Blogs

About a year ago today (Wednesday, November 16 to be exact), Kate Middleton and her prince made their formal engagement announcement at St. James' Palace. BG brides across the world, including our editors, became enamored with the couple, and couldn't help but wonder: What must Kate be thinking (and feeling) at that exact moment?

Now's your chance to play pretend! We heard about "Engagement," an interactive art exhibit at Stephen Friedman Gallery, created by Artist Jennifer Rubbell, via Cup of Jo. It features a life-sized wax sculpture of Wills standing in the same exact pose he struck for the cameras at the formal announcement.

Delighted visitors can mount the pedestal, slide their arms through Will's, and try on a replica of Lady Di's iconic sapphire ring. 

In honor of the Breaking Dawn film release this week, we have a very special treat for our BG brides, brought to you by the lovely Sonia Collett from wantthatwedding over in the UK!

She spent months putting together the magical photo shoot below, shot by the talented Chanelle at Segerius-Bruce Photography.

"I wanted to create something extra special, that beautiful something that brides-to-be would love and feel inspired by (even if they weren’t a Twilight fan)," said Sonia.

Mission accomplished:

Planning a Twilight-inspired wedding? We just found your perfect invitations: Hallmark released a replica of Bella and Edward's classic invitation, available for personalization on hallmark.com!

Once you've customized your invite, Hallmark will have it professionally printed on premium white paper with black lettering. You can even have Hallmark address, stamp, and send the invitations directly to the recipients. Or, you can print the invites yourself for as low as $1.29. 

“The Edward and Bella wedding invitation gives super-fans a unique opportunity to create a memorable keepsake from the movie for themselves and their fellow ‘Twi-Hard’ friends or even actually use it for their wedding day,” said Christine Taylor, Hallmark Licensing. “We also saw it as a fun way to invite friends to a viewing party for the Nov. 18th movie release.”

What we love: Fellow Twihards will instantly recognize it as the Breaking Dawn invitation. But your less in-the-know guests will just see it as a nice, classic invitation. 

Also: Hallmark has released 20 Twilight-themed greeting cards for birthdays and other special occasions, plus a Christmas tree ornament, stickers, magnets, bookmarks, and more. Who's ready for Breaking Dawn?!

From the moment you are transformed from girlfriend into fiancée, your life can become one never-ending to-do list. Often, brides-to-be can forget to add their own well-being to the agenda. The result? More stress and, consequently, not-so-pretty wedding photographs. To ensure that you are flawless on your wedding day, stop depriving yourself and treat yourself.

Take a cue from my guide below and say “I do!” to a better you!

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Skincare

Since the engagement, I’ve been visiting my favorite dermatologist every two months. Not only does she take the time to clean my pores (which helps prevents future breakouts), but she also prescribes creams and washes that leave my skin glowing. In addition to finding a great skincare pro, always remember to take off your makeup and wash your face before going to sleep (and once more when you rise in the morning). Your skin will thank you!

Diet

I purchased my gown last February and realized by August that I had put on nine pounds since then! To ensure that my first fitting is a positive experience, I’ve been more mindful of my food intake. I try to eat smaller portions more frequently and limit my snacks to twice a day (I try to keep them around 100 calories). I stopped going back for seconds and limit myself to the food that first made it on my plate.

Right now, Corey and I are in the middle of deciding who we want to DJ our big day; it’s a big decision! Here are some dos and don’ts we're following to find the best vendor for our music preferences.

Photo courtesy of Scratch Weddings

DJ Dos:

1. Make it a party! A DJ acts as your wedding’s emcee or host. Their enthusiasm (or lack thereof) will guide the overall feel of the entire reception. If they sound excited, your guests will act excited. I want a DJ who will lead the party and make it fun.

2. Play the requested songs. If you’re like me and have a very specific list of songs you want to hear at your wedding…then they should be played! Select a DJ who will spin your desired tracks at some point during the festivities. Whether it's you and your hubby, parents, or family members, someone is spending good money for their services, and it will only stress you out if you choose someone who demands free reign.

Hot off the presses! Our January/February 2012 issue, on the stands now, is filled with a whole new world of wedding news.

We asked some of the country’s top wedding pros to reveal the biggest trends for the upcoming year—from invitations to flowers to menus, cakes, music and more.

You’ll find out what’s in, what’s out, and get inspired by some of their totally cool ideas.

We also have plenty of gorgeous gowns to choose from as well as savvy dress-shopping tips from TLCs “Say Yes to The Dress” star, Randy Fenoli. I’ve known Randy for many years and not only is he a true fashion guru but he’s also just written a terrific book, It’s All About the Dress (Grand Central Publishing). Randy’s a delight and a very talented designer himself: Trust me, he really knows how to make a bride look her very best.

Randy also has a new show, "Randy To The Rescue," scheduled to premiere next summer! 

Almost engaged or haven't picked out a ring yet? Then consider us officially green with envy: The latest baubles from Vera Wang Love at Zales are just as gorgeous as their price tags (most are $5,000 or less).

The capsule collection includes over 40 different engagement rings that feature round, cushion, and princess-cut stones, as well as wedding bands. Plus, each ring contains a trademark sapphire in the setting, which is visible no matter which way you turn your hand (you can spot it in some of the photos below).

Vera designed the line with different personalities in mind—whether your style is classic, vintage, or unabashedly glam, you'll find a ring suited to your style. "I believe in simple, elegant designs that enhance the beauty of any bride," she said in an official statement.

Here are 15 of our favorites, from simple to major shine factor:

1. 1/4 CT. T.W. Diamond Anniversary Band in 14K White Gold

$649.99

2. 1/2 CT. T.W. Diamond Three Row Anniversary Band in 14K White Gold

$1,299.99

"Regardless of its size or complexity, the perfect floral arrangement is the one that makes you stop for an instant and smile with surprise and delight," writes Preston Bailey in his new book Preston Bailey: Flowers.

If that's the case, then his beautiful tribute to blooms is bound to inspire awe. Every bride I've shown Flowers to has grabbed the book from my hands and wanted to frame (not rip!) the out-of-this-world photos inside. His anecdotal stories from A-list events—he's planned parties for Oprah Winfrey, Joan Rivers, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jennifer Hudson and Ivanka Trump—are equally fascinating.

Although some of the designs are decidedly over-the-top (poodles! merry-go-rounds!), Preston reveals gems of advice that all brides can follow, regardless of their budget:

Brit and Drew are both huge hockey fans. So what better way to celebrate their wedding than on the ice? The couple came up with the idea while watching a typical "Hockey Night" in Canada and wondering aloud if it'd be cool to get married on a rink.

Brit is an event planner, so she jumped at the idea and put the plans into motion. Guests were given rally towels (and were warned to dress warm!), and the bride, groom, and bridal party all donned skates. The bride and Dad skated down the aisle, and after the rings, the happy couple showed off their skating skills.

"After we did our rings, we did the ceremonial puck drop, we did our first kiss and then skated out to the Oilers goal horn and goal song," Brit told Yahoo! Sports. 

Watch the video!

Brit + Drew || Sept 3. 2011 || from Clear Horizon Productions on Vimeo.

—Kristen O'Gorman Klein

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 Beyonce, 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: Leah McCormick

The work starts before the wedding; I try to get an idea the bride and groom’s musical tastes while also getting a sense of what family and friends will enjoy.