Stress Away Bridal

It seems like there are endless facts out there when you start researching engagement rings. From the 4C’s of diamond buying to the number of months salary you should spend on a ring, the ‘experts’ are always telling you how, and what, to buy. But what about the many wrong ideas buyers encounter ...

Posted by Sherri Caudell Brennan, Shopping and Fashion Market ExpertChoosing a socially-responsible diamond for your engagement ring or wedding band may not be the first thing on your mind, but it's nice to know that you can find style and substance all in one place. Purchasing responsible d...

Posted by Talley Sue Hohlfeld, Etiquette ExpertIn all our designing of reply cards to show you in our stories, we've never designed one with meal choices to check off. It's sort of a busy design—I think that's why we haven't bothered. And none of the brides we've worked w...

Posted by Darcy Miller, Editorial Director  By now, cake designer extraordinaire Sylvia Weinstock needs no introduction. She's not only the queen of weddings cakes, she's honestly one of the sweetest and funniest people in our industry. And now that our winter issue is on newsstands, fe...

Deciding your wedding colors is one of the most important initial steps in planning. With the endless possibilities, you can start to narrow it down by focusing on colors you’re most drawn to and finding complimentary colors to build out a theme, or find an inspirational picture or photogra...

I love making homemade gifts, but now that our little company has grown to include more than 200 people, making holiday treats for everyone in the office is a daunting task. This year, I stayed away from homemade fudge, brownies and cookies in favor of something more scalable—homemade hot c...

Posted by Sherri Caudell Brennan, Shopping and Fashion Market Expert Photo courtesy of First ViewHappy New Year! NYC brides, you're in luck! Vineyard is having a trunk show at Kleinfeld! If you live in New York or are going to be here January 5-7, this is a great chance to get a high-quality...

Posted by Jennifer Miranda, Associate EditorSome hotels never go out of style: The Plaza, Ritz Paris, George V (also in Paris--notice a trend?). Now, you can add La Mamounia to that list. Like a moth to a flame, celebrities have been flocking to the newly restored oasis in Marrakech, which recent...

Posted by Cara Sullivan, Beauty ExpertJust in time for New Year's Eve, I'm LOVING the new trend of glittery nail polish—and for me, the bigger and bolder the glitter, the better. Deborah Lippmann has some of these polishes in her collection; try rainbow-hued Birthday Cake, which is a fa...

Posted by Sherri Caudell Brennan, Shopping and Fashion Market Expert   Christina Dalle Pezze knew all too well that a good bridesmaid dress is hard to find. After several engaged friends returned frustrated from many rounds of dress shopping with stories of synthetic fabric embellished with a Bed...

The Diva Dialogue bloggers will be taking the rest of the week off to ring in the New Year with family and friends, but before we go we wanted to wish you all the best for 2010! a

Posted by Talley Sue Hohlfeld, Etiquette ExpertIt's very common nowadays for brides and grooms not to invite children. Increased competition for wedding venues has pushed prices for sit-down dinners way up, and children are perceived as not enjoying the dinner enough to warrant the expenditu...

Whether you’re hosting your event at a vineyard or simply love wine and want to share it with your guests, wine-themed wedding favors make excellent gifts.Plus, if you’d like to hand out bottles of wine or champagne, you don’t have to spend a fortune on specialized labels. Simpl...

Giving stylish wedding favors to your guests is also the perfect opportunity to show everyone that going “green” can be perfectly glamorous! Here’s a collection of unique eco-friendly wedding favors that your friends and family members are sure to love!These bamboo spoons and ri...

Whatever your party plans are for New Year’s Eve this Thursday, you’ll need a clutch purse to carry your essentials. Take a look at a few of our top picks that will perfectly hold your cellphone and lipgloss, but will also instantly amp up your party ensemble!L to R:  J.Crew Stone gar...

Posted by Cara Sullivan, Beauty ExpertAnyone who knows me knows that I love a strong eyebrow--for years, I've been darkening them with brow powder. And I'm not even a huge Madonna fan! Now, I'm over the superdark thing and on to a new stage: fuller brows. Growing them in has been a...

Posted by Shira Savada, Real Weddings Editor Happy almost six month anniversary to today's couple! Sam and Ian's Shelter Island wedding was a bespoke event, catering entirely to their personalities and desire to welcome their guests warmly.Here's the scoop:Angelica Glass photograp...

Posted by Lauren Richel Kelly, Color and Design ExpertBlush, Pink, Gold, and GreenOk, so it's the dead of winter, but that doesn't mean I can't think spring. You're probably all gearing up for spring weddings anyway, right? So with that in mind, I think a subtle floral palette...

Posted by Sherri Caudell Brennan, Shopping and Fashion Market ExpertIf there's ever a time for romance, your wedding night is it, so why not go all the way? Rosy pinks and lacy silks are sure to win the heart of your true love. That's why Carine Gilson is on my top five list of lingerie...

Posted by Talley Sue Hohlfeld, Etiquette ExpertTechnically speaking, I'm not "at work" today; our entire company shuts down for the week between Christmas and New Years. So now that we've abruptly stopped, the workaholic in me is twiddling her thumbs and tapping her feet, wait...

Few things cause as much angst during the wedding planning process as shopping for wedding favors. Most couples run into problems as they try to find something affordable, high quality, gender neutral and unique—a combination of traits that can seem impossible to achieve at times.The soluti...

Posted by Sherri Caudell Brennan, Shopping and Fashion Market ExpertYou know what to do with your dress before the big day--order it, get it fitted, get it pressed, keep it clean--but what do you do with it after your wedding? Most brides save them, and perhaps even pass them down, but there&#039...

Posted by Shira Savada, Real Weddings EditorAs the end of the year draws near, I wanted to take a quick moment to congratulate some of our staffers on their 2009 weddings. Yes, we spend our days developing stories to help you get married, but many of us are also living and breathing weddings of o...

Posted by Katie Hatch, Style DirectorSeriously, just try to get a treat by us--there isn't one we don't like. That's why we love Foodzie.com. It's an etsy-style site for gourmet goodies, and a great source for yummyfavors, guest bag fare, and sweet snacks to bulk up your desse...

Posted by Cara Sullivan, Beauty ExpertOf course, I love telling you all about my favorite new discoveries. But there are some amazing classic beauty products that I'm equally obsessed with--and you should know about those, too! Case in point: These Borba gummi bears. They taste like superyum...

Posted by Matthew Robbins, ContributorI hope everyone is staying warm and enjoying the holidays! I was in San Francisco earlier this month, and I was so inspired by two beautiful shops in the city. MARCH is a fabulous store on Sacramento Street that offers an incredible selection of home decor ob...

This is just a quick little note to let you know that Diva Dialogue will be on hold for the next few days as we all head home to celebrate the holidays with our families. But don’t worry—if you miss us, we will be back on Monday December 28th with fresh new tips on stationery, style, ...

Posted by Sherri Caudell Brennan, Shopping and Fashion Market ExpertHappy holidays, everyone! It really is the most wonderful time of the year, but not for the reason you think. In Club Monaco stores and online right now, you'll find must-have sparkly accessories that could be perfect for yo...