Blogs

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:

Matthew Krivohlavy, currently deployed overseas, couldn't attend his brother's wedding in Austin, Texas last weekend, so the Marine pilot did the next best thing — he taped a video "toast" from the cockpit of his Harrier jet!

Groom Brandon Krivohlavy posted the video on Reddit yesterday, and so far, it's garnered over a thousand comments. He played the footage at the ceremony, and "everyone in the room was either crying or completely speechless. It was a very moving moment for everyone there," he wrote.

Unfortunately, the YouTube video has since been taken down, but not before The Daily Mail in the U.K. took the following screen grabs that show how the story unfolded. Like any fabulous wedding toast, he mentioned how special both the groom and bride (Mandy Takacs) are to him, poked fun at his sibling, and offered memorable wedding advice. Just how memorable? Daily Mail reports that at the end of the video, when he exclaims "Go nuts together!", he does a 360-degree roll in the sky!

Looking for a high glamour look for your big day? Take a cue from Hollywood and consider a slinky gown fashioned from draped chiffon or silk charmeuse. This languid slinky gown has been a favorite of movie stars on the red carpet.

When choosing this style, look for asymmetrical gathers that will give this fabric shape and add flattering contours to your figure. Soft updos and chandelier earrings are a great complement to this style. Here, a few of our favorite slinky gowns from Demetrios, Romona Keveza and Martina Liana.

—Naima DiFranco

It’s every bride’s and groom’s dream on their wedding day to have a long and happy marriage. You picture yourselves raising a family, sharing adventures and celebrating future milestones together. It’s certainly the ideal, so when I recently learned about a couple who have been married for over 60 years I decided to reach out to them to get some marital advice to share with you. This wonderful couple, Dr. Titus Plomaritis, who has written an autobiography aptly named Titus, and his wife, Claire happily obliged.

Dr. Plomaritis, a retired chiropractor, also served as President of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners. He met Claire, former representative of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, in 1948. It was love at first sight for Titus, so he began his “relentless pursuit to win her over.” As Titus states in his book dedication to Claire, “She is the love of my life and best friend.”

As if we didn't already L.O.V.E. Lover.ly enough, their new mobile app is exactly what it claims to be — like nothing you've seen before. At the tap of an app, you can like, share, and upload thousands of beautiful wedding photos. 

It's the ultimate wedding search engine; it's extremely user-friendly, with crystal-clear photos and amazing detail. Brides, beware: Once you start clicking through the amazing photos you may not be able to stop (at least for a few hours)! You can use this app during any stage of your wedding planning, from finding inspiration for engagement photos and invitations to ceremony décor and honeymoon destinations.

On the bottom of your screen, there are four tabs: Featured, Explore, Add, and Profile. The "featured" section consists of the top photos from all the different categories. Under each photo, you can tap the "love it" icon (Loverly's equivalent of a Facebook "like"), add it to a bundle, share on Facebook or Twitter, or find out who photographed it.

Under "explore," you'll find two ways to browse — by category or by color. With 12 categories (accessories, beauty, décor, dresses, flowers, food and drink, gifts, intimates, jewelry, men, shoes, and stationery), it's a simplified version of the desktop site. While you can't browse by theme, it does have a search bar, perfect for busy brides who know what they want.

Favorite Features:

https://www.facebook.com/canvasandcanopy/

After five years of being engaged, it’s time to pop the champagne because my fiancé Edwin and I are finally throwing an engagement party this summer! What I love most about engagement parties is that more couples are opting to create events that speak to their personalities — they can be as formal or as casual as you'd like. The real-life parties featured below have gotten my wheels turning, and I hope that they inspire your upcoming celebration as well.

1. A Sunset Cruise
I love that this couple — the bride is Jen Huang, photographer extraordinaire — celebrated their engagement on a sunset river cruise around New York City. I relate to it on a personal level because my hometown of Jacksonville, Florida is also referred to as "the river city," but this steal-worthy idea is perfect for anyone who lives by water. Getting married by the ocean? This would be a great rehearsal dinner option as well.
Tip: Activities such as a river cruise or wine tasting are a great way for guests to break the ice, since this is usually the first time that everyone on both sides of the couple's family will be together in the same room.

Imagining the moment when my fiancé Rigo and I will be introduced to our guests as husband and wife always brings a smile to my face. One of the first things we'll do as newlyweds is have our first dance, and although it'll only last about four minutes, tops, we feel that it can set a beautiful tone for the rest of the evening.

We enlisted the help of the pros at our local dance studio, Arthur Murray Dance in Merrillville, Indiana, to prepare us for our June wedding. Dance lessons are based on time, budget and "ability" level, and they usually start at $100 and up. Our package includes 10 private sessions, choreography, and free group lessons three times per week. Here's what we've learned so far!
Photo Credit: Elevate Photography

1. Pick the perfect song — don’t let the song pick you.
The first step is choosing a song that reflects your relationship as a couple. Start your list early and remember that half the fun is making it together. Although there are many contemporary songs that Rigo and I enjoy listening to, we didn't want to fall into the trap of choosing a song that's too trendy — we want something that will stand the test of time and speak to all generations.