from your guests' perspective? Toss out those dated disposable cameras and direct your attention to the hottest apps that will turn your reception into a fun and memorable photo shoot for your wedding guests.

Photo Credit: Marvelous Things Photography on Heart Love Weddings via Lover.ly

1. Wedding Snap

Since this innovative app's launch last year, over a million photos and videos have been shared in 15 countries worldwide. Wedding Snap instantly compiles guests' photos in an online album that can be viewed anywhere around the world in real time. Photos can be downloaded into multiple albums, each with a unique album code, for up to a year after the wedding. 

Wish you had a personal nutritionist at your fingertips to get you into tip-top shape before your wedding? Well, now you can for just 99 cents with the meals4me app, available for both iPhones and Androids.

When you use the meals4me app, you'll create a profile with your desired weight goal and how many calories you should consume every day. You then get a month’s worth of delicious recipes for meals and snacks, each customized just for you.

The perfectly portioned, nutritious recipes are designed by Dara Bergen, RD a Registered Dietitian and Certified NYS Nutritionist. Each recipe is full of important antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, designed to make you look and feel great. These healthy, balanced recipes include power foods, such as spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, salmon, walnuts and berries. These power foods nourish your body both inside and out, giving you and your skin a radiant, healthy glow.

For those of you who don't love to cook, this useful app makes cooking fun and easy, increasing your confidence to prepare meals for your future family. When you view a recipe in the meals4me app, you can add each of the ingredients from each recipe right into a shopping list. This allows you to save money — spend and use only what you need.

As a last-minute tip to make sure that dress fits great, Dara Bergen, RD, suggests, "Make sure you choose only low sodium recipes, drink lots of water and go for a daily walk the week before your special day!" 

"90210" star Shenae Grimes, 23, and model/musician Josh Beech, 24, exchanged vows today in an intimate affair outside of London — and the beautiful countryside ceremony was anything but a cookie-cutter wedding. Instead of opting for a traditional white dress, Grimes walked down the aisle in an elegant black silk halter ballgown with handmade Chantilly lace appliqué on the bodice and a full tulle skirt, designed by Vera Wang for her Fall 2012 collection. Back in June 2012, Vera blogged about her design: "It Is for the romanticist bride who wants to embody that allure and seduction while drifting in a very ethereal, romantic world." (Modern-chic black wedding gowns were all over the runways this season, too!)

We wouldn’t expect anything less from this aspiring fashionista, who's planning to put aside acting for a while and explore career options in the fashion world. Grimes paired the gown with a gorgeous bouquet of red and white blooms that gave off a just-picked-from-the-garden feel. 

The bride and her British beau also took an untraditional musical approach, ditching the classic wedding march for a more lively selection of house music. No word yet on whether any fist pumping was involved. 

Congratulations and best wishes to the happy couple! 

—Mary Gillen 

Photo Credit: Justin & Mary

Q. As a single parent, my mother was completely selfless and often worked two jobs to provide for my brother and me. I would like to honor her in some special way on my wedding day. Do you have any suggestions?

A. It sounds like your mom is pretty amazing and certainly deserves special recognition. There are a number of things you can consider:

• Ask her to be a part of your bridal party as the matron of honor. It’s a wonderful way to acknowledge the loving relationship you share.
• She can escort you down the aisle, either alone or with whomever else you may ask to do the honors.
• Include one of her favorite flowers in your bouquet, or pin one of her brooches onto the handle.
• If she loves to sing or plays a musical instrument, ask her to perform during the ceremony.
• Your mom can also light a unity candle and read a verse or give a spiritual reading.
• Wite a special acknowledgement to her in the wedding program.
• At the reception, let her take the mike and give a toast. And in your toast, be sure that you tell everyone how much you appreciate all the love and guidance she gave you through the years. I promise there won’t be a dry eye in the house, and your mom will always cherish these heartfelt memories!

—Diane Forden 

Let's face it: There are some aspects of wedding planning that are less fun than others. Even the most happy-go-lucky bride can lose her patience when bills are mounting, tensions are heating up between parents or the bridesmaids, and weekends/vacation days are nonexistent (they're reserved for vendor appointments). We can empathize!

I thought I would round up some of the most romantic wedding moments that make us want to say "awww," because as stressful as wedding planning can be, it's all worth it to marry your best friend.

1. A sweet note is the perfect way to begin the day. 
Photo Credit: Dream Love Photography

2.  I vote for a first look that is sure to capture a priceless moment! This bride is practically toppling over with excitement (and Eskimo kisses).
Photo Credit: Jennefer Wilson Photography

3. Pack tissues just in case.

1920s glamour is having a moment in the spotlight right now, thanks to the latest film adaptation of The Great Gatsby. On the bridal runways last month, we saw so many beautiful gowns inspired by Gatsby. And when it comes to décor, couples are embracing glitz, glamour, and opulence. 

This styled shoot, photographed by Siegel Thurston Photography, took place at the Del Mar racetrack, a stunning historic track originally opened by Bing Crosby and partners. The bride wore four different looks, each reflecting the best of the time period — from a flirty feathered frock to an embellished lace gown. A luxe headpieces completes each look. The groom looked dapper in a fedora and classic suits. 

For the décor, furniture and table accessories from the time period were provided by Pow Wow Vintage Rentals. And completing the look was a classic 1927 car from Haynes Chauffering!

Get inspired by these gorgeous photos:

Recently, I experienced one of the best cuts of my life at premier NYC salon Eiji Salon. I must confess, when I left the salon, I felt like a Pantene commercial; my hair moved beautifully! The secret to this fabulous cut: "The Dry Cut."

Eiji Salon specializes in the artistic dry cut. A protégé of dry-cutting master John Sahag, Eiji Yamane leads a professional team of stylists in this serene loft-like salon that focus on the dry-cut. The salon boasts a client list that includes Catherine Zeta-Jones, Yoko Ono and Sarah Jessica Parker.

After receiving this amazing cut I felt I must share this best kept secret with Bridal Guide's readers. I sat down with Eiji Salon stylist Akira Yamane to learn more.

1. Why is the dry cut more desirable than the wet cut?
The dry cut creates balance and shape, meaning the hair has better movement and falls into shape impeccably. It is a more visual, creative technique compared to a traditional “wet hair cut,” which is more of a structured cut according to a guide line. Every dry cut has its own uniqueness and originality to the shape and details. The dry cut allows the stylist to follow the natural patterns of your hair, as opposed to a status quo approach that does not consider the uniqueness of each person.

2. How much time does a dry cut take?
The dry cut is roughly an hour and a half per client. We value our time with our clients and utilize our unique technique and precision by taking smaller sections of the hair to have more control of the weight and balance of the hair. When cutting hair, we check for movement, weight and feel. Every strand is as important as the next.

Loverly is the heart of weddings: a visual inspiration search engine designed to help brides discover ideas, people to hire, and things to buy. Loverly makes finding beautiful wedding inspiration easier than ever! Their images are powered by the best wedding publishers and wedding shopping partners on the web. Find Bridal Guide on Loverly >>

It's not surprising that DIY weddings are everywhere these days — making your décor, food, and even your wedding dress yourself can save tons of money and be really fun and satisfying. But just because you can DIY your wedding doesn’t always mean that you should. Here are a few reasons you may want to skip doing it yourself and just hire a pro.