Leading up to her televised wedding special, Nick & Vanessa's Dream Wedding, Vanessa Minnillo tweeted about the top 10 tips she learned while wedding planning. Check them out:

We agree! It's so hard to tell from seeing a dress on a hanger what it'll look like on you. And you may find yourself falling in love with a princess ballgown when you originally had your mind set on a sleek sheath. Need some ideas? Check out our gown gallery, where you can browse hundreds of designer dresses!

We're sure her matron of honor thanked her for that! When incorporating colors, one idea we love is to choose flowers that contrast the color of the dress. It makes both colors stand out in a beautiful way.

Take a minute to finish laughing... yes, 28-year-old Ben Skelton did actually choose a restaurant mascot as his best man in his upcoming wedding. "I've already told my best man that he's going to be my second-string best man," Skelton told the New York Daily News. "I just haven't told him that he got beat out by a cow" (ouch). The managers at a Chick-fil-A in Concord, N.C., are providing Skelton with his bovine best man, who will even don a cow tuxedo that the fast food chain designed last year for a marketing program during the Oscars. 

Apparently, Skelton isn't the first restaurant groupie to pull a stunt like this. One ultra-enthusiastic customer drove over 3,000 miles just to visit every Chipotle in his state, while another man is working on a smartphone app to help fellow McDonald's lovers track down the McRib sandwich. At a time when the economy is forcing people to choose carefully when and where they'll eat out, companies crave these "lunatic customers" whose extreme dedication creates free publicity for a restaurant. 

Heather Harmon, Skelton's 26-year-old fiancee, said she's fine with the best man decision. "I'm super excited...We'd been working really hard to put a lot of personal touches in this wedding. We didn't want it to be stuffy."

What do you think of Harmon's fast food fanatic fiance? Is this personal touch cute, or is having a giant cow in your wedding party taking things just a bit too far?

Photo Credit: chick-fil-a.com (cow); Annie X Photographie (groomsmen)

Hello everyone at Bridal Guide! I'm Theresa, a daughter, student, blogger and—as of last May—a wife-to-be. I moved to Australia from the tiny island of Singapore to pursue my continuing education but instead found love. I know, how cliché. But when my fiancé Luke and I both dived into this relationship, we knew we were headed towards a specific direction, which included marriage, kids and a white picket fence. So it wasn't too surprising to either of us that after 18 months of dating, we became engaged.

Here's how it went down: After an excruciatingly painful day at Uni (we call college "Uni" here in Australia) studying statistics, I'd come home to Luke being in an extraordinarily good mood and realized that his football team had won their game. So in order to help me relax, he suggested we head out for a cup of coffee. This cup of coffee turned into a breathtaking view of the Swan River atop Kings Park (Google it), and my gorgeous man with that even more gorgeous ring. That night, we went out to dinner at one of the fanciest restaurants in Perth and drank and ate like we were the happiest people on the planet—and we were! I honestly do not remember much of that night, but remember waking up the next morning and checking my left hand to make sure it was all real.

Hello and welcome readers! My name is Crista and I am thrilled to be writing my first post for the Real Bride Blogger community. Just like you, I am currently in the process of planning my upcoming nuptials to the love of my life, Michael (insert exaggerated “awww” here). I hope that you will find my posts helpful, honest, and relatable. I promise to share the good (we set the date!) the bad (flowers cost how much?) and the ugly (everyone has an opinion) of wedding planning.

First, I would like to share how I got to this point in my life. Michael and I met two days after my high school senior prom at a mutual friend’s house, but it would take two more encounters before he finally asked me for my phone number. After our first date at the South Street Seaport, we became inseparable. Fast forward five years, and Michael and I found ourselves back at the same spot, celebrating our anniversary. This time he had another very important question to ask me—one that I didn’t see coming. While overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge, he went down on bended knee and asked me to marry him. I was shocked (really, really shocked). We had spoken about marriage and our future, but I just couldn’t believe that he was actually proposing. I asked repeatedly, “Are you serious?” Mike had to remind me that he had asked a question before I replied with a very emphatic, "Yes!"

Are you looking for a liquid liner with a bit of pop and a long-lasting stay? These 24-hour products will keep you looking composed from morning to night on your big day!

The wedding special showing Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo's big day is set to air on TLC this Saturday, July 30 at 9pm. Check out this sneak peek, where the happy couple talks about writing their own vows and planning their honeymoon!

Vanessa talks about shopping for her gown—and wishing her mom could be a part of it.

Watch Vanessa's emotional moments the morning of the wedding as she's getting ready with her best friend. Psst—lots of close-ups of her gorgeous gown here!

Will you be tuning in this weekend?

—Kristen O'Gorman Klein

Packing your bags soon for your honeymoon? Then you'll love these cute travel bags that keep your essentials organized in style!

Trina Travel Valet (Sandra) - $40

This bag is perfect for your toiletries. What we love: See the velcro in the picture on the right? That zippered portion can be removed, giving you two bags in one. During a recent trip to the beach, I took the removable portion to the beach to keep my phone, Kindle, and other precious items safe from water and sand (available in August; trinastyle.com).

Trina Essential Weekender (Lillie) - $58

If you need a little more space, check out this bag. At 10.5 by 7 x 3.5, it's compact enough that it won't hog a lot of suitcase space, yet large enough to fit everything you need for a week-long vacay. This bag also includes a removable portion. I used the removable part to hold shower and bathroom essentials, like shampoo, conditioner, face wash, toothpaste, and toothbrush, while using the other portion to hold items like sunscreen and lotion (available in August; trinastyle.com).

It may have felt like 110 degrees in the shade in NYC last week, but Executive Editor Mary Clarke and I had a very cool meeting with the “Cake Boss” himself, Buddy Valastro.

I love his hit TV show on TLC and am always amazed at the inventive cakes he and his team create. Buddy is a true master and in his latest book, Baking with The Cake Boss (Free Press), he shares his best recipes and decorating secrets.

Buddy is a firm believer that practice makes perfect (“filling four thousand cannoli will help you become a better cake decorator’) and that in time you’ll easily learn how to create your own masterpieces. His book is a terrific step-by-step guide that teaches everything from how to roll dough to how to make and decorate a cake for every special occasion. And the recipes are easy to follow as well.