Blogs

We're loving these stunning decorated sugar cookies from Cinderellie's Sweets. Created by Ellie Meisner out of her own private commercial kitchen in Flemington, New Jersey, these gorgeous treats are sure to be crowd-pleasers at your wedding, shower, or any other party. Check out some of our favorites below.

How cute would this be for a wedding favor? Arrange them on a table, alternating bride and groom, and invite all guests to take one (or two) as they leave.

Have an extra $17,000 in your wedding budget (don't we all?) and want an "out of this world" wedding band? Look no further than SpaceWed... This new company sells wedding bands made from 18k gold that has been sent into outer space. That's right, now you can sport rings that have been inside a rocket ship, which somehow makes the rings worth about 10x the cost of regular wedding bands.

File this under things we don't understand. Maybe we could get on board if the gold was actually found in outer space (and we were millionaires, naturally). But for now, we'll stick with our regular Earth-bound rings.

—Kristen O'Gorman Klein

Photo Courtesy of SpaceWed

Starting to think about flowers? Consider stealing this idea from my friend Jessica's wedding this past weekend. The bridesmaids wore royal blue, and the flowers were orange and pink. The result? The contrasting colors of the flowers really popped against the dresses and made both stand out even more than they would've alone.

And here are some more truly inspired color choices:

We're also loving the peacock feathers in this last one!

What do you think? Tell us what you're using for your wedding flowers!

—Kristen O'Gorman Klein

Photos by Fatchett Photography

As it turns out, even BG staffers are known to suffer from wedding-planning overload sometimes! We've been so busy adding exciting new features to BridalGuide.com—let us know what you think of our redesign in the comments box below—that we haven't had the chance to update you on all of my latest adventures. Good news: I've officially checked off "book a venue," "host an engagement party," and "select a bridal party," off of my to-do list, which as any bride knows is a huge relief. Check back for behind-the-scenes photos and savvy budget secrets that I've learned while completing each of those tasks, including: what to expect when signing that iron-clad venue contract, how to throw a celebratory shindig with your nearest and dearest for less (without offending those you couldn't afford to invite), and the save-the-date cards we found that you're going to want to steal ASAP. (Hint: The photo above is a sneak peek of what's to come.) Also stay tuned for future posts about the next phase of Jason and Stef's Wedding Extravaganza: booking vendors! As always, thank you for reading and be sure to share your luxe-for-less wedding tips with us on Facebook and Twitter. We'll be listening, and you may just get a personalized reply...

—Stefania Sainato

If you've ever been a bridesmaid, I'm sure you've heard from a well-intentioned bride (or a pushy saleswoman) that "you can totally cut the bottom off that expensive gown post-wedding and wear it as a cocktail dress!" Well, I can't say I've known anyone to actually do this. But Bari Jay's new bridesmaid dresses make it so much easier—these three new styles feature detachable skirts.

It'd be really fun to work the detachables into your wedding day—keep the dresses long for the ceremony, then change it up for the reception. Even better if you're planning on wearing a short reception dress as well! 

Check out the styles below.

Charmeuse Sweetheart Pleated Dress with Tiered Detachable Skirt

Iridescent Chiffon Sweetheart Strapless Dress

Music can really make or break your video—if you don’t like the songs, you’re not going to want to watch the video. So before you send over your music selections to your videographer, read our quick tips:

Think Carefully Before Choosing a Current Hit
What are the chances that you’ll truly still love the song ten years from now? A year ago, nearly every couple was requesting “I Gotta Feeling” by Black Eyed Peas. Now, that song is more likely to end up on the do-not-play list. Think about the songs you grew up loving, the songs that remind you of the beginning of your relationship, and the songs you love jamming to together in the car.

Choose Upbeat Songs
Romantic ballads are great, of course, but they can really drag down the pacing of your video. Most “boring” wedding videos you’ve seen would look dramatically different with more upbeat music. Select a nice mix to help your video flow.

Don’t Be Afraid to Stray from Traditional Wedding Songs
“The Way You Look Tonight” and “(I’ve Had) the Time of My Life” are popular choices, but thinking outside the box can help you find a unique sound for your video that you’ll both love. My husband and I both love Queen, so we chose “Don’t Stop Me Now” as the bridal prep song.

—Kristen O'Gorman Klein

Photo by Hilary Mayberry

We've fallen in love... with the new White by Vera Wang bridesmaid dress collection at David's Bridal. These fun designs don't scream "bridesmaid"—your girls will thank you for that!

Check out our top three favorites here, and be sure to check out davidsbridal.com for the rest of the collection!

One Shoulder Organza Dress with Black Belt ($198)

We're loving that the bias-cut flange skirt—a huge trend with wedding dresses—has hit the bridesmaid market.

Reem Acra is launching an exclusive capsule collection for Shopbop.com, coming in July! The line will feature apparel and accessories, ranging from a $450 beaded head band to a $4960 silver sequin micro-mini cocktail dress. Bonus: Reem Acra's popular Sunset Boulevard dress will be available for $5400.

Take a look at what's coming:

This silk gazard dress with trimmed hem ($2175) would be so fun to wear as a reception dress. We're loving the sleek, classic top paired with a fun bubble hem.

If you're looking for a dramatic dress (to say the least), check out this black crepe gown with an attached silk chiffon cape ($2990).

We've just heard that Tiffany & Co. releasing an updated version of their popular engagement ring finder app soon, so we decided to put together a list of our favorite FREE apps for iPhone, iPod touch or iPad that will make shopping for your perfect engagement ring or wedding band easy and fun.