Blog Posts by BRIDES

No matter what your shape, there is a dress out there just for you. BRIDES magazine outlines six popular wedding-dress cuts and explains who looks best in them.

1. Column: Straight and sleek, this often-strapless dress has no waistline. Whom it flatters: It's perfect for petite and short-waisted women--a column's continuous line adds height to a small frame. Curvy girls should steer clear of its slender shape.

2. Princess: A flared, vertically seamed skirt gives this dress a regal feel. Whom it flatters: This style looks fantastic on most figures, but pear-shaped gals benefit most from its camouflaging cut, which hides fuller hips while balancing the torso.

3. A-line: A fluid line gently flares from the underarm to the hem. Whom it flatters: Anyone can wear an A-line dress, but it's an especially savvy choice for thick-waisted or voluptuous women who want to minimize their curves.

Related: The Best Wedding Dressed from the Pages of Brides

4. Mermaid: Also known

BRIDES magazine scanned the planet and hand-picked the 10 steamiest, most seductive resorts.

1. Las Ventanas al Paraiso-Los Cabos, Mexico It's hard to decide what's hotter: the sun or the star wattage from Jennifer Aniston and the other Tinseltowners who flock here. Soak it in on a poolside daybed while a butler delivers sorbets and top-shelf 'ritas. Doubles from $625 (low season) and $815 (high season).

2. Hermitage Bay-Antigua Most of the 25 cottages have plunge pools, and all have wraparound balconies with ocean views. (Feel free to let it all hang out: The cottages are draped in vines and outfitted with shades.) When the sand beckons, attendants will set you up with teak lounge chairs. All-inclusive doubles from $1,000 (low season) and $2,000 (high season).

3. Jade Mountain-St. Lucia At this playful, high-design hotel, futuristic bridges lead to palatial hilltop suites with infinity pools that run the length of the room. Showers feature six rain heads, the whirlpool has

Weddings, graduations ...'tis the season. Whether it's $1,000 or $10,000, BRIDES magazine brings you the first things to do with your checks, according to CNBC's personal-finance expert, Suze Orman.

1. Take care of your immediate needs first, says Orman, like putting down deposits on a rental apartment, buying basic home appliances, or paying for the down payment on a car.

2. Next, work out how to decrease monthly expenses. That usually means addressing the D-word-debt-whether it has accrued from credit cards, car loans, or student loans. "Line up your debt payments, from the highest interest rate to the lowest," advises Orman. "Pay off the bills with the highest interest rate first." (That usually means credit cards.)

See also: 10 Ways to Save up to $1,000 on Your Wedding Reception

3. Set up an eight-month emergency fund. To determine how much to save, calculate what you spend every month on necessities like gas, rent, utilities, and food, then multiply that figure

Beautiful brows are the ultimate eye enhancers. To ensure that yours look their best, know the skinny about the different methods. Sania Vucetaj of Sania's Brow Bar in New York City gave BRIDES magazine the lowdown:

Tweezing
Tweezers are used to remove individual hairs. Gentle on skin, precision plucking allows you to achieve a neat arch that's easy to maintain between professional appointments. Get an expert shaping once, then follow that line when you need a touch-up.

Waxing
A thin layer of warm wax is spread on the skin. Then a muslin strip is pressed down and ripped off quickly, in the opposite direction of the hair growth. Youch! Though it's over quickly-five minutes, tops, takes care of both brows-there's a chance of irritation. If you have bushy brows, the smarting may be well worth it, since you're left with supersmooth skin. When your arches grow in (it takes about three to four weeks), the hair will be fine and much easier to remove.

Related: The Best

The first night of marital bliss isn't always, well, blissful. BRIDES magazine readers share their stories of evening encounters that, while not exactly romantic, were certainly memorable.

"After Ron cut the wedding cake using my family's heirloom knife, he got this funny look on his face. I looked down at the cake and saw red-he'd practically sliced off his finger. We raced to the emergency room with his hand wrapped in a tablecloth. Despite his pain, my husband kept me laughing. Guess you could say we were both in stitches that night." -Katherine, Albany, NY

Related: Seven Smart Ways to Avoid Newlywed Fights

"We were on our way out of the reception hall when I realized that I'd left the envelope containing all the wedding checks on a table. Jerry and I rushed back inside just as the caterer's crew was sweeping the last of the table garbage into huge black trash bags. We went through all the bags but didn't find the envelope. It was pouring rain, but we went out back to

Unless you're a professional arbitrator, chances are you're not comfortable negotiating. Having a well-thought-out strategy when planning your wedding will make it easier. Review these five steps from BRIDES magazine before having the talk:

1. Know your budget. "It may sound obvious, but figure out what you can spend before bargaining," says Jean Chatzky, author of The Difference: How Anyone Can Prosper Even in the Toughest Times (Crown Business). Knowing your numbers will boost your confidence.

See also: 10 Ways to Save up to $1,000 on Your Wedding Reception

2. Get an itemized cost list from each vendor. This way, you'll know where every dollar is allocated. "Don't start discussing discounts until you've taken time to review the list on your own and can suggest tweaks," says Chatzky.

3. Always ask (nicely). Approach the planning process with the mind-set that all prices are flexible. If you don't ask for a discount, you'll never get one.

4. Be flexible. Negotiating

Think you're making a mistake? It's far less painful to get out
of an engagement than a marriage. BRIDES magazine helps
you figure out when you should end it and what to do, if so:

1. Don't ignore the warning signs: persistent doubt about a
conflict between you and your fiance; either of you being
withdrawn or grumpy; inability to pull the trigger on wedding
details; and total lack of interest.

2. Analyze the angst, and take a hard look at your stress-
provokers: Can you resolve your differences? Have you
sowed your wild oats? If the answer is no to either of those,
you may be anxious about marriage itself, not just stressed
about the wedding planning. Experts say that the indicator of
a good relationship is not whether you have problems, but how capable you are of solving them together. And as far as your fear of being tied down, you may need more time to date other people.

See Also: The Six Most Overused Phrases

BRIDES magazine weighs the good, the bad, and the unappetizing of five food-delivery services aimed at helping you drop pounds.

Jenny Craig Direct
Price: For about $60 to $70 a week (plus shipping and a $36 membership fee), three daily meals plus snacks are delivered to your door. Bonus: You get your own food consultant (via phone or online).
Taste: Jenny meals are tasty but tiny; rotini with meatballs, chicken parm, and the turkey burger get high marks. If you need something more filling, order one of the hearty soups.
Difficulty: Minimal effort (prepackaged food you pop in the microwave) meets maximum choice on this program. The one-on-one support makes staying on track a piece of cake.
Results: Expect to take off between one and two pounds per week-a healthy, sustainable weight-loss rate.

Dr. Siegal's Cookie Diet
Price: Consider this a sweet deal-$59 for a week's worth of low-fat cookies. They come in five flavors (banana, coconut, chocolate, blueberry, and