Blogs

Culinary scientists, authors, and hosts of “America's Test Kitchen,” Bridget Lancaster and Julia Collin Davison, share their kitchen must-haves.

Bridget Lancaster's Picks:

If I only knew then what I know now...I would have bought more core kitchen equipment, and fewer single-use gadgets (like a tubular pasta maker).

Getting married is one of the ultimate rites of passage. Weddings are a symbol of love, hope, devotion, sacrifice, and the future — not just for us, the bride and groom, but also to our family, friends and community. And with them comes a host of expectations (just take a look at these wedding complaints I’ve heard). Sometimes these perceptions are so deeply engrained that we don’t even realize they’re there.

I’m three months shy of getting married (!) and it’s only now, at the tail end of my engagement, that I’m able to see how certain myths have shaped my wedding-planning process for better (and for worse). Where did these crazy ideas come from? My fiancé, Jason, blames the crappy reality TV that I watch and my love of fairytales as a kid, but I think it runs deeper than that: Myths are also formed from cultural beliefs and stories that are passed down to us on a personal level. BG brides, what would you add to the list below?

In The Emily Post Institute's latest book, Emily Post’s Wedding Etiquette: 6th Edition, Emily's great-great-granddaughters Anna and Lizzie Post tackle modern-day wedding questions that the original etiquette expert never could've dreamed about, from how to use (wisely) use technology, the rules for same-sex weddings, and much more. Here, the fourth generation of Posts tackle the biggest wedding invitation mistakes.

Photo Credit: Paperfinger via Lover.ly

Before you okay your proofs or send your invitations to the printer, review them for the following:

Check, double-check, and then have others check the wording. Be particularly attentive to spelling, the correct names and addresses of ceremony and reception sites, and the correct date and time.

Avoid any mention of gifts or listing of gift registries. Also, don’t include a notation such as “No gifts, please,” tempting as it may be. This keeps the entire focus of the invitation on the person you are inviting, not on any implied obligation to bring a gift. You can put registry or charitable-giving information on your website, or have family members and attendants help spread the word.

One of the biggest wedding-planning challenges can be cohesiveness — presenting a consistent vision for your event from start to finish. As a wedding planner, I see brides (especially those who are newly engaged) struggle with this all the time. They've picked their venue, theme and dress...but none of the three really match.

Throughout the process of falling in love with gowns, flowers, linens, and all things wedding pretty, you might find it difficult to maintain focus and your wedding can take on a life of its own. So, how do you prevent this from happening? The good news is that by outlining key factors early on, it's totally doable to execute your big day without getting completely lost in the process.

I've put together some easy tips to help couples stay on track throughout the months leading up to their wedding. By no means do you have to follow these to a T. My hope is that you will find a way to personalize these steps and bring your vision to life in the most magical way possible!

1. Book your venue before anything else.
This is the one key piece of advice that I've shared with all of my clients throughout the years that hasn't changed. In your venue selection, you'll narrow down the search by finding out what you're stylistically drawn to and what reflects you as a couple. Your entire wedding vision will become more defined throughout this process.

Dolores and Trent Winstead were inseparable for over six decades, right up until the end — they passed away within hours of one another. The Nashville couple spent their final moments together holding hands as they lay in hospital beds.

A beautiful wedding gown doesn’t have to come with a big price tag. Cue Rebecca Ingram by Maggie Sottero Designs: a line of timeless styles at unbeatable price points. Rebecca Ingram’s inaugural collection is the perfect union of fashion and affordability.