Blogs

We're delighted to introduce our newest contributor, Amy Brueckman, resident DIY goddess and web intern extraordinaire. Love the exclusive craft that she created below? Check out more style musings and do-it-yourself tips at her blog, Letters from the Lighthouse.

Spring is just two weeks away and bouquets of daisies and tulips are already starting to crop up at the florist’s. Passing those flower stands on the street inspired me to create a do-it-yourself boutonnière for BG brides that can be customized to fit any wedding theme. For an all-natural rustic wedding, use materials like twigs and leaves. For a colorful look, bright flowers and beaded sprigs can add a hint of glitz. From buttons to fabric shapes to fresh flowers, the possibilities are endless. Search Pinterest for ideas and get creative! Plus, unlike store-bought versions, which can be costly, this project only rang us up to around $25.  As long as you can tape a few flower steps together, then this craft will be a breeze. 

Important Note: Try to make your boutonnières the day before or, if possible, the day of the wedding. 

At the San Francisco Wedding Fair earlier this year, wedding and event planning company Floramor created these incredible tables inspired by some of today's hottest pop-stars—Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Katy Perry, Jennifer Lopez, and Fergie.

"Music is such a major part of what creates a mood and a successful event, and each of these ladies is so hot right now that it just seemed perfect," said the designer, Laura Little, of Floramor. "Each of the tables came from my perception of how these ladies project their personal style into their videos, performances and public appearances."

Take a look—and let us know which is your favorite!

Britney Spears

The pop princess's romantic table display is accented with roses, pearls, and hanging candles. A mirrored tabletop adds a modern touch.

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 one of her favorite new wedding trends.

It’s a bit bold and a tad daring, but we at idojour.com love the idea of brides dressing their 'maids in pretty frocks with prints and patterns. The big question is, how do you work with prints as part of a cohesive look, especially when you factor multiple girls, shoes and flowers? We decided to ask the folks at Ellis Flowers for their expert advice on what accessories they would pair with these five very different but beautiful looks.

Printed Blues

When working with graphic pattern, such as these gorgeous blue dresses, it's best to accessorize with a single color. We love the idea of pairing these dresses with a bold contrasting color, like orange.

Photo via New York Daily News

Back in 1952, Isidore and Joan Schwartz tied the knot at New York's famed Waldorf-Astoria hotel. And now, the happy couple will be returning to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary for just $16.80—the same price they paid on their wedding night (today, room rates start at $319). “I’m going to see if anything looks familiar,” Isidore, 88, told the New York Daily News.

Why did this couple score such a steep discount? Turns out, the Waldorf has a little-known policy that allows a couple who spent their honeymoon at the Waldorf to celebrate a milestone anniversary (50 years or more) at the original room rate—all they need is their receipt. Not many people know about the deal—about two or three couples take advantage of this amazing perk every year.

Isidore, 88, and Joan, 82, met on a blind date on Thanksgiving 1950, and were married 16 months later. Recalling their reception: “I remember standing on some sort of balcony, looking down at the wedding party, and seeing all my relatives grabbing at the food,” Joan said. $4.75 covered a steak dinner for one, and ice sculptures at the reception, too.

“It was a great party. Everyone had a great time,” said Isidore.

We recommend saving your wedding night receipt—just in case!

—Grace Gavilanes

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 Jon Blak, whose client list includes Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Jermaine Dupri and Ryan Leslie. He describes his style as "retro/future”, a seamless blend of old and new that translates well to wedding guests of all ages. "I love the challenge of crossing genres and generations and playing a diverse mix that's totally seamless. At the end a wedding, I'd like the bride and the groom to be exhausted from dancing!" Jon is known infusing any event with energy and cool, while always keeping the client's musical preferences front and center in his music selection.

Photo Credit: Holli B Photography

When Lillian Hartley, 95, and Allan Marks, 98, tied the knot this week, they unknowingly became the world's oldest newlyweds. Their combined 193 years broke the previous record of 191 years.

"Honest to God? Oh, I can't believe it," Hartley told The Desert Sun about breaking the record. "Oh, I'm impressed with myself." 

 Photo via The Desert Sun

The happy couple met 18 years ago at temple on Yom Kippur in Palm Springs. He complimented her dress, and their relationship grew from there.

“I believe in fate and destiny a little bit and I think that was meant to be,” Hartley told ABC News. “I had been a widow for six years and I really loved my freedom. …I said, ‘Oh, I don’t want a relationship,’…and then he came along, and somehow hooked me.”

A true modern-day proposal story: BuzzFeed contributor Len Kendall used Internet memes, Pinterest, and Twitter to propose to his girlfriend Katie today.

After posting his initial photo (left) on BuzzFeed, he encouraged users to submit their own meme-inspired photos. Within an hour, more than 160 users had posted photos in the comments. BuzzFeed created a Pinterest board with some of the best submissions, and the hashtag #sayyeskatie picked up steam on Twitter.

At 12:57 pm, Len announced that Katie had, in fact, said yes.

Below, check out some of our favorites.