I’m usually a big fan of Monique Lhuillier. In general, I like the flow of her lines, her tasteful use of tulle and lace, and her respect for the shape of a woman’s body. Her designs tend to be feminine and romantic without looking fussy or puerile.

This one from her spring 2013 collection, though, well… I have to say I’m HATING this one. I’m not sure if she’s standing in the middle of an attack of interstellar Charmin or if the entire world just dumped their used tissues on her, but either way she’s being swallowed whole with no escape.

Now excuse me while I go throw this poor waif a lifeline.

Life is full of surprises. Wedding planning is, too.

Sometimes the surprise is discovering that what you thought was a perfectly simple concept makes no sense to anyone who is not you. Sometimes it’s that everyone else so blandly accepts an idea that strikes you as clearly and profoundly deranged. Sometimes it’s the fact that you don’t react to something the way you thought you would. It might even be how someone other than you reacts.

I think for me the single biggest surprise in the wedding planning/getting married process was how calm I was when the moment came. I was happy, I was excited, but I wasn’t nervous at all. I had no urge to laugh or cry without provocation. I’d always assumed that when the big moment came, I would need that hankie I’d so cunningly slipped up my sleeve… but it turned out I didn’t. Aplomb was my middle name, and that is something that happens about once every three blue moons.

What’s been your biggest surprise? Tell us all about it!

(Illustration via MamaMia)

The sad lament of the bridesmaid is well known in song and story, and urban legend, and bridal reality shows, and popular movies… and the list goes on ad nauseum. Nearly every woman I’ve ever known has had a horror story in her back pocket about being a bridesmaid – whether her own experience or one a friend of a friend read about in a magazine once upon a time – to tell anyone who announces her engagement or that she’s about to attend a bride. There are websites devoted to ridiculing horrible bridesmaid’s dresses past. There’s currently an article up on MSNBC about how rotten – and incredibly expensive – it is to be a bridesmaid.

But how bad is it really?
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One thing is for sure at the vast majority of weddings: there will be cake.

Whether it’s a simple homemade pound cake or a professional confection standing five tiers high and decorated within an inch of your budget, most people do expect to at least see a cake of some sort at your reception.

Obviously, one can do without. I did. Mr. Twistie and I served our guests individual fruit tarts. They were a huge hit.

Most couples, however, will not only have cake, they will buy it. But have you ever thought about how a professional cake is made for a wedding? Here are a few fun facts to keep in mind that may help you make good decisions when it comes time to find and purchase your wedding cake.
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(Illustration via Intimate Weddings)

Not every bride wants a big wedding. Not every groom wants a big wedding. Some couples really, honestly do want a smaller, more intimate celebration with only a select handful of people in attendance. There are parents who absolutely support this, too.

And then there are those who don’t.

If you and your intended want a smaller celebration, but one or both sets of parents are fighting your decision, it can make wedding planning a lot more difficult than it needs to be. But if you can keep things in perspective and find small ways to be flexible, you may just manage to get both families completely on board with your smaller wedding.
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(Image via Imagur where you can see the entire process of how this ring was made)

No, this is not the One Ring to Rule Them All. It’s the wedding ring of Reddit user laporkenstein. What’s so special about it? How about the fact that he made it himself from a meteorite.

The meteorite cost him about $200 online, and then he got started forging. No, there is no matching ring. The lady had already fallen in love with something else, and neither insisted their rings had to be an exact match.

According to laporkenstein, he and his wife are now happily married for three years with a small daughter.

May this ring – and the marriage it represents – never be unmade.

But this does raise a question I’m curious about: how do you all feel about mismatched wedding rings? Love? Hate? Don’t care? Tell me what you think.

For my part, I think rings are a truly individual choice. I’m very much down with either choice, so long as both parties are happy with it.