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Confirmed: Keira Knightley is Engaged!

keira knightley

Wedding bells are ringing for Keira Knightley!

The British Oscar-nominated actress is engaged to James Righton, a keyboardist/vocalist for The Klaxons, a London-based indie band. Knightley, 27, was introduced to the rocker by mutual pal Alexa Chung, a TV host.

Knightley's spokesperson confirmed the happy news earlier this morning, but declined to discuss details of the proposal or when the wedding will be taking place. This will be the couple's first marriage.

Knightley is best known for her roles in Pirates of the Caribbean and Atonement. She is starring in two upcoming films: sci-fi thriller Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (out in June) and Anna Karenina (which hits theaters in November).

In addition to her acting chops, she also has serious style cred: She's the face of Chanel and has been a muse to Karl Lagerfeld. We can't wait to see which wedding gown she chooses!

 

Photo Credit: Mark Von Holdon/iStock

—Stefania Sainato

Top it Off: Unique Cake Toppers

One of the best ways to personalize your wedding is through your choice of a cake topper. There are literally hundreds of ideas to choose from: flowers, porcelain figurines, monograms, flags, butterflies, feathers…anything that expresses your own unique style. I recently came across these adorable and versatile pewter toppers from Lisa Leonard Designs

Two Hearts Become One ($70) can be customized with your names or wedding date:

lisa leonard cake toppers

The L-O-V-E letters topper ($48) also looks great on cupcakes:

lisa leonard cake toppers

And the romantic True Love sign ($48) is made of hand-stamped vintage letterpress blocks on pewter:

lisa leonard cake toppers

What to Wear to a Summer Wedding

Guest blogger: Rosanna Casper, co-founder of Idojour.com, a new wedding website where brides, grooms, family and friends can purchase a stylish and affordable mix of beautifully curated pieces. Designed to make wedding planning all the more inspiring and enjoyable, Idojour offers accessories and apparel for your wedding weekend, complemented by both inspirational and practical content. Rosanna oversees content, among many other things, and makes sure that everything comes together beautifully on the site.

Here, Rosanna shares her picks for what to wear to a summer wedding.

We all have a wedding (or three) to go to this summer, presenting the ever-so-challenging task of finding the perfect outfit to fit the theme and location of the event. This summer is all about color — from bold hues to soft pastels to prints, and we've come up with a dress for every style and occasion to inspire you — you'll be the best-dressed guest this wedding season!

Ballroom 

ballroom wedding guest attire

10 Painless Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding

What bride hasn't fantasized about her future wedding? We daydream about extravagant dresses, delicious cuisine, flowing drinks, dazzling rings...but the thought of paying all of this off afterwards is enough to ground us back to reality. However, with some creativity and time, you can slash costs without sacrificing your overall wedding style. Here are some saving shortcuts that my fiancé Corey and I (or other couples we know) have successfully used.

wedding and credit card1. Do yourself a favor and skip favors.

Giving out favors is a wedding tradition, but it's one that Corey and I are likely skipping. When I look back at every wedding I've ever been to, I don't recall bringing home a single favor (and that doesn't mean the bride and groom didn't offer them). Say goodbye to cheesy tchotchkes—we promise your guests won't miss them!

2. Rethink your entrées.

Everyone looks forward to the wedding meal, but don't feel pressured to shell out for notoriously decadent (and pricey) fare. I learned in a recent issue of BG that serving a combination platter with two different dishes can help couples save more than 40 percent on catering costs. 

Photo Credit: iStock

3. Invite Mother Nature to the party.

Choose an under-the-radar locale to say your vows. Parks, wineries and historic homes with gardens can be surprisingly affordable and serve as memorable, gorgeous backdrops for your wedding day.

Mark Zuckerberg Goes From IPO to "I Do"

mark zuckerberg marries priscilla chan
Photo Credit: Facebook

Facebook creator and CEO Mark Zuckerberg made his most personal investment yet this past Saturday when he married Priscilla Chan, his college sweetheart of nine years. Naturally, the news was posted immediately to his timeline, where 1,066,803 well-wishers (and counting) have "liked" it so far. The Internet ingenue's new marital status was revealed just 24 hours after he rolled out the IPO, one of the most highly anticipated in Wall Street history.

Although the mogul is now worth an estimated $19 billion, the low-key couple chose an intimate backyard celebration in their Palo Alto home, catching guests off-guard, who thought they were there for Dr. Chan's graduation party (she received her pediatrics degree from University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine on May 14).

The bride's choice of wedding gown was also surprisingly affordable: The First Lady of Facebook walked down the aisle in a laser-cut floral dress by Claire Pettibone, which cost just under $5,000 (visit clairepettibone.com for similar styles). The illusion jewel neckline was one of the biggest bridal trends we spotted on the NYC runways this season—it perfectly embodies the power couple's refined elegance. 

claire pettibone dress
Photos courtesy of designer

25 Share-Worthy Wedding Photos

The Pinterest phenomenon has revolutionalized the way we plan our weddings. Brides like myself use it to store hundreds of inspirational photos and get other brides' feedback instantly. comScore reports that the site has grown from under 1 million users in May of last year to about 20 million this April! This led us to wonder—what are the top-shared photos of all time? That's where Repinly comes in: a new Pinterest directly that measures the most popular pins, boards, topics, and influential followers.

5 Fun Wedding Lessons from David Tutera

Missed our live Facebook chat yesterday with David Tutera? BG fans all the way from Mississippi to the Philippines joined together to talk one-on-one with our July/August cover star! 

For one hour, they were on a first-name basis with David, submitting hundreds of their most pressing wedding questions —from emergencies ("I was laid off from my job") to style queries ("Are cowboy boots okay?") — until he jetted off to meet with a new client and tape an episode of My Fair Wedding, now in season six. Brides, moms, and single fans were all grateful for the advice: "Thank you soo much, seeing the 'David Tutera replied to your comment' status notification just now made my day! ♥ you!" said Laura DeDene. 

Here's what we learned:

david tutera facebook chat

1. No wedding theme is too far-fetched.

1. Facebook fan Spirit Renee asks: "My fiancé loves Skittles, so I decided I want to have a Skittles wedding. I want my main cake to have layers of the candy in different colors, then I want individual cakes that taste just like the color being shown (e.g. grape-flavored for purple candies, lemon-flavored for yellow candies, etc). How can I make my wedding beautiful? I want it to shine!"

David answers: "Incorporate lots and lots of color. You want to make sure that the candies are just an accent and don't overtake the look of the entire wedding, but you can still have fun with this. Try having bridesmaid bouquets in one bold color. You sound just as sweet as candies, have fun!"

Must-Have Photo: A Portrait at Sunset

Lately, we've seen so many gorgeous photos of brides and grooms at sunset. We love how these pictures take advantage of the beauty of nature and transform a regular photo into a work of art.

How do you capture the perfect shot? Timing is everything! Visit sunrisesunset.com to find out approximately when the sun will be setting in your area on your wedding date. Then, inform your photographer of your plans so that he or she can keep an eye on the time for you.

Here, a few of our favorites:

bride and groom at sunset
Photo Credit: Ashley Maudlin Photography

bride and groom at sunset
Photo Credit: Nate & Jenna Photography 

bride groom sunset
Photo Credit: Amanda Marie Photography

UGG Australia Launches "I Do" Wedding Collection

One thing you may not fully appreciate before the big day—you will be standing a lot. From the time we started taking pictures until after the first dance, I was on my feet in my brand new heels... and my feet were screaming for some relief.

If you're looking for something super comfy to change into at your reception that's more fun than a pair of flats, check out the new UGG Australia "I Do" capsule collection, now available for pre-orders:

ugg i do wedding collection

The collection includes a jeweled boot with a Swarovski crystal button ($190):

ugg i do collection

sparkly sequin boot ($225):

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