Blogs

Guest blogger: Patrick Kelly is the co-owner of JJ Kelly Bridal, Oklahoma's premier bridal salon. For over 30 years, the store has helped thousands of brides find their dream wedding dress. They carry exclusive designers such as Vera Wang, Monique Lhuillier, Lazaro and more; gowns range in price from $800 to $10,000. Kelly also co-founded the website idoappointments.com, a service that allows brides to make appointments with important vendors instantly, without waiting for phone calls to be returned or e-mails to be answered.

He shares his experience working with Randy Fenoli on a recent taping of the hit show Randy to the Rescue, which was filmed at the Sheraton Oklahoma City Hotel.

Randy Fenoli knows wedding fashion like no one else. He started out as a wedding gown designer (an extremely talented one, I might add) and has three reality TV shows, but above all, he loves to make brides look (and feel) beautiful on their wedding day. 

Here at BG, we have a soft spot for Barbie weddings (case in point: this and this). Barbie and Ken are one of the most iconic couples in pop culture history, after all. So when aspiring wedding planner Jervon Mackey reached out with not one but three Barbie weddings showcasing different wedding styles, we couldn't wait to share them with you. Let's jump in and take a ride into Barbie's world with a look at these fabulous Barbie dream weddings!

1. Hollywood Glamour

Mackey's first Barbie wedding is a lavish affair filled with sophisticated touches — the bride wore a Chantilly lace gown, and the bridesmaids donned black dresses with pink bouquets. After a friend read the classic 1 Corinthians 13:4. "Love is patient, love is kind..." Bible verse, surprise guest Beyoncé serenaded the couple with "At Last." 

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 Schuller, a NYC native who  has been mixing for over a decade and has spun at a number of coveted hotspots in his hometown, as well as in LA, Philly, Atlantic City and Miami. Whether it's a jam-packed venue fitting thousands or an intimate private gathering, Schuller brings the crowd to their feet every time. With his attention to detail and amazing skills shining through, Schuller keeps a wedding dance floor packed every time.

Photo Credit: Chris Jorian Fine Photography

In the moments before your wedding, the last thing you'll want is a silent room to get ready in. Keep the mood light with a chill yet fun soundtrack to soothe those pre-wedding nerves. These gender-neutral tracks will do the trick while you're putting on those finishing touches and hanging out with your bridal party in your final moments as a single lady (or guy).

I was never the kind of little girl who dreamed about her wedding day. But once my best friend asked me to marry him, I dove head-first into the world of wedding planning. I quickly discovered the joy of jaw-dropping couture gowns—they never fail to make me weak in the knees! Here, I've rounded up photos from my gown inspiration binder in the hopes that they inspire other brides out there. Get your "pinning" finger ready to add these to Pinterest...

Gown Inspiration: Then

I love every wedding gown style and silhouette to a fault. The first wedding gown I ever fell in love with was a Lazaro fit-and-flare. When I first laid eyes on it, I immediately tore it out of the magazine and insisted it was "The One."

Lazaro Dress, Style 3766

Over the next five years, my sense of style changed drastically, proof that you should never set your sights on a dress too far in advance. I've found a new gown by Marchesa that's swept me off my Louboutin-loving feet, and I'm beyond excited to try it on in New York this spring!

Gown Inspiration: Now

Marchesa
Marchesa blends traditional elements with whimsical designs. All of her creations leave me with sensory overload!

White by Vera Wang just added two new web-exclusive styles to the latest collection, and we're in love. These flirty dresses are perfect for a casual wedding or for changing into for your reception. 

Style VW351126

Strapless dress with Garza tiers and a satin sash ($628, available excusively at davidsbridal.com). 

Style VW351165

One-shoulder draped tulle dress with bubble hem ($728, exclusively at davidsbridal.com).

Tell us, which would you consider wearing?

See more new dresses from White by Vera Wang for David's Bridal in our gown gallery!

—Kristen O'Gorman Klein

Wedding and event planners Jodi Cohen and Sarah Lowy, co-founders and owners of LA-based JOWY Productions, have produced gorgeous weddings and celebrations for clients around the world. From a royal wedding in Qatar to Oprah Winfrey’s Leadership Academy Opening in South Africa, these two lovely ladies have delighted clients and guests with their uniquely elegant and creative style. For 2013, Jodi and Sarah put together a list the hottest wedding trends. Here, their top picks:

Pattern
We are going to see a lot more patterns and prints being incorporated into wedding décor, invites, tablecloths and bridesmaid dresses. Chevron and stripes were big last year, but we think more whimsical prints are going to start to make an appearance in 2013; think polka dots, florals and maybe even some gingham.

Small, Intimate Guests Lists
There seems to be a move away from large wedding parties to a more intimate, smaller guest list. Couples are having weddings with just family and close friends. Big receptions are being replaced with dinner parties. We have a handful of weddings this year that are 60 guests or less.

Most of our wedding-planning tasks have been exciting and fun; however, one area we've struggled with is our guest list. Both Rigo and I come from huge families and have a close group of friends. We both work at the same hospital, so we have many co-workers that we consider to be pals, too. (They've indicated that they're "expecting" an invitation to the wedding—some have mentioned this subtly, while others were quite forward.) Our large circle of loved ones became even bigger when we factored in all of their children.

These contributing factors raised the following questions: How many people should we invite total? Can we invite some-coworkers and not others? How do we ensure that the reception doesn't turn into a daycare center? Can we prevent invited guests from bringing "extra" guests with them? With some planning, research, and creativity, here's how we dealt with all of these challenges.

Photo Credit: Photography by Jen Philips

Do the Math to Come Up with a Reasonable Limit

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 Kraff, a Brooklyn native who rocks dancefloors with his impressive skill and charms guests with his infectious smile. Kraff learned at a very young age the timeless value of great music, drawing inspiration from his father's extensive collection of raggae vinyl. "I find it fun to play for a wide variety guests at a wedding. The best is when you look out in the crowd and see people in their 80s dancing with people in their teens."

Photo Credit: Shawna Yarbrough & Damion Hamilton

The post-wedding brunch is usually the last event of the wedding festivities (sniff). With close friends and family surrounding the newly married couple, it’s a moment to rehash, relive and reflect on all those wonderful moments from the wedding itself. Please and soothe all age groups with a playlist built around love and togetherness. Music is the perfect cure for the figurative (and for many guests, literal) wedding hangover!

It's incredible how the most amazing day of my life went by in the blink of an eye. On July 1st, Michael and I exchanged vows at our Staten Island parish church, Our Lady Queen of Peace. Afterwards, we held a reception with 120 guests at the Lighthouse in Chelsea Piers, Manhattan. Our wedding was steeped in tradition, yet it also reflected our personal style: modern romance. Watch a trailer from our wedding video here!

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: