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I come from a family that isn’t what you would call close. We all keep to ourselves and only meet up about once a year for the holidays. I'm also an only child. So, when I found out that my boyfriend had a tight-knit family and multiple siblings, I was beyond excited and couldn't wait to join a family who invested in each other.

Soon after meeting the man I knew I was going to marry, I flew to his parents' house for Thanksgiving. I never thought anything could go wrong but I still had this weird, nervous feeling in my gut. I rationalized that I was getting frazzled because of the fact that these people would be my future in-laws — forever. My boyfriend at the time was also a bit nervous because I was the first woman he had ever dated and brought home to meet his parents.

Photo by: Serendipity Corner Photography on Polka-Dot Bride via Lover.ly

Photo Credit: Kristilee Parish Photography on Wedding Chicks via Lover.ly

You’ve been putting work into your fitness plan since that engagement ring slid onto your finger. Now comes the big night before the big day that threatens to set back all that progress: the bachelorette party. Of course, you want one that’s memorable, but for all the right reasons. Drop some hints to your bridal party about how to have a fit and fun gathering with some of the theme ideas below — or just hand over this article!

Au Naturale
Go as a group to a yoga class, then get massages or have a masseuse come to the host’s house. Too much stress can have negative effects on your body, behavior, and mood. You can also set up one or two stations where guests can make massage oils and scented soaps or candles from scratch. And have all the attendees bring a raw food dish made from a vegetable or fruit that has “aphrodisiac” benefits, along with the recipe, so you can have them for future reference. As a game, have attendees write down what they think the ‘sexy’ benefit is and read them aloud.

Valentine's Day is right around the corner — and the holiday marks the unofficial end to the unofficial "engagement season" (the most popular time to pop the question is between Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day).

Hoping for a ring on Valentine's Day? There's a good chance it may resemble one of these stunners — Josh Holland from Blue Nile tells us that these rings have been flying off their shelves in January. 

1. Petite Pavé Diamond Engagement Ring in Platinum 
A classic solitaire gets some extra bling from a half circle of pavé diamonds.

2. Monique Lhuillier Twist Halo Engagement Ring in Platinum 
We're loving this unique twisted band!

In The Emily Post Institute's latest book, Emily Post’s Wedding Etiquette: 6th Edition, Emily's great-great-granddaughters Anna and Lizzie Post tackle modern-day wedding questions that the original etiquette expert never could've dreamed about, from how to use (wisely) use technology, the rules for same-sex weddings, and much more. Here, the fourth generation of Posts discuss the most common bridal shower games and traditions.

Photo Credit: Day 7 Photography on DIY Bride via Lover.ly

Party games for bridal showers are greeted with groans or giggles. It’s all in good fun, and even if party games aren’t your thing, as the guest of honor, be a good sport and go along with what your hosts have planned. Here are some of the more popular, time-tested traditions and entertainment.

The Ribbon Bouquet
The bridesmaids collect all the ribbons from the bride’s shower presents and gather them into a bouquet for the bride to carry at the wedding rehearsal. (My grandmother remembers doing this at her bridal showers!).

Winter weddings are growing in popularity — December is now the #3 wedding month for BG brides, behind May and June — and with good reason. Harriette Rose Katz, a top wedding planner in New York City, breaks down the top 10 reasons why winter weddings rock.

Photo courtesy of Harriette Rose Katz

1. Seasonal Décor Gives Your Wedding a Unique Touch 
A winter wedding allows you to experiment with a themed décor. An easy way to incorporate this is with natural components, such as frosted pinecones, pine leaves, snowflakes, or holiday lights to enhance your winter wedding wonderland.

Photo courtesy of Harriette Rose Katz

Photo via Los Angeles Times

The 56th Grammy Awards will air live tonight, and we won't just be tuning in for the red carpet fashion — The New York Times just revealed that a mass wedding will take place tonight during Macklemore & Ryan Lewis's performance! As the hip hop duo perform their Grammy-nominated marriage equality anthem, "Same Love," 34 couples of various ages, races, and sexual orientations will join the pair and exchange vows. And as you'd expect at a star-studded event, a few other celebrities will join in on the fun: Queen Latifah will be officiating, and Madonna will join the performance. The weddings “will be, in our minds, the ultimate statement of equality, that all the couples are entitled to the same exact thing," said Lewis.

The idea arose after Grammy producer Ken Ehrlich learned from his daughter that couples often propose onstage during Macklemore & Ryan Lewis concerts. So when the producer met with the musicians to discuss their upcoming performance, they decided to celebrate all kinds of love with a mass wedding. A casting agency then began searching for the real-life couples who would join in on this one-in-a-lifetime experience. At the time, the couples just knew that the wedding would occur on live television; they learned a few weeks ago that it'd be on music's biggest night of the year. 

With a single stationary camera, A-Crew Media was able to create one of the most impressive wedding videos we've seen in a while! Since the couple, Mary Dvorsky and Steve Silver, hosted their ceremony and reception in one place, the camera was able to capture every moment of the big day, from the pre-ceremony mingling to the post-reception wrap-up. Then, the videography team sped up the footage at a rapid pace, resulting in a three and a half minute video that truly captures the essence of the wedding day. 

Mary Dvorsky and Steve Silver Wedding from Aaron Kroger on Vimeo.

This idea is such a great addition to a traditional wedding video — even though I love the video from my own wedding, it's quite a commitment to actually sit down and watch the hour-long production. How great would it be to re-watch the entire day (not just the highlights reel) in less than four minutes?

Tell us: What do you think?

—Kristen Klein

Photo Credit: W&E Photographie on Southern Weddings via Lover.ly

Q: Do I have to pay for my bridesmaids to have their hair and make-up done professionally? As much as I would like to, it would be very costly.

A: No, you aren’t expected to pay. Your bridesmaids can take care of their own hair and makeup. Some brides, of course, are able to absorb the fees as a thank you to their attendants. But if your budget is limited — and with costs being as high as they are — you are certainly not obligated to take on this additional expense.

—Diane Forden

I had a very successful week last week! I'm down another two pounds, and I also got to cross a bunch of things off my wedding-planning checklist.

Throughout the work week, I continued my no-starch challenge. For breakfast, I enjoyed coffee and hard-boiled eggs or egg whites. I had the Boca veggie burgers for lunch, and they were quite delicious! I think I like the Morning Star veggie burgers better, but these have fewer calories, so I would definitely try them again. Each day, I made a different vegetable to have with them, with such as steamed sugar snap peas, sautéed eggplant and zucchini, or a side salad.

For dinners, Rene and I ate protein and vegetables — no carbs! Now that I haven't been eating carbs as often, I realize I don't crave them as much. Instead of chicken with rice, I look forward to chicken and vegetables — definitely a good thing! For example, last night, Rene made one of my favorite meals from Skinnytaste.com — homemade turkey burgers with a broccoli slaw and blue cheese, with steamed asparagus on the side. We had them without buns and a little bit of fat-free cheddar cheese on top, and they were excellent! I recommend you try them for dinner this week — and the recipe makes enough so you have leftovers for lunch the next day.