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Q&A with "Bachelorette" Desiree Hartsock

BG sat down with "Bachelorette" Desiree Hartsock at The Couture Show in Los Angeles and got the inside scoop on her new bridal line and her upcoming wedding. The bride-to-be designed a boho-chic collection for Maggie Sottero, and we got a sneak peek!

Q: What made you decide to design a bridal line after The Bachelorette?
A: I worked in bridal salons in 8 years — most recently at Penache in Beverly Hills. I've always loved working with brides.

Q: How would you describe your new collection for Maggie Sottero?
A: It's bohemian, easy to wear, and can look perfect in a church or in a meadow. It's vintage, deco, and versatile. 

Q: We notice there are no ballgowns in the collection. Why?
A: I think of these gowns as the "new" princess dresses. A dress doesn't have to be a ballgown to be a princess dress. 

Q: Will you be wearing any of these dresses for your upcoming wedding?
A: I will be wearing two! One that's formal and romantic for the ceremony, and another that's more comfortable to dance in for the reception. 

Q: And what about your accessories?
A: Well, Chris (fiancé & Bachelor alum Chris Siegfried) is 6'4'', so I will be wearing high heels. My shoes will likely be a pair of Badgley Mischka's I found on sale! I am also designing a jewlery line that's coming out in October. I will probably wear jewelry from my line and give some to my bridesmaids for their bridesmaids gifts, as well. 

"How Many 'Special Requests' Can We Make With Our Menu"?

wedding buffet
Photo Credit: Dominique Bader on Snippet and Ink via Lover.ly

Q: We found a venue we like, but I want to ask the chef to revamp almost the entire menu. Will this be insulting? Is it OK to ask for a lot of changes?

A: Requesting minor changes to a reception menu is standard and most caterers will happily oblige. They’ll also prepare kosher, vegetarian and vegan dishes.

However, if your request involves completely revamping the menu, then this might pose a problem for the caterer. His staff is trained to prepare certain types of dishes, and a special order of different foods or ingredients that are not readily available in his kitchen could prove costly. On the other hand, depending on what your menu wishes are, he might be able to work with you.

I would advise speaking with the caterer about your menu requests before booking the venue. If he is unable to meet your needs then you may need to compromise if your heart is truly set on the venue. Ask if he can prepare just one or two of your culinary requests and then agree to the rest of the already established menu. But if the menu and the types of dishes served are more important to you, then you’ll need to choose another site that’s better equipped to meet your expectations.

—Diane Forden

10 Things No One Tells You About Your Wedding Night

As your wedding day nears, you're likely to get a lot of winks and nudges about your wedding night. But the reality is, the wedding night isn't always filled with oh-so-romantic and totally life-changing lovemaking. Here are 10 super common (and not terribly sexy) scenarios you might experience the night you say "I do."

1. You will be starving.

A lot of couples don't get to eat at their reception, so once the adrenaline of the day wears off, hitting the drive-thru or ordering room service is going to sound amazing.

Delicious wedding food ideas >> 

2. You might be really sad.

3. Or really drunk.

(Or really sad and really drunk.)

4. You may also be in the early stages of a hangover.

5. You'll probably need a moment to change out of your shapewear and into your sexy lingerie.

A Real Wedding at the Spartan Race

When most couples envision their wedding day, they don't exactly picture trudging through mud and rain in their wedding-day attire.

Jennifer and Steve Fisher aren't like most couples. After participating in a 7.2 mile Super Spartan Race last Saturday, where they raced up and down black diamond ski slopes while completing obstacles — all while wearing a wedding gown and tuxedo — they leapt over the fire at the end of the race together, exchanged vows, and became husband and wife.

spartan race wedding
Before and after the race

Completing challenging races together has been a part of this couple's relationship since the very beginning. Shortly after they started dating three years ago, they discovered that they'd both signed up for a Tough Mudder competition a few hours away. "It ended up being our fist weekend away together," said Jennifer.

When the couple started discussing their wedding plans, they knew they didn't want to have a "huge, expensive wedding." About three weeks before the Spartan Race, Jennifer joked that they should just get married after the competition, and to her surprise, Steve loved the idea! 

"It all went by so fast, but every moment was so much fun, and we have lots of great memories and stories for our special day," said Jennifer. Check out photos from the day:

Everything We Know About Brad & Angelina's Wedding

In the most highly anticipated wedding of the year, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt tied the knot on August 23. This week's People and Hello! magazines will be filled with exclusive photos and details from the intimate celebration. Here's what we know so far!

brad pitt angelina jolie wedding

1. Just 20 people attended the wedding, which was held in the chapel of Chateau Miraval, the family's estate in France. Pitt's parents, brother, and sister, as well as Jolie's brother, all attended the wedding. Jolie's father, Jon Voight, reportedly did not.

2. The couple's six children all participated in the wedding ceremony. Maddox, 13, and Pax, 10, walked their mother down the aisle. Zahara, 9, and Vivienne, 6, tossed flower petals gathered from the garden. And Shiloh, 8, and Knox, 6, served as the ring bearers.

3. One of the ring bearers dropped a ring! No word on who was the guilty party, but Jolie told Hello!, "They all took it very seriously. Knox practiced carrying coins and acorns on his little pillow before he got the ring."

4. The couple certainly didn't splurge on ceremony music — Pitt and the guests hummed "Here Comes the Bride" as Jolie walked down the aisle.

5. When the newlyweds shared their first kiss as husband and wife, Shiloh buried her head in the ring pillow to keep from laughing out loud.

Gorgeous New Wedding-Day Charms

wedding charm bracelet

For all you charm bracelet fans, what better way to commemorate your special big day than with a charm honoring your everlasting love?

The new Chamilia brand, from Swarovski Group, is offering a "Wedding Collection" of charms. These charms are the perfect pieces to wear on your big day — perhaps choose the "love" heart, the wedding cake, or the "I Do" ring box charm, flanked by Swarovski charms in your wedding colors.

wedding charm braceletwedding charm bracelet

For those of you that have started on Pandora, these charms fit on the Pandora bracelets. Or, pick out a sterling silver necklace or bracelet from Chamillia to complete your look. For more information, check out chamilia.com.

—Naima DiFranco

All the Details on Angelina Jolie's One-of-a-Kind Wedding Gown

Ever since announcing their engagement, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have emphasized how important the idea of marriage had become to their kids. So we knew that their six children would be very involved in the wedding — but we didn't expect to see their handiwork on the wedding-day attire! Jolie wore a custom silk-satin gown by Versace, and the master tailor at Atelier Versace, Luigi Massi, incorporated artwork by the kids.

"Luigi is like family to me and I couldn't imagine anyone else making this dress," Jolie told People. "He knows and cares for the children, and it was great fun putting it together."

brad pitt angelina jolie wedding

"It was important to us that the day was relaxed and full of laughter. It was such a special day to share with our children and a very happy time for our family," the couple told Hello! magazine. 

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Tell us: What do you think of the dress?

—Kristen Klein

Ashlee Simpson and Evan Ross are Married!

ashlee simpson evan ross engaged

Congratulations are in order for singer Ashlee Simpson and actor Evan Ross! The duo exchanged vows in Connecticut at the estate of the groom's mother, legendary Supremes singer Diana Ross.

The bride walked down the aisle with her five-year-old son, Bronx. Her recently-married sister, Jessica, stood as matron of honor, and Jessica's children, Maxwell and Ace, participated as the flower girl and ring bearer.

According to Us Weekly, the Bohemian-themed wedding was filled with "dream catchers, eclectic touches, and a mix-and-match palette." The bride dazzled in a pearl-embellished gown accented by $750,000 in diamonds and rubies by Neil Lane. The bridesmaids all wore shoes from sister Jessica's namesake line.

Congratulations to the happy couple!

—Kristen Klein

Brangelina Finally Ties the Knot!

After nearly 10 years together, Angelina Jolie, 39, and Brad Pitt, 50, are husband and wife! The actor/director humanitarians tied the knot at Chateau Miraval, their estate in France, over the weekend with only 22 guests in attendance. 

mr and mrs smith

Jolie walked down the aisle with two of their sons, Maddox, 13, and Pax, 10. Daughters Zahara, 9, and Vivienne, 6, served as flower girls, while daughter Shiloh, 8, and son Knox, 6, carried the rings.

The six children have been open about their desire for their parents to get married. The bride tells People that if it were up to them, the wedding theme would have been Disney or paintball!

In a recent interview with Elle, Jolie opened up about how she and Pitt "drive each other beautifully crazy": "After all these years, we have history—and when you have history with somebody, you’re friends in such a very real, deep way that there’s such a comfort, and an ease, and a deep love that comes from having been through quite a lot together.”

mr and mrs smith

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