I have a major budget crush on Kimberly Foley—once you see her whimsical, yet elegant Real Wedding to husband Raymond Sanicki, I guarantee you will too. She saved thousands of dollars on decor, thanks to the creative DIY projects that she tackled with her mega-talented mama. Everything from her dress (which she scored for only $500, marked down from $3,000 at Running of the Brides) to her stamped guest book (one of our all-time editors' favorites) is steal-worthy. However, there's one detail that I thought was particularly applicable to Budget Guru readers, which is her one-of-a-kind brooch bouquet. Kim is right on-trend: country singer Miranda Lambert carried one down the aisle from The Ritzy Rose at her May wedding.

Kimberly stumbled across a brooch bouquet online, and immediately fell in love. However, she realized she couldn't swing the $600 price tag, so she showed her mother a photo, who said "No problem!" (Gotta love that.) "I loved everything about my bouquet! I am eternally grateful to my mom, because my bouquet will never wilt or die—I will have it forever. It will always have a special place in my house and my heart!" said Foley.

Here are step-by-step instructions for making your own brooch bouquet:

Earlier this week, we had some fun around the BG office making sample video entries for our Kohl's contest. If you haven't entered yet, be sure to check it out! All you need to do is make a quick video (or write a 200-word essay and include photos) telling us which item on your registry you want most (and why), and start a registry at Kohl's. You could win a ton of great prizes from Kohl's, plus a 7-night luxury honeymoon to any Now Resort & Spa in Riviera Cancun, including airfare on JetBlue!

Need some inspiration? Check out our fun samples!

Bridal is arguably Vera Wang's world, we're just living in it (and adoring from afar). The VW group unveiled some big news today that's bound to make some brides envious of almost-engaged gals, for a change: Vera has collaborated with Zales, The Diamond Store to introduce "Vera Wang LOVE," a new collection of engagement rings, matching wedding bands, and solitaire bridal jewelry.

"Creating a line of beautiful diamond engagement rings and bridal jewelry is a natural extension of my passion for designing bridal fashion," Wang said.

The line is extensive, to say the least—it will include more than 50 different styles of engagement rings, which start at only $1,999 and all include a blue sapphire (such a chic "something blue", non?) Sentimental types will appreciate that the "LOVE" logo is engraved on the inside. Budget-savvy readers of this blog can scoop them up at 500 Zales locations throughout the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico, as well as on Zales.com, beginning this fall. I for one think October (when LOVE officially launches) can't arrive quickly enough! For now, we tracked down this campaign ad (pictured above) to satisfy your case of jewelry lust. I think I spy a halo setting, one of the biggest jewelry trends for 2011.

Despite being engaged for six months, it felt surreal to call bridal salons and schedule appointments to try on wedding gowns. I spent the previous months researching various bridal designers, trying to determine which collections best fit my style. I found myself drawn to the designs of Amsale Aberra, founder of the eponymous Amsale label and the creative director for Christos and Kenneth Pool.

After careful consideration, I thought it would benefit me to visit more than one bridal salon, so I ultimately scheduled appointments with Priscilla of Boston, the Amsale Flagship Store, and Kleinfeld.

First up: Priscilla of Boston. I arrived at the salon with my parents and two sisters, Lisa and Laura, only to be kept waiting for 30 minutes. The wait didn’t faze me – I was the bride-to-be looking for my wedding dress and it’s very difficult to come down from that high. I tried on several dresses and by my fifth gown, my whole family was convinced that I had found The One.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the bride who wants to create an impact, ruffles are perfect!  They add drama and lovely movement to any dress. When the ruffles are multi-layered a gorgeous texture is created. Designers from high to low have been presenting dresses with this oh-so-fun trend.
 

Note: when shopping for this trend, make sure there is always a defined waist. Also, best to accompany these high impact dresses with minimal jewelry. Above three of my favorite ruffled dresses from the runways: Martina Liana (martinaliana.com), Reem Acra (reemacra.com) and Christos (christosbridal.com).

 

—Naima DiFranco

If you’re looking for creative ways to entertain, you’ll love the new collection of paper art from Ceci Johnson, luxury invitation designer, style expert and founder of Ceci New York.

Recently, I attended a Paper Art party in Ceci’s colorful store to introduce her new Ceci Vivre Collection. This gorgeous array of laser cut placemats, table and escort cards can easily transform any basic table into a work of art. Think bridal showers, engagement parties, after-parties and entertaining at home long after you’re married.

 

The four tables featured were all designed by Bridal Guide’s former Creative Director (and now contributing freelancer), Robin Zachary (nice job, Robin!):

 

For this nature-themed table, Robin used Ceci’s laser cut placemat and bird place cards to create a warm, natural look.