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We all want to believe that nothing bad will ever happen in our lives…especially when planning such a joyous occasion as a wedding. But all too often, a real-life crisis occurs that can throw everything into a tailspin. I was reminded of that this week when I received an e-mail from a reader who had been happily planning her wedding, due to take place next year, when her father suddenly passed away. “So here I am trying to continue planning when a part of me doesn’t even care about it right now,” she wrote. She and her dad were very close and he had been excited about her big day. He loved talking to her about what he would wear and who would be on the guest list. Now, it’s hard for her to think about wedding details and she’s also worried that she won’t be able to enjoy the day without him there. What should be one of the happiest times in her life is now anything but that.

Well, my heart goes out to this bride-to-be and to any of you who are suddenly faced with an unexpected turn of events that can shake you to the core. My advice to her was to think of how much her father would want her to be happy and how much he would want her to have a beautiful wedding. She should also lean on her fiancé for his love and support and share her sorrow and feelings with other family members and friends. It always helps to talk things through and to seek out any help or advice from others. Day by day it may become a bit easier for her.

A cool new book called The Tax-Deductible Wedding by Sabrina Rivers just crossed my desk, and I found something intriguing to share.

Good old bartering is back! Resourceful couples are getting down to budget business by figuring out what they can offer in exchange, for, say, flowers or photography. Rivers suggests going to BigDayBarter.com, and see what’s up there. She notes that it’s like a “matchmaking” service: You post services or products that you can offer businesses in exchange for their services. Rivers notes: “Make sure the person you’re bartering with agrees on what the barter exchange includes. For example, if you’re going to cook dinner for your florist, make sure of exactly what you’ll get from her, and of course, get all the details in writing.”

Note: Also check out craigslist.org; uexchange.com and internationalbarterexchange.net.

The other day while listening to the radio, I heard a report stating that according to a recent nationwide survey, 70% of Americans believe that a woman should change her last name to her husband’s after marrying, and 50% believe it should be the law! OK, now that’s going a little too far. Whatever happened to personal choice? Freedom of expression?

Of course, name changing is not as big a deal as it was years ago in the aftermath of the feminist movement. Back then many just-married ladies opted not to change their names in the interest of making a statement about preserving their own independence and identity. But today, most brides consider it a non-issue and can’t wait to be called Mrs.

I’m curious, though, how many of you plan to keep your current name professionally? I know quite a few women who have done so, and it seems to make things easier for them not to have to notify hundreds who know them professionally by their pre-marriage name. Other married career women have tried hyphenating their last names with their husband’s and then eventually just adopted his last name as more business associates became familiar with it.

Since most of you will be changing your last name I thought I’d offer some helpful tips on just what you need to do. It’s amazing how many places need to be notified of a name change so here we go:

Love is in the air! Bridal Guide’s very own IT Manager, Jeremy Bucovetsky, is counting the days, hours and minutes before he walks down the aisle with his lovely fiancée, Elizabeth Blake, this Saturday. In fact, Jeremy and Liz first met five years ago at Bridal Guide when Liz was our Assistant Home Design Editor. Theirs was an office romance that started as a friendship. You might want to check out their terrific website, lizandjer.com, to learn more about their romance and wedding plans.

But before Jeremy heads off to wedding land I wanted to discover just what was on his mind right before the big day and ask him about the planning process in general. After all, it’s fun to hear the guy’s side, too! So here’s our little desk side Q&A:

How are you feeling right now, Jeremy, just days away from the wedding?
It’s the calm after the storm. Last week was pretty intense. You plan things a certain way and when it comes to crunch time if just one thing goes awry, it’s frustrating. But after you get over the hump it’s all on cruise control.

Is everything together? Any last-minute details?
Right now I’m working on the transportation. My lovely B-to-B decided on marrying at a church 40 minutes west of the hotel where most of our guests are staying and the reception is 10 minutes away from the hotel so it’s logistically challenging. But we’ve booked these great old-school San Francisco–style trolleys to take our guests back and forth and make it easier for them.

News Flash! The November/December issue hit the newsstands a couple of weeks ago, and in case you haven’t yet seen it, be sure to pick up a copy.

The issue is chock full of fantastic ideas for your wedding—you’ll find everything you need from gorgeous gowns to the perfect honeymoon destination. In one of my favorite features “Taming The Big Bad Budget,” you’ll discover invaluable tips on how to plan a beautiful wedding without spending a fortune. Now doesn’t that sound intriguing?

We also know how overwhelming wedding planning can be (hmmm, who should be on the guest list, how many bridesmaids should I have, when do I send out invitations) so we put together “The A to Z Planning Guide” and a “Countdown Calendar”. Trust me, you will be so glad to have all the details spelled out for you.

If you’re still dress shopping, take a look at the incredible fashions in “Summer of Love” and “Some Like It Hot”:

Every company or industry has a busy season. For accountants, it’s the weeks before the April 15th tax deadline, for retailers it’s the holiday season when many stores will open at 7 a.m. so consumers can shop-‘til-they drop until midnight! For bridal magazines, the busiest times are the months of April and October when editors book back-to-back appointments for several weeks in order to see the newest, most fantastic items in the tabletop industry as well as gorgeous gowns in the bridal fashion industry. In fact, around the BG hallways you’ll often hear someone say “I’m off to market” and we know exactly what she means.

This past week I’ve been out covering the Tabletop market with Weddings and Home Editor, Aimée Morgan. Whenever I walk into these showrooms I’m tempted to throw out everything I now use at home and start fresh (and I also wish I lived in a great big house with lots and lots of cabinet space! Oh well, one can dream…). We saw beautiful displays of dinnerware, stemware and flatware that will soon be in the stores and ultimately on your registry lists. You’re sure to find something to suit your taste whether it’s bold colors, graphic designs, botanical prints or art deco. The hardest part is deciding just what you want. So with registry lists on my mind, here are a few tips to help get you started:

Have you ever wondered how some of your favorite stars celebrate before the big day? You’d me amazed how similar their parties are to those thrown by regular folks like you and me!

I thought it might be fun to share some of our favorite celebs’ pre-wedding celebrations. They may have money, but they don't always need to splurge on everything! With the right food and beverages, along with some sexy tunes to shake your bootie, you too can party like a celeb—trust me!

Josh Duhamel and Fergie decided to combine their bachelorette and bachelor parties and invited 75 of their friends for dinner and dancing at the Dakota Lounge in Santa Monica. This is pretty much what most couples today are doing before the main event. The days of celebrating with just the girls are a thing of the past for many. Some brides and grooms even have couples showers thrown for them. Having one big party together allows everyone to hang loose and just be around the ones they care about in a fun environment. No matter how much you have to splurge or where you go, the most important thing is celebrating with the people you know and love!

Rather than having just one big night together, some stars opt to spread the festivities out over a few days. When Britney Spears and Kevin Federline got married, Britney kicked off the wedding weekend with a bachelorette bash at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel while Kevin and his friends decided to have dinner at a nearby Houston’s restaurant. Although the evening started with each group doing their own thing, they all ended the night together with a party at the hotel. The next day they split up again for some relaxing fun—the girls went to the Burke Williams spa and the guys hit the links.

Ann Taylor just opened a wedding & events store to their online site. We love the glamorous jewelry they offer at great prices!!! The perfect accessories to complement your big-day look! The pavé ball drop earrings ($45) and the crystal bib necklace ($55) were some of our favorites:

Getting the right look, just got easier...find more at anntaylor.com.

Posted by Naima at 4:07 p.m.

All the buzz is about upcoming designer Jorge Manuel!

Jorge Manuel just showed a breathtaking collection at market. His artistic designs feature rosettes, box pleats, incredible silhouettes and delicate embroidery. His designs are a beautiful marriage of artistry and feminine grace. Jorge grew up in Miami and began his journey into bridal at age 15 when he designed a wedding. By age 16 he became a popular wedding planner within the Hispanic community of Miami (actually opening his own event company!) By age 17 he designed his first wedding gown.

As you can see from the pictures, this is a designer to watch...

Check out more at jorgemanuelweddings.com.

Posted by Naima at 3:49 p.m.

Being your own wedding planner just got easier!

The Dessy Group just unveiled a brand new bridesmaid line in association with Pantone--the leading authority on color. At their website you can create inspiration boards and develop the color theme for your wedding. (Here at Bridal Guide, we had a great time creating inspiration boards on their website). Once you have defined your vision and color palette, Dessy has an adorable line of dresses all in official Pantone colors! With a mapped out color theme, the rest of your planning is as easy as 1-2-3!! Check out their website at dessy.com/PANTONE and start creating your own inspiration boards!

Posted by Naima at 3:39 p.m.