To Have and to Hold

Say it in silver... or gold

Courtesy of Carolee LUX

I love these Sterling Sentiments bangles from Carolee LUX for bridesmaid's gifts. Plus, they are the perfect one-stop shopping gift. "Sentiments" include mother, sister, friend and niece so you can pick one up for everyone if your bridal party. Each sentiment is engraved in the bracelet in five different languages—French, Italian, Spanish, German and English. You won't be the only one sporting these stunners, celebs such as Jennie Garth and Brooke Shields are fans as well. All styles are available in both silver and 14-kt gold and prices range from $115 to $125. —Cari Wolfert

Cakes & Dessert

The king of all cupcakes

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a great baker, but when I decided to make something personalized for my sister's bridal shower I thought that a cake would be perfect! So I picked up the Wilton Giant Cupcake Pan from Sur la Table and ended up with this confection. The baking was easy (I kept it simple with a mix I picked up from the grocery store) and decorating it was a blast. I added a few drops of blue food coloring to my store-bought icing for the top, and frosted the bottom with the milk chocolate version. Then, I finished it off with some heart-shaped sprinkles. It was a total hit, and was surprisingly delicious too! —Cari Wolfert

Wedding Wisdom: The cake was the perfect complement to the other (professionally made) desserts we were serving to our guests, but if want to make this cake your solo dessert; create one confection for each table. Decorate it in different colors for a fun centerpiece.

Wed-site Roundup

Jonathan Rubin of
Studio Nine Photography*

The Bride's Cafe: Pretty in pink floral details

Earth Friendly Weddings: Vegan emergency kits for the big day

Diva Dialogue: Fun ideas for your night-before the wedding slumber party

Glam Dish: Beer-inspired cocktails for your cocktail hour

DC NearlyWeds: Fabulous feather bouquets that will last forever

*Courtesy of The Bride's Cafe

To Have and to Hold

Red delicious

From left: Courtesy of ArtWax, Courtesy of Love, ME

As summer unofficially comes to a close, we say goodbye to seaside soirees and greet the fall affair. One of our favorite new trends of the season? Apples! So give your guests these cute candles (far left) from ArtWax that are made to look like our favorite fruit. Sold in packages of 12 for $14, the economical favor will definitely not be a throw away for your guests. If you are in the do-it-yourself mood but only want to exert minimal effort, try the Candle Carver from shoploveme.com. For $10 you can create your own apple candles to circle your centerpieces and add some fall flair to your reception. —Cari Wolfert

Wedding Wisdom: Stick a paper leaf on each candle with your guest's name on it for an autumnal take on place cards.

To Have and to Hold

Super spray

Courtesy of Sensia

This Glitz Body Glitter Spray adds the perfect touch of glamour to your celebration. You can spray the lightly scented fragrance on your skin, hair, clothing or anything that needs a little extra sparkle. I love the idea of spraying your skin to add shimmer for your walk down the aisle. Want to glam up your reception? Spray your flowers to give your decorations an extra twinkle. And you don't have to worry about the clean up: the alcohol-based spray does not damage clothing and can be removed from skin with water. Take a look at all six shades ($18 for a 1 oz. spray bottle) at sensia.com. —Kathryn Papanek

Wedding Wisdom: Flowers can be delicate, so check with your florist before you add Glitz (or any other spray) to your decorations.

To Have and To Hold

Carry all

Courtesy of Stephanie Johnson

It's very important that the morning of the wedding the bride has all of her beauty essentials—brushes and blushes, shadows and sprays—in one convenient place. Don't just throw your beauty tools in a shopping bag, organize them so you can find everything with ease. There's no need for extra stress on your big day, right?

Pick up a stylish toiletry bag and prepare it the week before (not the morning of or the night before) the wedding with everything you know you'll need and some extra just-in-case items. We recommend the ML Traveler bag by Stephanie Johnson. In addition to being extremely stylish, it contains several clear pouches and sections so you can easily organize all of your beauty supplies and see them too! The design featured here is Tribeca, but the ML Traveler is available in several patterns. —Anne Chertoff

Wedding Wisdom: If you're leaving for the airport directly from the wedding, ask your wedding planner or a bridesmaid to toss your cosmetic/toiletry bag in your carry-on or luggage when you're done with it and you can use the bag, and what's inside, on your honeymoon.

I Will/I Won't

Would you ever fire a bridesmaid?

Isabel Garcia

Still searching for the perfect bridesmaid dress for your 'maids? View hundreds of designs in our Bridesmaid Dress Photo Gallery

Celebrity Insider

Bull's eye

Not everyone walked away with a medal at this summer's Olympics. Some athletes walked away with a fiance too.

South Korea's top male and female archers announced that they've been struck by Cupid's arrow. Medal winners Park Kyung-mo and Park Sung-hyun, who led the women's team to a gold medal, announced their engagement just as the games were coming to an end. The two met while training for the Olympics and surprised coaches and team mates at a local Beijing restaurant. —Anne Chertoff

To Have and to Hold

Double duty

Courtesy of Bakerella

You've heard of saving time and money by having centerpieces double as wedding favors, so why not do the same at your bridal shower? Having a favor act as a decoration is a great way for your bridesmaids to simplify the shower planning. These cupcakes will make your bridal shower decorations really pop—the delicious treats double as a centerpiece and dessert. Created by Angie Dudley of Bakerella, the miniature cupcakes are surprisingly easy to make. On her blog, Angie gives a step by step account of how she shapes the balls with a cookie cutter and then dips them in two candy coating colors. "The lollipops sticks send them over the edge of cuteness," Angie says. Check out bakerella.com for more versions of her whimsical cupcake pops. —Kathryn Papanek

To Have and to Hold

Gifts for the girls

Courtesy of Debra Sephard

I saw these Debra Shepard earrings at a gift show last week and immediately thought that they would make ideal bridesmaid presents. Created with Swarovski crystals, the "threader" earrings are designed to be light and comfortable. Instead of a post backing, each earring has a thin chain threads through your piecing. The result? Playful, fun earrings that your bridesmaids will definitely wear again. Best of all, you don't have to break the bank to give your girls great gifts: the earrings range from about $50 to $100 at debrashepard.com. —Kathryn Papanek

Wedding Wisdom: Your bridesmaid gift does not have to be something to wear on your wedding day. You can buy each 'maid a personal gift that you think each one will appreciate. If you do decide to get everyone the same item, you can easily personalize it by monogramming it with their initials.