Planning a Wedding When Your Parents are Divorced

If your parents are divorced, you're bound to run into some tricky situations while planning your wedding. Who sits where during the ceremony and reception? Who pays for what? How do stepparents fit into the picture? 

In The Big Wedding, which hits theaters today, the long-divorced Don and Ellie Griffin (Robert De Niro and Diane Keaton) decide to pretend they're still happily married when their adopted son's ultra-conservative biological mother unexpectedly decides to attend the wedding.the big wedding
Photo courtesy of Lionsgate

While that approach probably doesn't work in real life, we do have some more practical solutions for dealing with divorced parents at your wedding. Here, get answers to your biggest questions:

"My parents have been divorced for over 20 years, and although both have remarried, they haven’t seen or spoken to each other in all that time. I’m worried about how they might behave toward one another at my wedding. What can I do?"

Brian Atwood Does Bridal!

Bridal editors were swooning at a small event last week in his flagship store on Madison Avenue in NYC. Brian Atwood unveiled the launch of his new bridal collection; a lovely collection of fashion-forward fantastical heels. 

brian atwood wedding shoes

We are loving these fabulous heels. The plum floral heels can be customized to any color to match your wedding theme — love!

brian atwood wedding shoes

The bridal collection will be available in stores by June — just in time for wedding season.

brian atwood wedding shoes

brian atwood wedding shoes

To see more Brian Atwood, check out brianatwood.com.

—Naima DiFranco

First Look: Romona Keveza's Spring 2014 Bridal Couture Collection

This season, Romona Keveza's couture bridal collection takes you on a tour through time, drawing inspiration from the 1800s into the future. The show begins with a blush ballgown inspired by Princess Alice, then progresses to a 1920s Gatsby gown, an Old Hollywood glamour gown from the '30s, a return to luxury in the '40s, a sweet '50s frock, a gown inspired by Jackie Kennedy, a bell-shaped dress representing the '80s, a one-shoulder dress for the '90s, a lace and tulle number for the new millennium, and a glittering gold using fabrications never before seen in bridal for the gown of the future.

Watch the full show here:

See more from the bridal runways in our daily recaps!

—Kristen O'Gorman Klein

Melissa Gilbert Ties the Knot — in Red!

The Little House on the Prairie star and Dancing with the Stars alum married actor Timothy Busfield yesterday in a private ceremony at the celeb-favorite San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara, California. 

melissa gilbert wedding dress
Photo courtesy of @melissaegilbert/Twitter

The pair got engaged in December. "They've known each other for quite some time, as their paths have crossed off-and-on over the past 20 years," a source told Us Weekly

The San Ysidro Ranch, a picturesque resort with an ultra-private vibe and luxe accomodations, has played host to a number of other celebrity couples over the years, including Jack and Jackie Kennedy, Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin, Hilarie Duff and Mike Comrie, and Drew Barrymore and Will Kopelman. 

san ysirdo ranch
Photo courtesy of San Ysidro Ranch, A Rosewood Resort

Tell us: What do you think of Melissa's red gown?

April 25th

Photo Credit: Derek Martinez Photography

Tip of the Day: How long should your ceremony be? Thirty minutes is ideal because it gives you enough time for a gorgeous processional, all of your personalized ceremony elements and the reading of your vows. If your ceremony will be outdoors, that's a comfortable amount of time for guests to sit on a warm or cool day before proceeding to your cocktail party. Some ceremonies, of course, can be perfectly beautiful in 20 minutes, so if you'd prefer a shorter length of time, you’re still in great shape. Whatever you do, limit it to under an hour out of courtesy to your guests.

Check out the most commonly-asked ceremony questions here.

 

Backstage Beauty: Marchesa

We scored an exclusive backstage pass to one of the hottest bridal runway shows this season — Marchesa. Their newest styles feature cascading peplums, light-as-air ruffles and ultra-feminine sleeves (more on gowns later!), but we also couldn't wait to show you the equally covetable hair and makeup from the show. 

Get the Look: Luminous and Angelic Makeup

Marchesa chose none other than renowned celebrity makeup artist Gucci Westman, dubbed by Vogue as “fashion’s favorite face-maker,” to beautify the models for their runway show. The Artistic Director of Revlon took a less-is-more beauty approach, which perfectly complemented the ethereal dress styles.marchesa backstage makeup
To create a radiant glow, Westman began by prepping the skin with a luminizer and primer (the key to long-lasting makeup). She used a light foundation, Revlon Nearly Naked, which provided coverage yet still allowed the models' natural beauty to shine through.

Backstage Beauty: Monique Lhuillier

A Monique Lhuillier runway show never disappoints — this season, we got an exclusive backstage pass to see how the magic happens. Kérastase and MAC created a fresh and glam beauty look inspired by '60s starlets, like Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn. Come check it out!

Get the Look: Retro-Chic Chignon

First, Kérastase lead stylist Nina Dimachki applied a mixture of Volumactive Mousse, Volumactive Spray, and Ciment Thermique to add texture and create a second-day hair effect. Then, she blow-dried the hair to set the product, curled it with a one-inch iron and pinned up the curls while they were still warm.

Fun Ways to Serve Fruit at Your Wedding

Guest Blogger: Nathaniel Neubauer, owner of Contemporary Catering
Nathaniel’s mom says it best: “When Nathaniel was turning three, I asked him what he wanted for his third birthday. He said, ‘Quiche.’” Ever since, Nathaniel’s love for food has never been far from reach. With his presence, Contemporary Catering quickly became a major contender in the Los Angeles catering industry. From overseeing production to designing a nine-course tasting menu with five-star service, Nathaniel’s dedication to his clients and his company is unparalleled.


We believe fruit is a must for every meal, but what we don't believe in are fruit carving displays circa 1982. Fruit deserves to be to be served up in a much more appetizing and fresh way, and not just limited to cheesy buffets and sugary-sweet desserts. There's no reason fruit shouldn't be used in every course at your wedding, from chef-driven cocktails infused with exotic fruits to fruit in salads to fruit-adorned appetizers, like seared scallops with mango-melon salsa, and even savory main courses, like slow cooked lamb with a pomegranate orange sauce. 

Cocktails:

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