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The only thing better than getting a so-low-it's-sinful deal? FREE wedding merch. If you're still in the market for your dream dress, stop what you're doing and enter Simply Bridal's new dress-a-day giveaway, which runs today through September 8. Forgetful brides like myself will love this: Fill out your basic info once and you'll automatically be re-entered to win each day. Winners for each week will be announced on the Simply Bridal Facebook page each Saturday.

Simply Bridal is a customized-to-fit site, which means that they make each gown one at a time, as brides order them, so they're able to offer great discounts since they don't have to stock up on inventory or pay costs associated with a brick-and-mortar retailer. Their wedding gowns run in sizes 0 to 16, so no matter what your shape is, you're guaranteed to find a flattering style if you're one of the 32 lucky winners (check back this fall for more customized sizing options). 

Something old, something new, something borrowed… Here are some fun, unexpected alternatives to the traditional "something blue!"

A dark blue mascara, like DiorShow Waterproof in Azure Blue ($24.50, sephora.com) will add a playful, stay-put pop of color to your otherwise neutral wedding-day look. Dogeared’s ‘Something Blue’ bangle ($172, dogeared.com; in sterling silver or gold-dipped) is a thoughtful wedding gift and features three tiny hand-set sapphires, along with a sweet message inside the box. For the bold bride, these Kate Spade royal blue satin heels ($325, katespade.com) are adorable with a tea-length dress. Want to dress up your undergarments? Cosabella’s Shoreline thong and bandeau ($65 for thing, $53 for bandeau; bhldn.com), make for the perfect lingerie with a strapless gown. The lacy, retro-cut thong hides a tummy control panel, and the bandeau has side boning for extra support. And for the ultimate splurge you’ll wear again and again: Judith Leiber’s Fizzy clutch ($1,695, judithleiber.com), which comes with a cross-body chain.

—Samantha Dichter

We hosted a live Facebook chat where fans had the chance to submit their toughest fitness questions and get personalized feedback from workout guru Sue Fleming, the creator of the Buff Brides program. What we learned: No gym membership? Don't sweat it! All you need in order to work on the moves below are a swiss ball, a set of free weights, exercise bands, resistance tubes, and a good pair of sneakers.

Q1: "I'm wearing a strapless gown and am considering having the dress neckline altered to cover up the side-boob action. (You know, the little area right in front of the underarm.) Are there any particular moves I can focus on—other than just dropping my body fat percentage in general—to deal with that area?" —Brittany B.

A1: Sue Fleming: Push-ups are great to improve that area you're talking about. Try decline push-ups (your feet are on a bench, hands on floor) and incline push-ups (hands are on the bench, feet on floor) for an added boost!

Q2: "I've lost almost 40 lbs. but am struggling to lose the last 10-15 lbs., which is mostly in my thighs. Can you give me any helpful tips to minimize that area?"
—Jamie H.

TLC's hit series Four Weddings, where four brides with very different wedding styles compete to win a luxury honeymoon by attending and judging each other's weddings on the food, dress, venue, originality, and overall experience, returns tonight at 10 p.m. with a brand new episode.

Over the past few seasons, viewers have learned a ton about what will impress your guests, and as well as some surefire ways to irritate your nearest and dearest. Here, the top 10 mistakes we've seen:

Blunder #1: Not accounting for the temperature with an outdoor wedding.
Always put your guests' comfort first. This is even more important when having an outdoor wedding in the middle of July. Don't even think about having an outdoors-only affair if you can't hook up fans or, even better, air conditioning. If your guests are overheated, they're not going to be focusing on what's going on and will instead be preoccupied with their discomfort. Plus, you'll get a lot of early exits at your reception. People do not enjoy extreme temperatures, even if it is your special day.

This week, our real brides come together to share three confessions about their weddings. Tweet us @bridalguidemag with the hashtag "#realbrides" to share yours!

Hi BG brides! I know you're scratching your heads over my latest headline, wondering why I would put myself through the time, cost (and okay, I'll admit it, fun) of planning two large-scale events. Allow me to explain—Most Nigerians have two wedding ceremonies: a traditional ceremony and a ‘white-dress’ wedding ceremony the day after the traditional ceremony. Every bride and bride-to-be knows the stress of planning your wedding and reception. Now imagine doing it all twice. Picking out two sets of invites, picking out two menus, two venues, two bands/DJ’s, two everything! Planning both ceremonies had the potential to be easier but things that work for a regular wedding ceremony wouldn’t necessarily work for a traditional Nigerian ceremony. For example, people don’t RSVP, so I need a venue that can hold all the people we invite, same for food, same for beverages, etc.

This week, our real brides come together to share three confessions about their weddings. Tweet us @bridalguidemag with the hashtag "#realbrides" to share yours!

Minutes after Michael popped the question, he took a moment to exclaim, “Now go nuts!” I gazed at him, still smiling, and gave him an inquisitive look. He replied, “You know, with planning. You’ve been wedding obsessed for a while now, so you can finally begin preparing for our big day. Let me know when you want to start visiting venues.”

I thought my hours of research (i.e. watching countless episodes of David Tutera’s “My Fair Wedding” and TLC’s “Say Yes to the Dress”) would have prepared me for this moment. Making matters worse, as soon as we began telling family and friends our exciting news, we were bombarded with the same two questions: “When are you getting married? Where will the reception be?” Needless to say, I felt extremely unprepared and behind schedule.

So, what’s a girl to do? Get organized! BG brides, follow the helpful "BRIDE" acronym (Budget, Research, Ignore, Discover, Explore) to get off to a running start:

This week, our real brides come together to share three confessions about their weddings. Tweet us @bridalguidemag with the hashtag "#realbrides" to share yours!

Whenever Luke (who will, from now on, also be referred to as The Mister, The Man and My Boy) and I mention the location of our wedding, we always get the same, puzzled response: "Vegas! Wow...uh, why?" Most seem to think that since Australia (especially Western Australia, where we live) is filled with so many beautiful locations—everything from vineyards to lush, greenery-filled backyards—it's kind of weird that we’d pick somewhere like…Vegas?

It started out as a funny joke going around our family, that when we all visit America at the end of this year, Luke and I should get married in Vegas, just for the fun of it. That snowballed as we did more research, and realized that Sin City was a feasible destination option for us because it would allow us to avoid offending loved ones we couldn't afford to invite, thereby sparing our budget. To ours and many other people's surprise, Vegas is incredibly wedding-friendly and offers tons of great options beyond quickie nuptials in a drive-through chapel. (Note: Stay tuned for gorgeous evidence and a future post about the breakdown of costs for my destination wedding compared to what it would have cost to have my big day Down Under.)

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and we agree.

That's why we didn't take it personally when Glamour posted about how "cheesy" it is to have a Harry Potter themed wedding with "a Hogwarts Express train ride to the venue. A reception hall set up like the wizarding school with the four 'house' tables for guests. Seating cards set alongside a Sorting Hat"... and then linked to an image featuring some of these things — the same image we posted a few weeks earlier in a blog about two gorgeous Harry Potter-themed weddings we fell in love with. It's been one of our most popular features on the site.

That's not to say we didn't chuckle about Jezebel's follow-up post, "Glamour Says Your Harry Potter Wedding is Cheesy." 

We love our Harry Potter weddings because let's face it, when you hear "Harry Potter-themed weddings," it conjures up all kinds of images, not all of which seem wedding appropriate. Turns out, they are beautiful and classy in their own right — with a mystical touch.

Oh, and for the record, we don't think it's very nice to call anyone's wedding tacky; it may not be your taste, but that doesn't make it cheesy.

Wish you could enlist a personal trainer to help you reach your fitness goals in time for the big day? Now's your chance: Join Bridal Guide Magazine and workout guru Sue Fleming on Friday, August 5 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. (EST)  for a live chat on our Facebook page!

Here's how it works, in three easy steps:

Step 1. Become a fan of Bridal Guide Magazine by clicking the "Like" button at  facebook.com/bridalguide.

Step 2. Stay tuned for the following prompt, which will go live on Friday at 11 a.m. (EST):

FITNESS FRIDAY: Wish you had a personal trainer? Now's your chance: Leave a comment below with your fitness question and workout guru Sue Fleming will give you personalized advice!

Step 3. Ask us your question on our Facebook wall and Sue will answer you live on the spot.

Sue knows a thing or two about how to train brides-to-be: she's the creator of the Buff Fitness® workout regimen, which led to the "Buff Brides" reality TV series (still in reruns on Fit TV) and numerous DVDs, including Buff Brides, Buff Moms, Buff Moms-to-Be and Fashionably Buff.  Whether you're an exercise beginner or an accomplished athlete, Sue's got the advice you need to look (and feel) like the most beautiful version of yourself for your wedding. So ask away, don't be shy—spread the word to your 'maids and MOB, too!

—Stefania Sainato

Oh, this is just too good...

New York Magazine is reporting that Jersey Shore star Mike Sorrentino, aka "The Situation," is supposedly going to be the face of a new line of tuxedos named after him, thanks to a company called Flow Formal. And, naturally, he'll be earning a six-figure sum for this.

The company is planning to launch the line in February 2012. "This is great for us and great for the industry," Brian Weintraub, CEO of Flow Formal, has said. "[Tuxedos have] become an old man thing."

Look, I can understand a tuxedo company trying to target a younger customer, but here's my question: why The Situation? There are plenty of charming, handsome young men in Hollywood today, so why choose a guy best known for wearing Ed Hardy muscle tees, being a womanizer, binge drinking, and flashing his abs to anyone who will look as the face of a tuxedo line? Maybe it's just me, but I think it sends some mixed messages about the way you're supposed to behave when donning a tuxedo—which, by the way, is like a gentleman...

BG brides, what do you think? Would your groom wear a tuxedo from The Situation's new line on his wedding day? Or perhaps the real question is: would you let him?

—Kelsie Allen

Photo Credit: MTV