Blogs

After another overwhelming (but fun!) round of gown shopping, I am one step closer to making a final decision on what I'll wear on my wedding day. (Catch up on my first salon visit here!) Being surrounded by thousands of gowns can either be a bride's dream or a bit of a nightmare. My best advice is to have some idea of what you like before you shop. Browsing our gown gallery and the pages of Bridal Guide helped narrow my focus. Moral support is also essential! Here, my fellow BG fashionistas report on our experience at RK Bridal in New York City.

The search continues…since BG fashion experts advise visiting more than one bridal salon, we headed to NYC landmark RK Bridal. RK is known for their huge selection of designers (they carry over 12,000 gowns) at a variety of price points—including Casablanca, Mori Lee, Justin Alexander, and Enzoani.

RK Bridal had lots of knowledgeable consultants on hand to help the influx of brides on that busy Friday afternoon. Amy navigated through racks and racks of gorgeous gowns and cherry-picked a few contenders. From her previous shopping experience, Amy knew she wanted to explore different necklines, new colors, and other fabrics.

Here were some of our top picks:

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.

Dessert is a time to spoil yourself — not to spoil an otherwise green wedding. Check out these five fun, easy and eco-friendly treats. Each idea can help reduce costs and excess waste that become a big burden after your wedding. Encourage guests to take home leftovers, and provide them with plenty of recycled paper bags or boxes for easy on-the-go bites.

Tower of Treats
Create a cake-shaped tower of treats. These can be anything from gourmet powdered truffles to kitschy Ho-Hos. You can also display cupcakes on tiered trays for a similar effect. Towers of treats are a bit more interesting than a regular cake: Choose your favorite items, and it’s even more fun to take home the extras.

Guest blogger: Lindsey Buchholz, a member of H&R Block’s Tax Institute. H&R Block is the world's leading tax service provider and is home to the best tax professionals in the industry, who are available to do whatever it takes to meet your needs—whether you file in the office or do your own taxes. For more financial advice and tips, visit their blog, Block Talk.

Filing tax returns was probably one thing you never gave much thought to when you got married. But, guess what: marriage can make taxes more complicated. Instead of making decisions just for yourself, you now have to consider your spouse’s income and potential deductions and credits too, so you can make smart financial decisions that won’t have you overpaying taxes. Here, some facts to keep in mind.

Photo Credit: iStock

Pick any filing status—as long as it’s married. When you get married, you are no longer able to file as a single individual. Instead, you will file either as married filing jointly or married filing separately. The IRS determines your filing status as of the last day of the year. So even if you got married at 11:59 pm on December 31st, for tax purposes you are married for the whole year. 

Want to see some knockout gowns? Get expert planning advice? And find the perfect spot for your honeymoon? Look no further than our March/April 2013 issue, on the newsstands now.

You’ll find dresses to suit your style, whether you fancy a romantic ballgown:

A sexy mermaid:

Or something short ‘n chic:

We also showcase the hottest trends fresh from the runway:

And must-have accessories for the big day:

Deciding on the perfect venue is a challenge. Do you have your reception at a hotel, a catering hall, an estate or perhaps under a tent in a gorgeous garden setting? The decision, of course, depends upon the time of year, the number of guests, your budget, etc.

But there’s another great option to consider, for all you fashion-forward foodies who crave a chic, intimate environment along with a fantastic meal: the restaurant venue. Think about it — you’ll enjoy a cozy atmosphere, amazing food and the cost will undoubtedly be considerably less than having your reception at a much larger venue. Many restaurants have private rooms to accommodate small receptions, and some restaurants, such as Sepia — one of Chicago’s top eateries — have a separate venue just for special occasions. Sepia’s venue, called Private Dining by Sepia, is located right next door to the restaurant.

Photo Credit: Paul Strabbing Photography

Inside, the shimmering metallic walls and distinctive bold lighting create an elegant atmosphere. I love the unique lighting fixtures and the warm golden hue they cast.

Guest blogger: Rosanna Casper, co-founder of Idojour.com, a wedding website where brides, grooms, family and friends can purchase a stylish and affordable mix of beautifully curated pieces. Designed to make wedding planning all the more inspiring and enjoyable, Idojour offers accessories and apparel for your wedding weekend, complemented by both inspirational and practical content. Rosanna oversees content, among many other things, and makes sure that everything comes together beautifully on the site.

Here, Rosanna shares her favorite DIY and customization websites.

We’re lucky enough to live in a world where we can customize and create pretty much anything with the quick click of a button. And what better place to put your own personal stamp on things than your wedding? So for those of you creative and crafty brides who are looking for ways to personalize your wedding, we’ve rounded up of the best sites and apps for all create your own custom projects!

Craftgawker

It’s a photo gallery of handmade crafts and DIY projects. Get inspired, search for something specific, and be taken to that specific blog or site for the how tos. Plus, there’s a free app for craftiness on-the-go!

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 Revuleo, a master at mixing a huge variety of musical genres into one seamless set. Where other DJs might shy away, he shines at mixing creative sets as diverse as the personalities of his clients. He understands the magic of a couple's wedding day and commits to creating the perfect vibe. "It's the one moment where everyone you care about is in one room, for you. The music and people together create memories that you will have forever.” 

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Kaye, Elizabeth in Love

Your engagement party: It's the party before the party, a time to celebrate with your closest friends and family. It’s an exciting event filled with love and anticipation, and a perfectly-crafted playlist will set the right tone for all the festivities to come. Mix it up with up-tempo jams to keep energy high, plus a good balance of mellow songs to allow guests to mingle. A word to the wise: save your most special, intimate songs for the big day. You don't want to steal your own musical thunder.

Postage stamp alert! The beloved, in-demand wedding cake stamp has been updated to reflect the new rates that go into effect next week. What's not to love about this delicious detail?

Go to usps.com/stamps or call 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724) for more info.

—Mary Clarke

I knew I couldn't tackle the task of making my house a home without my groom. Armed with Jason's male perspective and Mom's real-world experience (she tagged along for support), we filtered hundreds of products down to the chosen few. Here's what we learned, as told from our POVs.

The Bride:

I was beyond giddy to register. When else in your life can you create the ultimate wish list without paying a dime? My scanning goals: Invest in items I'd be using the most frequently, like cookware; don't include items that guests might be reluctant to bring to a bridal shower, such as garbage cans or toilet plungers; and maintain a uniform sense of "style," which was challenging since we don't know which colors will match our new apartment.

We tried to register for gifts in a variety of price points, from affordable to only-my-aunts-would-love-me-this-much. We created registries at Macy's, Bed Bath and Beyond, and East Side China, a fantastic housewares specialty shop in our neighborhood. We felt that selecting a wide range of gifts would benefit not just us, but also our guests, who would have more choices than if we'd stuck to just one. We were very grateful for our consultants' wonderful registry advice; especially Michelle from Macy's and Holly from East Side China.

Editor-in-chief Diane Forden answers one reader's biggest etiquette question.

Photo Credit: Dez and Tam

Q. My sister is planning my bridal shower six months before the wedding date, and my future mother-in-law is annoyed. She claims it’s improper etiquette, and that the shower should be held four to six weeks before the wedding. Who’s right? 

A: There’s really no right or wrong in this case. Even though tradition dictates that a bridal shower should be held two months to two weeks before the wedding, I don’t see any reason why it can’t be planned before the two-month mark.

While having a shower six months before the wedding may not be improper, it does seem a bit early for practical reasons. For one thing, you and your fiancé need to have the guest list determined and your wedding invitations sent out before people receive their bridal shower invitations. And all those invited to the bridal shower should be on your wedding guest list as well.

If you do have an early shower, make sure you and your groom complete your gift registries first. Most bridal-shower invitees want to know where you’re registered, and this list is usually included with the shower invitations. If by some chance you’ve already mailed your wedding invitations and completed your registries, then it’s feasible to have the shower six months before your wedding. If not, perhaps your sister can schedule it closer to the big day.

—Diane Forden