By Rachel Wilkerson, Lover.ly

Hiring a wedding planner might feel like something that only socialites or people in movies do, but many non-royal brides employ planners to help with their weddings. But is a wedding planner the right choice for your wedding? Here are four situations when it might be a good idea to hire a wedding planner.


From Etsy Shops via Lover.ly

1. Your time is very valuable to you. Some people love wedding planning, but not everyone is looking to make wedding planning her part-time job. If you're the kind of person who prefers to pay others to do the things you dislike or aren't great at, then hire a pro. You'll have to make room in your budget, but if hiring someone gives you more time to pick up extra income elsewhere, then it's money well spent.


Photo by: White Loft Studio on Wedding Chicks via Lover.ly

2. You're planning long-distance. Whether you're planning a destination wedding, or just planning a wedding in your hometown from a new city, trying to plan

The Emperor card suggests that you have the strength of your convictions. People know you can be counted on to perform or to be reasonable when passions get hot, but you may have issues with accepting the independence of your love interest, particularly when it comes to being the provider or protector. Don't try to force the issue -- be dependable and you can earn respect by being a positive role model.

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Discover how discord in your relationship can actually bring you closerBy Jenna Birch

While "tension" sounds negative, it's really a sign your relationship is changing-possibly for the better. Even when all is status quo, infusing certain kinds of tension into your marriage can shake things up in a good way. Here, experts share how to use different types of tumult to get closer with your husband. Photo by Getty Images

1. Sexual Tension
When you're longing for your hubby, and vice versa, that natural, physical tension signals a need to be met. "We tend to think of sexuality as romantic, but sexual release is a human necessity," says clinical psychologist Andra Brosh, PhD. So occasionally, be a tease; holding out can turn up the heat between the sheets. "This could position you in a healthy place of power over him." Just don't withhold sex to get your way or because you're upset with him. Driving him crazy is only fun when it's playful, not punishment.

Related: Discover 8 secrets of sexually satisfied couples.

2. Conflict Tension
If you finally argue

When it comes to incorporating wedding rituals into your big day, it's important to keep things personal. We've rounded up fresh takes on timeless traditions for you to adapt as you please.

CUTTING THE CAKE
The Tradition: Dessert is a high point of any party, but at a wedding, it literally takes the cake. This is the most iconic moment in the reception, and a guest favorite. The couple and the cake often take center stage after the dinner plates are cleared. The bride places her hand on the knife, and the groom places his hand over hers. They cut a slice and feed each other -- a gesture symbolic of their promise to always provide for one another -- with plenty of encouragement from guests. The Update: These days, many couples offer a dessert buffet instead of cake, with an array of pastries and bite-size sweets; or they may create a cake-like arrangement of frosted cupcakes on tiers. It can be hard to cut such small confections gracefully, so just offer your partner a

by Gena Kaufman


Thayer Allyson Gowdy Last night as I looked around my room, filled with suitcases and boxes and a million piles of clothes messily divided into "Keep" and "Give Away" piles, I knew I had some important work to do before I move back to New York. So naturally, I went downstairs, got a glass of wine, and worked on updating my online dating profile so I could start scoping dating prospects in NYC.

What, you guys? I'll pack later.

Anyway, as I updated my zip code so I could see the guys in my new (again) neck of the woods, I took a look through the rest of my profile, which I haven't done in a while. As I read through it, I noticed that a) I still think my own profile is totally funny and cute and b) it's kind of outdated. Most of what was was written was originally composed back in 2008, my first small brush with online dating during a split with my boyfriend. After we reunited, I shut it down, but when I signed back up years later, I just re-used the original profile, just adding a pic to

This is where cheaters go.Maybe we're a little too obsessed with Mad Men but, when we imagine a steamy, salacious affair, we certainly don't picture it all going down in the middle of The Cheesecake Factory.

By Natasha Burton

However, a new poll by the notorious dating website for cheaters, AshleyMadison.com, finds that chain restaurants and steak houses are the prime locales to take your cheating partner/mistress/whatever the male equivalent of mistress is. (BTW: Why isn't there a male equivalent of mistress?)

Related: 5 Realistic Reasons Why Women Cheat

According to the site's founder, places like P.F. Chang's and Ruth's Chris Steakhouse are not only "larger and less conspicuous," but they are "also commonly found in business districts, close to hotels where these type of dates typically end." Iiiiiinteresting.

The survey also found that most of these chain restaurant rendezvous take place 20 miles from where the cheaters in question live. (Well, we guess they're not driving all that way for the food,

Engagement parties: Wise tradition than a wasteful expense? Our wedding etiquette experts are here to answer your engagement party questions in our daily post.

See also: 64 Engagement Rings Under $5000

Do we have to have an engagement party?

You aren't required to have an engagement party, but it isn't a bad idea. Often it's the perfect opportunity to introduce parents and attendants to each other before the wedding. And don't think you're doomed to a stuffy cocktail party. Anything goes when it comes to engagement parties-from backyard barbecues to clam bakes-so make it as laid-back as you want.

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29 Couples Share Their Adorable First Dance Songs
Sexy Lace Wedding Dresses

People make a big fuss about their wedding pictures - it's understandable. First off, they are the most visual link to that once-in-a-lifetime event when your love is consecrated in the eyes of your family and friends and even cousins you never knew you had. BUT, if you happen to be the proud owner of just one picture from your big day in which that crazy uncle, or better yet, a complete stranger in a Speedo, just happened to enter the frame at the perfect moment and now lives on forever in photo form, consider yourself extremely lucky, my friend. For it is that photo and that photo alone which you will return to again and again, to show your friends, to share with as many people as possible on the internet, and which will bring you more joy than all of the other pictures combined. Click through for the 7 most hilarious wedding photobombs ever! -By Serge Bielanko

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