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I don’t know about you, but I am stu-umped for gifts this year. I normally go on a buying bonanza whenever I’m traveling and stock up up on goodies for the fam., but this year, not so much. If you are in my similar oh-gosh-whatever-am-I-going-to-buy? boat then  you’ll totally appreciate this amazing travel book-slash-tool from the hip (and helpful) team at Jetsetter.com.

Imagine that you're flying far away from all of the wedding-planning stress and skipping out on the bills. Amazing, right? It gets even better: Every decision has been predetermined for you by The Ultimate Real Bride Panel and executed by one of the most sought-after celeb party planners in the world. 

Now, picture a spectacular venue, oh, let's say about 1,454 feet above the glittering skyline of New York City. By the way, you're getting married on the most romantic day of the year.

Sounds like the ultimate fantasy, but it's actually all part of "The Wings of Love," a new contest thrown by the Empire State Building and Colin Cowie. Four lucky couples will win a free Valentine's Day wedding at the iconic NYC landmark, which only hosts weddings once a year on that day.

Facebook fans will vote on everything from the brides' Kleinfeld dresses, grooms' Men's Wearhouse tuxes, flowers, and cake, a la The Today Show. The fun doesn't stop there: Once the wedding is over, they'll decide which couple should win the grand prize of $100,000, to kick off their newlywed bliss. 

Most weddings are focused around the big things: venue, dress, food and dancing. However, small, well thought-out details can have a huge impact without breaking the bank! I know I’m not the only Real Bride to spend hours wide-eyed searching through Pinterest, right? It’s a great site to encourage you to get creative and it’s the inspiration behind some of these ideas.

1. Cookies and milk. I LOVE the idea of bringing out champagne flutes filled with milk and stacked with a warm chocolate chip cookie on top towards the end of the reception. I never thought this tasty combo could look classy, but it totally does! The only reason we probably won’t be doing this at our wedding is because we think almost everyone will be drinking and milk just doesn’t mesh well with booze, unfortunately.

Photo Credit: Drew B Photography
Designed By: Preston Bailey

The Annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is infamous for its high-energy, fun catwalk (bedecked in glitter, natch) and equally rousing musical performances (this year, Beyonce sang along with husband Jay-Z from the sidelines). 

Select your fantasy theme based on your honeymoon destination—props optional.

If You're Traveling On A...

One of the best things about personalizing your wedding is all of the memorable keepsakes you can create. That's why we instantly fell in love with this creative guest book/table number combo.

Photo Credit: Fuzzy Gerdes/Flickr 

The best part is that it's super easy to make. On each table, place a blank notebook inside of an envelope with the corresponding table number/anniversary year. Immediately after the wedding, seal those envelopes so that you're not tempted to take a peek before the right anniversary! Then, on each anniversary, you'll get to break out the corresponding envelope and enjoy some of the messages from your beloved friends and family members.

Check out more of our favorite unique wedding guest books!

—Kristen O'Gorman Klein

In March, I visited the most romantic city in the world—Paris. I strolled about the City of Light in my Lanvin flats, thick black tights and freshly-scrubbed a la parisienne face checking out the latest hotel openings (there are loads), newest renovations and, of course, the shops and cafes. One such spot I visited was the historic Hôtel Le Bristol, home to one of Paris’s best restaurants (yes, even in this delectable town there are some spots that are better than all the rest), a charming courtyard and an indoor rooftop pool. Of course, my favorite spot at the urban hideaway is the completely redone Honeymoon Suite. Pretty, sweet, oui?

Hôtel Le Bristol, Paris, Honeymoon Suite from VIP Plus Worldwide on Vimeo.

—Jenna Mahoney

Although we're suckers for gorgeous décor projects, sometimes the best wedding DIY tasks are the ones that simply make your life a little easier, behind the scenes.

We found this simple (yet genius) DIY seating chart by Jen from SomethingTurquoise.com and couldn't wait to share it with our crafty BG brides! Creating a seating chart can be a daunting task, but with a little patience (and a whole lot of Post-Its), you'll be able to check this off your to-do list in no time.

Materials Needed:

• Your guest list
• Your reception table layout
• A poster board (or two, depending on how large your wedding is)
• Re-positionable page markers from Post-It
• Markers

Instructions:

1. Start by drawing out your table arrangement for your reception, using multiple poster boards if needed.

2. Jen used a bowl to trace her round tables, but if you have rectangular tables, then try using the bottom of a cereal box instead.

Each week, we feature wedding music recommendations from Scratch Weddings, the nation's leader with the best wedding DJs at affordable prices. This week's post comes from DJ RT.  This multi-talented musician gained his deep knowledge of music history at a young age and describes his DJ style as a balance of party rocker, turntabalist, and remixer. He loves to spin weddings and takes pride in playing music that brings people together "At weddings, you have such a wide range of people there, you really need to find the music that is literally timeless—the songs that everyone knows and loves.” 

Photo Credit: Long's Photography

To say that we're excited about Colin Cowie partnering with Hard Rock Hotels for destination wedding packages would be an understatement. At the launch party, we were so blown away by the stunning options that our web producer Stefania was tempted to call off her big city wedding and head to the beach instead!

The Colin Cowie Wedding Collection includes 18 lavish, customized packages created by the one and only Colin Cowie, giving us non-celeb brides a chance to score Colin's impeccable wedding style—packages start at only $1,500 and are available at the all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotels in Punta Cana, Vallarta, Cancun, and Riviera Maya.

Take a look at some of the gorgeous options for your décor. We love how Colin incorporated vibrant colors, rich textures, and lush flowers into his colorful schemes.

Sultry Sunset Reception