My Big Day Planner

On the television show Friends, when Monica got engaged to Chandler, it took her about five minutes after he slipped the ring on her finger for her to pull out a perfectly sectioned, color coordinated binder full of info on planning her dream wedding. Unfortunately, we can't all be as organized as Monica Gellar. Lucky for us, there is a product that can help.

My Big Day Planner is a wedding workbook that comes with everything needed to help plan your wedding. The kit comes with a pen, sticky notes, page flags, folders, business card organizers, sheet protectors, a separate document holder, and clipboard - and has sections to help you keep track of your budget, guest list, seating chart, vows, legal documents and more! (click here to check out a sample section) The best part is the planner is completely customizable. The over 200 workbook-style pages and 17 different categories can be removed or rearranged to fit each bride’s individual needs. And if you are all-digital, My Big Day Planner also offers an eBook, which allows you to download the pages from your home or office to help organize the work you’ve already put into planning your wedding.

So get on track and get organized...get My Big Day Planner!

Key Tips For Choosing Ceremony Music

A few months ago, bride and groom, Jill and Kevin Heinz, entertained us all with the viral video of their wedding march to Chris Brown’s “Forever”. Though this video was wildly popular (getting over 25 million hits on YouTube) a choreographed dance to a pop song isn’t for everyone’s wedding. Looking for something more traditional for your ceremony, but finding classical music to be a bit daunting? Well rest easy. Before you meet with musicians, take a look – and a listen – to my starter suggestions of classical ceremony pieces:

Prelude Music: used as guests are being seated for the ceremony, which can take up to 30 minutes

Air on the G String (Bach) One of my personal favorites! Beautiful as a string quartet.

Chorale Prelude: Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (Bach) This piece can also be played on strings or a piano.

Processional Music: signals the beginning of the ceremony, including seating of the parents, bridal party, (sometimes of the grandparents), and finally the bride walking down the aisle

Trumpet Tune (Purcell) You will feel like an actual princess walking down the aisle to this song.

Trumpet Voluntary The Prince Of Denmark March (Purcell) The trumpets sound gorgeous and are a nice alternative to the more standard string instruments.

Cannon in D (Pachelbel) Can also work as a processional, recessional, and postlude.

Bridal Chorus (Wagner) You can’t go wrong with the classic Here Comes The Bride.

Interlude Music: generally a vocalist will sing these songs as the bride and groom give flowers to their parents, light a unity candle, etc.

Ave Maria (Schubert) If you would like to add a modern spin to this classic, check out Beyonce’s version.

Recessional Music: played after bride and groom have been pronounced man and wife

Wedding March (Mendelssohn) A timeless song to for the couple to exit the ceremony as newlyweds.

Ode To Joy (Beethoven) The last movement of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony is an elegant piece.

Postlude Music: played until all guests have exited the ceremony

Water Music (Handel) A lovely piece to end the ceremony with.

Happy (Music) Hunting!

Color Me Married

While a bride can never go wrong with a classic white dress, we think that the bridesmaids shouldn't be the only ones in the wedding party who get to play with color. Chicago dress designer, Michelle Rahn, felt the same way, and thus came up with a gown that allows you to brighten up your wedding day. The Sabrina dress is a classic, strapless, drop waist which comes with a modern twist in the form of a colored crinolin (available in Black, Red, Fushia, Violet, Eggplant, Canary yellow, Sky Blue, Navy, and Platinum). Match this splash of color with a pair of jewel toned shoes and brightly colored jewelry and you will look like you stepped right of the runway. If you want to keep your ceremony look more traditional, the Sabrina gown (also available at Gabriella New York Bridal Salon), makes a great choice to change into for the reception.

Green Jade Stud Earrings by Stephen Webster

Manolo Blahnik Something Blue Satin Pump

Ivanka Trump Ties The Knot

On Sunday, Ivanka Trump married her boyfriend of 2 years, Jared Kushner, at the Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey. 27 year-old Ivanka wore a Grace Kelly inspired gown by designer Vera Wang, and said her I Do's in an Orthodox Jewish ceremony (she recently converted to Judaism for Kushner). Among the 500 guests were Barbara Walters, Rudy Giuliani, Russell Crowe, Natalie Portman, Andrew Cuomo, and Regis Philbin, who sang at the reception. Father of the bride, Donald Trump, gave the short, but sweet toast "Be happy and enjoy your life" and mother of the bride, Ivana Trump, recently blogged that the newlyweds make such a happy couple.