We're in love with Danielle and Paul's super sweet photo shoot to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. They enjoyed a desserts-only picnic for two, took a bike ride along the lake, and ended the day by making a wish and releasing balloons into the sunset sky. Check out the gorgeous photos:
With the average age of first-time brides on the rise (last reported at 29), more couples setting up households well in advance of the wedding, and our lifestyles gravitating to the casual, I often hear from the newly-engaged, “I don’t need the traditional stuff.” I smile and think of all the wonderful options available to these newbie registrants. In the beginning, bridal registries (first created in 1924) were simply a tool to inform guests of your preference in china, crystal, and silver patterns.
Designing your dream day at a price you can afford is one of the hardest aspects of the wedding-planning process. As helpful and inspirational as social media is for brides, it can also be our worst nightmare in terms of budget.
As a wedding planner, I see this all the time. A client might not realize that the inspirational wedding vision she is building on her Pinterest board would cost her close to $300K when she is working with a $45K budget. It's raised the bar of creativity — there is no doubt about that — creating more pressure that your wedding will stand apart from the rest. Sure, there are a number of wedding DIY blogs and step-by-step guides to try, but there are also a lot of over-the-top wedding trends coming at you from all angles.
Reality television and the overload of celebrity wedding coverage have also contributed to larger-than-life expectations for the average bride. As much as I enjoyed watching the elaborate nuptials of Kim Kardashian and The Bachelorette unfold, unlike the average bride, I also know how much these types of productions cost since I work in the bridal industry.
One of my favorite tasks is determining a couple's vision, helping them decide which aspects of their dream wedding they simply can't live without, and then figuring out how to make everything fit within their financial means. Here are a few common obstacles that I run into with my clients:
Laura Wilson's wedding dance with her father has truly touched our hearts, and we're not alone: Over 350,000 people across the world have shared it on Facebook.
The bride abandoned the dream wedding she had planned and decided to get married a week earlier, instead, at the UCI Medical Center in Orange, California. That way, her dad, David Haliburton Wilson — who suffered from a rare form of cancer — could give her away from his hospital bed.
After she and her fiancé Robert Pantoja were proclaimed as husband and wife, she asked her father if he would share a special dance with her to Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You." Undeterred by the fact that he was unable to lift himself up out of bed, Laura encouraged him to use just his hands, instead. Watch their incredibly moving display of affection, here:
Sadly, David lost his battle on September 2 but his legacy lives on as a doting father to his kids. CBS Local News Los Angeles reports that his last words to his son-in-law, Robert, were "Rob, you’re the lucky one. You won the lottery; you got my baby girl."
Disney High School Musical star Ashley Tisdale is a Mrs! The 29-year-old actress wed Annie Automatic musician Christopher French on September 8 at a private estate with about 100 guests in attendance.
She announced the happy news on Instagram, posting the photo below with the caption "Best day of my life! Introducing Mr. and Mrs. French Sept 8, 2014."
Photo Credit: Corbin Gurkin via Instagram
Six bridesmaids shared in their joy, including Tisdale's High School Musical bestie Vanessa Hudgens. Although former co-star and friend Zac Efron was unable to make it, he sent a congratulatory tweet to the happy newlyweds.
Photo Credit: Victor Wang Studios
Gold medal-winning U.S. Women's Olympic soccer player Alex Morgan is set to marry longtime boyfriend Servando Carrasco, a professional soccer player for the Houston Dynamo of the MLS, this winter. Last December, Morgan took to Instagram to announce their engagement with a picture of them together showing off her her new sparkling ring, with the hashtag #instabling.
Photo courtesy of Alex Morgan via Instagram
Not only is Morgan America's soccer darling, but she's also known for her classic beauty; she was featured in the 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue with her winning looks! Bridal Guide sat down with the athlete to learn more about her beauty routine and upcoming nuptials.
Q: You don't get a whole lot of down time between your club play, the national team, press work, and writing children's book. How have you fit in wedding planning?
You know how you're not supposed to put registry information on your wedding invitation? Well, it's also probably not a good idea to ask guests for the "honor of your presents" instead of the "honor of your presence":
Photo via Imgur
Before ordering your invitations, always ask a few other people to look over the wording carefully; when you've spent so much time designing and wording your invitations, it's far too easy to overlook a similar word that has a completely different meaning.
Tip: When proofreading, read backwards (so start with "follow" on this invite). Often, your brain will automatically correct an error that you read in a sentence based on the context, but if you read it backwards, you're forced to think more carefully.
—Kristen Klein
Photo Credit: Evermore Photography
We've all been there — you have a wedding to attend, but you waited too long to buy a gift, and now all that's left on the registry is the $500 vacuum or the $10 toilet brush. Although cold, hard cash is always a welcome gift, writing a check can feel impersonal or uncomfortable, especially if your gift budget doesn't quite reach the triple-digit range. To find the best last-minute gift ideas that won't break the bank, we chatted with Jess Levin, founder of Carats & Cake. Here, her smart picks:
1. "Of The Month" Clubs
"Monthly clubs, like wine-of-the-month clubs, are literally gifts that keep on giving for the entire year. Think about choosing something that reflects the couple’s personal interests or tastes, as there are services for everything from beer clubs to pizza clubs. One of my personal favorites is Love with Food; it’s not only the perfect gift for your foodie friends, but it also donates a portion of each sale to feed a hungry child in the US."
After more than ten years together, How I Met Your Mother star Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka tied the knot on Saturday.
"We happily confirm that Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka were married in Italy in an intimate ceremony surrounded by their close friends and family," a rep told E!. Both grooms wore Tom Ford tuxedos, and the wedding was officiated by HIMYM producer/director Pam Fryman. At the reception, Elton John performed!
Harris shared a photo on Twitter of the couple exchanging vows:
Guess what? @DavidBurtka and I got married over the weekend. In Italy. Yup, we put the 'n' and 'd' in 'husband'. pic.twitter.com/R09ibF41rt
— Neil Patrick Harris (@ActuallyNPH) September 8, 2014
Privately engaged since 2006, the couple — whose twins, Gideon and Harper, turn four next month — announced their engagement in 2011 after same-sex marriage was legalized in New York. "We've been wearing engagement rings for ages, waiting for an available date," wrote Harris at the time.
Kelly Ripa, who attended the wedding, revealed more details on Live! With Kelly and Michael:
While you've been sipping on your first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season, NYFW for Spring 2015 has gotten underway, and Pantone has released their top color picks for the spring season. Their theme is "En Plein Air" ("in the open air"), and the soft, water hues are oh-so-refreshing! Get ready to see these colors everywhere in a few months.
Aquamarine
Pantone says: "Cool and calming, ethereal Aquamarine is a shade with a wet and watery feel. Open and expansive, this restful blue also acts as a stress reducer."
Make it work for your wedding: Choose aquamarine for your "something blue," or pair it with peach and green for a charming look.
Photo Credit: Abby Jiu on Wedding Chicks via Lover.ly
Scuba Blue
Featured: Finest Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
