Blogs

One of the bigger decisions I had to make before our wedding is what type of "girl time" celebration to have. I knew immediately that I didn't want the traditional bachelorette party: A long (and potentially wild) night of drinking and dancing didn't really appeal to me. Instead I decided on a lingerie shower that would be cost-effective and enjoyable.

Two of my best friends, Maria and Patty, excitedly volunteered to throw the event in my honor. I was involved with choosing the invitation and creating the guest list; after that, it was all up to them to make it happen. My friends decided to involve my fiancé Rigo in the planning process so that he would be able to provide personal information about our relationship and my preferences for entertainment. Together the three of them worked on games, made the food, and prepped the house for the party.

Bridal Shower Food
The girls decided to go with finger foods for the shower since they're practical and affordable. They allowed me to approve the final menu selections and I made a few minor suggestions. The food was absolutely amazing: Guests enjoyed taco salad cups (made by Rigo), shrimp cocktail, bruschetta, chicken wings, a cheese and cracker tray, a vegetable tray, and meatball sandwiches all made by the girls. 

Photo Credit: Evermore Photography

Q. What’s considered the right amount of money for a wedding gift? I’ve recently been laid off and can’t afford to give as much as I had originally planned, but I don’t want to come across as cheap, either.

I recently tagged along to my sister's wedding hair trial at Dolce Vita Salon & Spa in Flemington, NJ. While watching owner Nicole Maxcy work her magic, we chatted about how brides can best prepare for their own hair trials and get the most out of the experience. Here's what she shared:

Allow enough time
Start searching for your stylist at least three months before the wedding; six months if you're getting married in peak wedding season. For your trial, you’re going to need at least an hour. And don’t be afraid to do more than one trial! Many brides do two or three test runs before finding a style they truly love and feel comfortable with.

Prep your hair properly
Wash and blow dry your hair the night before, without using products. If you use a flat iron to tame frizz, it's fine to go ahead and use it. But if your hair is curly, it's better to work with your natural hair texture than to fight it, especially if you're getting married in an area where humidity will come into play.

Oscar de la Renta’s designs have graced countless red carpet events, and his breathtaking wedding gowns have brought tears to the eyes of brides around the world. Now, everyone can have a little piece of Oscar magic with the release of his new stationery line in collaboration with Paperless Post. 

With more than 50 designs, each inspired by his love of beautiful fabric and the sunny beaches of his home in Punta Cana, you can add a touch of Oscar elegance on everything from wedding invites to thank-you notes. 

Take a look at these fabulous designs inspired by the Oscar de la Renta Fall 2013 bridal collection!

Vera Wang has teamed up with FTD, the leading provider of flowers and gifts, for a gorgeous collection of wedding-day flowers! Available exclusively through select FTD member florists in the U.S. and Canada, the designs hits at three distinct styles — traditional, romantic, and modern — with prices ranging from $14.99 for a boutonniére to $1,294.99 for an ultra-luxe bouquet.

Here, check out a few pieces from the collection:

Style: The Traditionalist

White rose boutonnière and spray rose and stephanotis boutonnière, $14.99 each

Bouquet with white and peach roses and spray roses, $109.99

White freesia, white and blush peach roses, and white double lisiathus centerpieces, $282.99

On a beautiful spring day at the luxe Marriott Marquis in Times Square, hundreds of brides gathered for the opportunity to meet with and sample the work of dozens of bridal vendors.The Great Bridal Expo — the nation's premier bridal showcase—has over 30 years experience connecting the best vendors in the industry to brides across the country.

The Great Bridal Expo featured row after row of booths containing everything brides need, from photographers and cake artists to travel experts and registry pros. Here are a few of the top trends from the event:

Flowers 
The hottest flower this year: Hydrangeas. Brides love how lush and full these flowers look in bouquets and centerpieces, and they're great for brides on a budget, since each stem is so voluminous. Other top picks: Splurge-worthy peonies and their more budget-friendly alternative, garden roses.

I chatted with Danisa’s Flowers, a wholesale flower shop from Silver Spring, Maryland. They pointed out that these days, it won't stretch your budget as much if your favorite flower is not in season during your wedding month— flower distributors like Danisa's regularly import hundreds of blooms from carefully-selected farms worldwide, so no flower is ever truly out of season.

Edible treats and favors are always a hit with party guests; whether offered at a bridal shower, a lunch or dinner with bridesmaids, the rehearsal dinner or wedding reception, you can bet that your nearest and dearest will appreciate having a little something edible to indulge their sweet tooth with later on.

Recently, I came across adorable cookies from the Whimsy Cookie Company, located in Memphis, TN. Now, for those of you who are fans of the hit movie The Blind Side, you probably remember NFL star Michael Oher’s little sister, Collins, played by actress Lily Collins. Fast-forward to 2013 and Collins Tuohy is now the co-owner of the Whimsy Cookie Company, along with founder Laurie Suriff, who used her mom’s delicious sugar cookie recipes to start her company. As Collins recalls, “I knew after the first time I tried Laurie’s sweet treats I wanted to make sure everyone had this magical dessert experience. I became partners with Laurie, and from then on, we have been taking the sugar world by storm!”

Collins (left) and Laurie (right)

Their company offers an amazing variety of custom-designed, hand-decorated cookies shaped as wedding gowns, wedding cakes or rings.

Professional photographers are great for your timeless wedding photos, but what about capturing the big day from your guests' perspective? Toss out those dated disposable cameras and direct your attention to the hottest apps that will turn your reception into a fun and memorable photo shoot for your wedding guests.

Photo Credit: Marvelous Things Photography on Heart Love Weddings via Lover.ly

1. Wedding Snap

Since this innovative app's launch last year, over a million photos and videos have been shared in 15 countries worldwide. Wedding Snap instantly compiles guests' photos in an online album that can be viewed anywhere around the world in real time. Photos can be downloaded into multiple albums, each with a unique album code, for up to a year after the wedding. 

Wish you had a personal nutritionist at your fingertips to get you into tip-top shape before your wedding? Well, now you can for just 99 cents with the meals4me app, available for both iPhones and Androids.

When you use the meals4me app, you'll create a profile with your desired weight goal and how many calories you should consume every day. You then get a month’s worth of delicious recipes for meals and snacks, each customized just for you.

The perfectly portioned, nutritious recipes are designed by Dara Bergen, RD a Registered Dietitian and Certified NYS Nutritionist. Each recipe is full of important antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, designed to make you look and feel great. These healthy, balanced recipes include power foods, such as spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, salmon, walnuts and berries. These power foods nourish your body both inside and out, giving you and your skin a radiant, healthy glow.

For those of you who don't love to cook, this useful app makes cooking fun and easy, increasing your confidence to prepare meals for your future family. When you view a recipe in the meals4me app, you can add each of the ingredients from each recipe right into a shopping list. This allows you to save money — spend and use only what you need.

As a last-minute tip to make sure that dress fits great, Dara Bergen, RD, suggests, "Make sure you choose only low sodium recipes, drink lots of water and go for a daily walk the week before your special day!" 

"90210" star Shenae Grimes, 23, and model/musician Josh Beech, 24, exchanged vows today in an intimate affair outside of London — and the beautiful countryside ceremony was anything but a cookie-cutter wedding. Instead of opting for a traditional white dress, Grimes walked down the aisle in an elegant black silk halter ballgown with handmade Chantilly lace appliqué on the bodice and a full tulle skirt, designed by Vera Wang for her Fall 2012 collection. Back in June 2012, Vera blogged about her design: "It Is for the romanticist bride who wants to embody that allure and seduction while drifting in a very ethereal, romantic world." (Modern-chic black wedding gowns were all over the runways this season, too!)

We wouldn’t expect anything less from this aspiring fashionista, who's planning to put aside acting for a while and explore career options in the fashion world. Grimes paired the gown with a gorgeous bouquet of red and white blooms that gave off a just-picked-from-the-garden feel. 

The bride and her British beau also took an untraditional musical approach, ditching the classic wedding march for a more lively selection of house music. No word yet on whether any fist pumping was involved. 

Congratulations and best wishes to the happy couple! 

—Mary Gillen