Given the recent events from Italy, I’ve received a lot of questions about sailing the high seas. Is it safe? Should I be concerned? I got the scoop from my pal, travel writer and cruise expert Clark Norton, who has written, among other things, How to Save Money on Cruises. Here’s what he said:

“Should you be concerned about cruise ship safety in the wake of the Costa Concordia disaster? Of course, just like you should be concerned every time you get in a car or on an airplane, train, horse or pair of skis. No form of transportation or vacationing is risk free—and cruising accidents always receive perhaps more than their fair share of publicity—but ships fare pretty well in the overall safety category. In the year 2010, the top seven cruise lines operating out of the United States reported a total of four "suspicious" deaths (no proven homicides) and 31 serious assaults out of about 10 million total passengers. That's a tiny percentage! What’s more, surveys have shown that frequent cruisers generally feel safe aboard cruise ships.

Let's be honest: We brides spend a little too much time thinking about wedding centerpieces. Personally, I’ve never been to a wedding where I left that night thinking about the lovely centerpieces instead of the lovely couple, and that’s how it should be. My theory is that they should be beautiful, yet affordable; after all, they are just one part of the décor.

For our wedding, Corey and I will be displaying clusters of bottles and vases in the center of our tables. So far, most of the bottles have been easy to collect over these past few months. We're using lots of wine bottles (a good excuse to order vino mid-week with dinner!) and scored big at a Goodwill sale (we bought a bunch of vases for 50 cents each). My mom came up with a genius idea: When she and my dad go out to dinner, they ask the bartender if they have any recently-emptied bottles that they would be willing to donate.

To snazzy up some of the bottles, we’re going to spray paint them to match our wedding color palette. Since the bottle mouths are so small, we only have to fill them with one or two flowers to look substantial, helping us cut down on floral costs. For each vase cluster, we will choose varying shapes and sizes that look good together. I love that each of our centerpieces will be different (even if just slightly) and we can reuse or give away the vases after the wedding.

Here's an idea of what the finished product will look like:

Each week, we feature wedding music recommendations from Scratch Weddings, the nation's leader with the best wedding DJs at affordable prices. This week's post comes from DJ Trife. One of the best DJ performers on the East Coast, he expertly applies his skills—scratching, mixing, beat matching and live mash-ups—to his gigs at clubs, events, private parties and weddings. He brings an exciting and fresh spin to DJing, customizing sets that appeal to clients' tastes. His upbringing on Soul, Rock, Hip Hop and House provide him with a deep music knowledge, and his personality makes him instantly likable among couples.

You can’t go wrong by playing the classics at your wedding, but peppering in some fresh tunes will make any wedding feel more modern and fun. Whether you’re going for a vibe that’s more indie, more party or more worldly, turn to these rising star artists for options that guests of all ages will enjoy.

Cocktail Hour/Dinner Music Stars

Who knew having similar email addresses could potentially lead to marriage? That was the case for Ruben P. Salazar and Rachel P. Salazar, who began exchanging emails after Rachel's co-worker accidently sent Ruben an email.

In January 2007, Ruben, who lived in Texas, forwarded the email to Rachel, who lived in Thailand, thus starting the beginning of an endless email chain. "I was excited that this person was halfway around the world, it was kind of like sending a letter in a bottle," said Ruben.

After many days (in Thailand) and nights (in Texas) of getting to know each other, Rachel finally took a plane and traveled 8,000 miles to meet Ruben. Rachel kept the trip a secret from friends and family to avoid being called "foolish," while Ruben told everyone he knew.

After eight days of being with each other, Ruben proposed while the couple was out dancing one night. "I knew right at that moment: I need to say something or do something so that I don't lose her, so I got down on one knee and asked you [Rachel] to marry me," he said.

Although some of Ruben's friends and family had second thoughts and couldn't believe the shocking news, "They now all tell us, 'you're perfect for each other. You've found the right match!'" said Rachel.

Ruben and Rachel's love story was immortalized in an animated video created by StoryCorps:

If you’re looking for some fun ideas on how to personalize your wedding, check out these adorable custom-made ring bearer pillows from illustrator Colleen Johnson ($49.95 plus shipping). You can choose from any number of illustrations including sweet lovebirds and monograms or even a themed pillow like the seashell design crafted for a beach wedding.

Just e-mail Colleen your design preference or monogram initials (if that’s the design you choose), along with your wedding date and color scheme, and she’ll do the rest. You’ll get a proof of the pillow design for your review and receive it in about 3-4 weeks. Go to freshlineillustration.typepad.com or freshlineillustration.com.

I also loved Colleen’s charming cards—a great way to ask your favorite gal pals to be in the wedding party and then to thank them after the wedding for helping to make it so memorable. Check out the designs at etsy.com/shop/Freshline. They’ll so appreciate your thoughtfulness.