Here we have a dress that would fit right into a Transvestite Salsa Pride Parade themed wedding:

Oh, Bonny, what were you thinking? I mean, come on. I don’t shock easily, but to recover from laying eyes on this “dress,” I had to run right out and buy a copy of Preston Bailey’s Fantasy Weddings to recover my sense of style.

EDIT: I just realized what this trainwreck reminds me of…remember the toilet paper gown contest? Well when I look at this dress, I imagine that the model was desperate to finish her contest entry but only had time to sew the skirt. To compensate for the lack of top, she threw on the strapless bra she wore under her high school prom gown. Then, for kicks, she completed her look with the hat she wore during her third-grade tap recital.

Before you read any further, heed this warning…today’s topic is serious. Not funny serious, but actually serious serious. I was asked by someone who has only recently survived a heartbreaking tragedy to talk about aspects of marriage that many couples overlook when planning their lives together. Things like wills, final wishes, and alternate income sources. I do realize that these are usually the last things two people in love want to think about, but that doesn’t make them any less important.

When a spouse dies, the husband or wife who survives them can find themselves buried in mounds of paperwork. You may think you know everything about your partner’s finances or notions of bequeathing, but if it isn’t clear and isn’t written down, you may find that you are aware of only a small piece of a much larger picture.

So how can you prepare for something like the death of a spouse without entering into morbid territory? The first step is to set up a filing system you and your partner understand. Both of you should know where to find documents like birth certificates, marriage certificates, life insurance policies, estate records, employer information like company benefits, military records, other insurance, information on your standing loans, government benefits, and tax information. This shouldn’t take too long when you spend an hour or so doing it together.

And all of this stuff needs to be transparent–it’s easy to say, “My spouse makes such-and-such per year,” but that doesn’t take into account other income, expenses, or debt.

Another step you’ll want to spend some time on is creating a list of assets, including real estate, stocks, bonds, savings accounts, and personal property. While you do this, make a note of and file any account numbers, land titles, stock or bond certificates, and other financial papers. You may think this doesn’t apply to your situation, but think creatively when thinking about assets. You (and your spouse) may not even realize the scope of what you possess.

If you have wills, mke sure you are each designated to receive all joint property automatically.

Finally, sit down with your partner and have a discussion about your final wishes. Even though it’s scary to think about, consider how you’d like your body to be handled or what you’d want your spouse to do if only your body was still alive (which is where power of attorney comes into play). Are there any assets you’d like to give to specific family members or loved ones? Anything you’d like to put aside for your children?

Openness and a willingness to approach a difficult subject candidly will help you here. There may be other issues pertaining to your particular circumstances that you’ll want to discuss. Just remember that life, as wonderful as it can be, is impermanent, and while being prepared for a tragedy won’t lessen its impact, preparedness can be a big help when you’re trying your best to cope.

Michelle Wibowo creates fantastic sculptural cakes and sugar creations. The cake above isn’t, IMO, one of the best examples of her work, but I thought I’d feature it as it is a wedding cake. Wibowo’s other cake creations include entire museums, dinosaurs, Louis Vuitton bags, sneakers, and more. Her cake toppers are pretty stunning as well. She’ll sculpt you and your sweetie out of sugar. Or, as is the case here, your cell phone and your cell phone’s sweetie…

You can see Wibowo in action in this short film below. It’s cool to watch, but the notion of cutting and serving a frosted baby cake sort of turns my stomach. YMMV, of course.

What if you could have any man you wanted, for the price of a plate of fish, marinated in red palm oil? On Orango Island, off the coast of Guinea-Bissau, women have traditionally had what you might call the ‘right of proposal’ and men were powerless to say no. Women approached the men, fed them the proposal fish dish, and then spent about four months building the house that they would eventually occupy.

While the rules of courtship are changing as more of the island’s young people spend time working on the mainland, plenty of folks still hold with tradition.

Here’s what one man had to say about the practice when interviewed by AP correspondents:

“Love comes first into the heart of the woman,” [Carvadju Jose Nananghe] explained. “Once it’s in the woman, only then can it jump into the man.”

He was 14 when the girl entered his grass-covered hut and placed a plate in front of him containing an ancient recipe.

Like all men on this African isle, he knew exactly what it meant. Refusing was not an option. His heart pounding, he lifted the steaming fish to his lips, agreeing in one bite to marry the girl.

“I had no feelings for her,” said Nananghe, now 65. “Then when I ate this meal, it was like lightning. I wanted only her.”

Refusing to eat the proffered fish dish once meant dishonoring one’s family. But now that Christianity has taken hold on Orango, many young women are refusing to take the initiative and some of the island elders are none too pleased with the results, which increasing rates of divorce.

“Now the world is upside-down,” complained 90-year-old Cesar Okrane, his eyes obscured the clouds of cataracts. “Men are running after women, instead of waiting for them to come to them.”

I’m not a big fan of the toppers, as you folks know. But some are admittedly better than others. Ball-and-chain groom toppers? Yuck. Cheap-o generic bride and groom toppers? Ew. There’s nothing wrong with forgoing the topper altogether. If you just have to have one, why not go for something with glitz?

You’ve got your sparkly initials.

And your sparkly, but un-initialed topper.

But don’t forget the initialed, but un-sparkly topper.

Or the not sparkly, not an initial, but also not a sill plastic bride and groom topper! The picture kind of sucks, so if you can’t see it, know that it’s the Chinese character for “Double Happiness.” This character, I’ve heard, is usually prominently displayed at Chinese weddings somewhere where the bride and groom will lay eyes on it often. If you put it on a delicious cake, I bet everyone will lay eyes on it often!

Ooooooooh, hello. You can all thank Victoria McMillan of Alvina Valenta for the vision of loveliness you see before you. I really love the simplicity of this rum pink silk duchess satin mermaid-style gown with soft pleated ruffles on top and on the bottom. And if rum pink isn’t your thing, you can nab this gorgeous number in ivory, champagne, crème, white, oyster, eggshell, vanilla, and something called dove.