Photo of the Day
Photo Credit:
Why We Love It
These flower girls' reactions to the bride getting ready are just too cute! See more precious getting-ready moments ►
Change of Plans: Kelly Clarkson & Brandon Blackstock Will Elope
Anyone who's ever been married or engaged could tell you that planning a wedding is no easy feat. From the venue to the photographer to the flowers to the favors, it often feels like there are 100 decisions that you have to make on any given day.
Add recording an album and touring all over the world on top of that, and it's no surprise that Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock just decided to throw in the towel and elope instead.
Photo courtesy of Kelly Clarkson on Twitter
"We are so busy that we finally just came to terms the other night and were like, 'So, we change our minds and want to elope.' We just got so overwhelmed by it — all the decisions," she told People. Plus, after sending out their save-the-date, more and more details started leaking to the public. "It got crazy," she said.
Instead, they informed their intended guests that now, they'll be joined just by their minister and Blackstock's two children. "We don't need another day where we throw a big party," she said. "Our lives are so in the spotlight all the time. Everything is such a spectacle, we were like, 'We would rather have an intimate moment that's special.'"
After the elopement, a friend of the couple plans to throw a "stock the bar" party and invite the friends and family members who would've been included in the original wedding.
Tutorial: DIY Wedding-Day Makeup for Bridesmaids
Being a bridesmaid is an honor — often an expensive, time-consuming honor, but an honor nonetheless. That being said, it really bugs me when I attend a fancy wedding and see the bride’s closest family and friends dressed in the matching formal gowns, with flowers and updos and heels... and their everyday makeup. When a bridesmaid looks like she slapped on whatever was in the bottom of her makeup bag that morning, a little piece of me dies.
Nobody understands more than I do that we can't all afford $65+ to hire a makeup artist. I've always loved doing makeup, so when my best friend of over 20 years asked me to apply makeup on the rest of the bridal party, I happily agreed. I spent the weeks leading up to the wedding choosing colors and products, keeping in mind the different skin types and tones of the group, plus the various ages of the bridal party members (from pre-teen junior bridesmaids to the mother of the bride). Clearly, one “face” was not going to cut it.
Here's how you can get a fabulous smoky eyed look that is party-appropriate and special enough for the wedding of the season!
Consider dress color. If you're wearing a jewel tone (think blue, green, purple), you can absolutely incorporate this into your eye shadow application. If your dress is a warm color, like red, orange, pink, you may want to stick with the traditional black/gray palette to avoid scaring people away at the buffet line (unless you want all of the mini crabcakes for yourself, of course; in that case, pinkeye away!). And if you’re wearing black or gray, you can pull off any shade.
Photo of the Day
Photo Credit:
Why We Love It
We love this genius way to take photos together before the ceremony without seeing each other!
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Confessions from "Professional" Bridesmaids
After a wedding-fueled summer, we BG staffers couldn't help but wonder what it's like to be a bridesmaid not just once, but five, six or even 12 times (that's a whole lot of taffeta). So we interviewed a panel of 11 'maids about why they were willing to say "I do" to so many different weddings and what they've learned along the way. Follow their pointers to be an amazing bridesmaid; just don't blame us if you get asked again!
1. Being Asked is a Huge Honor
The bride chose you for a reason: She values your friendship and wants you to stand beside her as she takes her vows and celebrates the beginning of a new chapter in her life. The bridesmaids that we spoke to say that although it might sound cliché, they feel it's a huge honor to be in someone's bridal party.
Being privvy to a friend's most intimate moments is part of the draw. "One of my favorite parts of being a bridesmaid is the time leading up to where your friend and/or family member says 'I do'...You get to talk about old times, help them ease their nerves and watch them transform into the most beautiful they've ever been. I love taking a moment to sit back and take it all in before we're hustled out of the room and get the bride down the aisle," says Samantha Irons from Cleveland, OH. (Check out 200+ emotional 'getting ready' moments, here!)
August 20th
Photo by: Radiant Photography on Bridal Musings via Lover.ly
Tip of the Day: You and your husband are a duo now, so that means you'll need to make decisions together. For instance, if your parents invite you over for the holidays, don't just say "yes" without checking with your spouse first. Just respond, "Let me check with the hubby and I'll get right back to you." This applies to family vacation plans, birthday parties, couples' nights out and especially requests for help with a friend's move or to borrow anything you own.
Your spouse will appreciate your consideration and relatives and friends will get the message that you're a solid team making commitments together. (This stops any relatives who may want to compete with "the other side" to get you for the holidays!)
Plus, check out 20 Ways to Make Your Marriage Stronger. Visit sharonnaylor.net for more tips and ideas.
Photo of the Day
Photo Credit:
Why We Love It
Build up even more anticipation for your walk down the aisle by having your groom face away until you reach him! See more emotional wedding photos ►
Photo of the Day
Photo Credit:
Why We Love It
We love this couple's classic Old Hollywood-inspired pose!
August 17th
Photo credit: Travis Percival on Bridal Musings via Lover.ly
Tip of the Day: Accented shoes are a top trend for a wedding day look, and since flowers are a leading wedding day accessory, create a coordinated, pretty look by having the floral accent on your shoes match the flower pin in your hair. You’ll be floral-pretty from head to toe!
Plus, check out our picks for Must Have Bridal Accessories. Visit sharonnaylor.net for more tips and advice.
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