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For years, it's been said that couples who live together before marriage are more likely to get divorced. But according to a new government study of 22,000 men and women, this is no longer the case.

About 60 percent of couples live together before marriage. "It's becoming so common, it's not surprising it no longer negatively affects marital stability," said Wendy Manning, co-director of the National Center for Family & Marriage Research at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. 

According to the study, couples who lived together while engaged had a 60 percent chance of their marriage lasting 15 years—the same as couples who did not live together before the wedding. But for couples who live together before the proposal? Their marriages were only 53% as likely to reach the 15 year mark. 

The study infers that the difference is related to feelings about committment. 

"Commitment has made a difference. In interviews with some women who have been married 20 years or more after living with their spouse first, firm belief in a future together was a common theme," reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

My sister doesn’t get to travel as much as I do. (I mean, who does really? It is, after all, my job.) So whenever she’s going on a biggie trek—to Dubai, Oz or, in this case, an awesome forbidden island—she often hits me up for some of my gear. Hey, isn’t that what sisters are for?

Generally, I don’t mind loaning out my wheelie bag, airplane pillow or money belt, but this time around, while she’s touring Colonial sites, I’ll be hobnobbing with some importante people in Mexico. Which means I’ll be needing my trusty travel tools.

Lucky for my sister, I just heard about the awesome plane-friendly products on offer at the Container Store. There are fuzzy blankie sets that have cool pockets to keep your electronics, slim converter sets and even mini-fans. My sister lives around the corner from a Container Store, so she’ll be able to peruse the selection before take-off on Saturday.

If you’ve got more time, all the goods are available online at the containerstore.com.

—Jenna Mahoney

We've been to so many wonderful previews in the last few weeks! Diane and I went to see the lovely designer Shana Farr debut her new jewelry collection Pure Imagination by Shana Farr at the Players Club on Gramercy Park. A fitting location, since Shana is not only a talented artist but also a gifted vocalist, having performed her supper club show Pure Imagination at the Metropolitan Room, Feinstein's Regency and at New York City Center.

Her exquisitely crafted collection of sterling silver charms and lockets all have an element of whimsy.

Her signature piece, the Fortune Cookie locket, opens to reveal a personal message inside.

I especially love her Chrysanthemum rings and bracelets in sterling silver, pink and yellow gold. 

Personalized Runner

Tell your story as a couple through your aisle runner. This amazing DIY, featured on Oh Lovely Day, started with photos of the couple as children and progressed through their six years of dating, highlighting special moments and memories along the way. Get step-by-step instructions to create your own!

The runner also provided a fun activity for guests prior to the ceremony—the couple placed a crossword puzzle within the ceremony program, with most answers to be found on the runner.

Photo Credit: The Other Sister Photography/via Oh Lovely Day

Spiral Aisle

Perfect for small, intimate weddings, a round ceremony setup gives each guest a front row seat for your walk down the aisle. It also creates a cozy feel throughout the ceremony as you're surrounded on all sides by your loved ones.

A recent study from Rent.com reveals some interesting findings about couples' behavior regarding combining households and their personal beliefs about married life. The majority of respondents (75%) said their overall quality of life has improved since moving in with their spouse. The other quarter of survey-takers cited the following as major sources of stress: not having their own space (all the more reason to actually let him have his own man cave), sharing household expenses, and splitting up household chores. When it comes to finances, 62% of couples report that they've improved (one rent bill, score), while 22% say they've actually gotten worse as a result of moving in together.

In addition to assessing couples' attitudes about matrimony, the survey also analyzed which cities are ideal to start your first home together. They ranked them against the national averages for cost of living (calculated from a baseline of 100 from the U.S. Census Bureau), mean annual income ($44,410) and the unemployment rate (8.5%, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics) to score the following winners.

The 10 best cities to start your love nest

Photo Credit: iStock

Each week, we feature wedding music recommendations from Scratch Weddings, the nation's leader with the best wedding DJs at affordable prices. This week's post comes from DJ Center, who spreads his signature sound worldwide, rocking audiences from Los Angeles to Barcelona with infectious sets. He's performed with music icons like John Legend, Estelle and Digable Planets, among others, as well as for corporate clients like Adidas and Gucci. 

From funk, hip-hop, r&b, reggae, pop classics to Latin grooves, Center flows through genres effortlessly. As DJ Center puts it, "Weddings are very special celebrations and I'm honored to entertain on the couple's big day. I create a custom mix that will keep everyone dancing all night long and then talking about it for weeks to come.”

Photo Credit: Amanda Marie Photography

I'm a manicure addict. I love painting my nails and adding color to my life, but I hate how the polish only lasts for a day or two before it starts chipping (and that's if I don't smudge it to begin with). That's why I was thrilled to discover gel manicures, which outlast regular pro manis by two to three weeks, making them the ideal option for busy brides-to-be who don't have time for constant trips to the salon. However, the average cost for a gel manicure is about $33—not exactly affordable when you're trying to save up thousands of dollars for your dream day. 

So when a new DIY kit promised to deliver the same results for much less, the BG editors and I couldn't wait to review it, naturally. The Red Carpet Manicure ($57.94, ulta.com) is the first at-home LED gel polish system. It averages about 20 applications total, so you're only really spending $2.90 per mani. Choose from 54 shades ($9.99 each) for your bridal shower, bachelorette, wedding, and honeymoon. It takes some practice to nail down the technique, so if you aren’t ambidextrous enough to paint both of your hands without getting any polish on your fingers, ask one of your bridesmaids to help you out.

Spring is in the air: It’s daylight savings time, the days are longer and warmer and our May/June issue is on the newsstands! What could be better? I can’t wait to give you a sneak peek, because no matter where you are in the planning process, this issue has fantastic stories, great advice and a ton of ideas you can use.

(Pictured from left to right: My sister Lisa, Mom, me, Michael, Dad, my sister Laura, and future brother-in-law Kevin)

We celebrated the upcoming Hunger Games movie release in the best way we know how at BG—by putting together a wedding inspiration board, of course. Suzanne Collins' bestselling trilogy is undeniably an unlikely source for wedding planning. (Even Lionsgate thinks so; they declined to comment on this story.) But if you can look past the twisted premise (a televised survival competition where districts must battle to the death for the sake of entertainment), you'll find that at the heart of it all is an incredible love story that sparks a revolution. 

The Invitations 

In lieu of traditional invitations, send lottery tickets to the reaping. Printable party invites by ClickableParty.

The Seating Arrangements

Sort guest tables into each of the 13 districts using this handy map.