Picking a locale for my engagement party was a no-brainer: Mama Rao's, an Italian restaurant (Brooklynites, it's a must-visit) is where Jason and I had one of our first dates, so aside from the decadent fare and top-notch service, it has sentimental value. (Fun Fact: Wedding planner extraordinaire Mindy Weiss' son had his e-party there too, so I was definitely in good hands!) Selecting the decor to match my multi-course spread? Not so simple. All I knew was that I wanted it to be ultra-romantic and make guests catch their breath when they walked into the room. Mission accomplished—use this cheat sheet to create a stunning look for your first bash as a Mr. and Mrs. to be, or even for your bridal shower.

When I first got engaged, everyone (squealing aunts, girlfriends, neighbors, heck, even Facebook friends I haven't seen in 10 years) who heard the happy news reacted in one of three ways: "Let me see your ring!", "When's the big day?" and "I can't wait to celebrate at your engagement party!" The first two I expected and prepared for by getting a French mani and preparing the we're-just-enjoying-being-engaged speech while trying not to hyperventilate about searching for a venue. However, the last one really took me off-guard simply because so many people who said it weren't on my invite list. Ideally, Jason and I would have wanted every special person who has made an impact on us since childhood to be able to attend, but we both come from super-sized families (Jason has 15+ first cousins alone!) and couldn't justify having my parents (there's mom and dad, giving us a toast, pictured above) throw us a mini wedding when we're already spending so much for the main event. BG brides, I'm sure many of you have had the same dilemma—what are you supposed to say and do to avoid hurting well-intentioned non-guests?

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