Each week, we feature music recommendations from Scratch Weddings, the nation's leader with the best wedding DJs at affordable prices. This week's post comes from DJ Umami. Entrenched in music since childhood, DJ Umami studied voice, piano and guitar before finding her true calling on the turntables. A renowned DJ in the San Francisco circuit, Umami is known for lighting the dance floor on fire at concerts, nightclubs, and exclusive private events. DJ Umami seeks to connect every crowd that she spins for, in order to leave an indelible mark in their musical memory. "I'm obsessed with understanding the crowd I'm playing for, and hitting the right dynamic to get everyone on the dance floor." 

Photo Credit: David Schwartz Photography

On the morning of your big day, getting primped with the perfect pre-wedding music can be just as important as picking the right DJ for your actual reception. Setting the tone with the proper soundtrack while you’re getting pretty is critical to building excitement for the evening ahead.  And a solid playlist should reflect the love between you and your soon-to-be partner for life but also foster some bonding (and lip-syncing) with your bridesmaids.  Here are my personal choices for striking that happy-romantic balance on the morning of your wedding.

This week was filled with bizarre wedding news, including what could be the worst proposal we've ever heard (a groom faked his own death) and bride-napping in Romania.

We launched an official partnership with Lover.ly, the ultimate visual search tool that allows you to easily search and save all of your favorite photos from BridalGuide.com. It's definitely a match made in heaven.

If you've also had a busy week, catch up now on our hottest features!

1. We've Got Autumn Fever

The end of summer is always bittersweet, but we can't wait for fall weddings. Caramel apple favors, adorable bridesmaid cardigans, bright fall leaves—sign us up.

For all of you West Coast brides ready to shop for your gown, here’s some news you’ll love. One of my favorite designers, Rani Totman, who creates all of the gorgeous gowns for St. Pucchi Couture, has opened a flagship store in Sunset Plaza, West Hollywood, CA. Here’s Rani with two of her beautiful dresses:

I love the look of this fabulous 2,000 square-foot store. It’s modern, spacious and features private entrances and veiled interiors.

 Your gown-shopping experience will feel every bit as special and luxurious as it should!

Guest blogger: Kate Harrison, creator of greenbrideguide.com.
After planning her own green wedding in 2007, Kate wrote the best-selling green wedding book, The Green Bride Guide: How to Plan an Earth-Friendly Wedding on Any Budget (Sourcebooks, 2008). In 2009, she founded greenbrideguide.com to help couples use their weddings to promote social and environmental change while supporting the local green economy. Kate has a JD in Environmental Law and a Master's from Yale in Environmental Policy.

I finally found Her: The perfect dress for my wedding on September 1! I'd like to give a special shout-out to my consultant Andrea from Bridal Reflections in Carle Place, Long Island, for her unwavering patience, arms of steel, and contagious smile. 25+ dresses later, here's what I learned. (Catch up on part 1 of my dress shopping experience, here.)

1. Undergarments can drastically change the look of a dress.
You already know that wearing a strapless bra or a regular one with clear straps is non-negotiable. Even so, I’d recommend getting your measurements taken before you start this process, especially if you've lost weight recently, like I did. When I tried on the winning dress for the very first time, my bust looked...off. The culprit: Undergarments one cup size too small and three inches too big around the waist. Armed with my correct size, I slipped on the dress again—it's amazing what a difference a few inches can make.

Couple Gets Married via Twitter

We've seen couples live-tweet their proposals and weddings. And I'm sure we can all think of a couple who updated their Facebook relationship statuses the second after saying "I do." But this is the first we've heard of a couple actually exchanging their vows through Twitter.

Turkish groom Cengizhan Çelik, a social media editor, and his bride, Candan Canik, gathered in a room with their officiant and witnesses as the officiant carried out the ceremony on Twitter. 

As the officiant tweeted out the prompts, the bride and groom responded on an iPad with "Evet," which is Turkish for "Yes." After being pronounced husband and wife, they signed a good ol' fashioned marriage certificate. 

Man Fakes His Own Death, Then Proposes

Join us every Friday for our new etiquette Q&A column, where editor-in-chief Diane Forden answers one reader's biggest etiquette question. 

Q. My fiancée and I have a great relationship with my ex-wife. I’d like to invite her—and our daughter, of course—to my wedding. What is the etiquette on this? 

A. As a rule, it’s recommended that ex-spouses not be invited to the wedding, even if you have an amicable relationship. There are several reasons for this: Your child may be confused by her mother’s presence at your nuptials. Guests, too, may feel a bit uncomfortable and not know quite what to say to your ex (not only does this put your former wife in an uncomfortable position but the focus is now on her instead of on you and your new wife). And consider the fact that your ex may find it emotionally difficult to witness your re-marriage, no matter how well she and your fiancée get along. If, despite all of these forewarnings, you still want to extend an invitation, make sure your future wife is absolutely OK with it. If she indicates even the slightest bit of hesitation or doubt, then don’t put the invite in the mail.

—Diane Forden