Blogs

In the decade that I’ve been traveling the world as an editor, I’ve seen a ton of hotels. I skipped around a bunch before I had the official title and in those days I also tested out hotels, motels and Holiday Inns—a lot. Every hotel has a positive (there was a place I saw in Cancún a few weeks ago that had eh rooms but an awesome beach and beautiful common spaces) and every hotel has, what my mom calls, a “yeah, but.” You know, that waiter who ruined the whole vibe of a fancy spot in Marrakech or the resort fees that are tacked on to every stay at a Hawaiian resort.

But Amanyara, an exclusive enclave of intimate pavilions and a collection of private villas on the island of Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos had all of the awesome and none of the yeah buts. (Ok there was one—the threat of having to sit next to Christy Turlington on the beach! Thankfully, we only saw her husband all covered up.) 

Only six weeks before their big day, UK couple Lauren Lane and Daniel Welch experienced the unthinkable—they received an email announcing that their venue was shutting down, and as a result, they lost their deposit of $7,000.

There was no way for them to recoup the funds in time for the wedding, so in desperation, the bride turned to an unlikely source, Twitter, and posted the following plea: "Help needed with aspects of our wedding after venue goes bust with 6wks 2go & with our £4.5K! Pls RT." Even the bridesmaids pitched in by tweeting to local companies and spreading the word, asking if anyone could help them.

They received an outpouring of support (even from celebrities) that led to free donations that included their cake, photography, wedding rings, videography, stationery, favors and more. "Contrary to what some media reports have said, we received no cash donations; only goodwill and skills from local, honest companies," Lane told WebProNews.

Thanks to all of the unexpected assistance they received, Lauren and Daniel got married on their original date, February 25th. The bride told The Guardian that: "We got so much help from a lot of kind people and it made our day really special. So much has come from such an awful time we can't thank all our helpers enough. It really did make it a dream wedding for us both."

Check out photos from their gorgeous wedding below!

A daughter’s wedding is the most important day in a mother’s life, so it's only fitting that she should be just as fashion-forward as the bride! Say goodbye to dull ideas about how an MOB (and MOG) should dress and enter a world of exquisite details, sophisticated silhouettes, and figure-flattering designs. Moms, these popular styles are guaranteed to make you look (and feel) gorgeous on your daughter or son's big day.

Trend #1: Pastels

Spring into style with pastels! This season, blush pinks, mint greens, seafoam blues, and pale yellows are ruling the bridal runways. MOBs, the palette possibilies are endless.

Left: Style J145025 from Jasmine ($415, jasminebridal.com)
Right: Style 110845 from Montage by Mon Cheri ($350, moncheribridals.com)

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 some fresh ideas for your "something blue."

I have a confession to make. Four years into married life, I realized that I never had a something blue at my wedding. Nothing in my dress, jewelry, bouquet or even underwear had a trace of blue in it. How could I, a self proclaimed (and semi-supertitious) wedding aficionado, have overlooked my something blue? Then I started to think – what’s the big fuss about anyway?

We just finished working on a fantastic story called “It’s All in the Details,” coming up in our July/August issue. It illustrates how you can pull together the look of your reception with just a single object used as inspiration. Basically, any object (a button, vase, fabric swatch, etc) can be a starting point to help determine your colors, theme and wedding style. And with a little imagination, you’ll have an amazing wedding that makes a unique, personal statement about you and your fiancé. 

No matter what your inspiration is, whether an object, season or colors, it goes without saying that every element is key when planning a wedding reception: the lighting, colors, dinnerware, glassware, centerpieces and even the table shapes all make an impact. But one thing that may be overlooked is the type of chair or chair coverings chosen. Take a look at these incredible receptions where the gorgeous chair coverings, courtesy of Chameleon Chair Collection, beautifully enhance the look of a number of different wedding celebrations. You can see how the right chair can make any reception look even more spectacular.

For an all white wedding, these draped chairs, cinched in back with a jeweled accent, look fashionably chic:

Although my fiancé Michael and I completed our registries back in November, I am constantly thinking of new items that we accidentally left off our lists. BG brides, I am thrilled to report that I was able to fill all of the missing gaps this past weekend at Kohl's! I visited the store to shop for my honeymoon wardrobe, but ended up spending so much time checking out their impressive home collection that I forgot what my original mission was. I was very pleased to learn about everything that Kohl's has to offer and now I finally have everything I need to start my new home with Michael.

The first thing we noticed in the home section was the Gorham Classic Wine Decanter. When we registered, Mike and I selected a pricey, delicate decanter that we’d probably only use for entertaining. In reality, we drink wine often and would benefit from selecting a more affordable option that better suits our everyday routine. This Gorham clearly fits the bill! Priced at a mere $42.99, Michael and I adore the decanter’s sleek design and look forward to using it daily. Best of all, it comes with a limited lifetime warranty, ensuring that we will be able to thoroughly enjoy our purchase for years to come.

Each week, we feature music recommendations from Scratch Weddings, the nation's leader with the best wedding DJs at affordable prices. This week's post comes from DJ Vida Ventura, who keeps dance floors moving from coast to coast with her ear for great music. Vida cuts her chops at quintessential Lower East Side hot spots and chic LA nightclubs. From these experiences, Vida has gone on to rock the decks worldwide. Vida's highly-sought DJ style is eclectic and energetic, and she is passionate about bringing her skills to couples looking for a fresh, fun take on a wedding DJ. "I love to mix genres and play everything from James Brown to Michael Jackson to Beyoncé in the same set and appeal to everyone at the wedding."

       Photo Credit: Weddings by Chris Sherberne Photography

With the warm weather quickly approaching, spring weddings are just around the corner. Who wouldn’t want to tie the knot during the season that boasts near-perfect weather and freshly-blooming flowers?

Let’s face it—every girl wants to stand out when she walks down the aisle. Here are a few ways to achieve a fabulous look suitable for your spring wedding.

Glitter
Knowing how to incorporate a little sparkle into your look is key. Wearing nail polish or lip gloss with glitter in it is a great way to add that special flare. Whether you choose one or both, hints of glitter can help you stand out on the big day!

Try Mally’s Facet Gemlight Lip Gloss in Pink Sapphire to create shiny and dazzling lips.To achieve that perfectly polished look, reach for OPI's Pedal Faster Suzi! Nail Lacquer for your big-day manicure. The shade is not too bright and will twinkle on your nails as you say "I do."

Photo Credit: Daniel Kim Photography

Honeymoon plans have been the main topic of conversation lately for my fiancé Corey and I, which led me to wonder about how we can maintain our entire honeymoon phase—not just post-nuptials, but during the actual wedding-planning process as well. With to-do lists that put grocery lists to shame and DIY centerpieces lining the walls in our kitchen, the wedding is constantly at the forefront of our minds. Sure, the engagement's main purpose is for couples to plan their dream nuptials and prepare for the future together, but it's also one of the few times you can be shamelessly giddy, starry-eyed and lovey-dovey with your husband-to-be.

To say I'm clueless when it comes to makeup is an understatement. My daily beauty routine consists of undereye concealer, loose powder, a dab of blush, and a swipe of black mascara. Rather than wear lipstick like an adult, I finish my application with a thin coat of ChapStick. 

So when I arrived at my makeup trial two weeks ago and Barbara, the makeup artist, asked how I want to look on my wedding day, instead of whipping out a photo of the look I was aiming for, I replied, "Pretty!" She asked me to elaborate and I answered, "Well, I prefer a dark lip, rather than a smoky eye." (I know, very descriptive.) Then, I told her how much I love red lipstick. Insert exaggerated eye roll from all of the other BG brides reading this, who unlike myself, recognize the countless shades of red lipstick that exist in this world.

Needless to say, I was 0 for 3, but the results of my trial were positive in spite of my lack of direction. The application was flawless and I would definitely like to work with Barbara on my wedding day. But my friend Nora said it best: "The colors you selected for your eyeshadow and lipstick just aren't you." The shade of red I picked could have passed for bright pink, and the eyeshadow, which was a light plum, seemed to clash. She suggested visiting my local MAC or NARS to sample different hues to decide which would work best for my wedding day. (Thanks, Nora!)

This time, I don't plan on going empty-handed! I gathered some inspirational makeup styles below—would you like to help me out by voting for your favorite?