Dreaming of a fantastical gown that will feel as light as air and move beautifully as you walk? The ruffled ballgown is the dress for you. We love the frilly movement of this gown and the optimism of the silhouette.

If you want to extend the princess fantasy feel, look for ruffled ballgowns with a little sparkle throughout the bodice. With its youthful joie de vivre, this silhouette is better suited to brides in their 20s. This look is paired best with a cleaner updo. Here, a few of our favorite ruffled ballgowns from Val Stefani, Oscar de la Renta and Mary's Bridal.

—Naima DiFranco

The biggest wedding season, June through September, is right around the corner. We asked celebrity event expert Brian Worley, co-owner of Your BASH! Event Production, for his take on what the hottest trends (no pun intended) will be for summer celebrations. Brian has not only created weddings for Hollywood celebrities, but he’s also hosted a number of TV shows including WE tv’s Platinum Weddings and TLC’s Battle of the Wedding Designer.

Here are Brian’s top three trends:

1. Go Bright: Summer weddings will encompass bright colors using various hues of green and bold jewel tones such as emerald, which is the color for 2013. Outdoor weddings will pull upon vibrant colors to act as natural electricity rather than lots of bright lighting.

These electric weddings will incorporate beautiful linens that pop and flowers that contrast the linens and really act as a centerpiece of color.

Guest blogger: Allison Silber, founder and creative director for engagedandinspired.com.
Engaged & Inspired is a wedding publication for crafty brides who strive fill their wedding day with loads of personality. The team of real brides post about the highs and lows of wedding planning and what it takes to pull off their big day. Aside from running Engaged & Inspired, Allison also offers planning and design services to the Carmel Valley area.

The invitation is the first impression each guest will have of your wedding day — it sets the tone for your entire event. It's a way to offer guests a special treat to come home to, since physical mail is becoming more and more uncommon. The days of generic paper design are over: there are plenty of ways to make your invite even more awesome, and I'm here to show you how to do that!

Photo Credit: Jose Villa via Kiss the Groom

1. Wrap it up beautifully.
Wrapping the invitation with twine, lace, leaves or some other special token is a simple way to complete the package.

After waiting over a year to celebrate our marriage, Michael and I were so excited to throw a wedding at the Soledad Club in San Diego, California on January 19th. Though we officially tied the knot in a quickie civil ceremony before he left for Afghanistan (read more about our decision to elope here), we weren't able to do a proper party until he came back. Surrounded by ninety of our closest friends and family members, we finally got our chance. Check out all of the fun details and photos from our big day below!

My Wedding-Day Look
I got ready with all of my best friends — Kate, Kelsey, Carrie, Minty and Christina. While Carrie managed eyelash application, Kate was the master curler, and we listened to random hip-hop music while I munched on Starbucks sandwiches. It was all very laid-back. Just being able to sit and soak it all in was divine. 

After reading countless wedding beauty forums, I realized that if I wanted my makeup to look great and last all night, going pro was the way to go. However, the top-rated makeup artists in my city charge at least $300 for a trial run and day-of application. So, I ended up taking my chances at a MAC counter the morning of my wedding, and I could not have been happier with how it turned out.

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 >>

Maybe it’s the whole “sitting in a tree" thing, but for whatever reason, birds just make for super sweet wedding décor. And they are so versatile! You can do adorable songbirds at a vintage wedding, earthy nests for a rustic wedding, or exotic feathers for a black-tie affair. Here are our favorite bird décor ideas.

Stationery
Set the tone for a fun and classic wedding with this bright bird save-the-date: