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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 >>

While many couples feel strongly that their wedding should be a grownups-only kind of a party, plenty of others can’t imagine planning a wedding without all the little ones in their lives there. If you're inviting kids, here's how to keep the little ones happy and entertained at your wedding.

1. Have a morning or early-afternoon wedding.
Turns out, kids go to bed super-early. Having a brunch wedding will make life easier on parents and will mean you won’t have a bunch of cranky kids in need of nap at your reception. (And breakfast and lunch foods are very kid-friendly!)

One of my favorite things about fall is pumpkin-flavored everything (my husband and I just went through an entire box of Wawa Pumpkin Spice K-cups over the weekend... they're that good). If you're a getting married in the fall, consider a signature cocktail that incorporates pumpkin spice! 

Pumpkin Pie Delight

1 ounce aged rum, whiskey, or cognac
1 ounce Disaronno
1 heaping spoonful of pumpkin pie mix
1/2 ounce heavy cream
1 whole egg

Place all ingredients into a mixing glass. Dry shake (shake without ice to 'whip' the ingredients together). Then shake again with ice. Strain into a rocks glass without any ice. Top with freshly-grated cinnamon.

Not a crazy pumpkin fanatic like me? Consider using the other most popular flavor of the season — apple.

Apple Cobbler

2 parts Disaronno
1 part cranberry juice
1 part apple juice
1/4 part fresh lemon juice

In a rocks glass, mix ingredients over ice. Garnish with an apple slice.

Tell us: Which would you try?

—Kristen O'Gorman Klein

When it comes to finding your dream dress, planning the best wedding ever or deciding on just the right honeymoon spot for your getaway, our November/December 2013 issue has you covered!

You’ll find fashions that are ideal for your body type,

Chic, sophisticated gowns with a stylish, retro vibe:

...and the prettiest party-perfect looks for your attendants, from the littlest flower girl to your junior bridesmaids and BFFs:

Get a behind-the-scenes look at our fun shoot here — we asked the girls to decribe their dream weddings, and their answers are just precious:

We also feature some of the hottest new trends:

Our workout on Saturday morning with Bonne Marcus was tough! Since I had a busy day with only 45 minutes to exercise, I thought it would be easy — boy, was I wrong. She introduced a Tabata workout, and it killed us!

The workout was broken into seven sets of moves, focusing on different body parts. You do one exercise for 50 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, then do the next for 50 seconds, rest for another 10 seconds, and repeat each one another time. 

The first set consisted of kettle bell swings for 50 seconds. I liked doing this because it really got my heart rate up, so I knew it was helping burn calories. The second set consisted of 50 seconds of step-ups and then 50 seconds of knee-downs, one time through on each leg. The other sets were filled with bicep, triceps, shoulders, abs and more leg exercises. It went quickly, but it was not easy to get through! We were sore before we even left her house.

I spent the rest of the day running errands and hanging out at a friend’s house. It was beautiful out that evening, so Rene and I cooked Porterhouse steaks on the grill and hung out outside. I made roasted Parmesan cauliflower and green beans to go with dinner, and it was delicious. We also drank Oktoberfest beer, which was pretty delicious, too — I only had two, though! I love that fall is almost here. I even bought a new pumpkin spice candle today.

Sunday, we were both very sore. Rene was out watching football at his friend’s house, so I got a pedicure with my mom, went food shopping with my girlfriend, and spent the day preparing dinner and lunches for the week. All in all, a very relaxing weekend.

Monday, September 9

An incredibly moving story came across my desk recently that I’d like to share with you. Last December, San Jose, CA hairstylist, Jen Bulik, received the worst news possible and was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. She and her boyfriend of six years, Jeff Lang, a yoga instructor, decided to marry as soon as possible. Due to time constraints, her illness and limited finances, they planned to have a very low-key backyard barbecue.

That is, until Jen’s friend, Emily LeDeau, posted Jen’s story on a Facebook group page for wedding professionals. Enter wedding planner Erica Ota (right), who spotted the post and immediately responded. She offered her services, met with the couple and was so moved by their story that she decided to give them a wedding they could only dream about. “As a former social worker, I met countless people with terminal illnesses but was only able to offer emotional support. However, as a wedding planner, I now had the ability and resources to do a lot more for them,” says Erica.

As any bride-to-be will tell you, planning a wedding is no cakewalk! According to a recent survey of BG brides, 40% of couples spend between 13 and 18 months planning their wedding, and over 90% opt to create and organize their big day without the help of coordinators or planners.

Although couples are certainly devoting the time and energy to turn their dream days into realities, occasional planning fiascos are bound to occur. Between juggling countless vendors, appointments, and schedules — along with their everyday priorities — couples are spread paper-thin. We reached out to brides about the challenges they faced and how they powered through to have their perfect weddings.

1. Disappearing Baker

Theresa Roma searched for a local baker who could create her ideal wedding cake. She received quotes averaging $750 until she met a relatively new baker who offered to provide the cake for $400.

"She was young and just beginning," Roma says. "But her pictures were beautiful, she was willing to be flexible and do what we wanted, and she provided samples of her cake." She signed a contract that day (November 10) and put down a $200 deposit.

But when Roma's mother tried to contact the baker in April to order a cake for the bridal shower, all of the phone numbers they had were disconnected, and both the website and the storefront were gone. All emails to the vendor went unanswered.

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 >>

Move over, plain white card stock, and make way for the new trends in wedding stationery! These days, couples are opting for bold colors and eclectic fonts, throwing their own personality into their entire invitation suite. Today, we’re sharing a few of our favorites and giving you tons of inspiration to make your wedding day one to remember — right from the very beginning!

1. Forget the standard A7 size paper and use any shape you want!

It's Fashion Week here in NYC — and it's getting us so pumped for the bridal runway shows next month! So when we spotted photos from Badgley Mischka's spring 2014 collection, we couldn't help but think that so many of them would be perfect for weddings. Here, check out a few of our favorites.

We love the embellishments on these gowns:

A bateau neckline and minimal appliques gives this gown such a sophisticated feel:  

So chic! We love the cascading peplum:

For the boho bride:

You'll sparkle as you walk down the aisle in this gown:

As a Penn State grad (and the daughter, granddaughter and niece of PSU alumni), I’ve been to my fair share of weddings that showcase Penn State pride.

My freshman-year roommate, Kim, married a guy she met at a frat party during our junior year. Since she was originally from New York and he was from Pittsburgh, they opted for a Penn State wedding. After a ceremony at a nearby Catholic church, we traipsed around campus for photos and then went to an inn on campus for the reception. The couple came in to the fight song. And, in addition to cake, they served ice cream from the campus Creamery (Ben and Jerry learned to make ice cream there).

As I plan my own wedding, I’ve been thinking back to Kim’s wedding, as well as a few others, to brainstorm ways to incorporate Gray’s and my alma maters into our wedding day festivities. (For the record, Gray went to University of Central Florida.)

1. Play Your Fight Song(s)
Kim and her now-husband Craig aren’t the only friends I know who came into their reception to the sounds of their fight song. My friends Kelsey and Steve played the Florida State one and walked in doing the FSU chop. But if you aren’t marrying someone who shares your scholastic history, consider playing the fight song at a different moment — you could even work it into a father-daughter or mother-son dance.

If you're a die-hard football fan, then you probably can't imagine missing a game — even if it's to do something pretty major like, say, getting married. 

One pair of Tennessee Vols fans confronted the problem head-on this weekend; rather than waiting until after football season ended to tie the knot, they exchanged vows while tailgating! 

Photo via @PeddiVOL

Photo via @JohnMarxism

Photo via @PeddiVOL

Then, they headed into the game with their loved ones and, luckily, celebrated their team's win over the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.

—Kristen O'Gorman Klein