It’s bad enough to be sick on days you have to work (like I am today) and even worse to be sick on a beautiful weekend day. But can you imagine waking up on your wedding day with a headache, the sniffles, a hacking cough, and an overwhelming feeling of fatigue? The picture’s not pretty.

If you spent the last year planning, have more than 100 guests coming in from out of town, and more non-refundable vendor contracts than you can count on one hand’s worth of fingers, chances are you’re going to go ahead with your nuptials no matter what. Well, almost. If you’re too sick to stand, bazooka barfing, in labor, bleeding internally, or strapped to a hospital gurney, you should probably postpone your nuptials.

A cold or a headache, however, won’t ruin your big day, provided you’re ready for them. That’s why you need to make sure you have a wedding-day emergency kit stocked with everything from antacids to aspirin. I know I’ve discussed the all powerful emergency kit before, but it bears repeating. Only you know what germs you’re particular prone to hosting, so only you know what medications you should pack in your kit.

But remember that you only need a few of each remedy, so a pretty clutch will do fine. You can assign a bridesmaid, the MOB, or a good friend to keep watch over it during the ceremony and to make sure it arrives safely at the reception. The Carlo Fellini Brasilia Bag is suitably formal and suitably small – perfect for toting pills, pins, and so forth.

But if you want to carry your anti-sniffle supplies in something a little kitschier, grab one of these tiny totes:

Or this funky mirrored bag:

Never forget, however, that the best offense is a good defense. If you sleep well, stay active, and eat nutritiously in the weeks leading up to your wedding, you’re bound to feel great!

Ever been in love with the overall design of a ring but still wish you could change just one little teeny thing about it? Like the color, width, or type of gemstone, perhaps? With some jewelers, you have two choices: Accept the piece as is or move on. Should you choose the latter option, you could then get a ring custom designed from scratch – and potentially pay out the nose for the privilege.

Luckily for those in search of rings (wedding or otherwise), many jewelry designers offer their clients a range of designs with customizable options. Novell Design Studios makes all of their wedding bands to order and allows brides- and grooms-to-be to choose whether to have their rings crafted in platinum, 18kt gold, or white, yellow or pink 14kt gold. They can also personalize their wedding bands with decorative finishes, diamonds and colored stones. Features from different rings can even be combined to make an entirely new design. Cool, right?

This ring was supersized to include 15-point round diamonds and embellished with a 18kt yellow gold edge.

On this ring, the twisted inserts were removed and replaced with 2-point diamond channels.

And here, the original diamonds were switched out in favor of heirloom rubies belonging to the client!

Of course, it seems from some of their samples that customization is just another way for people to create huge, bling-encrusted jewelry that would simply consume a smaller finger. Thus confirming my theory that rings, in general, are getting out of control. What’s wrong with something simple like this:

Black for bridesmaids? You betcha! It’s hip, it’s modern, and it’s still a touch risque. Outfitting the bridal party in black is still a great way to cause a stir among your more conservative peers. It’s also a great way to please bridesmaids, who will no doubt be relieved to know that their dresses will be recyclable.

This onyx satin face organza dress is a THREAD design and potentially quite versatile. As the pseudo-restrictions against wearing black at matrimonial events have been lifted, it could also be worn to the weddings of friends, family members, and colleagues.

Afraid your attendants will look too dark in black? Many black bridesmaids dresses come embellished with vividly hued trims, sashes, and belts. But don’t be afraid to glam your girls up a bit with some funky jewelry or pretty shoes!

Now, I must shout, “Happy (belated) birthday to the Shoe Blog!” Because of it, the world is a more beautiful and better shod place!

Contrary to popular opinion, Halloween-themed weddings do not have to look like this:

Surprising, no? The truth is, a Halloween wedding can be an elegant, beautiful affair, even if you decide to do the unthinkable and allow guests to come in costume. While you can’t stop Aunt Milly from dressing up like a sexy wizard, your nuptials needn’t look like a staged haunted house event. Here’s a great recipe that will help you create a memorable (and only slightly spooky) wedding that reflects your love of ghosts and ghoulies while still maintaining an aura of respectability.

Find one great red dress, like this gorgeous number from Uptight Clothing, makers of couture corseted gowns. You’ll look sultry rather than shocking, yet still embody your freaky theme.

Then get yourself some sweet centerpieces, like these mini Dutch oven pumpkin spice candles. But don’t overdo it with the orange, and steer clear of triangle-eye pumpkin heads and cartoon black cats.

Spiders, on the other hand, carry a classier connotation. Why this is, I’ll never know. Personally, spiders freak me the heck out, but I think a spider cookie cutter tied with a ribbon matching you Halloween color scheme will make your guests smile.

Where cake is concerned, you can let your love of Halloween shine. Cake is often the most whimsical part of the wedding reception anyhow, so why not serve up something as delicious as it is frightful, like this Carlucci’s creation:

Finally, whether you ditch the Monster Mash and pipe something delightfully Gothic through your sound system, or stick with the classic Halloween tunes, just make sure you have a mix of both upbeat and downbeat music.

Happy haunting!

Viktoriya Shtefano wore one sweet gown when marrying pastry chef (and husband) Valentyn Shtefano. Accprding to Associated Press,

“Valentyn is a rising star in the field of baking as visual art, earning him a following in this city near the border with Slovakia. His creations have generated a buzz in a place where cake is often layers of heavy cream, wafers and nuts or poppy seeds – more something to eat than to look at.”

I don’t doubt it. His bride’s gown was made of 1,500 cream puffs and weighed a hefty 20 pounds. While it is certainly delicious to look at, it was probably less than edible once the couple’s wedding day rolled around, considering it took two months to make.

“At first, it was even a little embarrassing,” Viktoriya Shtefano said of the dress she wore to the couple’s reception in August at Uzhhorod’s 1,200-year-old castle. “Cameras, interviews, but after a couple of hours, I didn’t even want to take it off.”

Once upon a time, I thought that random gathered bits of skirt and bodice were fussy and silly. Now I can’t get enough of odd (and basically functionless) bits of bustling. Who knows why tastes change–perhaps it’s a matter of exposure? Maybe if you see something enough times you’re bound to start liking it?

More importantly, does it even matter? I’m certainly no less enamored by this fabulous Jane Wilson-Marquis creation. Yes, we’re talking about she of Simply Jane fame. The off-the-shoulder gown is made to order in silk gazar and features a Basque waist and ballgown skirt. The floral embellishments on the bodice and skirt are handmade.

I think that when it comes to something as generally frivolous as wedding gowns, one must treat one’s love of fluff like seasoned climbers treat the most forbidding peaks. Why climb mountains? Because they are there. Why do we love ribbons and lace and gathers and bustles and beads and bows? Why the heck not?

Remember this winner? Yes, it’s the return of Georgia’s favorite runaway bride, Jennifer Wilbanks. You would think that she’d be pretty satisfied with the manner in which her sick nuptial stunt turned out, what with becoming a bobble-head doll and all. I mean, it’s not every demented ex-bride-to-be that has the honor of being bobbled.

But no, Wilbanks is now locked in litigations with her former-future-husband, John Mason. According to the allegations, while she was in the hospital–being treated for sociopathic tendencies, one would hope–Mason sold *their* story to Regan Media, which agreed to pay *the couple* $500,000.

Is it just me or is the whole story starting to smell pretty darned fishy?

Now, according to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald,

Wilbanks is arguing that Mason failed to turn over her share of the payment, according to a filing on Sept. 13 before the superior court of Gwinnett, Georgia.

“In or about July 2005 Regan Media agreed to pay $500,000 to Mason and Wilbanks to purchase the rights to the story of plaintiff’s disappearance … and subsequent events involved in the ‘Runaway Bride’ incident,” said the complaint.

The filing says Mason was “willful and malicious” and demands $250,000 as her share of the money and the same amount in punitive damages as compensation for his “bad faith.”

So, let me get this straight. This Mason person, an ostensibly jilted groom-to-be forced to deal with the disappearance of his fiancee and her subsequent high-profile re-appearance, goes on to cut a contract with a media company collaboratively with the aforementioned runaway fiancee. Um…forget the fish. I smell a rat.

(Thanks goes to the fabulous Dataceptionist for the lead on this story)