Heidi Elnora might not be a household name today—but she will be soon. Save the Date readers know her as the designer behind one of my all-time favorite wedding dresses, but she’s about to be known as the star of Bride by Design, TLC’s new wedding-dress-centric reality show, which comes on the heels of the success of that other wedding dress show you may have heard of, Say Yes to the Dress. Instead of having brides pick from racks of existing gowns, Bride by Design walks viewers through the custom-wedding-dress design process alongside Heidi and a real bride. I, for one, can’t wait to watch. Here’s a sneak peek:

To celebrate the show’s premiere, I asked Heidi what she wore when she married her handsome husband, Jeff, and she shared photos of all four of the gorgeous wedding gowns she designed for their big day. Check ’em out:

Wedding Dress 1

Wedding Dress 2Yes, there was a masquerade portion to the reception—so fun! (Their wedding was near Halloween!)

Wedding Dress 3

Wedding Dress 4

The show premieres Friday (tomorrow!) on TLC at 9 P.M./8 P.M. CT. Watch more clips here.

Who else is watching Bride by Design? Which of Heidi’s wedding dresses is your favorite?

I am crushing on her legs in the last dress!

1. Foundation or powder with sunscreen

Certain sunscreen ingredients found in powders and foundations can reflect light when you're photographed indoors using a flash, creating unflattering patchiness on your skin (SPF moisturizers aren't a problem when they're covered with foundation). Either play it safe with sunscreen-free makeup (if your wedding's primarily indoors), or if you're set on using a favorite formula that has sunscreen, mention this to your photographer to see what she says. She might be able to take test photos for you and/or adjust the type of flash she'll use indoors. If you'll be outdoors and photographed mostly in natural light, you should be able to wear SPF makeup with no issues.

2. Eye pencil

Your usual pencil might last all day under ordinary circumstances, but when you have a marathon of dancing and crying and kissing ahead, it's better to choose a super-stay-put formula, like gel, liquid, or cake eyeliner. Eyeliner is key to making your eyes pop in photos, so you definitely don't want yours to pull a disappearing act.

3. Lip gloss

Gloss doesn't last that long, isn't conducive to kissing (sticky!), and can easily smudge or even migrate to your cheek or hair, should a loose strand get caught in it. If you want some shine on your lips, apply a long-lasting stain and dab a smidge of balm or gloss just in the middle; this adds an illusion of fullness while minimizing goopiness. Or find a long-wear lipstick with a satin or shiny finish built-in.

Are there any makeup items you avoided on your wedding day, or plan to? Why? Share below!

Did he put a ring on it? Yesterday People posted an interview with Britney Spears, with the singer sharing that she would “love” to get married again. “I believe in the fairytale,” the mom of two told the magazine. As of today, Britney, her two young sons, and her boyfriend, Charlie Ebersol, are vacationing in Hawaii—and it looks like Brit packed something sparkly for that finger.

A photo posted by Britney Spears (@britneyspears) on Mar 26, 2015 at 6:51pm PDT

You can’t really see anything in that picture—although if you squint, maybe? But if you click your way over to the Daily Mail they have the exclusive, no-squinting-required photos. You still can’t see much. It definitely looks like a ring with a center stone that could be a diamond. I don’t know what to make of it.

A photo posted by Britney Spears (@britneyspears) on Nov 8, 2014 at 4:14pm PST

Click your way over to the Daily Mail to check out Britney Spears’ maybe-engagement ring, then get back over here and share your analysis.

Britney, of course, was previously engaged to her former manager, Jason Trawick, and is divorced from Kevin Federline, father of her two sons. She also wed childhood pal Jason Alexander in 2004 in Las Vegas; that marriage was annulled within 55 hours.

Thoughts on Britney’s ring finger? Is she engaged to Charlie Ebersol? And who’s going to make the first “Oops, She Did It Again” joke? (I guess I just did.)

Of course Brit-Brit spent most of 2011 taunting me with ring finger bling before she and Jason announced their engagement. So I say the jury’s still out.

If you wouldn’t dream of walking down the aisle in a plain-old satin pump, Sophia Webster’s new bridal line has loads of high-style options—none of which feel “been there, worn that.”

Top Row, From Left: Chiara, $610. Jono, $696. Lola Gem, $485. Bottom Row, From Left: Lacey Crystal, $720. Coco Crystal, $540. Tyra Heart, $525.

In the bottom row, the heel of the blue pair is made up of stacked “diamond rings,” and the red shoe's heel is tiny hearts. And here’s my favorite part: The soles on every pair but the red shoes look like this. So fun!

Of course, these cost more than your average wedding shoes, but the bride who’s swooning over Sophia Webster is going to splurge on wearable works of art—even if it means spending less on her wedding dress.

Click here to check out the entire bridal collection—which includes clutches too.

Thoughts on Sophia Webster’s bridal collection? Which pair is your favorite? And will you splurge on your wedding shoes?

While I tend to reserve my left hand for just my engagement ring and wedding band, Kate Bosworth proved a while back that there’s no such thing as too much bling, stacking three additional rings on her left hand.

A photo posted by Kate Bosworth (@katebosworth) on Oct 3, 2014 at 5:47pm PDT

And then Whitney Port took maximalist to the next level yesterday, stacking everyday rings (it looks like they have smaller black diamonds) above and below here engagement ring—and I think it looks really chic.

A photo posted by Whitney Port (@whitneyeveport) on Mar 26, 2015 at 8:50am PDT

Jamie Chung went ahead and followed suit last night, pairing her engagement ring with a band of bezel-set sapphires. (And a dainty heart ring from the upcoming Sachi Jewelry x Revolve Clothing collab.)

A photo posted by Jamie Chung (@jamiejchung) on Mar 26, 2015 at 3:24pm PDT

Do you pair your engagement ring and random rings on the same finger? Or is that finger strictly for your e-ring?

The easy silhouettes and breezy fabrications from Reformation’s ready-to-wear collections translate perfectly to unfussy gowns for brides, bridesmaids, and wedding guests. The dresses manage to be fluid and free-flowing—so great for a boho wedding—but they never tread into music-festival-castoff territory.

Arianna De Mariee.

Avery Dress.

Fleur Dress.

Harper Two-Piece.

Sera Dress.

Thoughts on the collection? Which dress do you like best?

I’d like the first for a wedding I have in May. (Which feels SO soon, all of a sudden!)

I’m all for your wedding dress being trendy. Wedding shorts? Sure. A pop of neon? Go for it. And I adore a crop-top wedding dress when it’s done well—see one bride nail it here. But forcing crop-top dresses on your bridesmaids feels a leeeeetle dicey. Which is why I kind of cringed when I saw the crop-top bridesmaid dresses that Brittany Kerr picked for her ’maids when she married Jason Aldean earlier this month. (See here and here.) As someone with body confidence to spare—in the upper abs region, anyway—I think I’d feel way too exposed in those particular dresses. (The tops kind of feel like bedazzled sports bras, no?) And still, I do think there are ways to tap into the crop-top bridesmaid dress trend that won’t have your best friends running for cover.

If you’re going to do a true crop top, I think the top needs to be a little loose, with only the tiniest flash of skin. (You really can’t see anything here.)

Erin by Erin Fetherston Pippy Skirt and Pippy Top from Neiman Marcus.

Or you can give the impression of a crop top while keeping everything covered up, with a dress that mimics the look but is still one piece:

Erin by Erin Fetherston Polka-Dot Ponte and Jacquard Popover Dress from Nordstrom, $245. Erin by Erin Fetherston Birdie Jacquard Flared Popover Dress from Nordstrom, $325. (The dress on the left might feel a little too business casual, but I wanted to give a couple examples of the silhouette.)

If your friends really, truly are OK with flashing some skin, I’m OK with that. But I think the top should be on the flowy side, so you don’t head into “sports bra” territory or risk any unflattering skin pinches. This one’s from Reformation’s latest bridal collection, which we saw earlier today:

Harper Two-Piece from Reformation, $368.

Crop-top bridesmaid dresses: yes or no? Would you be OK with any of the above?

Unrelated to crop tops, this butterfly-covered Erin Fetherston maxidress is at the top of my spring wish list.

OMG. I did NOT know there was another royal wedding in the works, but Petra just introduced me (and the rest of the world, it feels like) to Beatrice Borromeo, who’s set to marry Pierre Casiraghi, the second son of Princess Caroline of Monaco, later this year. So obviously the first thing I had to do was track down her engagement ring.

You can just about see her ring in profile here:

The engagement ring I initially thought belonged to Beatrice Borromeo actually belongs to her future aunt-in-law, Charlene Wittstock. (She's married to Pierre’s uncle, Albert II, Prince of Monaco.) Both rings, interestingly enough, feature pear-shaped diamonds, but it looks like Beatrice’s diamond is in a pear-shaped halo with chunkier diamonds on the band. Here’s Beatrice at Paris Fashion week earlier this month.

Now let’s go in for the ring shot:

A little more traditional than Charlene’s ring, but still royally awesome.

Thoughts on Beatrice Borromeo’s engagement ring? Who else is excited for another royal wedding?

It looks like the wedding will happen this summer—possibly in August—although a date hasn’t officially been announced.

Any repeat-bridesmaid—myself included—can whine for hours about the pile of $200 bridesmaid dresses in the back of her closet that she’ll never wear again. And still, brides are seemingly OK with spending 10 times that (or more) on a wedding dress, which they’re really not going to wear again. Unless, of course, the dress in question is a skirt-and-top combo with major wear-it-after-the-wedding potential, like these bridal separates from Adieux. All the pieces in the line are mixed and matched in different combinations below, and most would work again after your walk down the aisle.

From Left: Elizabeth Beaded Top & Eyre Skirt. Alice Top & Elizabeth Pants. Nancy Cape. Eyre Bustier & Alice Pencil Skirt.

From Left: Jo Top & Jo Column Skirt. Nancy Cape & Jo Column Skirt. Eyre Bustier & Jo Column Skirt. Eyre Bustier & Eyre Skirt.

From Left: Scarlett Blouse & Scarlett Wrap Skirt. Jo Top & Scarlett Wrap Skirt. Eyre Bustier & Eyre Skirt. Alice Top & Alice Pencil Skirt.

I can think of lots ways to re-wear the sparkly tank—even to work—or the semi-sheer skirt, if summer ever comes. I like the blue pieces for a daring bride or for something to mix in with the white pieces to make them more wearable.

Check out everything from Adieux here.

Would you opt for a two-piece wedding dress? Which of these looks is your favorite?

If you’re in the market for an engagement ring and happen to be on the wealthy side, please direct your attention to Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite auction, which kicks off in Hong Kong on April 6. And even if you’re not looking to buy an engagement ring in the five-, six-, or seven-figure range, keep working that scrolling finger. The rings below are truly magnificent—and shouldn’t be missed. A girl can dream, right?

There are 116 rings, total, up for grabs. Here are 11 of my favorites:

Engagement Ring 1

7.02-carat Pink Diamond Engagement Ring from Cartier, Est. $36,117 to $49,016.

Engagement Ring 2

5.03-carat Diamond Engagement Ring With Trillion Side Stones from Harry Winston, Est. $335,374 to $412,768.

Engagement Ring 3

5.81-carat Yellow Diamond Engagement Ring in a Double Halo, Est. $64,495 to $77,394.

Engagement Ring 4

2.15-carat Light-Pink Diamond Engagement Ring in a Halo With Marquise Side Stones, Est. $87,713 to $113,511.

Engagement Ring 5

27.60-carat Sapphire Engagement Ring in a Halo of Circle-Cut and Tapered Baguette Diamonds, Est. $36,117 to $49,016.

Engagement Ring 6

9.58-carat Light-Yellow Diamond Engagement Ring in a Circle-Cut Diamond Halo in a Pink Gold Setting With Triple-Split Shoulders, Est. $81,264 to $90,293.

Engagement Ring 7

26.22-carat Brilliant-Cut Diamond Engagement Ring, Est. $619,152 to $773,940.

Engagement Ring 8

5.63-carat Emerald Engagement Ring With Trapezoid Side Stones, Est. $283,778 to $322,475.

Engagement Ring 9

30.13-carat Yellow Diamond and 25.13-carat Diamond Engagement Ring, Est. $3,611,720 to $4,256,670.

Engagement Ring 10

10.60-carat Pink Sapphire Engagement Ring in a Pear-Shaped Diamond Halo, Est. $28,378 to $38,697.

Engagement Ring 11

2.13-carat Fancy Intense Blue Diamond Engagement Ring in a Pink Diamond Halo Surrounded by Heart- and Pear-Shaped Diamonds, Est. $1,135,112 to $1,289,900.

Click here to check out everything in Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite auction.

If money were no object, which of these engagement rings would you pick?

I love, love, love No. 4, but I think I’d ultimately go with No. 2. You know, to keep things practical.

Planning a traditional wedding—with guests and food and dancing—can be fun and exciting and romantic. Except for when it isn’t. Because, at the end of they day, it all boils down to what you’re actually doing: Orchestrating a HUGE event for 100 or so people, with LOTS of strong opinions hurled your way. {Hi, mothers-in-law. } And for most brides, hosting a wedding spectacular will come with some level of stress. Often so much stress, in fact, that at several points in the road to your big day, you might want to call the whole thing off. Here’s how to move past those points and get yourself down the aisle feeling semi-sane.

When You Realize How Freaking Expensive It Is To Host a Wedding. Wedding dresses can be expensive. Wedding rings can expensive. A band or DJ can be really expensive. And feeding 100-ish people? Pretty much always expensive.
Get Over It Figure out your wedding budget before you do ANYTHING else. And stick to it. (That means no looking at $10,000 wedding dresses when your budget is $1,000.) Also, do your best to seek out money-saving alternatives, like a white dress from a fancy department store instead of something from a wedding boutique. (The Budget Savvy Bride has a lot of great inspiration.)

When You Get Your Parents’ Guest Lists. Sure, your dad’s still chummy with his fraternity brothers, but that doesn’t mean you want to spend $80 a head feeding them chicken. And why is your mother-in-law inviting her entire office?
Get Over It Come up with some ground rules (“No family members past first cousins.” “No one that one of us hasn’t met.”) then cut from there. If you want to keep things on the smaller side for intimacy’s sake—not as a money-saver—book a venue that can only accommodate X number of guests. Your mom can’t argue with the fire marshall.

When You Decide You Hate Your Wedding Dress. BAH! What were you THINKING? The dress that you loved suddenly feels all wrong. Plus, you haven’t looked at EVERY dress out there. It’s awful. It’s ALL awful. Cue tears.
Get Over It This weird phenomenon, which strikes so many brides, is a bizarre cousin of buyer’s remorse—even though you probably didn’t buy your wedding dress on a whim. Whatever you do, DON’T go back to square one. Try to remember why you fell in love with your dress in the first place, and trust that those butterflies you felt were the real deal.

When All the Small Decisions Land Squarely on Your Lap. I know there’s an angry, wedding-planning groom out there who’s going to tell me he lovingly selected the napkin color and the perfect herb garnishes for the dinner entree. But for the most part, the wedding-planning minutiae is the bride’s business, which doesn’t feel fair.
Get Over It Delegate, delegate, delegate. First, find out what your groom does care about {Music? Dessert course? Anything? } and let him take the reins there. If your mom sets a mean table, let her work with your venue to plan the tabletops, and if your future sister-in-law is a graphic designer, hand stationery duty over to her. And don’t forget the most important rule of delegating: Let go and trust the people you’ve tasked—and don’t pester them. Then go ahead and make the call on details you know your groom won’t have an opinion on {Flowers? Cutlery color? Bridesmaid hair? } so you can cross them off our to-do list.

When Your DIY Projects Start to Feel Like a Burden. DIY seemed like a fun way to make you wedding extra-pretty. Plus, it should save you some cash. But as the clock’s ticking down to your wedding, the last thing you want to do is make paper flowers or hand-embroider the groomsmen’s pocket squares.
Get Over It Sure, DIYing can save you money, but if you take on 42 projects in the name of saving cash, you’re going to feel resentful as hell—plus, you’re going to spend every minute leading up to the wedding whittling favors and calligraphing signage. And with the cost of supplies (not to mention your time) there’s a good chance you won’t save THAT much money. Limit the number of DIY projects to one or two special details. (And don’t feel pressured to do any, if you don’t want.) And if there’s a project that’s causing you to go gray prematurely, just bail. You might lose a couple hundred bucks buying whatever you were going to DIY, but consider it an investment in your sanity.

Have you wanted to call of your wedding yet?

In related news: The Ups and Downs of Planning a Wedding, in 9 Distinct Stages

With wedding season just around the corner {I have one May 16! } I thought it would be a good time to remind everyone how NOT to behave as a wedding guest.

Of course I’ve mentioned that I think it’s best for guests to put their phones and cameras away during the ceremony and let the pro photographer do his or her job. (Here’s what happens when random guests jump in the aisle—in front of the photographer.) And I’ve also said that guests should refrain from posting photos of the bride and groom on social media until they have permission. (Obviously if there’s a wedding hashtag, you have permission.)

And here are two more rules for wedding guests to consider from etiquette expert Cheryl Seidel:

”Don’t block the people behind you.” If you insist on taking photos during the ceremony, take a seat in the back or the far aisle. I always thought of it from the photographer’s perspective—you’re getting in the way of her job—but it would also be super annoying, as a guest, to be seated behind someone whose arms were flailing the whole time.

”Leave the iPad at home.” There’s no way you can be inconspicuous with an iPad. It never even occurred to me that someone would bring an iPad for picture-taking purposes, but yeah. I’ve seen people try to use an iPad camera at a fashion show, and they always get in the way. Plus, you’ll look like weirdos reviewing your iPad photos at the reception. (I checked with Apple and there's no tech reason that an iPad takes better pictures than an iPhone, although seniors seem to like that they can see more of the frame, thanks to the bigger screen.)

Any other tech faux pas that wedding guests should keep in mind?

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen just married off their dogs, Puddy and Pippa, for the sweetest reason possible. Just watch. (And keep watching, because the doggy bouquet toss is my favorite part!)

As I mentioned here, John’s raising in the process of raising cash for his charity, the Show Me Campaign, which supports education in underserved communities around the globe. To encourage people to give, he’s asking for donations—as low as $10. Donors will be entered in a raffle, and the winner gets a live performance by John Legend at the private event of her choice. Which means John Legend could SING AT YOUR WEDDING. (Or any event of your choosing.) Yes, you read that correctly. Click here to donate. What are you waiting for?!

I’m SO entering, like, now. I figure with John Legend at my 4-year-old’s birthday party, I pretty much win birthday parties until the end of eternity.

Long-haired brides, here’s all the wedding hair inspiration you need: From hair guru Roxie Jane Hunt, the knotted fishtail chignon, which seems totally DIY-able for your wedding if you have super-long strands and a little patience. Here’s the step-by-step:

STEP 1 Flip your head upside down and spritz with texture spray to add some grip to your strands. Part your hair down the middle and create two side-by-side fishtail braids. Secure the ends with clear elastics.

STEP 2 Starting at the ends and working your way up, gently pull the braids apart a bit. This will add texture and fatten them up a bit.

STEP 3 Take your braids and tie them together once, and then again. If your braids are long enough, tie them a third time. Don’t tie them too tight, however, as you will want to leave the ends free.

STEP 4 Take the whole knot in one hand and gently roll it into your head, tucking the ends inward toward your scalp so that they are hidden.

STEP 5 Working from top to bottom, pin the bun flush to your head using a large hairpin. Make sure to get the teeth of the pin through a braid and into the base of the hair under the bun.

STEP 6 Use another large pin to pin the bun to your head from either side, securing the braided knot. Add as many pins as you need to until your chignon feels secure.

STEP 7 Admire your pretty, pretty self.

Would you dare DIY your wedding hair? Or is the job strictly for a pro? And how romantic is this fishtail chignon?

These vintage-y bridesmaid dresses—all from ModCloth—are pretty enough that you shouldn’t need convincing to pick them for your ’maids. But if you want some extra incentive, check out their price tags: all under $90. What bridesmaid is going to argue with that?

Bridesmaid Dress 1

All Manners of Merriment Dress, $69.99.

Bridesmaid Dress 2

To Put It Twinkly Dress, $69.99.

Bridesmaid Dress 3

Party Frock Anthem Dress, $89.99.

Bridesmaid Dress 4

Sweet Dream Date Dress, $59.99.

Bridesmaid Dress 5

Lacy in Love Dress in Mint, $79.99.

Bridesmaid Dress 6

Grace Notes Dress, $89.99.

Bridesmaid Dress 7

Home Sweet Scone Dress in Apricot, $89.99.

Would you pick vintage-style dresses for your bridesmaids? Which of these dresses is your favorite?

We can only guess what Lady Gaga might wear down the aisle when she marries Tayler Kinney. A cloak of unicorn hair? A gown fashioned from TicTacs? I theorized a few months back that she’ll probably go with something more traditional over something made from, say, cold cuts. But I’m guessing this particular (and particularly pretty) wedding dress won’t be the one she picks:

Sure, Yumi Katsura’s Sendai wedding gown seems vaguely Gaga-esque, with its intricately folded asymmetrical bodice and its butterfly-esque rear view. But here’s why it’s not the wedding dress for one Lady Gaga:

A photo posted by @ladygaga on Apr 2, 2015 at 6:14pm PDT

I’m pretty sure that was her best friend’s wedding dress! (Gaga shared this snap yesterday to celebrate her bestie’s b-day. Get all the details on that wedding here.) And there’s just NO way Gaga’s rocking a gown that one of her closest friends just wore down the aisle.

Any guesses what Gaga’s wedding dress will look like?

I stand by my earlier call: Homegirl’s going traditional. The most shocking thing will be how unshocking it is.

Most design-your-own engagement ring sites start with a MAJOR assumption: You’re looking for an engagement ring with a diamond center stone. And that’s not necessarily the case with a modern bride. Maybe you don’t want to spend the rent (and then some) on a piece of jewelry, or maybe diamonds just aren’t your thing. Regardless of the reason, Gemvara makes it easy to design your dream gemstone engagement ring with pretty much any combination of stones set in whichever metal (or combination of metals) is your favorite. Their design-your-own platform is so easy to use that I went a little bananas this morning. Here are 10 gemstone engagement rings I customized. (You’ll see lots of white sapphires—but not a single diamond!)

I like the idea of a really pastel center stone, like the top two here, which you don’t see a lot of:

Engagement Ring 1

Grace Ring with Green Amethyst and White Sapphires, $960.

Engagement Ring 2

Natalie Ring with Rose Quartz and White Sapphires, $1,590.

Engagement Ring 3

Cushion-Cut Candace Ring with Tanzanite and White Sapphires, $2,820.

I added some smoky quartz on the band here:

Engagement Ring 4

Melissa Ring with Ruby, White Diamonds, and Smoky Quartz, $3,730.

Engagement Ring 5

Apex Ring with Aquamarine and White Sapphires, $1,450.

Engagement Ring 6

Sansa Ring with Pink Tourmaline and White Sapphires, $1,320.

Engagement Ring 7

Ava Ring with Peridot, $590.

Engagement Ring 8

Maeva Ring with Sapphire and White Sapphires, $6,000.

I forgot to switch up the metals until now!

Engagement Ring 9

Emerald-Cut Carrie Ring with Emerald and White Sapphires, $3,555.

I did this one in all white sapphires, which gives you the same look as diamonds for WAY less $. (When I switched all the stones to diamonds, the price jumped to $4,470.)

Engagement Ring 10

Clara Ring with White Sapphires, $2,750.

If you do want diamonds, you can also choose those. But once you start mixing things up with colorful stones, you might change your mind.

Would you want a gemstone engagement ring? Which of these engagement rings is your favorite?

In related news: Don’t Want a Diamond? Here’s Your Just-as-Sparkly, Way-Less-Expensive Engagement Ring

I always say it’s the bride that makes the dress. Here to prove my point: these 15 real brides, who all bring an abundance of personality—whether with a badass biker jacket, a flirty twirl, or an ear-to-ear grin—to their gorgeous Monique Lhuillierwedding dresses. Even if they’re wearing the same gown, no two brides look the alike. But every last one of ’em looks exquisite.

Bride 1

A photo posted by Monique Lhuillier Bride (@moniquelhuillierbride) on Jan 30, 2015 at 10:12am PST

Bride 2

A photo posted by Monique Lhuillier Bride (@moniquelhuillierbride) on Jan 27, 2015 at 8:05am PST

Bride 3

A photo posted by Monique Lhuillier Bride (@moniquelhuillierbride) on Apr 2, 2015 at 5:05pm PDT

Bride 4

A photo posted by Monique Lhuillier Bride (@moniquelhuillierbride) on Jan 26, 2015 at 10:27am PST

Bride 5

A photo posted by Monique Lhuillier Bride (@moniquelhuillierbride) on Mar 28, 2015 at 7:44pm PDT

Bride 6

A photo posted by Monique Lhuillier Bride (@moniquelhuillierbride) on Mar 25, 2015 at 6:36pm PDT

Bride 7

A photo posted by Monique Lhuillier Bride (@moniquelhuillierbride) on Mar 19, 2015 at 11:38am PDT

Bride 8

A photo posted by Monique Lhuillier Bride (@moniquelhuillierbride) on Jan 20, 2015 at 5:51pm PST

Bride 9

A photo posted by Monique Lhuillier Bride (@moniquelhuillierbride) on Mar 18, 2015 at 11:02am PDT

Bride 10

A photo posted by Monique Lhuillier Bride (@moniquelhuillierbride) on Feb 25, 2015 at 5:44pm PST

Bride 11

A photo posted by Monique Lhuillier Bride (@moniquelhuillierbride) on Feb 19, 2015 at 8:22am PST

Bride 12

A photo posted by Monique Lhuillier Bride (@moniquelhuillierbride) on Feb 17, 2015 at 6:24pm PST

Bride 13

A photo posted by Monique Lhuillier Bride (@moniquelhuillierbride) on Feb 2, 2015 at 8:39am PST

Bride 14

A photo posted by Monique Lhuillier Bride (@moniquelhuillierbride) on Mar 24, 2015 at 7:54am PDT

Bride 15

A photo posted by Monique Lhuillier Bride (@moniquelhuillierbride) on Jan 31, 2015 at 9:57am PST

If you’re looking for more details on a dress, click through. (The captions mess up our posts so you won’t find them here, but most mention the dress name and the photographer credit.)

Which of these wedding dresses is your favorite?

No. 7 is an absolute dream. If I could have that neckline with the butterflies from this Monique dress, I’d start the divorce proceedings—just so I could have a second wedding.

If you’re a fashion blogger whose entire life looks a pretty, pretty picture, obviously you can’t get engaged in bed wearing sweats. You’re going to need miles of cherry blossoms and pink petals skimming across a lake. You’re going to need a breezy, figure-skimming backless white dress. And you’re going to need your surfer-photographer boyfriend to capture the moment in a single gorgeous frame before he asks you to be his wife.

At least that’s how it all unfolded when Luke Shadbolt proposed to Nicole Warne, the blogger behind Gary Pepper Girl, during their trip to Tokyo. The two shared their engagement news (and this jaw-dropping photo) this morning.

A photo posted by Nicole Warne (@garypeppergirl) on Apr 6, 2015 at 3:43am PDT

(Of course this isn’t an isolated incidence of fabulous girls getting engaged fabulously: Classy Girls Wear Pearls’ Sarah Vickers got engaged in front of a Irish castle. With fireworks in the background. (See Leah’s interview with her here.))

Can you imagine a more beautiful place for a proposal?

Usually when I hear someone gets engaged I’m all about engagement-ring stalking. But this time I’d love to fast-forward to the wedding dress. (Or dresses. It has to be plural, right?)

The whole matchy-matchy bridesmaid dress tradition started as an attempt to ward off bad luck: With her ’maids dressed in white, the bride was supposed to be protected from evil spirits, who wouldn’t be able to tell the ladies apart. These days bridesmaids wear color, more often than not, but since the dresses are generally in a muted shade, the ’maids tend to blend in with the scenery during the ceremony. And at the reception—where all the women are wearing dresses—the bridesmaids blend in with the crowd.

That won’t happen, however, if you choose a bright, bold dress for your bridesmaids. Bride Caren picked these Mara Hoffman dresses for her best friends, and they couldn’t have looked prettier.

I think the whole thing works for several reasons:

1) Everything else about the bridesmaids’ look is muted: ultra-simple flowers, minimal accessories, natural makeup, and loose waves. If there were wild bouffants, statement jewelry, or cascading bouquets, it would start to feel like sensory overload.

2) The guys are way toned down. In classic black and white, they’re the perfect backdrop for these dresses.

3) The bride’s dress is ultra simple. If Caren had picked a blinged-out ball gown with a sweeping train, you wouldn’t know where to look. But her sleek, chic wedding dress (the Nisha by Vera Wang) plays perfectly against the busy bridesmaid dresses. (Nisha is one of the wedding dresses that Vera sent down the runway in bright pink. (See it here.) I think that would have been overkill.)

4) The bridal party is small. What looks beautiful on four girls would admittedly look bonkers if there had been 14 bridesmaids.

Here’s a quick rundown of some wedding details: Caren and her groom, Michael, were married on March 14 at Sparrows Lodge in Palm Springs, California. These photos are by Chloe Moore Photography. (I spotted pics from the wedding on her Instagram.)

Would you put your bridesmaids in bold patterned dresses?

I think it’s a great way to let them shine.

PS: You don’t have to like the concept, but please keep the comments civilized and don’t criticize the girls above. These are a real couple’s wedding pictures.