When we were slogging it out over the invite list, one of the harder choices was whether to include our friends' and family's children. Since we knew we wanted our reception to be a rocking late-night party, in the end we decided to make it be adults-only. Fortunately, we didn't hear any protests - in fact several people thanked us for forcing them to leave the kids with a babysitter so that they could really let their hair down.

But I know from the emails you send me that not all of you are so lucky -- your friends who are parents think an adults-only invite is rude and inconsiderate, especially for out-of-towners. And many brides and grooms specifically want the children to be there. In our forum poll about children and weddings, 44% said, "No, a formal wedding is no place for children," while 25% replied, "Yes, children are adorable and I can't imagine my wedding without them." The remaining 31% were somewhere in the middle. What do you think? Will you invite the kiddos?

Your bridesmaids are your best friends and family, the people who know you the best, and the people who would do anything for you. And for the last few months they especially have - they've been friendly listeners, shoulders to cry on, cheerleaders, and troopers.  They've thrown you bridal showers, given you gifts, and bought their matching dresses. Many brides say thanks by giving a special "Thank you gift" to their bridesmaids. But if your ladies have gone above and beyond for you, return the favor by throwing them a bridesmaids tea.

If you're a party gal (or guy), there's no shortage of excuses to have a party when you're engaged. Of course there's the wedding itself, but there's also the engagement party, the bridal shower, bachelor and bachelorette parties, and the rehearsal dinner. And if you really love to plan a party, you can add a day-after brunch, a bridesmaids tea, a wedding photo viewing party, and more. 

But how many parties is too many? At a certain point, guests start to complain about the time and expense of attending several wedding-related events. Your fun bashes can become tired obligations. What do you think? How many wedding-related events are you planning?

Apparently the second weekend in July is a popular choice for celebrity weddings, as four high-profile couples got married this weekend. For those of us who love ogling the results of lavish budgets and narcissitic tendencies, there's more than enough to go around. From an intimate gathering of only four to a lavish southern plantation affair, the nuptials of Carrie Underwood, Martin Lawrence, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Megan Fox, and Brian Austin Green offer a wide range of celebrity wedding inspiration. Read more...

I'm about to admit to you something I haven't even told my husband: I'm a closet Real Housewives fan. It's embarrassingly true - the tawdry gossip and backstabbing of these ladies had me hooked early on, so you better believe I watched all of the spinoff series Bethenny Getting Married? But at least this time I had justification: it was research!

And surprisingly, that proved true. Not only did I get to see how a glamorous Four Seasons wedding was put together in just four weeks, but there was an important but mortifying tip to share with you readers. Read more...

It's not often that I draw a firm line about wedding etiquette. For most rules, I tell you what's traditionally done, give you some modern alternatives, and encourage you to make your wedding your own. But there are a few places that I draw the line, such as asking for money, or having a cash bar. And now I have a third one to add to this list: men wearing hats at an indoor wedding.

Read more...

I'm pretty sure there are at least a few of you who rival me for the titles of "Most Fanatical Lover of Awesome Wedding Dresses" and "Biggest Nerd About Strange Wedding Traditions." Well the Chicago History Museum has tailor-made an exhibition just for us. Their exhibiton, aptly titled "I Do" showcases over 45 wedding dresses from 150 years of history, along with corsets, shoes, men's attire, and some nerdy facts about how these wedding trends came to be.

Have you been to this exhibit? I'd love to hear your thoughts on it, or something fun you learned while visiting!

Last week I wrote my best friend and said, "If I ever get married again, I'm totally having these wedding cakes!" Wayne Thiebaud, one of my favorite artists, is known for his paintings of cakes, ice creams, and other sweets. So when fellow Theibaud-lovers Lisa and Drew got married in Northern California, they took one of his paintings and brought it to life as their wedding cake.  It's just the kind of personal touch that I love, and that guests will remember long after the wedding.

There was absolutely, positively, certainly no cake smashing in my face at my wedding. My new husband was too afraid for his life to have even thought about doing it. Though a little smeared frosting in the face can be good for a few laughs, I wasn't about to ruin my carefully applied makeup, hairstyle, or precious wedding dress.

But a reader named Lisa is getting pressured by her future husband to let it happen when they ceremonially cut their wedding cake. She writes:

I'm getting married this Saturday, and my fiance wants to do cake smashing in each other's faces and I really do not want to. He thinks that if it isn't done, we'll have bad luck. I can't find anything about cake smashing and good luck anywhere on the internet. Can you help?

Well, Lisa you have to know I'm on your side here. I think your husband is looking for a few laughs and is using luck to justify it to you. Though wedding cake has many superstitions associated with it (for one, sharing cake is meant to improve fertility), I've never heard of one about surprising your new spouse with a face-full of frosting. If both people are into it, it can be funny and good spirited.  But generally it just looks like a couple of kids in a food fight.

All About Wedding Cakes

Planning a wedding is about more than buying a dress and choosing a cake. It's also about getting prepared for marriage. Okay, okay, so it feels a bit like homework. There's no fun shopping trip to be made, or giggly excitement. But this kind of preparation can be invaluable in not only knowing your partner but also knowing yourself. It can also help prevent the embarrassment of last minute cold feet. Here are the questions to ask each other to make sure you're ready to get married.

Related: Are You Having Cold Feet?