London Calling...

I just found the coolest hotel in London, and an amazing restaurant too. My wife and I met in London, at a dinner party in Chelsea, and this was our first time back together since getting married. So we wanted it to be special – and very romantic. I spent what seemed like weeks trying to choose the perfect hotel and finally picked One Aldwych, near Covent Garden right in the heart of London. It turned out to be the perfect choice, a blend of traditional and modern England within walking distance of nearly everywhere we wanted to go – Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, the theatre district, shopping on Oxford Street and the giant London Eye.

One Alwych sits in the middle of London's theatre district and
within walking distance of most major landmarks.

The main entrance to One Aldwych boasts that blend of
classical and modern you find throughout the entire hotel.

The Lobby Bar at One Aldwych was always bustling in the late afternoon and early evening, filled tourists and locals, especially theater people and other artsy types.

Bling on the Savings

Don’t break the bank on your diamond, says Isaac Gottesman, owner of the Chicago-based jeweler, Dimend SCAASI. Here are his tips:

  • Go for quality over quantity. Bigger is not necessarily better; quality is determined by a lack of imperfections. "Focus on a better-quality cut and grade over size," Gottesman says.
  • Stay on budget. "Stick to a range that you can afford, and ask jewelers to tell you the price upfront."
  • Save on the setting. Choose white gold over platinum—platinum bands cost at least $300 more than other metals.
  • Go for color. Rubies, sapphires and emeralds are vibrant and beautiful—and less expensive than diamonds. "They make a great conversation piece too!" Gottesman says.

Note: Gottesman advises obtaining an objective third-party appraisal of your ring from the Gemological Institute of America or the American Gem Society.

Take a Seat

Just the other day a friend told me about a bride who insisted on doing the seating chart herself without any input from her parents or future in-laws. Needless to say, the groom’s mom was not thrilled, and rightly so. Who knows if the bride realizes that she shouldn’t seat the groom’s grumpy Uncle Ed next to an aunt he’s not speaking with? My advice: Don’t try to handle this huge task alone and do seek assistance from your parents and in-laws. After all, they’ll know instinctively where to place certain people and your guests will be happier if they’re seated at a table to their liking.

From my own experience, I’ve always enjoyed my table mates at weddings except for one occasion when I was separated from all the people I knew and placed with couples I’d never met before (and I came to the wedding alone!). They were all very polite but since they knew one another they naturally conversed mostly amongst themselves. It was not as fun or as comfortable for me as it could have been and right after finishing the entrée I left to tablehop and spend time with my friends.

So, if you’re about to do your seating chart or even if it’s months away on your to-do list, here are some pointers:

A Family Affair

Just last week Chelsea Clinton married Marc Mezvinsky in what was undoubtedly "The Wedding" of the summer. Newshounds flocked to Rhinebeck and the coverage was 24/7 as reporters tried to find anyone who knew anything about the wedding plans. Now, over a week later, the press and guests have departed and Rhinebeck is once again a peaceful, bucolic village—and we all know a bit more about the nuptials: We’ve seen Chelsea looking gorgeous in her strapless Vera Wang, her mom, Hillary, looking chic in her plum-colored Oscar de la Renta and dad, Bill, every bit the proud father-of-the-bride, appearing noticeably more svelte in his tux.

From what I’ve read it seems that Chelsea and Marc’s wedding was just as they had envisioned it and kudos to them for pulling it off. Considering their parents’ careers, wedding guests could have included anyone from the Queen of England to the Prime Minister of Japan, but this couple insisted that their wedding not become a political rally or fundraiser. The guests consisted of family and friends they truly cared about from classmates and co-workers to Chelsea’s spinning instructor, manicurist and family doctor.

I also love the fact that they incorporated elements from both their religions during the ceremony with both a Methodist minister and Jewish rabbi presiding. They married under an arch (huppah) of willow branches, white roses and hydrangeas and Marc broke a glass underfoot in keeping with Jewish tradition.

It's a Winner!

In case you haven’t yet bought the September/October issue of Bridal Guide, do go out and grab one off the newsstands before they’re all gone.

Why? You’ll get a lot of bang for your buck and find not only great planning advice, money-saving tips, knockout fashions and a special home section but also a separate Honeymoon & Destination Wedding Guide filled with lots of amazing locales for your special getaway.

Plus, as you can see from the main book cover, we’ve got the inside wedding scoop on Miss America 2009, Katie Stam, who recently married her longtime honey. Photographing Katie was a joy and it was a no-brainer to see why she was chosen for the top “Miss America” prize. Katie is intelligent, poised, warm and friendly and she was eager to do her best for us. We loved her shots and couldn’t believe she had never professionally modeled. In fact, it was difficult to choose just one photograph as so many were spot-on cover worthy—trust me, not always the case! Just like you, Katie wanted an elegant, romantic look for her wedding and chose a retro-inspired gown designed by Stephen Birnbaum. You can find out more about her surprise proposal and other style details in this issue.

If you ever wondered whether or not other brides have had any regrets over their wedding expenses, then you must read the “Real Brides: Best and Worst Buys” story:

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