Blog Posts by Bridal Guide

Elaborate elopements-costing anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000-are on the rise, according to a new article in the New York Times. Couples are choosing to avoid hosting guests in favor of glorified photo shoots that capture just the two of them. Picture: fantasy settings (farmhouse, mountaintop ice skating rink, private riverboat), fairytale elements (setting off sparklers, hiring flower girls to carry lanterns), and even a miniature three-layer cake to top off the celebration. Of course, all this would not be possible without a small army of wedding pros, who are there to capture the entire spectacle; not for children and grandkids down the road, but for digital bragging rites, admittedly.

Many couples elope because they can't deal with the emotional and financial stress of planning a full-scale wedding, or they want to whittle down all of the superficial details to focus on what really matters-entering this joyous stage of life as husband-and-wife. Most of the brides quoted

To start your happily ever after, put these golden rules into action and follow them for as long as you both shall live.Look beyond your wedding plans...what do you see? Hopefully, a blissfully happy future with your best friend in the world, including plenty of love, romance, hot nights (or mornings) and sweet nothings. But a successful marriage doesn't just happen-it takes commitment, communication, and staying true to all of those promises you made in your wedding vows.

First Commandment: Thou Shalt Be Fun
The bright spot in your spouse's day? Coming home to you after a hectic workday, of course! You both probably spend the majority of your time working, managing the household, or dealing with other mundane (but necessary) tasks, so it's crucial to make each other laugh and enjoy life together. Be silly, crack inside jokes, plan adventurous dates, share each other's sporting or pop culture interests and try new activities (even if you're terrible at them). Also-this is very important-be fun when you're around his friends and family, too. A fun spouse lights up the room, reminding him how

Nikki and her sister Allison 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

For their February 5 wedding, Twilight fans Abigail and Andy took their love of all things Twilight to the extreme. Abigail became the first bride to get married in the Alfred Angelo replica of Bella's gown, while Andy wore a formal tails tuxedo. They took inspiration from the movie's gorgeous wedding scene for their music, flowers, and cake.

The Breaking Dawn soundtrack played a big role in their wedding day. Abigail walked down the aisle to an instrumental version of Sleeping at Last's "Turning Page," and the newlyweds used "Bella's Lullaby" for their recessional. They shared their first kiss as a married couple to "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" by Iron & Wine, just like Bella and Edward, and they used the soundtrack as background music throughout the reception.

But the biggest Twilight tribute: The couple legally changed their last name to Cullen after the wedding.

"Andy came out with it as a joke and it kind of stuck, so we just did it. Life's to short to worry

From reenacting hit movies to staging a zombie invasion, many couples are taking their engagement photos to the next level-and having a lot more fun. Here, we've rounded up some of our favorite movie-themed engagement shoots. Check out more themed engagement shoots here!

More from Bridal Guide:

10 Insanely Creative Photo Save-the-Dates

15 Gorgeous Gowns Under $1,000

The Seven Deadly Bridal Sins

Get Inspiration from Real Weddings

10 Mistakes Brides Make When Dress Shopping

10 ways to honor lost loved ones, from subtle to bold.
One of the greatest issues couples struggle with when planning their wedding is how to honor a lost loved one. Whether you choose to acknowledge this person's absence publicly for your guests to share or privately for you alone, deciding how to do that can be challenging-you want to strike the right balance between acknowledging that loved one and fostering a joyous mood for your happy occasion.

I've been there-my grandmother passed away four months before my wedding, so this was a big issue for me in the months leading up to it. I wanted to include my grandma, because she played such an important role in my life, but I didn't want to dampen the celebratory spirit of our wedding.

From private nods to public tributes, here are ten ways to pay your respects on your wedding day.

1. Wear something that reminds you of that person.
This is one of the most private ways to honor a lost loved one-no one will even know unless you tell them. This is a great way to keep

Looking for something fresh or floral for your spring ceremony? Here are our favorite springtime gowns.

What is a groom's cake? Traditionally, it's a gift from the bride to the groom that reflects his personality and interests in his favorite cake flavor. The groom's cake is displayed next to the wedding cake, and typically, it's later cut and put into boxes for guests to take home. According to legend, if a single woman sleeps with the slice under her pillow that night, she'll dream about her future husband... though we recommend eating your slice, since these days, popular flavors are chocolate, cheesecake, or even liquor-soaked cake. Here, we've gathered 10 amazing cakes from the most popular themes. Check them out!