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A library is a charming venue for your big day — you're surrounded by some greatest love stories in literature. Say 'I do' with vintage book centerpieces, card catalog escort card displays, and custom-wrapped books to hold your vows. Here are our favorite library and book-inspired décor ideas to make any reception space a literary masterpiece.

1. Get creative with your table numbers by incorporating charming vintage books.

Winter weddings are just around the corner, and we've fallen head-over-heels in love with this sparkly inspiration shoot produced by Fearson May Events. From the snowy cake to the dramatic branch centerpiece to the glittery silver and blue color palette, there are so many wonderful ways to create a gorgeous winter wedding. 

It must be puppy love! Ed Grant popped the question to his long-term girlfriend, Alexandra Justins, in Central Park recently with the help of some furry friends. The 27-year-old Brits were visiting The Big Apple on a four-day vacation. 

The groom-to-be tells The Today Show that "I have never seen Alex happier than when she sees a pug so I thought I would make her super happy (by seeing 16 at once), and then I hoped even happier by proposing to her!" 

A few weeks prior to their trip, Grant contacted the New York City Pug Meetup Group to see if a couple of members would be interested in participating in the tail-wagging surprise that he had planned for Justins. He received an enthusiastic response from the pet owners.

On Oct. 27, the couple took a romantic boat ride through Central Park, followed by lunch and champagne, while the pug party team assembled on the Bow Bridge, one of New York City's most iconic landmarks. (Hundreds of proposals have taken place there, but this just may be the cutest one we've ever heard of!) The second-oldest cast-iron bridge in America is named for its graceful shape, which resembles the bow of a violin or archer.

Grant led his girlfriend there under the guise of "taking a picture," where the pack of pugs — including Poppy, Mr. Shiznit, Gus, Hamilton, Finn, Ed, Annabelle, and Bailey — were waiting with heart-shaped helium balloons tied to their collars. Justins could barely contain her excitement and gave an ecstatic "yes!" Afterwards, the couple went out for celebratory drinks with all 16 pugs and 10 pet owners.

Glitterati alert: Express your inner rock star on your big day with some beautiful gunmetal-tinted bling. When shopping for this look, search for darker oxidized silver jewlery. By nature, oxidized silver gives off a more edgy rock 'n roll vibe.  

Credits left to right: 1. Emerald Cut Rhinestone Necklace by Amanda Pearl. 2. Crystal small heart stud earrings at BetseyJohnson.com.  3. Ivory crystal roll clutch by Amanda Pearl. 4. Badgley Mischka white satin and crystal pump. 5. Embroidered crystal feather-Skirt cocktail dress by Lela Rose. 6. Clear crystal earrings by Noir Jewelry. 7. Diamond star earrings by Finn Jewelry. 8. Crystal-heel silk-satin sandals by Miu Miu. 9. Feather Swarovski crystal hairclip by Jennifer Behr.

—Naima DiFranco

In our new "Friday Favorites" column, we'll share our top five inspirations of the week culled from real wedding submissions, industry events, what's trending in the weddings world and more!

1. The hottest wedding venues at the moment are...dairy farms? 

Good Morning America reports that more cattle farmers are offering nuptials as part of their business plans due to high demand. While tying the knot to the sound of moos may not seem romantic to some, there are definitely pros to wedding on a dairy farm, including a homespun look, a budget-friendly price and delish farm-to-table cuisine.

Tony Azevedo, the owner of Double T Ranch in Central California — where Kelly Clarkson shot her "Tie It Up" video — told The Los Angeles Times that weddings have saved his dairy business from going bankrupt. "This Pinterest thing is my new business partner. Everybody wants to get married in a damn barn and have their picture taken with a cow," he tells the LA Times. Tell us whether you'd consider getting hitched in this offbeat locale!

It’s a given that not every wedding is a first-time marriage. In fact, many of you may be marrying someone who has tied the knot before, and you’ll become his children’s stepparent — about a quarter of all new marriages form stepfamilies. In order to help you navigate any potentially sticky situations down the road, we turned to Dr. Patricia Papernow, psychologist and Harvard instructor and author of Surviving and Thriving in Stepfamily Relationships: What Works and What Doesn’t. Dr. Papernow’s must-read book is filled with lots of sage advice for couples dealing with the emotional issues that often arise in blended families. 

We asked Dr. Papernow a few key questions about stepparenting issues. Here, her words of wisdom:

Q. What is the top challenge faced by a stepmother?

Brides are always searching for the next best way to inject unique style into their wedding design, myself included. Lately, I'm loving bold patterns and prints! The best part about them is that a little goes a long way. Carry the theme throughout your details by lining your invitation envelopes with a patterned design, tying a strip of fabric around your bouquet or opting to have your bridesmaids wear polka dots for instant sass.

If you're looking for inspiration, then you're bound to find stylish ideas at your nearest fabric store. Whether you gravitate towards black and white stripes or a colorful ikat print, there's a different print or pattern for every wedding vibe. Check out some of my favorite ideas below!

Chevron

This just might be my favorite pattern and with good reason — it's entirely universal as to the vibe it can give off. Pair it with black and white and it instantly becomes a modern design element. Add bold punches of color with backdrops and tablecloths (like the photos shown below) and your bash takes on more of a playful feel.

Bonus tip: Confused about the difference between chevron and herringbone? The two patterns are almost identical, but one way to always know if you're spotting chevron is if it makes a continuous zigzag shape.

After my Sunday training session with Bonne Marcus, I was sore until Wednesday. I pushed through and worked out on Tuesday and Wednesday, though. On Tuesday, my workout consisted of a spin class in the morning for 45 minutes, and when I got home from work, I went through the routine Bonne had given me again. The routine included squats, lunges, step ups, and a bunch of arm exercises using a body bar and dumbbells. It's a true full body workout. On Wednesday, I just took another spin class for cardio. It wasn't a great week for me workout-wise; I had a busy week, which I know is no excuse, but unfortunately I used it anyway.

My favorite meal of the week was turkey chili that was cooked in the crockpot. A warm bowl of chili is perfect on a crisp fall night, and I made a skinny version, so it wasn't too fattening. You can find the recipe here from Skinnytaste. 

As a family of loyal Honda drivers (they own more than 20 between all of their relatives), Mairead and Kevin knew they wanted to include Hondas somehow in their big day. When they asked a local dealer to loan them three CR-Vs for bridal party transportation, the company had something much bigger in mind. 

Honda sent eight cars, with each filled with an amazing surprise: The band they saw on their first date, a troupe of Irish step dancers, tons of registry gifts, and — the best surprise of all — Honda flew in their relatives from Ireland who previously could not attend the wedding.

Try not to tear up as you watch this video:

—Kristen O'Gorman Klein