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There are many obvious romantic moments that every bride looks forward to on her wedding day — reciting the vows, being announced as "Mr. and Mrs." at the reception and locking eyes with their new husband during the first dance. But if you're lucky, there will be one unexpected moment that in a split second, will remind you why you fell in love with your husband in the first place. 

As a wedding planner, I always remind my couples to take everything in, which we all know can be quite a challenge on the big day. You want to remember it perfectly for the rest of time, but also allow yourselves to let go and truly be present. I'll need to heed my own advice at my upcoming wedding, since I know it'll be tough for me to forget about schedules and details when the time comes and fully live in the moment!

Photo by: Elizabeth Messina on Kiss The Groom via Lover.ly

In The Emily Post Institute's latest book, Emily Post’s Wedding Etiquette: 6th Edition, Emily's great-great-granddaughters Anna and Lizzie Post tackle modern-day wedding questions that the original etiquette expert never could've dreamed about, from how to use (wisely) use technology, the rules for same-sex weddings, and much more. Here, the fourth generation of Posts discuss how to choose meaningful wedding flowers.

Photo Credit: Ariella Chezar

There are many ways to use flowers to personalize your wedding. The following are some ideas to make your celebration special and unique.

The Language of Flowers
In the 1800s and early 1900s, romance was often communicated with flowers. A young man would present a red rose, which symbolized love, to a young woman. She would return a purple pansy, which silently relayed the message “You are in my thoughts.” Traditionally, no words were spoken that would commit either party during this courtship, so knowing the language of flowers was of paramount importance if an accord was to be reached. Today, it is a charming idea to select flowers, and even herbs, that convey special floral messages between the bride and the groom.

The epitome of classic elegance, the bateau neckline is timeless! It offers coverage and support, and it offers a '50s Audrey Hepburn-elegant flair. This look is complemented well by an updo to show off the sophisticated neckline and to elongate the neck. Vintage accessories would also be a great accompaniment. Here, a few of our faves from Pronovias, Amsale, and Justin Alexander.

—Naima DiFranco

When Lucas Bane's proposal video to his partner of four years, David Devora, went viral, he got one response he certainly wasn't expecting — an apology from someone who tormented him as a teenager for being gay.

Lucas and David from LUCAS and DAVID on Vimeo.

After viewing the video above, where Bane shut down a street in West Hollywood to surprise Devora with a flash mob proposal, the bully — identified as "B" — sent Bane a Facebook message that read: 

"I'm sure you have no idea who I am. I went to high school with you. If you do remember me it's probably not positive as I was a bit of an a**hole back then. I saw your video today on Facebook and wanted to say Congratulations! No need to respond I just wanted you to know that I think what you have is awesome and wish you the best."

Bane was shocked when he saw who the message was from. "I gasped when I saw the name," he told The Gaily Grind. "When I read the words and his follow-up response, I sobbed. That sounds dramatic, but it's true."

Read their full exchange below:

Childhood friends Amanda and Cody Karth, who fell in love years later, spent months planning their dream wedding. But just hours after the celebration, Amanda suffered a devastating medical emergency that completely erased all memories of her wedding day.

"The one day that every girl dreams of, I don't remember," Amanda revealed to "Inside Edition."

Just before sunrise the next day, Cody woke up to the sound of his new wife gasping for air. He desperately performed CPR while calling 911. Amanda went into cardiac arrest and had no pulse when the paramedics arrived; the life-saving team shocked back to life and rushed her to the emergency room.

"Amanda was about as close to death as you're going to get," said Dr. Adam Frank of the NCH Heart Institute in Naples, FL. 

As she lay unconscious for four days, her doctor worried about brain damage. She'd sustained an unusual medical phenomena called Broken Heart Syndrome, where the heart muscle suddenly becomes dysfunctional.

When she woke up, Amanda miraculously recovered quickly — but she never gained back the memories from her wedding day. 

With the help of "Inside Edition," she and Cody got a second chance at their big day. The crew rounded up their friends, family members, and the paramedics who saved her life as Amanda got to relive her wedding day and make new memories. The one change — her new vows: "You were there, overcoming devastating blows. My hero."  Watch the video:

Thanks to The Lego Movie (and a sequel already in the works), our favorite childhood toy is enjoying its moment in the spotlight. And, naturally, that makes us think about how to incorporate it in a wedding. These couples came through with plenty of fun and quirky ways to include the interlocking bricks and minifigures in their big-day celebrations. 

Invitations
Add bride and groom minifigures to your design.

Photo Credit: Gemma Clarke Photography

Photo Credit: Biplane Press/Etsy

Ring Boxes
Create a Lego box to hold your rings, both on the big day and for safe keeping after.

Kimmy Kirkwood lost the love of her life on January 31, 2012 and although nothing will ever be able to bring him back, she finds solace in reconnecting with him through Facebook posts and photos they had shared. Her boyfriend, Marine Sgt. William Stacey, was killed by an improvised explosive device during a tour in Afghanistan, shortly before he was planning to propose to her. 

Kimmy and Will's love story was posted on a special website that Facebook created to commemorate its 10th anniversary earlier this week. Since then, it's gone viral and struck a chord with millions of readers, serving as a testament to the power of eternal love, which can endure even after someone has passed.

To understand why what Will and Kimmy had was so special, you need to take a look back at their Facebook timeline:

2007: They met in high school but their opposites-attract romance — she's a self-described goody two-shoes and he's a bad boy — didn't blossom until Kimmy's sophomore year of college at Chapman University, when she discovered Will was stationed just 20 miles away. He asked her out on a date, but she turned him down ("I was too wrapped up in my own world to see what was standing in front of me").

August 2008: They wouldn't cross paths again until seven months later, when Will returned from his deployment in the South Pacific and something finally clicked. 

If you’re looking for a great gift idea, as well as a unique way to add a personal touch to your wedding, check out these pretty, hand-painted wine glasses from Sam Designs. Artist and company founder Stephanie Miller will create a one-of-a-kind illustration based on the style of your gown and those of your bridesmaids’ dresses.

Each glass can be personalized with your attendant’s name.

And I love this idea: Give each of your BFFs a special hand-painted ornament when asking them to be in the wedding party.

During Modern Family star Sofia Vergara's appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show yesterday, the talk show host continued her tradition of wedding-related pranks — and this one got a bit more racy than Kaley Cuoco's surprise wedding! 

But first, Vergara addressed the rumors that she's planning not just one but three wedding celebrations.

"No, but it's been awful because since that news came out, all my family is so excited, and they're already planning outfits! They're like, 'What are we going to do?' 'How are you going to get us there?' And I'm like, it's horrible. I'm disappointed to have to tell them that that is not true. I haven't even planned anything."

She's facing a dilemma that many brides-to-be can related to — "It's either I do something really big, or I do something really small with Nick and I and my son. And then my mom, and then my cousins, and then it's impossible to do anything," she explained.

At least Vergara won't have to worry about organizing a bachelorette party — Ellen's got her covered! When a "barista" came out to serve Vergara her favorite coffee, she had a feeling that Ellen might be up to something — but she certainly didn't expect what happened next. Watch the video:

—Kristen Klein

This season, lace has seen a modern update; it is no longer the conservative fabric reserved for your grandmother's closet. Today's lace is mixed with tulle and net for a softer, more ethereal feel. This style is perfect for the bohemian, romantic bride, and it pairs well with a loose braid, natural makeup, and stained cheeks or lips. We love the idea of this style dress at a vineyard or a woodsy natural wedding. Here are a few of my favorite "ethereal lace" gowns by Claire Pettibone, Marchesa, and Reem Acra.

—Naima DiFranco