Cara & Vince Exchange Vows in an Intimate, Heartfelt Ceremony

Cara and Vincent Wedding – First Kiss – Laura Huertas Photography

If anything, planning a wedding during a global pandemic gives leeway for a couple to make out-of-the-box choices. As COVID-19 forced Cara and Vince to reconsider their original vision, they found themselves putting together a day full of personal touches. “We wanted a more nontraditional ceremony,” the bride says. They even opted not to have a standard wedding party. “At the end, we wanted everything to feel very intimate with just us standing at the arch.” Here, Cara talks about exchanging heartfelt vows in front of their closest friends and family.
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Planning & Inspiration

B&B Spotlight: Unique, Custom-Made Engagement Rings By Independent Jewelry Designers in NYC

by Kate Murphy

Alternative Engagement Rings – Ra Metals Causal Séance Olivia Michaels Jewelry

The tradition of the engagement ring can be traced back to ancient Rome when a bride-to-be was given two rings – a gold one to wear in public and an iron ring to wear at home while carrying out household duties. She wore it on her left hand as it was believed that what we now call the ‘ring finger’ contained a vein, the vena amoris, that led to the heart. Archduke Maximillian of Austria was the first to use a diamond ring to symbolize engagement in 1477 when he betrothed Mary of Burgundy. This started a trend within the upper class of using the diamond engagement ring to not only symbolize love, but also wealth and status. Confined mostly to the affluent for the next five hundred years, the diamond ring’s modern-day popularity didn’t begin until 1947 when De Beers launched the advertising campaign “A Diamond is Forever.”
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Mary and Brian Wedding - Cake Topper - Crescent Beach Club - Amy Rizzuto Photography

Planning & Inspiration

4 Ways To Manage Wedding Stress During COVID-19: A Bridal Therapist’s Take

by Kate Murphy

Mary and Brian Wedding – Cake Topper – Crescent Beach Club – Amy Rizzuto Photography

COVID-19 has presented couples planning a wedding with new and unprecedented challenges. Routine decisions involving color scheme, catering, and entertainment are now giving way to more serious considerations such as health and safety regulations for gatherings, date postponements, change of venue, and guest list revisions. Modifying an original wedding vision in the face of a global pandemic is inevitably going to create anxiety and friction between two people.

Our thoughts are with everyone trying to navigate this uncharted territory. Now is a time for couples to look to those around them, both personal and professional, for advice and support. With this in mind, we reached out to AisleTalk, a boutique NYC-based therapy practice specializing in helping people cope with the stresses of wedding planning. Here, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Therapist, Farzana Rahman, highlights four ways to manage wedding stress during COVID-19.
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Planning & Inspiration

Bridal Beauty Tips For Every Skin Tone

by Kate Murphy

Bridal Beauty Tips for Every Skin Tone

When Rhianna launched her cosmetics brand, Fenty Beauty, in 2017, she included forty shades of foundation (there are now fifty). This was unprecedented at the time – other leading makeup brands only offered half the amount. In just three years, Fenty Beauty has changed the game regarding what it means to be beauty inclusive, moving other cosmetic lines to vastly expand their selection to customers.

The impact that this movement has had on bridal beauty is apparent. Every woman, regardless if she is into makeup or not, wants to look (and feel) her best on her wedding. Most likely, you will be enlisting a beauty team, with the conversation about wedding makeup commencing well before the big day. It is important that your team understands your skin tone and which products are best for you. To help guide this discussion, we checked in with Megan Glenn, a beauty writer and rep for American Beauty School in New York City. Here, Megan shares essential bridal beauty tips for every skin tone.
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Fanta and Darwin Wedding - Bride and Groom Bouquet - Stonebridge Country Club - Belluci Films

Weddings

BB Featured Bride Fanta On Her Show-Stopping Martina Liana Wedding Dress

by Kate Murphy

Fanta and Darwin Wedding – Bride and Groom Bouquet – Stonebridge Country Club – Belluci Films

A bride wants many things from a wedding dress. As the most important article of clothing she will ever wear, it should make her feel confident, beautiful, and true to her personal style, but with a bit more sparkle and shine for the once in a lifetime occasion. BB Featured Bride Fanta knew she had found ‘the one’ when she stepped into a gown by Martina Liana. “I wanted to feel like a showstopper and my dress did just that!” Here, Fanta reminisces about her ‘say yes to the dress’ moment and bridal personals.
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Weddings

Fanta & Darwin: Sophisticated Pink & White Romance At Stonebridge Country Club

by Kate Murphy

Fanta and Darwin Wedding – Bride and Groom Bouquet – Stonebridge Country Club – Belluci Films

In the age of dating apps, it’s rare to hear about a love story that blossomed from a grade school crush. Darwin caught Fanta’s eye on the first day of their freshman year of high school. “I surveyed the room of my history class for a seat and noted this boy in the back laughing and talking with his peers. He seemed like someone I would enjoy hanging out with,” Fanta remembers. Over the next couple of years, they kept with the same circle of friends, watched each other’s sports events, and even went on a few dates. “However, it wasn’t until senior year when a friend suggested we dress up as twins for senior ‘twin day’ that we really started to hit it off and break the ice,” Fanta says. “I started to learn more about Darwin’s beliefs, his wittiness, and love for weird hats – he even made me wear a matching one on twin day!’” Just a few months before graduation, Darwin finally asked Fanta to be his girlfriend. They were both accepted to the same college program and the rest is history.
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Weddings