Blogs

A wedding may take months or even a few years to plan, but sometimes fate can lend a hand. Just ask Maria Simpson and Matthew Chamberlain, whose love story began at Bungalow, a bar in California, and culminated with a courthouse wedding in New York City. Their last-minute nuptials on Feb. 20th came together so serendipitously that it made us believe in fairy tales again.

The odds were stacked against them from the beginning, including a 13-year age difference (she's 22 and he's 35) and living thousands of miles apart (she's originally from California and is now based in New York; he's originally from England and now resides in Cali). What got this couple through all of these challenges (and then some) was the unwavering belief that they were destined to end up together — no matter what. 

When they began discussing their future, Matthew suggested that they apply for wedding competitions to help alleviate some of the financial stress that lay ahead. They were selected to compete in Bridal Guide's Race for the Rock cityHunt in NYC, which came as a relief, and Matthew made plans to fly out from Los Angeles. However, things got turned upside down when Maria's father had a heart attack a few days before the scavenger hunt was supposed to take place; Matthew rushed to his aid and spent the night in the hospital with him. Once Maria's dad was stable, they decided to move forward with the race.

How would you explain your career to a three-year-old? Wedding photographer Chris Thornton decided to stage a wedding photo shoot using his toddler's toys to help him understand!

The whole Toy Story gang joined Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head for their charming wedding celebration.

The 86th annual Academy Awards kicks off this Sunday and we’re looking forward to scoping out the evening’s glitziest looks and OMG-worthy moments: Which film will nab Best Picture? Who might get their Meryl Streep moment? Since Ellen DeGeneres is hosting, will we actually stay up until midnight this year?

Now, thanks to travel website Trivago.com, brides have another reason to get excited for the pinnacle of awards season — they’ve put together a list of hotels where a few of the movie contenders were filmed, and they’re perfect for stateside honeymoons.

American Hustle

Photo Credit: The Hollywood Reporter

Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Costume Design, Best Directing, Best Film Editing, Best Production Design and Best Original Screenplay

Featured hotel: The Fairmont Copley Plaza (Boston, MA)

Since my fiancé Chris and I are currently living in different cities, I was feeling pretty lonely during the search for our perfect wedding venue. Each and every one of them was incredible but something was missing...Chris! Everything feels half as fun when he's not around, but I chose my new job as San Diego 6 News' evening anchor, so I just have to suck it up and learn to appreciate every blessing (and there are many). I just wish that my fiancé was here so that we could enjoy the planning process together...soon, I hope!

It was almost as if my best friend Katie could sense my sadness because she sent me a text (one of probably 200 that we send throughout each day) about Christina from OBSESSEDevents, a friend of hers who offered to help us plan our wedding. I couldn't have heard those words at a better time. (This experience has taught me that it's ok to ask for help. When you have a moment of sadness or are feeling worn down during wedding planning, please know that this is the time to reach out.)

Photo Credit: OBSESSEDevents

For James Anderson, everything was put into perspective when his pregnant girlfriend Brandi went into labor with their first daughter a week before her due date — he decided that he couldn't wait one more minute to marry her. “I just couldn’t shake the idea of her having the baby without the ring on her finger,” he told KHOU. “The only thing I felt was regret that I didn’t do it a long time ago.”

After rushing to North Hills Hospital in Texas, James put his plan into motion. While Brandi was waiting for an epidural, he told her that he had to run to the store real quick. Baffled, Brandi couldn't imagine what he could possibly need from a store at that exact moment.

Next, James stepped out of the room and told the nursing staff that he wanted to get married. 

“At first, we didn’t think he meant now," said Ashleigh Campbell, one of the nurses. "Once he told us, ‘yeah, we want to do it here,’ I think pretty much the general censuses was, 'Aww.'”

The nursing staff sprang into action; Campbell called up her dad, who is a preacher, to come perform the ceremony. The rest of the staff began decorating a special delivery room for the pair. Meanwhile, James was jewelry shopping, picking out the perfect ring for his bride-to-be. 

When Brandi's water broke, she was wheeled into the decorated room. The couple's six-year-old son joined them as the ring bearer. 

For our Race for the Rock scavenger hunt, we chose the famed romantic restaurant, Serendipity 3, as our last location. After the finalists sipped their Frrrozen Hot Chocolates and revealed their prizes, we got to talking about how the restaurant has become such a popular spot for proposals and weddings ever since the 2001 movie Serendipity came out. The owner and founder, Stephen Bruce, even got ordained as a minister so that he could perform weddings himself! But we were pretty surprised when we heard about a popular trend there of getting married in a bathtub filled with their famous Frrrozen Hot Chocolate — and we knew we had to find out more. 

Fifteen years ago, Cleo and David Gakshteyn became one of the first couples to exchange vows while standing in frozen hot chocolate; Serendipity 3 had been one of their favorite date-night spots, so when they heard that the restaurant was looking for a couple to marry in chocolate, they knew it was the perfect fit. The bride got in the spirit with a chocolate wedding dress by Vera Wang paired with a "Chocolate Diamond" Harry Winston ring. 

After the ceremony, the groom sipped some Frrrozen Hot Chocolate out of a Stuart Weitzman "Cinderella" shoe. 

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