Blogs

Spectacular Flower Ideas from Preston Bailey

"Regardless of its size or complexity, the perfect floral arrangement is the one that makes you stop for an instant and smile with surprise and delight," writes Preston Bailey in his new book Preston Bailey: Flowers.

If that's the case, then his beautiful tribute to blooms is bound to inspire awe. Every bride I've shown Flowers to has grabbed the book from my hands and wanted to frame (not rip!) the out-of-this-world photos inside. His anecdotal stories from A-list events—he's planned parties for Oprah Winfrey, Joan Rivers, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jennifer Hudson and Ivanka Trump—are equally fascinating.

Although some of the designs are decidedly over-the-top (poodles! merry-go-rounds!), Preston reveals gems of advice that all brides can follow, regardless of their budget:

Hockey Wedding: Couple Gets Married on Ice!

Brit and Drew are both huge hockey fans. So what better way to celebrate their wedding than on the ice? The couple came up with the idea while watching a typical "Hockey Night" in Canada and wondering aloud if it'd be cool to get married on a rink.

Brit is an event planner, so she jumped at the idea and put the plans into motion. Guests were given rally towels (and were warned to dress warm!), and the bride, groom, and bridal party all donned skates. The bride and Dad skated down the aisle, and after the rings, the happy couple showed off their skating skills.

"After we did our rings, we did the ceremonial puck drop, we did our first kiss and then skated out to the Oilers goal horn and goal song," Brit told Yahoo! Sports

Watch the video!

Brit + Drew || Sept 3. 2011 || from Clear Horizon Productions on Vimeo.


—Kristen O'Gorman Klein

Must-Play Reception Songs

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 Jon Blak, whose client list includes Beyonce, Jay Z, Jermaine Dupri and Ryan Leslie. He describes his style as "retro/future”, a seamless blend of old and new that translates well to wedding guests of all ages. "I love the challenge of crossing genres and generations and playing a diverse mix that's totally seamless. At the end a wedding, I'd like the bride and the groom to be exhausted from dancing!" Jon is known infusing any event with energy and cool, while always keeping the client's musical preferences front and center in his music selection.


Photo Credit: Leah McCormick

The work starts before the wedding; I try to get an idea the bride and groom’s musical tastes while also getting a sense of what family and friends will enjoy.

Global Goss: Groom Service in London

Let’s face it: Boys need help. I think I’m surprising no one here when I say that, although we love them, oftentimes the men in our lives don’t have it all going on sartorially. Ditto for the wedding vibe. I mean, you may be super into choosing the flowers, signature cocktails and first dance song, but if your guy is anything like mine, chances are, all he wants to know is if there will be beef and lobster, a nicely malted whiskey, and if he can wear flip flips to the rehearsal dinner (in our case the answer was “yes!” on all points).

While I’m sure you’ll answer every one of your lovely husband-to-be’s wedding related Qs, there may be a few times that you just don’t have time—hello! This bash won’t plan itself. And that, my dear brides, is where the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London comes in.

mandarin oriental hyde park

11 Couples from 11 Cities Getting Married on 11/11/11 in Disney World

Every year, Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings hosts more than 1,000 weddings. But the 11 weddings taking place on November 11 will be the first time that the number of weddings coincides with the wedding month, date, and year. 

disney wedding

“Our couples have always loved sequential number wedding dates and we are already beginning to hold space for 12/12/12,” said Korri McFann, Worldwide Marketing & Business Development Director, Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons. “Couples have even moved venues to make sure their wedding stays on one of these very special dates.”

disney weddings

Get Creative: Perfect Gifts From the Heart

DIY projects are all the rage now as everyone, especially brides-to-be, recognizes the value of the personal touch. In fact, the weddings that we feature in Bridal Guide are filled with creative details that help make each couple’s celebration distinctly their own.

secret ingredients nancy odell

If you happen to be looking for some special DIY ideas for your own wedding, you’ll love Secret Ingredients: Step by Step “Recipes” for Creating Meaningful Gifts (Creative Memories) by Nancy O’Dell, (yes, that Nancy O’Dell from “Entertainment Tonight”).

It’s filled with lots of fantastic DIY gift projects not only for the wedding but for every occasion of your life—from birthdays to anniversaries.

I had the pleasure of meeting Nancy O’Dell, who is every bit as gorgeous, gracious and lovely as she is on TV. (I was a bit hesitant to be photographed beside this model-tall star, but she was kind enough to lean down a bit so I didn’t look like a munchkin!)

Nancy O'Dell's Favorite Ideas For Wedding Keepsakes

In my years covering Hollywood, now with Entertainment Tonight, I’ve seen some spectacular weddings. My own tastes, however, run a little simpler. When Keith and I were married in June 2005, we kept it to just family and a few very close friends. That was part of a conscious effort I made to keep focused on what’s important to Keith and me.

nancy odell wedding


Courtesy of Nancy O'Dell 

Bridal Bootcamp: Why One BG Staffer Started Boxing

I'm pictured on the right, my friend Chrissy is on the left. We're delirious and makeup-free, but endorphin-happy from our workout. The sacrifices we do for journalism...

Whenever I tell someone that I am taking a boxing class to get more toned for my wedding, their reaction is always the same: "I want to try kickboxing, too!" After I explain that I meant "boxing" as in punching bags, gloves, and a ring where the point is to knock someone else out, I'm met with shocked expressions. "But why?" they'll ask.

I've been duitfully practicing yoga and working on cardio three to four times a week since last February. I decided that since I'm in my 20's, it was now or never (before having a husband, children, and other heavy-duty responsibilities) to establish some kind of fitness routine. Once I reached my goal and difficult sun salutations started to seem as effortless as scratching my back, it was time to intensify my workout routine, and boxing was the ultimate challenge.

Five Last-Minute Wedding Tasks

                     Photo Credit: Punchstock

Dear BG.com readers: Can you believe I'm getting married this week?! Stay tuned for a full recap and tons of photos from our wedding day.

As I looked through all of my plans for Vegas, I realized that I had left out a few things accidentally. I was surprised by the fact that I subconsciously trusted myself not to forget these things! 

Here is what I'm saving for last:

1. List of must-take photos. I am constantly changing my mind and adding on to this list , so I reckon it's best to wait until a few days before to finalize it.

2. Bridal jewelry. This one may come as a surprise, but I held off on this one until I got to my pre-wedding moon in NYC, so that I could search for a meaningful treasure there.

3. Wedding night lingerie. Okay, okay, I'm not going into any details. But can you say Victoria's Secret?

4. Marriage license. In the state of Nevada, it only takes an hour to get our license, so we didn't have to worry about looking into it from back home in Australia.

5. Wedding attire neatness. With all the traveling we're doing, I'm assuming that down the road somewhere after NYC and before the wedding, our clothing will need steaming. I am also assuming that with Vegas being such a typical wedding destination, it won't be hard finding someone to steam our gear.

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - blogs