Writes Save the Date reader Janet:

I want a small backyard wedding, but my fiance wants a grand event. He's been planning for this day since he was a boy. (I promise he's straight.) I foresee all kinds of conflict if we try to compromise on everything, and he obviously cares more than I do. Should I let him run with it?

Here are my thoughts:

I think you can compromise—to a point. The key is NOT to agree with anything that's going to make you feel resentful. Ask your fiance to come up with a list of things that are important to him, whether it's a 200-person guest list, a 10-piece band, or a five-course sit-down dinner. From there, I'd ask him which ONE item matters the most, and try to let him have that.

After that, decide if there are any items on his list that you just CAN'T live with. If the thought of a huge sit-down dinner makes you want to barf, I think you're allowed to make it a sticking point.

For all the in-between stuff, I'd let him go nuts, as long as his plans are within your comfort zone. Like, maybe you don't prefer the monster band, but it's not going to make you want to pull your hair out for your entire reception.

I also wouldn't let him go crazy with the credit cards if 100 disco balls or life-size ice sculptures of the two of you are part of his "vision." Let him know he's allowed to go bananas, as long as he stays within your budget. Repeat after me: A wedding should NEVER leave the bride and groom in debt.

Ladies, what do you think? Should Janet try to rein in her groom? Or let him go wild?

Have a wedding-y dilemma of your own? Email me!

We've talked about a lot of wedding hair and makeup trends this year, ladies—so now that New Year's is nearing, let's predict what looks will be the most popular for brides in 2014.

Here's what I think we'll be seeing a lot of during this coming year.

1. Braids!

We've talked about wedding braids for a while, but I think more brides are actually going to wear them in 2014. A mainstay on the red carpet in recent times, braids are no longer just a cute option for casual days—women are realizing that they can look totally glamorous and dressed-up. I think brides who are looking for something really romantic and a little bit different will be wearing braids in 2014, whether that means one long simple braid or several smaller ones woven into an updo (like the braid crown shown here, which are supposed to be a big trend next spring).

2. Cat eye makeup

This is another makeup trend that's been going strong for a while now and will finally become popular with brides (who as a group don't tend to embrace beauty trends that are too fleeting). The great thing about cat-eye liner is that while it's so popular right now, it's also a retro look, so it reads as totally classic in your photos and works with almost any wedding gown. Also, we saw lots of cat eyes on the Spring 2014 runways, so you'll be right on target if you go this route.

3. Pretty pink lips

Notice-me berry and baby-pink lips were a big makeup trend on the Spring 2014 runways, and I think pink will be the favorite statement lipstick color of brides next year. Not only are they a bit less committal and bold than red, they go perfectly with favorite wedding flowers like peonies—and feel simultaneously fun and romantic (like any good wedding should!).

Those are my 2014 wedding hair and makeup trend predictions—now share yours below! What beauty ideas do you think will be big for brides this coming year?

Blue Willow by Anne Barge.

Plenty of wedding dresses give you itty-bitty buttons down the back, but very often they don't actually fasten and un-fasten the dress, instead, they're permanently stitched on over a zipper, which makes getting in and out of the dress go a little more smoothly.

If your buttons are actual, working buttons, you're going to want to get your hands on THIS for your bridal suite: a crochet hook. Because after wrestling about four of those itty-bitty buttons through teeny-tiny button loops, your fingers are going to be begging for mercy. A crochet hook will make the job 2,304 times easier. Trust me. I picked up this tip from a boutique owner, who's done up a LOT of itty-bitty buttons in her day.

Do you want a wedding dress with buttons down the back?

Thanks to this adorbs bride, from a post yesterday, I've had blue wedding shoes on the brain for the past 24 hours. So I decided to make my obsession work for you: Here are 27 pairs of wedding-worthy blue shoes, presented with our new shop-a-ma-jammy. If you hover over the shoe, its price should show up, and if you click it, it'll take you to a website where you can buy it. Ta-da!

I'm no hero. I'm just a girl with a blog and a shopping tool. (But it IS pretty awesome, right?!)

Would you wear blue wedding shoes? Which of these pairs is your favorite?

Um, what in the hell just happened on Grey's Anatomy? I'm not going to post any spoilers, but I do want to let you know that I tracked down Dr. April Kepner's wedding dress, which appears to be the Waking Up gown by Peter Langner. Here it is on Kepner:

And here it is on the model:

Obviously the bottom version has a belt, and the skirt seems to have some pink in it, but I think it's a match.

Did you watch last night's Grey's Anatomy wedding? Thoughts on Kepner's wedding dress?

What do you do about an unruly bridesmaid? If you have a friend or family member who bought the bridesmaid dress but has a major attitude about every other aspect of wedding planning, you should take some sort of action to let her know you're onto her shenanigans. How can you appropriately address the issue? Brides' wedding etiquette experts are here to answer your bridesmaid questions.

I've heard that one of my bridesmaids has been saying nasty things behind my back—she's criticized the flowers, the food, and even the minister! Can I fire her?

In a word: No. While there's certainly a possibility that she's been dissing your wedding, there's also the chance that her remarks have been exaggerated or taken out of context, and you need to give her the benefit of the doubt. Try saying something like: "I've heard that you don't like some of the choices I've made for the wedding. If that's true, is there anything I can do to make this a better experience for you?" That leaves the ball in her court. If she's generally unhappy about being in the bridal party, this is her chance to back out. If she has a couple of quibbles, this is an opportunity to discuss them. Either way, getting it out in the open is the best way to bring the back talk to an end.

—Written by Brides

What would you do in this situation?

More from Brides:
*How to Find the Perfect Wedding Dress for Your Body Type
*64 Affordable Engagement Rings You'll Love!
*Stunning Celebrity Engagement Rings
*The Most Creative Wedding Cakes of the Year
*Monique Lhuillier: Fall 2014 Bridal Runway
*14 Cool Facts About Getting Engaged

Stuck inside in the snow? Warm up with some sunny pics from this super-pretty springtime wedding! Allison (Petra's college roommate!) and Steve swapped vows in Bolton, Mass., last May. Get a load of all this gorgeous:

All the happy pics were captured by Liz from Pure Style Photography.

What's your favorite part of this sweet wedding?

I know it's random, but I'm swooning over those earrings!

P.S. Remember, these photos feature a real bride and groom. Please play nice in the comments.

Clearly pregnancy is working for Kelly Clarkson. Look how fantastic she looked on Ellen yesterday:

Her Watters dress is custom-made—like I said, she's pregnant, and Hello, she's Kelly Clarkson—but it's inspired by the Bobbi dress from Watters' Spring 2014 Encore collection, which I love for a bride who wants a short wedding dress:

So flippin' cute. And, pockets!

How great does Kelly Clarkson look? Would you wear the Bobbi as your wedding dress? How 'bout for your reception?

It would also be adorbs for your shower or rehearsal dinner, if you want a floor-length dress for your wedding day.

Still searching for a wedding palette? Good news: Pantone's 2014 Color of the Year, Radiant Orchid, is perfect for your big day. Need proof?

Event Design by La Fete Weddings. Photo by Melissa Musgrove Photography.

Wedding Dress by Ju.Lee Collection. Photo by Chyna Darner Photography.

Floral Design by Hidden Garden Flowers. Photo by Next Exit Photography.

Event Design by Rebecca Rose Events. Photo by Mark Potter.

Chuppah by Krista Jon and Archive Rentals. Photo by Luna Photo.

Event Design by Shannon Leahy. Photo by Nicole Paulson.

Floral Design by Nancy Liu Chin. Photo by Janae Shields.

Event Design by Events in the City. Photo by Jennifer Lust.

Photo by J Wiley Photo.

Floral Design by Passion Roots. Photo by U Me Us Studios.

Event Design by Soco Events. Photo by Jennifer Lust.

Would you use Radiant Orchid at your wedding? Which of these ideas is your favorite?

More ways to rock Radiant Orchid:
* We Love Pantone's 2014 Color of the Year, Radiant Orchid—Here's How to Wear it On Your Lips, Eyes, Nails and Cheeks
* Pantone's 2014 Color of the Year Is Radiant Orchid: Here Are 5 Gorgeous Purple Pieces to Wear Now

It's "I do" a second time around: 10 years after they first swapped vows, The Bachelorette's Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter renewed those vows in an intimate ceremony in Vail, Colorado, People is reporting.

Like their first wedding—which was viewed by 26 million people—the vow renewal was caught on camera. It will be featured in the ABC special The Bachelor: Bachelor Love Stories {Which I will TOTALLY be watching. } on Sunday, January 19.

Trista had this to say earlier today:

Big day! Wish I hadn't let my stress get the best of me this morn but gonna choose 2 celebrate the rest of this beautiful day w/ gratitude!

— Trista Sutter (@tristasutter) December 14, 2013

Read the full story here.

Thoughts on Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter's vow renewal?

I can totally get behind a vow renewal after 10 years. (It's the people who renew their vows EVERY year who drive me bananas.) And I appreciate that they're going to televise it. My life would be a lot easier if EVERYONE filmed their weddings.

I had so much fun dishing about April Kepner's wedding dress (from last week's episode of Grey's Anatomy) that I thought I'd dig up the details on Emily Thorne's wedding dress from tonight's Revenge. I actually don't watch the show, but when Petra told me there was dress worth stalking on the episode, of course I went looking for pics.

This week's TV wedding mystery: Who designed Emily Thorne's wedding dress?

Emily's dress, with its tear-away tulle skirt, reminded me of Reem Acra's Spring 2013 collection, which also featured several wedding dresses with tear-aways:

But I couldn't find an exact match. Turns out Emily's dress designer was in-house: Revenge costume designer Jill Ohannesson crafted the gown herself.

Someone else was wearing a wedding dress that I recognized though: Victoria Grayson was rocking the Kaye dress from Vera Wang's Spring 2013 collection:

Ta da!

(I'm assuming on the show people didn't recognize that the evil future mother-in-law was wearing a wedding dress. That could certainly make things awkward.)

Thoughts on Emily Thorne's wedding dress? How 'bout the dress Victoria Grayson picked?

I spotted this circa-1880 ring on the Erica Weiner site over the weekend, and while it isn't being billed as a wedding ring, I think it would be just perfect—especially if you want to move your engagement ring to your right hand after your wedding. (Lots of girls with "busy" engagement rings seem to do that.) The ring features an amethyst, a diamond, an opal, a ruby, and an emerald set in yellow gold.

Amethyst
Diamond
Opal
Ruby
Emerald

Get it?!

I get that this design has a lot going on, but it would be so easy to copy the secret-message idea in a more simple setting. So sweet!

Would you want a wedding ring with a romantic secret message?

Writes Save the Date reader Lindy:

Some backstory: Several years ago I had a relationship that was a little bit scandalous, when I started dating a man who was recently separated from his wife. That relationship fizzled, and I'm now engaged to another man.

Following my engagement, I asked one friend to be my matron of honor and a childhood friend to be my maid of honor. Both accepted. My childhood friend is a divorced mother. After she accepted her role of maid of honor, she started having an affair with the husband of another childhood friend (that couple is still married and has kids), and now she's pregnant by him. He won't leave his family, so she's cut him out, but she's planning on keeping his baby. She doesn't believe in abortion, and she's had numerous miscarriages on top of other health issues, so she's worried this might be her last shot at pregnancy.

So clearly my maid of honor has a LOT going on, and I don't want dealing with my wedding to add stress to her life. Plus, I figured it would be easier on her to save money for her baby (and possible legal fees, if the father wants custody) rather than paying for a bridesmaid dress and chipping in for my shower, etc. So I asked her if she'd mind being demoted to a bridesmaid or maybe just doing a reading, and she freaked.

My maid of honor has always been a loyal friend, but she's also always had a jealous and vindictive streak. Add to that pregnancy hormones and she's acting kind of bananas. When I asked if she'd want to step down, she took it as a personal attack and went off the rails about MY past affair, saying that I couldn't judge her. There's no being logical or reasoning with her right now. And I'm worried she's going to do something nutso at my wedding.

So do I go through and demote her? Leave her as MoH? Or cut her out entirely and lose a friend? I knew wedding planning would be stressful, but I don't want THIS to be what's stressing me out.

Here are my thoughts:

Whew! Well, I think you need to decide whether you want this friend in your life going forward. Personally, I try to steer clear of people who are vindictive and jealous, and I'd be crushed if a close friend threw mistakes from my past in my face. I mean, we've all screwed up, but when you're planning a wedding, it just seems kind of cruel for your friend to harp on an old relationship. I also wouldn't break bread with a person who I thought could potentially sabotage my wedding.

If you DO want this friend in your life, despite her shortcomings, I think you have to leave her as MoH and let her worry about participating and paying. If you were feeling generous, you could offer to chip in for her dress, but from where I'm standing, it doesn't seem like she deserves special treatment.

And if you'd rather wash your hands of this friend (and her drama), then I'd just tell her you've reconsidered and you don't want her in your wedding party. Brace yourself for her to flip again—you're DEFINITELY going to get an earful—and then let her go. Cut off communication and don't send her an invite to your wedding.

Sadly, I don't think there's a happy medium in this scenario.

Ladies, what do you think? Should Lindy keep her childhood friend as MoH? Or cut her out?

Have a wedding-y dilemma of your own? Email me!

Emily Thorne's wedding dress wasn't the only gown that caught my eye when I was flipping through pics from the Revenge wedding last night. I was also curious about Charlotte Grayson's cutout dress—especially when I learned she was a bridesmaid.

Emily Thorne's wedding dress was one-of-a-kind, but you can buy Charlotte Grayson's bridesmaid dress online!

Here's the exact dress Charlotte wore:

BCBG Max Azaria High-Neck Evening Gown With Cutouts from Neiman Marcus, $368.

Yeah, it's sorta spendy, but the mother of the groom wore a Vera Wang wedding dress, so we can't be surprised the the bridesmaid dress was almost four bills.

Anyway, I know it's pretty risque, but I kinda dig it for a bridesmaid. I mean, obviously you don't just go ordering your friends to wear a cutout dress, but if it's a high-style wedding and they're into it, I don't see why not. This isn't the first time I've eyed a cutout dress for a bridesmaid: Some of you might remember this cute little number.

I also think it would be weird to have a row of, like, nine bridesmaids in this dress. Even if they were all in tip-top shape, it would be visually jarring. But if you're doing the solo bridesmaid thing and your lady friend is like, "Bring it!" I think it's a total DO.

Did you like Charlotte's cutout bridesmaid dress on Revenge? Would you put your bridesmaids in cutout dresses?

Justin Timberlake helped some fans get their happily ever after: After performing "That Girl" at his Louisville, Kentucky, concert on Sunday, Justin asked some concertgoers: "Josh and Kim, why don't you make your way up here?" He explained to a confused Kim," Josh called me earlier. He's got something he wants to tell you."

I mean, I would just DIE if that were my proposal. I just can't mentally process having that many eyes on me. I literally would have peed my pants onstage. But Kim seems pretty pleased!

Would you want to get engaged at a Justin Timberlake concert? What if Justin helped your guy do the asking?

Maybe it's a post-baby mood swing or this morning's Justin Timberlake proposal, but I've already shed a few tears today. And when I saw this story, I officially lost my mind.

James Costello, of Malden, Massachusetts, who standing near the finish line during the Boston Marathon bombings, was so badly burned that he needed pig-skin grafts on most of his right arm and leg. Two of his brothers and another friend each lost a leg, and other friends suffered serious burns and shrapnel injuries.

But wait, I said HAPPY tears.

After two weeks at Massachusetts General Hospital, James was transferred to Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, where he first laid eyes on Krista D'Agostino.

"After sharing a handful of conversations I realized not only how beautiful she was but also what a kind heart she had. I somehow convinced her to attend a benefit with me, which turned into a few dates, which turned into a few inseparable months," James wrote on Facebook.

The pair spent part of this month in Europe as part of the all-expense-paid Heroes Cruise—and in Lyon, France, James proposed.

"I'm happy to announce that we will spend the rest of our lives together. I now realized why I was involved in the tragedy. It was to meet my best friend and the love of my life."

**Annnnnd, cue the waterworks.**

Read the full story here.

Anyone else crying hysterically? Anyone?

Congrats, James and Krista!

I've never been shy about my obsession with White by Vera Wang, Vera's line for David's Bridal. I mean when the wedding dresses look like this—and the price tags max out at $1,248—I imagine most girls who love gorgeous gowns are similarly obsessed:

What? What was that? I'm sorry. I just passed out from pretty overload. I mean, that glittery gold bodice would just make a bride glow, and that light-as-air pink skirt is begging to be twirled around the dance floor.

I'll have the official pics of the rest of the collection tomorrow, but I just HAD to share this sneak peek with you.

Click here for the current selection of White by Vera Wang wedding dresses—and come back to Save the Date tomorrow for the latest!

Thoughts on this White by Vera Wang wedding dress? Would you wear it? Or are you envisioning something different?

If there's one thing I love more than a wedding, it's a celebrity wedding. And there were plenty to keep me busy in 2013! Below's a quick round-up of the most buzzed about weddings, but before you get eyeball-deep in the text, read this:

At 3 p.m. Wednesday (that's tomorrow!) I'll be dishing about the hottest celebrity weddings of 2013—plus, which celebs will be getting hitched in the New Year—with wedding expert Anne Chertoff and Bridal Bar's Harmony Walton, and you can watch! You can click here to join in our Google+ Hangout, and you can come back to this post to watch us live while it's going down, or come back later to catch the video. Should be fun! Would love to see you there! (But don't worry, you won't be filmed!)

Here are some of my favorite 2013 celeb weddings, several of which we'll be discussing tomorrow!

• After the bride bailed on her first trip down the aisle—Oops!—Hugh Hefner and Crystal Harris rang in 2013 with a New Year's Eve wedding.
• Janet Jackson Miss Jackson, if you're nasty secret-married Qatari billionaire Wissam Al Mana in late 2012, but news of their wedding didn't break until almost three months into 2013.
• Christina Applegate and Martyn LeNoble also had a hush-hush wedding, swapping vows in a private ceremony in their home in February.
• Keira Knightley and James Righton went under the radar, too. {Anyone sensing a trend here? } The two said "I do" in the South of France in the spring. Keira wore a custom Chanel dress, which she just wore for the third time on the red—er, blue—carpet.
• Taking up the fun factor a notch,Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul made Lauren Parsekian his Mrs. Groomsmen (including Bryan Cranston!) wore black tuxedos with bow ties, the bride wore a strapless wedding dress and white boots—and everyone wore masquerade masks!
• A few days later, Facebook quadrillionaire Sean Parker and singer-songwriter Alexandra Lenas celebrated their nuptials with 300 family members and friends at the Ventana Inn in Big Sur, California. Their Lord of the Rings-chic wedding—which included custom costumes for all of their guests—was rumored to cost around $9 million.
• Also in June: Kristin Cavallari married her baby daddy, Jay Cutler, in Nashville. The bride wore this dreamy Monique Lhuillier number.
• Like many 2013 newlyweds, Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez—who have since welcomed a baby boy—were married overseas, too. The civil union took place in Chateau des Conde in France, Olivier's native country, followed by a religious ceremony at 5:30 at the chapel in the village.
• Handsome-pants Jesse Tyler Ferguson (of Modern Family fame) kept his nuptials with Justin Mikita stateside. The pair were married in good ol' NYC—and had the BEST cake topper.
• Kate Bosworth arrived in style when she married director Michael Polish at the Ranch at Rock Creek in Philipsburg, Montana. Wearing a custom Oscar de la Renta gown, the bride rolled in in a horse-drawn stagecoach!
• Also getting married on the home front: former Girls Next Door star Holly Madison and Pasquale Rotella, who said "I do" in Disneyland. Obviously.
• On the wedding-dresses-you're-jealous-of front, model Chrissy Teigen wore three Vera Wang gowns when she married John Legend in Italy.
• Kelly Clarkson was planning a big, fat Nashville wedding to Brandon Blackstock, but she got majorly fed up with wedding planning, and the two had a wedding a deux instead. (Well, a four—his kids from a previous relationship were their guests!)

Who gets your vote for best celeb wedding of 2013?

If you missed the link above, click here to join our swanky Google+ Hangout!

When I saw Katy Perry and John Mayer were on Good Morning America yesterday, of course my eyes went right to her ring finger. Alas, there was nothing to see on that finger, but there was a pretty ring (it appears to be a ruby set in gold) on the finger next to it.

So what's the big deal, you're probably wondering. People are allowed to wear jewelry, after all. Well, when John and Katy left GMA—where they were previewing their first joint music video—the ring had mysteriously jumped onto her ring finger:

Are Katy Perry and John Mayer engaged? WTH is John Mayer wearing? So many pressing questions, so few answers.

Oh, hi. Let's go in for a better look.

AND, later that night, when she joined John Mayer onstage in Brooklyn for a surprise performance of "Who You Love," the same ring was still sitting squarely on her engagement ring finger.

So, what do you think: Are Katy Perry and John Mayer engaged? Or am I being a psycho?

I mean, I'm definitely being a psycho, but am I right?! Of COURSE there's a chance that Katy just decided the ring fit better on her ring finger, but since Katy and John are on my short list of celebrities who will get engaged next, I wouldn't be surprised if they were engaged and keeping the news under wraps.

I showed you my most-favorite wedding dress from the latest White by Vera Wang collection yesterday, but there's still SO much pretty to behold:

Wedding Dress 1

Wedding Dress 2

Wedding Dress 3

Wedding Dress 4

Wedding Dress 5

You HAVE to see the rear view on this one:

Bridesmaid Dress 1

Bridesmaid Dress 2

Bridesmaid Dress 3

Bridesmaid Dress 4

Hair Accessory

Which of these wedding dresses is your favorite? And which bridesmaid dress do you like best?

My faves are wedding dress 5—that rear view!—and bridesmaid dress 1, which I would totally wear to a holiday party.