Hi! I’m the new girl here in the BG fashion department. Naima, the one and only BG fashion and beauty editor, is out on maternity leave with her new baby Grace! Her little bundle of joy arrived on Feb. 23rd and is so adorable. I can’t wait to meet her in person!

Naima's baby Grace
Born on 2/23/12 at 6:25pm
7 lb 10 oz. 20.5 inches

To make a long story short, I am filling in for Naima until she returns in May. But I am no stranger to Bridal Guide. I was the Creative Director here for a long time but have been gone for several years now while Mary Cate has been so wonderfully running the show in the art department. Like Naima, my baby was born while I was on staff at Bridal Guide.

Here’s my baby, Jacob
Born 11 years ago while I was here at BG

So, I’m happy to be back and reporting to you about all the newest gowns from Chicago and NewYork Bridal Markets and putting together the September/October issue of Bridal Guide. Lots of great products and accessories come into our office that I would just love to tell you about, so stay tuned…

—Robin Zachary
 

Each week, we feature music recommendations from Scratch Weddings, the nation's leader with the best wedding DJs at affordable prices. This week's post comes from DJ Jon Blak, whose client list includes Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Jermaine Dupri and Ryan Leslie. He describes his style as "retro/future”, a seamless blend of old and new that translates well to wedding guests of all ages. "I love the challenge of crossing genres and generations and playing a diverse mix that's totally seamless. At the end a wedding, I'd like the bride and the groom to be exhausted from dancing!" Jon is known infusing any event with energy and cool, while always keeping the client's musical preferences front and center in his music selection.

Photo courtesy of Antonia Christianson Events

I'm very lucky to have four awesome bridesmaids who will stand by my side during my wedding. Although our special day is supposed to be about my fiancé Corey and I—the love we share and the life we're planning together—it's important to us to include loved ones in the planning process as well. Bridesmaid dress shopping was no exception. I know that the notion of finding one dress to fit multiple ladies (all with different body types and style preferences) can be nerve-wracking and challenging, but I'm happy to report that it can be done! Here, some considerations to keep in mind that I learned from personal experience.

1. Remember that no two bridesmaids are built the same. When choosing a dress, it’s important to keep the ladies’ body types in mind. All four of my 'maids are absolutely gorgeous, but they have different body shapes and heights (one bridesmaid is 5’2 while another is 5’11). No matter how fit or beautiful your bridesmaids are, not every dress style looks good on every woman—ask them in advance if there are any particular necklines or silhouettes they find to be unflattering. One of my bridesmaids didn’t think halters looked good on her figure, so we stayed away from that particular style.

Nikki and her sister Allison

Just goes to show you that you if you’re looking for an upgrade, you should dress like you belong in the upper class cabin. Pete and Penny the penguins rode from San Antonio to Atlanta the other day in first class. 


Now, I realize I’m making a bit of a joke here, but seriously, some airlines refuse to upgrade unkempt passengers. My traveling companion was denied access to business class on a flight from Bombay to Brussels because he was wearing shorts. And on a trip to Paris last year, I saw a few men in suits get the nod from the flight attendant.

So what's the real secret to scoring a flight upgrade? Wear a jacket—or even a suit. At the gate, mention you're on your honeymoon and ask if the flight is full; then say, very very sweetly, would it be possible to be put on the upgrade list? 

Also remember—you’re never fully dressed without a smile.

—Jenna Mahoney