I’m going to go out on a limb and say that most brides and grooms have shared a kiss (and possibly a whole lot more) before their weddings. With cohabitation going mainstream and s-e-x all over the p-l-a-c-e, the wedding of Melody LaLuz and Claudaniel Fabien is definitely unusual.

Melody and Claudaniel teach abstinence in the Chicago public school system and apparently practice what they preach. Prior to saying “I do,” the couple had never once locked lips. In fact, they’d never even been alone together in a house!

Their first kiss — begun only after their wedding officiant gave his permission — lasted a full two minutes and was punctuated by the stamping and hooting of onlookers.

“It feels like such a gift,” said Melody. “When you value a kiss, it becomes something of worth.”

The couple will leave for a honeymoon in the Bahamas today, but planned to stay in Chicago on Saturday night.

“We got business to take care of tonight,” her husband said, doing a little dance in his white suit while his new bride giggled.

Um, ew? I’m all for waiting if that’s your thing — in fact, it rocks that you’re so dedicated to your convictions! — but there’s something kind of creepy about the new groom alluding to the evening’s bedroom antics in a newspaper article. It makes me wonder if he announced at the reception that he and his new bride would be unavailable because they’d be “getting jiggy with it” from 8-10 p.m.

I was all excited about these wedding invitations from Ink Love until I saw that designer Cassie Leedham is located in the UK. While I doubt that she and her staff would have any problems shipping to the US, I do imagine that it might add a bit to the finished prices, which start at £100 for bespoke wedding stationery.

I do wish these quirky and fun invitations had been around (or on my radar) when I was planning my own wedding — not that I’m a pretty-in-pink kind of girl, but the templates are really rocking my world. The invitation on the bottom left is my absolute favorite, and if I received it today, I think I’d save it in my crafting materials box for future use.

It’s Monday (again), and perhaps you took the weekend off from the rigors of wedding planning so you and your sweetheart could have some quality time. Now that you’re back at your desk reading wedding blogs and thinking about all the things you still have left to buy for your nuptials, it’s time for some inspiration. On the chance you have not yet bought your bridal jewelry, here are six looks from Haute Bride in San Francisco that may get your creative juices flowing.

The question, of course, is which to buy or emulate or craft! Most brides choose their bridal jewelry after picking out and putting a deposit down on a wedding gown, but if you’ve fallen in love with a certain style of necklace, there’s no reason you can’t base your wedding day look on your jewelry. While almost anything goes, there are some bridal necklace basics of which every bride-to-be should be aware.

Short Looks
Neck hugging necklaces are lovely when paired with strapless bodices (and long-necked brides), though don’t discount chokers if your wedding gown ends just below your collarbone. A substantial choker will look smashing sitting just above a boat or jewel neckline.

Insubstantial Looks
Simple, minimalist strands worn close to the throat (think y-drop or princess style necklaces) complement bateau and scoop necklines beautifully. Thin necklaces are a practical choice for brides who don’t want their jewelry to outshine their wedding dresses and/or want to wear their bridal necklace again.

Layered Looks
Necklaces can be heaped one upon the other or made to look that way, but almost all layered looks will pair best with simple, unadorned, low necklines. Layers of thicker necklaces can lessen the jarring impact of a plain strapless neckline, while thinner layers can add softness to a square neckline.

Long Looks
Necklaces with enough length to hang loose on both sides of the bride are best worn with wedding gowns that plunge in the back as well as the front… so the necklace itself can take center stage. This look is even more dramatic when the necklace is augmented with a jeweled brooch.

Personally, I opted for a loose but rather thick one-strand choker paired with a off-the-shoulder neckline. Now I’d love to know what you chose to wear or are planning to wear around your neck on your wedding day.