By Connie Wang, Photographed by Winnie Au, Refinery29

For the couple who prefers a quiet dinner to a blowout affair, there's no reason to throw an over-the-top wedding complete with self-brewed hooch, a 400-person guest list, and enough harvested wildflowers to cause a national scarcity. Nope - for the low-key couple with a proclivity toward old-school romance, a City Hall wedding is the only way to do it.

With that in mind, we staked out the steps in front of the New York City Clerk's Office to catch the couples who've vowed to keep things real - documenting everything from their outfits to their love stories. So, crank up the Boyz II Men and make sure the Kleenex box is within reach - all you saps out there, this one's for you.

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Taylor Swift sold so many records in 2012, the only people who didn't buy one are probably named Jake and John. Her fourth album, Red, is yet another blockbuster, selling 1.2 million copies in its first week, far outpacing every other week-one sales tally for 2012. (Mumford & Sons' Babel placed a distant second with 600,000). But Red is far from a safe record for Swift. She stretched her sound by co-writing with Swedish hit mafia Max Martin and Shellback and dueting with moon-eyed British folkies Ed Sheeran and Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody, and tackled assorted adult subjects with the same precision she previously saved for high-school crushes. Don't let the off-white sundresses and kitty-cat Instagrams fool you. At 22, Swift is clearly no innocent: She's in charge of her career to a degree that few artists can dare match, and she's an exceptional songwriter who still hasn't peaked at her craft. We spoke to Swift by telephone while she was in Los Angeles for a TV appearance and video

TresSugarSource: December Must Reads

Welcome to the wintry world of the holidays - happy December, everyone! As we bundle up and spend our evenings and weekends holed up at home with a fire (or candles) and a good book, now's the best time to explore the hottest reads of the season. This month, a diverse bunch of books hit bookshelves, from a memoir by Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas to a wedding book by the founder of Style Me Pretty. Throw in some mysteries, a suspenseful romance, and a memoir on growing up as an American girl in Paris, and we've got enough books to tide us over till the New Year. Check out the most promising page-turners coming out in December now!

• Grace, Gold, and Glory: My Leap of Faith: At 16 years young, US Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas made history this Summer when she became the first African-American woman to win the all-around gymnastics gold medal at the Olympics. Now with the help of Michelle Burford, she's written a memoir on her experience titled Grace,

Source: Frequently Asked Questions About Kate Middleton's Pregnancy

News of Kate Middleton's pregnancy broke only days ago, but already there's been a steady appetite for updates about her condition and the royal baby growing inside of her. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's baby will be third in line to the British throne, bumping Prince Harry down to the fourth position. Since Will and Kate were forced to reveal the good news before they wanted to, due to Kate's acute morning sickness, the public will be following along with the pregnancy for longer than expected. To get up to date, here are some FAQs and answers about Kate's pregnancy.

Q: How far along is she?
A: The palace has only confirmed that Kate is less than 12 weeks along. Some sources says she is only eight weeks along, which would mean we can expect a baby at the end of June or early July.

Q: What is hyperemesis gravidarum?
A: In Latin, hyperemesis means vomit and gravidarum means pregnancy. Yikes. The illness, often

by Melissa Melms, Glamour

It's really funny how things can change in a year's time. You can move in with a guy, have the time of your life figuring out the whole cohabitation thing and maybe even get engaged. Hey, it happened to me!

Yeap, in October 2011, J moved into my one bedroom apartment in Hoboken. We had been dating for two years at the time and were both ready to take the next step in our relationship--a step neither of us had taken with anyone else before. And here I am, a little over a year later, engaged this past October and now I'm planning our wedding.

I remember sitting down to write about "boyfriend-proofing" my apartment right before J moved in. I was so nervous about hiding my tampons and trying to make as much room for him as possible in the closet. Oh, how naive I was! You see, those boyfriend-proofing tips only last a couple months into living with your guy. You can primp and hide your feminine products, but when you're comfortable together you form brand new

This Caribbean isle has been pampering vacationers since the '50s, when Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly would jet in, so it knows how to do hotels in all shapes and sizes. Whether you two want an all-inclusive, pamper-perfect beach resort; a small, plantation-style inn; or a resort that's more mod and boutique, Jamaica has it all. Here, our top stays for couples.

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by Glamour

James Van Der Beek, the actor formerly known as Dawson, plays a jerky version of himself on Don't Trust the B---- in Apt. 23 and posts silly memes online--but here he gets serious about what guys want this time of year.

BEST
1. Skydiving lessons. Ask, "Have you ever wanted to jump out of an airplane?" and then change the subject. A month later you can give him skydiving lessons, and he won't remember having said it.

2. Socks. It's the worst present when we're eight; now that we're 28, it's a relief not to have to buy them ourselves. And socks can add a little rebelliousness to our buttoned-up wardrobe.

3. Tools. But only if you've heard something like, "Man, that new Makita 12-volt drill really looks great." If we're that specific, we mean "Go get it."

See more: Cute Boots for Every Budget

4. Steak of the month, beer of the month… Food is great. I'm always happy with flavored popcorn.

5. A personalized barbecue branding iron. That's cool. That's fun. [They actually exist!

Word on the Internet is that oxytocin is better than dopamine.Over the past year hormones have not been my friend. Actually, if I really think about it, they never have been. They're more along the lines of what I'd call a frenemy; our relationship starting at the onset of puberty, as a young version of myself sat taking out the contents of my "Growing Up and Liking it Kit." My hormones make my body go crazy and an already emotional me weepy. They also make my husband ask me questions like "how long do pregnancy hormones stay in your system?"

Despite my love/hate relationship when it comes to my own hormones, there is one particular hormone that I'd love to get my hands on as I continue this emotional roller coaster that became increasingly intense at pregnancy and threw me for a loop at postpartum. I am also fully aware that in my future is another loop, one with hot flashes and night sweats. In the meantime; however, I'd like a little more of that oxytocin. I'd like to bottle it up and perhaps sprinkle a little bit of it on my husband for good