Blogs

Have you done the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge yet? While we've seen some amazing videos come out of this groundbreaking charity initiative — watch some of our faves here, here and here — Shelby Muha's Facebook nomination was truly life-changing because it was the moment when she got engaged to Justin Davidson!

Watch as she braces herself for the freezing-cold water, only to open her eyes and find her boyfriend waiting on bended knee with a different kind of ice:

We love that the bride-to-be douses her fiance before jumping into his embrace! Congratulations to the newlyweds-to-be.

Lauren Conrad is getting married this fall, and as if we needed another reason to be excited for her upcoming wedding, she's designed a new line of bridesmaid dresses that are available for purchase (not just for her 'maids!).

The fashion mogul and former reality star created 12 different looks for Paper Crown, her upscale label, which are true to her California-cool, feminine sense of style. Bohemian brides will swoon over the chic and understated colors, flowy silhouettes and romantic lace. Starting at $220, they're more of a fashion investment, but they can easily be worn again post-wedding by shortening the hemline and styling it with different accessories.

In an interview with Martha Stewart Weddings, Conrad revealed that she sent her bridesmaids different shapes and let them pick from two colors. "I don’t mind if there are a few girls in the same dress or if people are all in different ones. It’s too difficult to take a group of girls and put them in the same color and silhouette; everyone has their own style," she says.

Browse the entire collection here:

Style Alex
This sweet tea-length dress features a flattering ruched bodice and a full tulle skirt. "Alex" is available in navy.

I can’t imagine starting the day without two cups of java from my one-touch-coffee server. After all, who wants to spend time measuring out coffee grinds and waiting for the pot to brew? I just insert a single cup, press the button and my coffee is ready to enjoy in an instant. But there are those times when, well, maybe more than two cups is necessary.

Drum roll, please: Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. has now introduced their latest brewer, the Keurig 2.0, that is an absolute personal favorite. It not only makes perfect single cups but also brews a full 4-cup pot of coffee quickly and easily at the touch of a button — the first one-touch to offer both.

All that’s needed for your pot of coffee is the K-Carafe pack that you insert just as you would the K-Cup. The K500 Series ($189.99 - $199.99) features 10 brew sizes ranging from 4 to 30 ounces and an illuminated 80-ounce water reservoir. Plus, you can choose from over 290 varieties of coffee, tea and other hot beverages from more than 50 brands. I not only love how easy it is to use and how great the coffee tastes (the Keurig 2.0 Brewing Technology enables the brewer to recognize each pack and optimize the flavor) but also its other fabulous features such as determining your coffee strength, an auto brew for the K-Carafe, auto on and off, a customizable clock, favorite settings, the extra-large color touch screen display with customizable wallpaper and even a built-in night light with a customizable color! The Keurig 2.0 comes packaged with a plastic carafe and a stainless steel thermal carafe ($29.99) is also available to purchase.

According to a new National Marriage Project study conducted by the University of Virginia, your marriage happiness can be impacted by the decisions you make before tying the knot. Researchers asked 418 married couples to divulge intimate details about themselves and their relationship. Here, the surprising results.

1. Size Matters 
While that intimate destination wedding in Hawaii may look oh-so alluring, research has shown that hosting a big wedding may be a good indicator that you will have a successful marriage. According to the findings, 47% of couples who said their "I dos" with 150 or more guests reported greater satisfaction and overall happiness compared to 31% of couples who hosted a wedding with 50 or fewer attendees.

But interestingly, this has nothing to do with budget — the researchers controlled for income and came to the same conclusion. Bradford Wilcox, the director of the National Marriage Project, explains “One possibility here is that couples with larger networks of friends and family may have more help and encouragement in navigating the challenges of married life. Note, however, this finding is not about spending lots of money on a wedding party, it's about having a good number of friends and family in your corner.”

Clinton Kelly, the former host of TLC’s series What Not to Wear and current moderator for ABC’s The Chew, is known for providing fabulous style advice. Now, in collaboration with Macy’s, Clinton Kelly will be lending his advice via a new online hub – Weddings with Clinton Kelly. I sat down with "Wedding’s Best Man" and got his style advice for Bridal Guide readers.

Q: For the bride choosing her dress, which styles or silhouettes do you find most flattering for different body types…pear, triangle, apple?

A: To be honest, I recommend wearing whatever dress makes the bride feel most beautiful. Of course, I have my own opinion about what looks best on her, but I’m not the one who’s dreamt about this wedding since kindergarten. However, let’s assume that every woman wants to look balanced — that’s what I strive for when dressing a woman for any occasion. By "balanced" I mean that the upper body and lower body look proportionate with each other, and ideally there should be a narrowing at the waist, thereby creating the hourglass shape.

That being said, if your body is disproportionate, the best way to create the illusion of proportion is to streamline certain parts while adding a little “oomph” to your smaller parts.

When it comes to your bridal party, the old rules no longer apply. You can have more bridesmaids than groomsmen, and — surprise! — your "maids" can include a few men too. As weddings get less traditional and more personal, having mixed gender bridal parties just makes sense. If you're considering having a mixed-gender bridal party and aren't sure how to make it work for you, read on for our tips.

1. Attire
When it comes to formal wear, we recommend you style each side of the aisle. Traditionally, a couple might put bridesmaids in pink dresses and groomsmen in navy suits and pink ties. In this situation, the guys on the bride's side could wear grey suits with the same pink tie as those on your partner's side, while a woman on your partner's side could wear a navy blue dress that matches the men's suits and a pink scarf or corsage.

Having one color represent each side and choosing slightly different suits or gowns across the aisle will signify which side each person is on, and help your guests identify who's who. In the photo below, bridesmaids are in white dresses and the groomsmaids are wearing chambray.

Photo Credit: Sasithon Photography via Lover.ly

Just when we thought we couldn't hear Frozen's "Let it Go" for the thousandth time, best man Joey Boyes' version has us feeling all warm and fuzzy about it again! He sang a riveting remake Academy Award-winning song for pal Dominic Clark and his wife Rebecca at their wedding on August 16th.

Could this be the most creative best man's speech ever? Watch it for yourself and decide!

What makes this speech so wonderful is that it hits all the right emotional notes in just three-and-a-half minutes. There are plenty of quips ("After years of dating mingers, he's finally found a queen") but there are some tear-jerkers, too, such as when he alludes to the bride's late father ("I know your dad is smiling up there on his cloud") and toasts "the couple with the brightest spark."

The gutsy British groomsman, 27, spent six months perfecting "Best Man Joe" — he even sang it on his way to pick up the groom. "‘I've known Dom all my life and I wanted to do something special. We both did theatre when we were younger, and Becky loves Disney, so this seemed perfect," he tells The Daily Mail. 

Marriage vows don't have an expiration date but don't tell that to Lauren and David Blair. Throughout 30 years of marriage, the Hendersonville, Tennessee couple has continually renewed their "I dos"; 109 times, to be exact! Their most recent ceremony took place on August 15, and they've extended their Guinness World Record for "Most Marriage Vow Renewals by the Same Couple," a title they've held since their 66th vow renewal in 2001.

Photo Credit: Josh Cross, The Tennessean

The 63-year-old eternal bride explains on the Guinness World Records site that "We were both in long term relationships in the past that didn't work out. We knew we were meant for each other and wanted to continually share that vow experience. I love to look into David's eyes as he is repeating his vows. I know that this man will love me until the day I die. Of course, David will tell you that he does it for the honeymoons!" 

Stressed out about getting married? Do you wonder how you'll get along with someone else for the rest of your life? How will you agree on finances when you still can't compromise on cleanliness? What if the alleged blissful engagement has turned into a harsh reality that you two are completely different? These were all issues that my fiancé Chris and I grappled with, and I'm thrilled to report that we were able to resolve them through premarital counseling.

As you may recall, I live in San Diego and my fiancé Chris resides in Sacramento. We had scheduled an appointment with Jennifer Young at the Pacific Trauma Center in Folsom on her day off before I had to fly back to San Diego. During our first session, she observed us hash out the reason we were there. Then she asked a few questions about how we met and what we love about each other. That helped lighten the mood. It was nice to share a moment reminiscing about the good times.

Then, she explained to us why it seems like we've been butting heads so much. She said that I'm a hummingbird and Chris is a rock. That broke the ice and made me laugh. How in the world did a rock and hummingbird fall in love and how would they go through life together?!