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With almost seven months until the big day, Michael and I are so happy to see our massive to-do list slowly shrinking. The save-the-dates have been sent and now we are on the hunt for our own version of Cinderella’s horse-drawn carriage.

I personally love when brides stray from the ordinary. A 1950s Rolls Royce is beautiful, but a very safe choice. Opt for a great vintage convertible or try a charming pickup truck for your "something blue" instead.

Feeling daring? Why not make your getaway on a colorful Vespa or matching "his" and "her" bicycles?

And don’t forget your most cost-effective option—your own two legs! If your ceremony site and venue are in close proximity, start a parade leading your guests from point A to point B. Use props and festive music to amp up your friends and family while in transit!

Crista asks: What are you and your hubby-to-be driving off in after you say "I Do?"

Photo Credit: Longs Photography

Photo Credit: Shannon Kelley

Could you imagine planning your perfect proposal for six years?

The groom, a pilot, often took his girlfriend with him as he traveled the world. A year into their relationship, they started documenting their trips by snapping a photo together in each location holding a single letter. Those letters would eventually spell out, "We always knew."

"We wanted to prove that if one day we got married... that ''we always knew''. What my girlfriend didn't know is that for our final letter (which we had done in our home town), I had something bigger planned," wrote the groom.

As the couple posed for their final letter, "W," two friends quickly snuck behind the couple with a banner reading, "Will you marry me?"

When the groom took back his camera from the bystander, he showed the photo to his shocked girlfriend—she burst into happy tears as he got down on one knee!

Check out this AMAZING video of their journey and proposal:

With the unveiling of Bella Swan's long-sleeved wedding gown and Kate Middleton's McQueen wonder earlier this year, sleeves are trending big for weddings. Designers showed many sensual options for this "call to arms," from sheer and lacy to delicately beaded. If you only want sleeves for the service, consider a sheer sparkly capelet, like the Alvina Valenta above (you can easily take it off revealing a strapless.)

Tell us: Which sleeved option is your favorite?

—Naima DiFranco

Photo Credit: Scarlett & Stephen

You know what they say: “A wedding is about the couple, but mostly about the bride.” Well, I do and don’t agree with that. The bride gets the pretty dress, does most of the planning (usually) and likely cares a heck of a lot more than the groom about the little details, but a wedding is still a union. No groom? No union. In my opinion, it’s important that our wedding reflects us as a couple and gives my handsome husband some of the spotlight as well!

Here are some ideas on how to do it:

1. Let him stand out. Unless you're asking guests to wear white, spotting the bride in a crowd should be easy. But what about the groom? I love the idea of having the groom wear a different color tux or tie than his groomsmen (pictured above). When Corey and I were looking online at tuxes the other night, I asked, “Are you going to pick out your tux without me, since you’re not seeing my dress ahead of time?” He said, “No, I just figured you would go with me.” And I gladly will be there (I don't want top hats!), but I will let him pick out his attire (minus said top hat).

A few weeks ago, I was in Morocco (look for my fantastic story in an upcoming issue!). It is a fascinating country that is on the serious uptick when it comes to welcoming romance travelers. There is a big push on development, which includes wide, bump-free roads, loads of new hotels opening (Four Seasons, Marrakech—love!—and the Sofitel Essaouria Mogador Golf & Spa) and buckets of leisure activities starting to emerge—I went surfing! And golf courses are gaining ground.

Photo courtesy of Fours Seasons Marrakech 

Of course, what makes the destination so seductive to travelers are the traditional aspects that stand proudly over the country. There is the awesome (and I mean truly awe-inspiring) Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, the active fishing village in the Old City of Essaouria, and the world famous (and infamous) souk of Marrakech. An endless maze of rug sellers, fabric peddlers, and spice vendors, the old-school Moroccan-style mall is a must-see, -do and -experience for every visitor to the Red City. As is the Moroccan (Thai, Indian, parts of Mexico, and Zimbabwean) way, fixed prices are rare and bargaining is expected.

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 Dan Chaves, who has been rocking dance floors across the US for well over a decade. .Dan's expert mixing skills keep the energy high, and his considerable music knowledge helps the couple to throw a party that reflects their personal taste. "I love the moment when I play that one song which gets everyone on the dance floor, young and old, and creates that special memory for the bride and groom."

Photo Credit: Muriel Silva Photography

When music is a very important part of your life, it’s especially key to find the right song to complement your first dance as a newlywed couple.

We recently stopped by Palermo's Bakery, one of New Jersey's top bakeries, to get the inside scoop on the latest wedding cake trends—and the secrets bakers use to make sure your cake stays standing throughout the night. 

Palermo's Bakery has been in business for nearly 25 years, growing from a small retail shop to one of the area's largest wedding cake bakeries. Many of the major catering halls in northern New Jersey work exclusively with Palermo's to provide cakes in their catering packages.

We sat down with Joanne Bruno, Chief Baking Officer at Palermo's. Check out what's "in" now for wedding cakes, and then get the inside scoop on how a wedding cake is actually constructed—and why it can cost as much as $18 per slice!

—Kristen O'Gorman Klein

Take it from me: You’ll make a lot of lists during your engagement. Guests, vendors, tips all get their own page or pages in your planning notebook. But one of the most fun is creating your registry. Presents! (Tip: Take your sister or your mom; they are way more into it than your guy will be. I can’t tell you the amount of Kardashian-style fights and groom eye rolling I witnessed on my Bloomingdale’s adventures.) It’s also nice to take out some planning stress on the price gun. Hey, it’s point and shoot. And while you may not need more dishes, sheets or for-his-eyes-only underthings (please! No more iPhone photos), one thing you’ll certainly want to put on your list is a piece or two of the newest collection of luggage from Hartmann. Made from seriously indestructible materials, the hard cases are so tough, they come with a whopping 10-year warranty. They also have TSA-approved lockage systems and cool packing compartments. And the cases spin on a dime. The only caveat is that if you are planning a safari spectacular (a la moi) or chartering a boat (a la moi for my last vacation) for your trip of a lifetime, the hard case is not suggested. The luggage hits stores in February. Go to hartmann.com for more info. And for my ultimate packing tips, go here. 

About a year ago today (Wednesday, November 16 to be exact), Kate Middleton and her prince made their formal engagement announcement at St. James' Palace. BG brides across the world, including our editors, became enamored with the couple, and couldn't help but wonder: What must Kate be thinking (and feeling) at that exact moment?

Now's your chance to play pretend! We heard about "Engagement," an interactive art exhibit at Stephen Friedman Gallery, created by Artist Jennifer Rubbell, via Cup of Jo. It features a life-sized wax sculpture of Wills standing in the same exact pose he struck for the cameras at the formal announcement.

Delighted visitors can mount the pedestal, slide their arms through Will's, and try on a replica of Lady Di's iconic sapphire ring. 

In honor of the Breaking Dawn film release this week, we have a very special treat for our BG brides, brought to you by the lovely Sonia Collett from wantthatwedding over in the UK!

She spent months putting together the magical photo shoot below, shot by the talented Chanelle at Segerius-Bruce Photography.

"I wanted to create something extra special, that beautiful something that brides-to-be would love and feel inspired by (even if they weren’t a Twilight fan)," said Sonia.

Mission accomplished: