Want to get a headstart on your wedding planning in the New Year?

Santa Clara brides, we've got just the ticket: Join expert celebrity planners Preston Bailey, Sasha Souza, Nikki Khan and Bryan Rafanelli at The Wedding Faire & Symposium from Jan. 6th - 8th!

They'll share their expertise and all of the newest wedding trends during special workshops throughout the day. The Wedding Faire will also include 100+ photo booth displays and vendor exhibits, as well as bridal fashion shows (it's the largest wedding planning event in NoCal). Get additional info and purchase your ticket at wedding-faire.com.

If you can't make the event (is it too late for the BG editors to hop on a plane from NYC?), we've got an exclusive sneak peek at some of the trends that will be featured in Faire. They also offer wedding planning tools for brides across the country.

1. Incorporate Color Into Your Gown

At New York Bridal Fashion Week, we saw gorgeous gowns in a variety of hues, from pink to icy blue to black for 2012. If you're dead-set on wearing a white dress, you can still find ways to include a pop of color in your bridal ensemble.

Janet and Cameron rang in 2011 with a beautiful snowy wedding in Park City, Utah. Check out the amazing photos from photographer Rebekah Westover!

Right after Thanksgiving, photographer Melissa McCrotty announced a contest where she'd give one couple a free photo session. Lance, who first fell in love with his now-fiancée Kathryn in fifth grade, entered immediately. In his email to Melissa, he wrote:

"I don’t know if this will make any difference, but I just bought Kathryn a ring, and if you happen to pick us for the contest, I will propose at the end of the session."

That won over Melissa, and they began planning this super cute Christmas-themed photo shoot! 

The spirit of the holiday season reminds us of the importance of generosity—not just around Christmas and Hannukah, but all year long.

That's why we love this story: Jodi Guber, the founder of Beyond Yoga, is giving away the dreamy Vera Wang gown that she wore at her own nuptials to one very lucky and deserving bride-to-be! A firm believer in paying it forward, Guber wants to help create a "Beyond" special moment for someone else that is as meaningful as her wedding day was to her. 

Enter the giveaway by sending your contact info and story about why you should win to [email protected] by January 31. Please include "Beyond Beautiful Bride Giveaway" in the subject line. The winner of the tulle-and-organza stunner will be notified on Valentine's Day—thereby bypassing jewels and chocolates as our preferred gifts of choice.

Good luck, BG brides!

—Stefania Sainato

I don’t typically wear perfume (body splash and scented lotion will do), but I think such a special occasion is worthy of a special scent. My mom and I visited Sephora recently and began sniffing around. Lost in a cloud of several fragrances and on the verge of a headache, I was nowhere near making a decision 15 minutes into my visit. Then a sales associate kindly asked if I needed help. Once I explained why we were there (and how we had narrowed it down to some favorites, but they started to confuse my nose), she offered to put together samples of all the scents I was considering—how awesome is that?

I've been wearing the samples ever since in an attempt to make a decision. Want to help?

Marc Jacobs Daisy

Marc Jacobs Daisy is sweet and sophisticated; I can’t say whether it smells just like a daisy, but it certainly is floral. Don't get me wrong, it isn't too sweet (I don't like overly sugary scents) but it does have some feminine notes.

Here's a negative: I asked Corey to sniff each perfume in their little sample baggies and he said this reminded him of rubbing alcohol. Not good. However, later when I wore it for a day and asked if he liked it, he said yes. Oh fickle fiancé!

Hello, my gorgeous BG.com readers! Hope everyone is enjoying the festive season. I am sending happy holiday vibes to all of you!

Today, I thought I’d talk about certain wedding truths no one wants to tell you, since I'm officially a wedding planning veteran. Here it goes...

1. There are going to be times when you seriously question your sanity. 

This is okay. There is a reason why they came up with the word "bridezilla"—planning your wedding can be a stress-inducing experience. It's easy for us to get sucked into an unattainable ideal of perfection. Then you've got the anxiety of actually paying for it all, coupled with the desire to bond with your new in-laws. It's inevitable that we have meltdowns from time to time! Here are 20 easy ways to de-stress for the times when it all feels like too much to handle.

 Photo Credit: Jayd Gardina Photography

2. You will become obsessed with looking at total strangers' weddings (on Pinterest, Facebook, etc.) and want to steal their genius ideas.