Blogs

We're obsessed with these two amazing Hogwarts-inspired weddings! Pulling off a theme wedding is difficult — especially when it comes to Harry Potter. There's a fine line between classy and looking like an 8-year-old's birthday party. But these two weddings fall firmly on the side of classy. Check them out!

Christine and Andy's Wedding

The first, courtesy of Geoff White Photographers, features a couple that actually met because of Harry Potter! Christine and Andy met online through a post about Harry Potter news, so it seemed only natural for their wedding to be influenced by the series.

Attention, all you Beantown brides (and very smaht Red Sox fans): How would you like to get a fabulously luxurious honeymoon stay for free? That’s right, I’m talking zip (as in the number of rings those damn Yankees have garnered in more than a decade). Well, there is a bit of a catch—but it’s an equally posh one. All you need to do is host your wedding at the Taj Boston—you know, it’s that gorgeous hotel on Newbury Street and the Public Gardens.

Keeping up with the Kardashians' nail trends? Nicole by OPI has announced its Kardashian Kolors collection inspired by all six stylish Kardashian/Jenner women—Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, Kendall, Kylie, and Kris. We love the diversity of color in the collection, which ranges from sparkly brights to neutral taupes and grays.

Check out Khloé and Kourtney sporting their namesake shades, Khloé Had a Little Lam-Lam and Kourt is Red-y for a Pedi, when they launched the collection in NYC!

Here at BG, we can't help but wonder: Will Kim be wearing Kim-pletely in Love, a pretty pale pink shade, on her wedding day? We love the idea of ditching the traditional French manicure for a pop of color. Try one of these lovely lacquer shades from the collection (our favorites!):

Left: Kim-pletely in Love is ideal for a romantic bride who wants to play up feminine, ethereal colors and details.
Center: It's All About the Glam is a subtle yet chic option for the bride who wants her nails to be as shiny and white as her pearls.
Right: Kourt is Red-y for a Pedi is a striking color against a white gown, perfect for the classic bride with red lips to match. 

Your guests will likely be snapping away on their digital cameras all night, much to the chagrin of some photographers. But you can't beat the instant gratification of seeing your friends and family members posting pictures from your wedding online the very next day. And let's face it, even the best photographer can't catch every moment.

A lot of your guests will naturally upload the pictures to Facebook, but album privacy makes it difficult for all guests to see the photos—the default option typically makes albums visible to "friends only," meaning that if your aunt isn't friends with your BFF, she can't see the pictures.

Your wedding will bring together people from many different segments of your life, and it's practically impossible that they'll all be Facebook friends with each other. After my wedding, I had to specifically request that some of my friends make their albums visible to "friends of friends" so that my relatives could see their pictures, too.

But think about your network—making your photos visible to "friends of friends" can essentially make them visible to thousands of people, which you may not feel too comfortable with!

And who needs that extra step anyway? A better option: Arrange a password-protected site before the big day and ask your guests to upload their photos there. Print out small cards for each place setting—the size of a business card—with the URL and login information.

If you've ever attended a cocktail hour without sufficient seating, you've likely encountered this dilemma: How exactly are you supposed to carry a drink, a plate, and eat, all at the same time? You only have two hands, after all!

Perfect for a wedding with a casual atmosphere, these puzzle platters from Totally Bamboo (14.99 for two) are an inspired solution.

How to use: Interlock several puzzle platters to create a visually-appealing buffet spread, and then provide a platter for each guests to load up on the goodies.  The cutout is the perfect fit to slide in a champagne glass, so that your guests can keep one hand free for munching.

While this can't solve the problem of your guests' aching feet after standing for an hour, they'll still thank you for making it easier to get their drink on while still enjoying the delicious fare.

—Kristen O'Gorman Klein

Photo Courtesy of Totally Bamboo

Stay in the loop with the season's most ladylike embellishment—bows! I love this ultra-girly accent that is sure to add refined whimsy to your big-day look. Bows were seen on most of the runways. Shown here: Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera and Amsale.

DIY TIP:  Just add a tulle or ribbon sash or bow brooch to a dress to re-create this luxe ladylike look for less.

—Naima DiFranco

Hi BG Brides. My name is Jason and I am lucky enough to be engaged to the beautiful Stefania, the Web Producer at Bridal Guide. While checking out her blog, I thought it might be interesting to give some insight into the wedding-planning process from the groom's perspective. I'm currently getting my doctorate, so studying is my full-time job, which makes it impossible to hold down a 9-to-5. I thought saving up for an engagement ring was difficult—fellas, it's a mere fraction of what your total wedding will cost, and the knee-shaking feeling you get when proposing is peanuts compared to signing wedding contracts!

The cost of the wedding really began to hit me once we started looking at different venues. Living in Brooklyn allowed us to look at venues throughout the five boroughs of NYC, plus Long Island and New Jersey. When we visited the first hall, the place was absolutely stunning: It also had a pricetag to match. As we looked at other venues (photos of our 10+ road trips, coming soon!), I realized that sticker shock is the norm and picking a place was going to take up much more of our total budget than I initially thought.

We got a sneak peek at the hottest hair accessory trends for fall/winter from Bride's Head Revisited, and we're in love with the gorgeous styles. Check them out!

Princess Tiara

No surprise here—between Kate Middleton and Charlene Wittstock, this is the year of the princess. This Swarovski crystal tiara ($300) is subtle and sweet, giving you just the right amount of regal glamour.

Romantic Crystal Elements

We love these gorgeous combs that'll work with any hairstyle you choose (need some ideas? Check out these chic hairstyles). The Swarovski crystals add instant polish to your wedding-day look.

From left to right: Swarovski Crystal Comb Model 615 ($150); Swarovski Crystal Bow Shaped Comb Model 606 ($125); Large Swarovski Crystal & Pearl Comb Model 208a ($250)

For most brides, one of the biggest challenges they face when planning a wedding is how to stay organized. After all, there are a gazillion details to consider from dress shopping to ordering invitations to booking your honeymoon. You’ll be making phone calls, researching vendors online, scheduling appointments, getting price quotes and constantly trying to keep track of it all. And, unless you’re really organized, planning will be overwhelming and stressful.

I may not be planning a wedding like you are, but just trying to keep track of everything in my office drives me crazy (just ask my staff!). I have folders, e-mail print-outs, books, magazines and products everywhere. So anything that can help me keep track of stuff in an organized fashion is a joy! Which is why I want to share this great item with you that I recently discovered, Clip-It USB drives that function like paper clips. Check them out:

Clip them right onto your folder/paperwork/planning notebook and you’ll never have to go wading through drawers or tote bags (like me!) trying to find a drive. Each one holds 4 GB of memory and costs $18.62 (without shipping or tax if ordered online. Go to verbatim.com). They are also available at Office Max stores.