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Recently, we had the pleasure of helping judge the second annual bridal gown design competition from the High School of Fashion Industries (HSFI), in partnership with Kleinfeld Bridal. Last year, students designed the wedding gown of the future. This year, each student designed the dress she'd wear to her own wedding. From 180 sketches, the judges narrowed it down to five finalists, who then brought their creations to life with the help of small teams of fellow students, using fabric provided by Mori Lee.

Joining us on the judging panel were Mara Urshel, co-owner of Kleinfeld; Dorothy Silver, Director of Sales and Merchandising at Kleinfeld; bridal designer Henry Roth; Sandra Manning, instructor at the High School of Fashion Industries; and Robert di Mauro, founder of the Industry Partnership Program and Advisory Board Member at the High School of Fashion Industries. Before the final judging, students also met with a number of industry pros, including Kleinfeld's Mara Urshel, bridal designers Michelle Roth and Madeline Gardner, and Bridal Guide's editor-in-chief, Diane Forden.

The designers, models, and judges at Kleinfeld

Happy Monday, all! This is my first blog post on my long road to dropping the extra pounds. I had a very busy weekend consisting of friends' birthdays, BBQs, and booze, where I ate and drank way more than I should have. It’s time to get back on track and whip myself into shape!

Photo Credit: Kzenon/iStockPhoto

Quick Tips:

Prep your meals on the weekend. Last Friday, I wrote down my grocery list with all of the meals I planned on making for the week. I’m obsessively organized, so this is a great way for me to make sure I’m eating healthy. Plus, I save money at the same time. On Sunday, I made my and Rene’s lunches for the week, chopping up all my fruits and veggies and packing them out into small snack bags for the week. I’m not messing around!

Count calories (without going crazy). I’m using the app called MyFitnessPal to track everything I eat. It's awesome because I put my weight and height in, and it tells me how many calories I’m allowed for the day (right now, I'm allowed 1370).

My name is Jennifer Crow (soon to be Mrs. Galarza), but you can call me Jen. I’m 25 years old, I currently live in Levittown, New York with my very handsome fiancé and our two crazy big dogs — and I’m overweight.

My fiancé Rene and I met and became friends eight years ago, when we worked together for a sports marketing company. A few years later, we started casually dating. I finally got sick of the random hang outs with no title and told him I was done. That day, September 19th, 2011, he told me he wanted to be with me, and from that day on we have been inseparable. 

He proposed on February 8, 2013. We went to Pocono Palace in Cove Haven, PA for a romantic weekend away (yes, we had one of those rooms you see on TV with the champagne glass bath tub). It was a little cheesy but super romantic and just what we needed. When we arrived to our room, I went in the bathroom to shower and when I came out (completely naked, might I add!) Rene was down on one knee. The bed was covered in rose petals that said, “Will you marry me?” He told me how he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. It was absolutely perfect (and so is my ring!).

Bliss & Bone, which launched last week, now serves as a a great resource for the bride and groom who are looking to be unique, imaginative, and perfectionists throughout their wedding process. Bliss & Bone offers semi-custom luxury paper goods for your wedding; with products ranging from invitations, menus, and placecards to save the dates and cocktail linens, your whole wedding can have a seamless visually inspiring look. 

Crafted with materials such as acrylic, chiffon, tulle, and wood veneer, each piece is truly a piece of art. Check it out at blissandbone.com!

—Naima DiFranco

Bridal Guide's favorite wedding expert Kellee Khalil, founder and CEO of Loverly — the world's first bridal search engine — is being honored in Refinery29's Annual "30 under 30."

Each year, Refinery29 applauds those extraordinary young New Yorkers who have been pioneers in style and innovators in their field. It is easy to see why Kellee was honored in this prestigious group. Kellee's search engine Loverly is a bride's BFF. Whether searching by color scheme, theme, or even wedding location, brides-to-be can find anything and everything they need for their big day, all on one convenient, photo-packed site. Want a Mad-Men inspired wedding, complete with 50's inspired tea-length dress and vintage inspired barware? Looking for the perfect DIY-inspired signage? Loverly has it all! 

Check it out at lover.ly and start getting inspired!

—Naima DiFranco 

Designer to the stars, Zac Posen, is teaming up with David's Bridal to create couture-worthy wedding gowns at a fraction of the cost. The collection, entitled "Truly Zac Posen," will feature the designer's signature figure-flattering silhouettes and bold yet feminine style.   

The collaboration will include six ivory bridal gowns (ranging from $850 to $1,350) and five limited-edition social occasion dresses in neutrals and a lavender jacquard print (priced from $195 to $225). The initial launch is slated to take place in February 2014, so mark your calendars!

Photo via Instagram

Up until now, only A-list brides like Portia de Rossi and Coco Rocha have worn Posen's covetable designs down the aisle. The designer wants his "Truly" collection to embody that same one-of-a-kind feel, but be accessible to women of all sizes around the world. The showstopping styles will be available in sizes 0-14 off the rack, and 16-26 through special order.

In an interview with USA Today, Posen said, "A great deal of care and love goes in there, I wanted to try that on something that was going to have a lot of reach."  So why did David's Bridal choose Posen as their new featured designer? "What was missing was this aesthetic that speaks to a more red carpet, dramatic bride," said Catalina Maddox-Wagers, their Executive Vice President for Merchandising.

For years, I could not sit through the charming family movie Father of the Bride. Despite its warmth and humor, I would actually leave the room whenever it came on television. I suppose the story of a loving father who didn’t want to face his daughter’s impending marriage hit a little too close to home.

On May 28, 2010, my desire to run away from the thought that my little girl would someday get married came to a screeching halt when a young man named Eduardo met with my wife Juliana and me to ask our blessing to marry Persephone. And, as tempted as I was to behave like Steve Martin, I knew he was the one. 

Photo Credit: Unique Design Studios

Two years of engagement and preparation flew by astonishingly fast. Here's what was going through my mind throughout the process:

While Shopping for the Gown

Everyone knows that the ladies plan the wedding, so I didn’t expect to be consulted on much beyond the budget. Yet to my delight and shock, Persephone actually asked me to accompany her dress shopping! 

“I am sure when you see the right dress, you'll know it," I assured her on a beautiful Saturday in August, as we strolled through midtown Manhattan.

Long before she met her groom, every bride had another man who stole her heart: her dad. With all the excitement and stress of planning a wedding, it's easy to forget about the special relationship you share with him. But from the day their little girl is born,  so many dads dream of a dedicated father-daughter wedding moment. 

Including a father-daughter dance is the perfect way to celebrate with your first love, creating a memory you will cherish for a lifetime. Gone are the days of strictly sentimental ballads — brides and their dads are hitting the dance floor like never before! From tender slow dances, energetic freestyles, and even a few choreographed gems, these father-daughter dances, compiled by HooplaHa, highlight some of the best wedding moments. Take a look:

Tell us about your own father-daughter moment!

—Gabriella Rello

Ever see those street photos from the 1940s of lovers strolling down the cobblestone streets of Paris, arm in arm? Maybe stealing a kiss while seated at an outdoor cafe? Huddled in an embrace? I believe those images hold the key to how to make your wedding photos timeless.

Think for a moment about the posed shots you've seen in your parents' and relatives' wedding albums; some common shots in the '70s, '80s, and '90s were the best man mopping the groom's brow as he nervously looked at his watch, the bride fawning over her bouquet she caressed in her arms like a newborn baby and, of course, the obligatory double-exposed shot of the wedding couple superimposed over their ceremony. They were cute the first time around, but by now, they tend to get mocked because they've become cliché.

Today, some of the stock poses are of tightly-cropped photos of feet that showcase the shoes the couple wore, brides and grooms jumping in the air, and heads cut off in photos at the neckline showing only the torsos. I'm sure you've seen these, too.  And they were cute the first time around as well.

Loverly is the heart of weddings: a visual inspiration search engine designed to help brides discover ideas, people to hire, and things to buy. Loverly makes finding beautiful wedding inspiration easier than ever! Their images are powered by the best wedding publishers and wedding shopping partners on the web. Find Bridal Guide on Loverly >>

The vows you and your groom state to each other and share with your guests are the most important hallmark of any wedding. But one aspect can truly put your ceremony over the top: A beyond-gorgeous backdrop.

Saying “I do” on a cliff overlooking the gorgeous blue of the ocean is sure to take your guests’ breath away. The same is true of a rustic ceremony held in a field, complete with a one-of-a-kind altar. These backdrops may cause your guests’ eyes (and possibly your own!) to wander, but beauty is worth a glance.

It was hard to choose, but we’ve rounded up 10 of our favorite ceremony backdrops from Lover.ly that can only be labeled as beautiful:

A wooden altar, poms, and flowers create a rustic look that is simply stunning.