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Guess what? I found my dress!

A few weeks ago, my mom drove down to Tallahassee with one mission in mind: Dress shopping. Because she lives in Pittsburgh, we were determined to find something by the end of her visit. So, we were doing three stores in three days. The process of shopping and trying on wedding dresses was interesting and I wanted to share what I learned with you.

Photo by: Vanessa Joy Photography on Style Unveiled via Lover.ly

1. Put any preconceived notions aside.
Going into this experience, I told all of the sales associates I worked with that I was fairly open to trying on different styles (within reason, of course). I didn’t want anything too poufy or with so much fabric that I could barely walk without having my bridesmaids carrying the dress behind me.

But, I definitely still had some thoughts. I thought I wanted a simple, A-line, lightweight dress. I didn’t want anything that was super tight and A-line seemed to be the best for my figure. And I wound up with a ball gown.

Congratulations to all newly-engaged and soon-to-be-engaged brides-to-be! We know you’re over the moon and super-excited about marrying the love of your life. We also know that many of you may be feeling just a teeny bit overwhelmed right now (OK, maybe a lot). After all, you hope to find the perfect dress, plan the best wedding, determine your favorite honeymoon spot and not go broke in the process! Relax. Our January/February 2014 issue addresses all of your fashion, planning, budget and honeymoon needs.

Plus, as an extra bonus, you’ll get a free Destination Wedding planner!

Everything you need to know about marrying away is in this handy guide, from a step-by-step planning calendar and answers to your etiquette questions to tips for your guests and budget advice. Your dream of exchanging vows on a romantic, tropical beach can come true!

Speaking of exotic locales, you’ll also love the destination-perfect dresses featured in this issue. These chic, sexy styles are ideal not only for weddings away but also for celebrations close to home.

Whether you're the bride or the bridesmaid, planning a bachelorette party isn't always easy. As a bride, you want to give your girls the freedom to plan a surprise for you — while still setting boundaries to make sure that you have a great time. And as a bridesmaid, you not only need to worry about making the bride happy, but you need to make sure you're keeping the party within a budget that everyone can afford, you're choosing a date that works for everyone, and you're inviting (and not inviting) the right guests. We checked in with Joanne Barken, founder of The Bach, an online platform that makes planning a bachelorette party so much easier, for the top dos and don'ts when it comes to planning your ladies' night out.

For the Bride:

Do discuss with your bridesmaids any concerns you have about the bachelorette party. If you want it to stay within a certain price range so that everyone can attend, or you want to avoid having a stripper show up, be sure to let them know so that you are comfortable with the event.

Don't take over all of the planning or micro-manage the festivities. Your friends likely want to include some fun surprises to make the bachelorette party feel special, and you don’t want to miss out on that!

Guest blogger: Dana LaRue, creator of thebrokeassbride.com.
Dana LaRue is the creator of The Broke-Ass Bride, helping brides use creativity as currency to rock bad-ass weddings without breaking the bank. Her sassy, savvy approach to weddings and money delivers entertaining and informative outside-the-box planning inspiration. Because it’s not about how much you spend, its how you spend it!

I’ve been a wedding blogger for nigh on five years now, and I’ve seen more "wedding tips" and "helpful wedding advice" than you can shake a stick at. Some pointers are in fact, extremely helpful, while others are almost criminally misleading. Here are five wedding planning tips that I really believe should come embossed on the inside of your engagement ring, and five that you should avoid.

The Best Advice:

1. Don’t forget that it’s just one day.
You can spend YEARS planning your wedding, you can agonize over every single detail for hours, you can lose all sense of time and trip into a Pinterest wedding pic rabbit hole for months on end — but your wedding day will whiz by just like any other. It’s tragic, but it’s true.

When wedding planning stress is totally getting to you, use this as your mantra: "It’s just one day." Whether your wedding planning journey seems crazy hectic, or sublimely perfect, just remind yourself to breathe (frequently), and take it all as it comes.

As of last Friday, I officially have one year until I say I do! I can't believe how fast time went, and I can only imagine how quickly these next 12 months are going to go. Ah! Now it’s all really starting to sink in how close the big day actually is — and the need to lose the weight and plan the wedding of my dreams are both top priorities in my mind.

Last week, Rene and I attended a bridal expo on Monday and Tuesday night, where we met with various vendors and were able to schedule appointments and get information. So far, we decided on our florist and picked out the centerpieces, booked our photo booth (which was a must-have for Rene and me), and decided on a few little surprises we want to have at the reception. My next step to check off my list is finding a photographer and videographer. I know how important it is to find a great one, and I want to get my engagement photos done soon to get out my save-the-dates. Saturday morning, we met with a photographer/videographer, but I wasn't too impressed, so I need to make more appointments for this coming weekend. I need to find the perfect fit for us, and if it takes a few weeks to find it, then it’s all worth it.

Loverly is the heart of weddings: a visual inspiration search engine designed to help brides discover ideas, people to hire, and things to buy. Loverly makes finding beautiful wedding inspiration easier than ever! Their images are powered by the best wedding publishers and wedding shopping partners on the web. Find Bridal Guide on Loverly >>

You don’t have to live in a cramped New York City apartment (as my husband and I do) to appreciate the mini-me-sized approach to design. These products pack mega benefits in petite packages. Here, five ways to live large in a small space.

Who wants to push around a mongo vacuum cleaner when the Dyson DC50 gets the job done so efficiently? It’s lighter and smaller than its full-sized sister models, yet packs the same high performance, along with a new and more sophisticated patented brush-bar technology that self-adjusts to clean fine dust from hard floors with carbon fiber filaments, while stiff nylon bristles remove dirt from carpets ($499.99, dyson.com).

With its click-on, click-off handles, Cristel — stylish, stainless cookware from France — transitions from stove to tabletop with ease. But what we really value is how each piece stacks and nests into another for space saving of the highest order (from $99, cristelusa.com).

Even though Tuesdays are never high on the list for a preferred wedding day, this Tuesday is different. Because of its sequential numbers, 11/12/13, many couples are choosing to tie the knot today.

We spoke with renowned event planner, Harriette Rose Katz, Founder and President of Events/Gourmet Advisory Services (gourmetadvisory.com), who has planned hundreds of dream weddings for 35 years, about this numerical phenom. “People like feeling special, no one more so than a bride!” says Harriette. “And this is a special date. Brides are competitive, and this is a unique one-off that can’t be beat beyond next year!” Harriette even heard of one couple who met on 7/7/07 and planned a long engagement so they could keep number patterns a part of their relationship. Because a mid-week wedding is often difficult for guests to attend, Harriette thinks couples may just get married on Tuesday and then have the bigger celebration on the weekend.

And the numerical fascination won’t end this year. In fact, Harriette already has couples booking for 12/13/14 and expects even more weddings on that day, since it falls on a Saturday, the most popular day for wedding celebrations. “This is a chance to really go all out,” says Harriette. “The entire day can be planned and themed around the date from the morning ceremony through to the evening celebration. The numbers can be incorporated into the event through table decorations, gifts or through artwork such as the monograms, the program and menu.” Harriette also recommends booking hotels and clubs, as they’ll already be decorated for the holidays (saving you lots of money!) and leaving only the table décor to think about.

Winter is such a beautiful time of year to tie the knot. Not only is it a less popular season for weddings — instantly making yours stand out — but there are so many décor elements and fashion ideas that just wouldn't work during any other season. We checked in with Emily Reifel, Senior Social Sales Manager for CPS Events at The Plaza Hotel, to see what's hot for cold-weather weddings right now.

Birch Trees and Branches 

Birch branches are a cost-effective and elegant way to decorate a winter wedding ceremony space. Add even more romance by conducting your ceremony by candlelight. 

White Fur

Keeping warm doesn't have to mean throwing your regular winter coat over your gown. Try an elegant fur stole instead, which will perfectly complement your gorgeous gown. "I would get married in the winter just to be able to wear one!" said Reifel.

Warm Sips

Just because you're getting ready for your big day does not mean the whole month or two before has to be boring and restrictive. After all, it’s more about the journey than the destination. And sometimes, we just need a little treat that tastes good and guilty — and it doesn't hurt when it's festive for fall!

The good news is that you won't blow your calorie budget (or your waistline) with this one, even though it's totally one of my "cheat" recipes. Why? Because it's not all 'whole food' clean eating — yes, there's flour and sugar in these. But hey, we still have to live a little and indulge!

The 59-Calorie Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Chip Cookie

Prep time: 10 min.
Bake time: 15 min.
Makes: 32 servings

Ingredients: