Blogs

For true showstopper style, show off your curves in a sparkling mermaid gown. This style works best for an evening affair and is sure to garner attention! We love a few frills and layers at the bottom to balance out your curves. When trying on this style, don't forget to put on shapewear (all the best celebrities don't dare walk the red carpet without their Spanx).

This style works best for the curvy or voluptuous girl. Here, a few of our faves by Lovelle by Lazaro, Alvina Valenta, and Martina Liana.

—Naima DiFranco

Most grooms-to-be say there are few things more nerve-wracking than carrying around an engagement ring — will she find it before he has a chance to pop the question? Will she notice that he's acting different? Will she like the ring? And, most importantly, will she say yes?

Reddit user BarbeRouge apparently doesn't share those apprehensions. He decided to test just how "oblivious" his girlfriend was and snap some daring pictures of the ring right in front of her.

First, a test selfie with the ring:

"She didn't realize it was right over her head," he wrote. "She was too busy watching TV. The best was we were watching one of those bridal showers on TLC; Friday is Bride Day."

Nestled in with her Eeyore stuffed animals:

Before visiting her at work:

Four years ago, Larry Ragsdale planned to propose to his high school sweetheart, Kelcie Yeoman, during a vacation with her family to Disneyland. But just a week before the trip, their lives were turned upside down. While driving home from showing Kelcie's sister, McKenzie, the engagement ring he'd chosen, Larry's car was struck by a drunk driver, and he nearly lost his life. He was thrown into a coma, and for months, no one knew if he'd ever recover. 

But Kelcie never gave up on him. She was by his side every day until, at long last, he awoke. They learned that the former football and track star was left partially paralyzed from the accident; he had a long road to recovery ahead of him, filled with countless surgeries and exhaustive physical therapy sessions. Determined to be with him every step of the way, Kelcie even got a job at the facility where he was recovering. 

In August, three years after coming out of the coma, Larry proposed to Kelcie with the same ring he'd chosen before that fateful night. But with their bank accounts drained from the arduous recovery, the wedding of their dreams (in Disneyland) seemed completely out of reach — until McKenzie launched a fundraising campaign and reached their goal of $20,000 in just 11 days! 

Watch the video of their incredible journey (warning: Grab the tissues first!):

—Kristen Klein

This article originally appeared on Yahoo! Shine

If you haven’t yet tired of viral marriage proposals, that’s good, because here’s a new one, and it's a GIF. On Wednesday, Redditor user DizzleStu proposed to his girlfriend by asking her to pose for a photo (he was secretly videotaping her), then captured her excited reaction when he handed her a ring. He then created an adorable GIF of the moment. By Friday, his post had racked up more than 1,000 comments and solidified its status as the next frontier of Internet proposals.

Over the past several years, as social media progresses and oversaturates mass culture, love and how we express it, has changed right along with it. What started as endearing gestures caught on film has morphed into high-tech motion movies and animated graphics. Here’s how marriage proposals have evolved, for better or worse. Spoiler alert: All these women said yes.

Do you get emotional at weddings? As it turns out, toddlers do, too!

A YouTube video starring a two-year-old girl welling up while watching her parents' wedding slideshow is melting viewers' hearts — as of publication, it's been viewed over 920,300 times since being uploaded four days ago. According to the video description, she can't hear the song in question ("Feels Like Home" by Chantal Kreviazuk) now without crying. (Where's Yo Gabba Gabba or Dora the Explorer when you need them?)

Watch this adorable clip to brighten up your day:

Those sad puppy eyes get us every time! I can relate: When I was just a toddler myself, my mom said I would cry while watching her wedding video, too. But it wasn't because of the song — I was upset that I "wasn't invited," having been born after the event took place.

Plus, check out the Top 10 Proposal Videos That Will Make You Cry.

— Stefania Sainato

Trying to figure out what to wear to the rehearsal dinner or the reception? You want to look dressy, feel like you can move around, and yet still feel wedding-day special. The simple answer: "The LWD" — the little white dress. The little white dress is wedding world's must-have basic. Here a few of our faves from Watters Encore, DB Studio for David's Bridal, and Monique Lhuillier.

—Naima DiFranco

I still have yet to get over my plateau, but I can’t blame anyone but myself. These past two weeks have been a little hard for me, and I definitely made some mistakes along the way. In every situation, there’s usually a good and bad side, which is exactly how I feel these past two weeks have gone for me. It’s time for me to cut out the bad and stick to the good!

The Negatives:
Two weekends ago, Rene and I made a last-minute decision to take a night trip to Atlantic City because his dad was going to be in town from North Carolina. We had a blast, but I did not think once about what I was eating, and it was a disaster. On Saturday night, I drank champagne and vodka, and I ate sushi, shrimp cocktail, and ended the night at 2 a.m. with potato chips. Gross, I know! Sunday morning, we ordered room service for breakfast, which consisted of pancakes, potatoes, eggs, and bagels — all stuff that I really did not need, and I felt so guilty after eating it that I literally did crunches on the bed because I was so mad.

When Mira and Bob Graves tied the knot back in 1942, they did what many young couples of their generation did — they had a quick no-frills ceremony before Bob was shipped off to war. They'd only been dating for a few months, but they decided to elope right after witnessing their friends exchange vows in Reno. 

72 years later, the happy couple lives at Antioch's Quail Lodge Retirement Home, where they were named king and queen of the home's Valentine's Day celebration. The only problem: When asked to provide a picture of their wedding, they couldn't — because none were ever taken. 

Though the couple has never regretted their low-key wedding ceremony, they jumped at the chance for a wedding do-over when the home's director, Jennifer Noble, made the suggestion. Noble sprang into action, working with the local community to secure a gown, tux, cake, flowers, music and, most importantly, a photographer. 

Watch the sweet video:

—Kristen Klein

When Karley was diagnosed with cancer, it immediately put everything into perspective and made her focus on what was most important: Her relationship with her boyfriend, Ian.

"What am I waiting for...He made me feel special, he made me feel like what I had to say was important, that he cared and he was really listening. I was blown away that there was this depth of emotion that he was showing me," Karley says.

With the epiphany that she wanted nothing more than to get married, she decided to plan a surprise proposal (and wedding!) under the guise of Ian's 50th birthday party at The Imperial in downtown Vancouver. We love that she included their children and all of their family members and friends in the secret.

Watch all of the action unfold, courtesy of this video from Fill in the Blank Studios:

Vancouver Wedding Videographer | Happy Birthday...Marry Me? from Fill in The Blank Studios on Vimeo.

Plus, check out this story of a groom who surprised his bride with a wedding based on her Pinterest board.

Tell us: Would you want to get married in a surprise wedding?

— Stefania Sainato

Fitness plateaus are very common — and very frustrating — for those who exercise regularly. Even the most dedicated of my brides encounters times when their workouts don’t seem as effective, and their progress seems to come to a halt. Making a few small changes to your fitness routine and diet should help you break through that plateau and have you on the way to looking and feeling great on your big day!

Change up your workouts, and you can change your body.
Have you been doing the same routine for months without change? Well, your muscles are bored! Because our bodies adapt quickly to exercise, variety is the key to continued success. Never stay committed to one exercise routine, group fitness class (unless it’s mine, because I mix it up all the time),  or cardio choice. 
Use the F.I.T.T principle — frequency, intensity, time and type —  to change your workout routine; this can be adapted for both cardio and strength training.

Frequency: Increase or decrease how often you work out.
Intensity: Increase or decrease the difficulty or level at which you work out.
Time: Increase or decrease how long your workout sessions last.
Type: Change the type of exercises you perform.