Blogs

BG brides, I'm not a baker. My idea of baking is getting a store-bought mix, popping it in the oven, slathering the resulting cake in homemade buttercream frosting (isn’t that the best part anyway?) and calling it a day. So when I was invited to take a professional cake-decorating lesson from the pros at Carlos Bakery in Jersey City, New Jersey — where the hit TLC show "Cake Boss" is filmed — I leapt at the chance to learn from fourth-generation baker Buddy Valastro.

I had recently chosen my own wedding cake and wanted to experience firsthand what goes into creating these confectionary works of art. On average, it takes Valastro’s team two to three hours to stack and decorate the average wedding cake; that doesn’t include time spent making all of the sugar flowers, ruffles, or other adornments. He’s designed cakes for mega-profile celeb weddings — most recently, that of Mario Lopez and Courtney Mazza ("They were a lot of fun and had a great vision for what they wanted their wedding cake to look like; it came out beautiful," Valastro said.)

With so many gorgeous hairstyle options, it can be hard to choose just one. Here, a guide to the hottest wedding hair trends — and how to decide which is best for you! 

A Chignon

Photo courtesy of designer

Couples have an all-new reason to love New York: a giant engagement ring in Riverside Park South. The romantic installation, created by artist, Reina Kubota, is large enough for couples to sit, stand, or kneel beneath.

As part of the Art Students League of New York’s Model to Monument program, the larger-than-life engagement ring (which swaps out the classic diamond for a red apple) will live along the Hudson River (near 66th Street) until May 2014. Couples can share a stroll along the river followed by a quiet moment beneath the steel band.

Kubota’s sculpture, titled “Ringo” (the Japanese word for apple), is her personal love-letter to Manhattan. Visitors of the installation have already been swept away by the piece and it will undoubtedly be one of New York’s most romantic spots this summer.

We can’t help but imagine how many lovely engagements will take place beneath it! Planning an engagement photo session in the city? Make sure you add "Ringo" to your site list — the sculpture would make a great whimsical backdrop for your photos.

—Gabriella Rello

Hope you all had a great Fourth of July weekend! My week started off with wonderful weight-loss news and a killer new workout plan. I regrettably overindulged a bit on the 4th, but I got myself right back on track the next day. There’s no stopping me from here!

Monday, July 1
I had an awesome workout with Bonne Marcus on Saturday. Because I didn’t see her last week, I hadn't been weighed in two weeks. When I got on the scale, I was down six pounds! I was completely overjoyed, and I'm even more motivated now that I know this is working. Bonne also took my measurements for the first time since our first workout nine weeks ago, and I'm down one inch off my arm and waist and a half inch off my thigh and hips. I was so happy, I can’t even explain the feeling!

Bonne gave us a new workout this week — and, thank god, there are no step ups! Rene had some trouble breathing in the middle of the routine and had to sit down and rest after 40 minutes. He needs to learn to breathe through his nose and not hold his breathe in order to keep his heart rate down. Some of the new moves in this routine incorporated the stability ball and the medicine ball, which made it fun but even more difficult.

By the time we were done, Bonne had to literally peel us off the floor:

After days of speculation, Avril Lavigne is officially a married woman! The "Here's to Never Growing Up" pop-punk singer, 28, wed Nickelback frontman, Chad Kroeger, yesterday. 

About 50 guests watched the couple exchange vows in Mandelieu, France. The reception took place until the wee hours of the morning and included a spectacular fireworks display. "It was a wild, all-night party with drinking, dancing, incredible food and lots of laughter and tears of happiness,” one reveler told Us Weekly. 

The over-the-top party came as no surprise, but why did they tie the knot in the City of Light? Lavigne chose this romantic destination after spending the past few years acquainting herself with the country's food, language, and culture. France is also where she made her first permanent mark on her now-husband, 38, persuading him to get his first tattoo. It reads "vivre le moment present" (live in the moment); an appropriate motto for a man who proposed after just one month of dating.

Here is an exclusive book excerpt from 13 Things They Won't Tell You. Every month, Reader’s Digest Magazine asks selected experts from a different profession to spill their secrets. Readers walk a mile in their shoes and see things that are enlightening, horrifying, and give them a whole new perspective on the people they trust with their food, health, family, money, and home. They walk away with the keys to awesome backdoor deals, insider knowledge that saves them tons of money, and invaluable advice for getting better service anywhere they go.

Now, for the first time ever, this wisdom has been collected into one comprehensive volume, complete with updates, all new interviews, and tons of additional secrets that have never appeared before.

From hosting an open house to getting an estimate of your property's value, these real estate tips from the experts ought to help in today's tough market.

1. If I'm hugely successful, you may not get the benefit of my experience. A well-known agent may pass you off to a junior agent after you sign the contract. Ask me exactly who will be handling your phone calls, marketing your house, and taking you to look at homes before you sign to ensure you get exactly what you're paying for.

BG staffers had the honor of meeting Federico Calce, hairstylist to the stars, recently at his chic uptown salon. He came to New York from Milan in the early eighties and became a fixture at runway shows including Fendi, Valentino and Armani. Since then, he's cultivated a celebrity following: his clients include Kelly Ripa, Eva Longoria, Nicole Richie, Catherine Zeta-Jones and more! (If he could work with any celebrity bride, it would be Angelina Jolie).

The pro hairstylist sat down with us and gave us the inside scoop on what he recommends for all of his brides, famous or not.

1. Why is your wedding-day hairstyle important?
"Hair is an extension of personality. It's the first thing a person notices when they look at a face," said Calce. It's important to look like yourself on your wedding day; for example, if you usually wear a sock bun or a ponytail, then a top knot would be a fabulous wedding hairstyle idea for you. However, if you never put your hair up in your day-to-day life, it's probably not the best idea to start on your wedding day.

2. What advice do you have for the hair trial?
Calce recommends trying five different looks at your hair trials. Take photos of each hairstyle — "In person, they may appear one way, but the camera will give a different effect," said Calce. 

Scratch Weddings is the nation's leader with the best wedding DJs at affordable prices. For more info, visit scratchweddings.com.

Photo Credit: Studio Stem

Add a few of these patriotic summer jams to your playlist, curated by the music experts at Scratch Weddings! 

This week was filled with firsts, challenges and triumphs as part of my ongoing mission to slim down and get in shape for my wedding day. Here, an inside look at my eating and exercise diaries.

Monday, June 24
I had my usual breakfast this morning of two egg whites and a skim latte. I brought a homemade veggie burger and sweet potato fries for lunch. The fries are amazing! Here's how I make them: I peel and cut up sweet potatoes; I sprinkle some salt, pepper and olive oil on them; then I pop them in the oven for about 40 minutes. 

For dinner, my meal was even better. I made Butternut Squash Pasta and Sausage, a recipe I found on my favorite website, skinnytaste.com. You couldn't even tell the creaminess came from a vegetable. 

My fiancé Rene and I went for a half-hour walk after dinner and did some jogging, too. My shins were really bothering me but I pushed through it anyway. Luckily, Rene's back is feeling much better! P.S. Next time I need to remember to wear bug spray — I got eaten alive out there.

Tuesday, June 25
My wake-up call was at 4:45 a.m. to do my workout from Bonne Marcus because I knew I wouldn’t have time to exercise at night. I woke up in excruciating pain with terrible shin splints. It hurt just to walk down the stairs to let the dogs out. Not good!