Tips for Hiring a Wedding Planner

Since my fiancé Chris and I are currently living in different cities, I was feeling pretty lonely during the search for our perfect wedding venue. Each and every one of them was incredible but something was missing...Chris! Everything feels half as fun when he's not around, but I chose my new job as San Diego 6 News' evening anchor, so I just have to suck it up and learn to appreciate every blessing (and there are many). I just wish that my fiancé was here so that we could enjoy the planning process together...soon, I hope!

It was almost as if my best friend Katie could sense my sadness because she sent me a text (one of probably 200 that we send throughout each day) about Christina from OBSESSEDevents, a friend of hers who offered to help us plan our wedding. I couldn't have heard those words at a better time. (This experience has taught me that it's ok to ask for help. When you have a moment of sadness or are feeling worn down during wedding planning, please know that this is the time to reach out.)

obsessedevents
Photo Credit: OBSESSEDevents

February 27th

Photo by: Meghan Cavanaugh Darlson via Inspired by This on Lover.ly

Tip of the Day: One of the areas where wedding couples under-register is with sheet sets for their beds. For each bed in your home, you’ll want at least three sheet sets and two comforters or blankets, plus an extra set of pillowcases. And if it’s a possibility that a guest could ever crash on your couch, get a sheet set for that as well.

Plus, check out Wedding Registry Tips for the Couple Who Has Everything. Visit sharonnaylor.net for more great wedding tips and advice.

First Comes Marriage, Then Comes Baby — 30 Minutes Later

hospital wedding before birth

For James Anderson, everything was put into perspective when his pregnant girlfriend Brandi went into labor with their first daughter a week before her due date — he decided that he couldn't wait one more minute to marry her. “I just couldn’t shake the idea of her having the baby without the ring on her finger,” he told KHOU. “The only thing I felt was regret that I didn’t do it a long time ago.”

After rushing to North Hills Hospital in Texas, James put his plan into motion. While Brandi was waiting for an epidural, he told her that he had to run to the store real quick. Baffled, Brandi couldn't imagine what he could possibly need from a store at that exact moment.

Next, James stepped out of the room and told the nursing staff that he wanted to get married. 

“At first, we didn’t think he meant now," said Ashleigh Campbell, one of the nurses. "Once he told us, ‘yeah, we want to do it here,’ I think pretty much the general censuses was, 'Aww.'”

The nursing staff sprang into action; Campbell called up her dad, who is a preacher, to come perform the ceremony. The rest of the staff began decorating a special delivery room for the pair. Meanwhile, James was jewelry shopping, picking out the perfect ring for his bride-to-be. 

When Brandi's water broke, she was wheeled into the decorated room. The couple's six-year-old son joined them as the ring bearer. 

A Vow Renewal Inside a Bathtub of Frozen Hot Chocolate

For our Race for the Rock scavenger hunt, we chose the famed romantic restaurant, Serendipity 3, as our last location. After the finalists sipped their Frrrozen Hot Chocolates and revealed their prizes, we got to talking about how the restaurant has become such a popular spot for proposals and weddings ever since the 2001 movie Serendipity came out. The owner and founder, Stephen Bruce, even got ordained as a minister so that he could perform weddings himself! But we were pretty surprised when we heard about a popular trend there of getting married in a bathtub filled with their famous Frrrozen Hot Chocolate — and we knew we had to find out more. 

Fifteen years ago, Cleo and David Gakshteyn became one of the first couples to exchange vows while standing in frozen hot chocolate; Serendipity 3 had been one of their favorite date-night spots, so when they heard that the restaurant was looking for a couple to marry in chocolate, they knew it was the perfect fit. The bride got in the spirit with a chocolate wedding dress by Vera Wang paired with a "Chocolate Diamond" Harry Winston ring. 

serendipity chocolate wedding

After the ceremony, the groom sipped some Frrrozen Hot Chocolate out of a Stuart Weitzman "Cinderella" shoe. 

Curves Ahead: Sexy Mermaid Wedding Dresses

For true showstopper style, show off your curves in a sparkling mermaid gown. This style works best for an evening affair and is sure to garner attention! We love a few frills and layers at the bottom to balance out your curves. When trying on this style, don't forget to put on shapewear (all the best celebrities don't dare walk the red carpet without their Spanx).

This style works best for the curvy or voluptuous girl. Here, a few of our faves by Lovelle by Lazaro, Alvina Valenta, and Martina Liana.

mermaid wedding dresses

—Naima DiFranco

Sneaky Groom's Photo Session With the Engagement Ring

Most grooms-to-be say there are few things more nerve-wracking than carrying around an engagement ring — will she find it before he has a chance to pop the question? Will she notice that he's acting different? Will she like the ring? And, most importantly, will she say yes?

Reddit user BarbeRouge apparently doesn't share those apprehensions. He decided to test just how "oblivious" his girlfriend was and snap some daring pictures of the ring right in front of her.

First, a test selfie with the ring:

pre engagement photos

"She didn't realize it was right over her head," he wrote. "She was too busy watching TV. The best was we were watching one of those bridal showers on TLC; Friday is Bride Day."

pre engagement photos

Nestled in with her Eeyore stuffed animals:

pre engagement photos

Before visiting her at work:

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