To Have and to Hold

Lush jewelry at Turq Bridal

Courtesy of Turq Bridal

Looking for a great necklace that will go with your dress as well as be perfectly wearable with your more usual attire? Want to lavish a little something on your bridesmaids, or perhaps your mom? Then take a look at the fab handiwork of Turq Bridal.

Partners Lee Addison and Katherine Weeks worked together as graphic designers before launching their jewelry business. Here's what their hookup has produced: Amazing pearl and mother-of-pearl jewelry in classic forms, updated with sparkles of color or unique shapes. Some pieces are statements, others are simple—but it's all beautiful.

Designs are named after Lee and Katherine's friends; I love the Hilary line's necklaces, with chunky pearls in cream, slate, platinum and champagne, and the Penelope collection's multi-colored strands are to die for. The site helpfully suggests other pieces to go with the ones you're currently slavering over. But the cherry on top is the jewelry bag in custom colors—brides monogram these to personalize their gifts to their maids, and bridesmaids often give their bride a monogrammed lingerie bag for the honeymoon packed with goodies. —from our Local Scout Atlanta blogger Melissa Diskin

Celebrity Insider

Report Roundup: Ashlee Simpson's wedding

Dan Lecca

Will she or won't she? We don't know for sure but reports are abuzz that Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz will tie the knot this weekend. People.com is saying that the wedding will be held at a friend's house in La Jolla, Calif., north of San Diego. Guests are being asked to dress in dark-colored cocktail attire according to Usmagazine.com. New York Daily News is reporting that the bride will wear Vera Wang and the groom will don Dolce & Gabbana along with his ushers. Will Ashlee go with something daring to fit in with her dark-clad guests like this purple Vera number? Only time will tell. Check back for more details. —Cari Wolfert

Enter to Win

How to become the next Modern Bride of the Year

Video courtesy of CBS

Modern Bride magazine editor-in-chief Antonia van der Meer appeared on CBS' "The Early Show" this morning to talk about the Modern Bride of the Year contest. The magazine's second annual contest started this week, and with an overflow of entries coming in, Antonia gave some advice on how to stick out among the crowd:

- Be confident - You'll be the cover girl of an upcoming issue of Modern Bride!
- Show your uniqueness - Truly modern brides aren't afraid to do their wedding their own way
- Do good - This year the magazine is looking for women who have given back to their families and community

Enter now until June 16. For more information visit Brides.com/ModernBrideoftheYear. —Cari Wolfert

Celebrity Insider

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi to wed!

On the heels of the recent California Supreme Court ruling lifting the state's ban on gay marriage, Ellen DeGeneres has said that she now plans to wed long-time girlfriend Portia de Rossi according to the Associated Press. The talk show host made the announcement, which was followed by cheers and applause from the audience, during a taping of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" on Thursday that is set to air today. Check out our pick for Ellen's wedding attire. —Cari Wolfert

Brides are Talking

Don't sweat the small stuff

Rain, rain go away! April showers may be over, but talk in the Forums this week is all about what to do if it rains on your wedding day. ArtBride's sage advice—"Don't worry about it since you can't control it. The wedding will be wonderful regardless of the weather."—got us thinking about other wedding details that you shouldn't lose sleep over. Here's our list of five things to stop worrying about now:

Your youngest flower girl decides she can't make the walk down the aisle alone (have her pair up with a bridesmaid).
Your uncle gives a long winded toast (it will make a great memory later!).
The table cloths are not the exact shade you asked for (trust us, no one else will notice).
Your cousin shows up with an unexpected date (pull up an extra chair and have him join the party).
A bouquet is missing (take a few flowers from each to create an extra one).

To Have and to Hold

Fresh invites

Courtesy of minted.com

You're a stylish, savvy and laid-back bride, so searching for your wedding invitations should be as easy-going as you are, right? Enter minted.com. This new web site exclusively offers invitations from CECI New York, Oblation Papers & Press, Peculiar Pair Press and much more. While the sleek site is full of options, including this Mum invite (left) from Egg Press, our favorite feature has to be the on-screen customization of fonts, colors and text that allows you to see exactly what your invite will look like. As if that weren't enough, samples are available with free shipping and any costs will be credited back to you if you decide to order your invites from the site. Minted also prides itself on being the first online store to offer hand-addressing and calligraphy services for envelopes in bulk. Check it out at minted.com. —Cari Wolfert

Celebrity Insider

An inside look at Mariah and Nick's Six Flags celebration

Entertainment Tonight takes us inside Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon's wedding celebration at Six Flags Magic Mountain. As we mentioned yesterday, the park was decorated with pink and purple roses and balloons, and of course, butterflies. The lucky 100 guests were treated to cupcakes personalized with the couple's name and Ring Pops as a nod to Nick's proposal. According to the New York Daily News, on April 25th Cannon proposed to Carey on the roof of her Manhattan apartment building with a 17-carat, pink-diamond ring wrapped up like a Ring Pop. Upon entering the park on Tuesday night Mariah said, "I'm not big on surprises, but this is a smash hit!" —Cari Wolfert

To Have and to Hold

Fortunate favors

Remember when fortune tellers were all the rage back in third grade? These origami wedding favors are a sophisticated take on the grade school favorite. Etsy designer Katrina Beyer, who first created the favors to amuse her guests during the reception at her own wedding, completely personalizes each design with your choice of colored paper, tinted ink and custom questions. Test your guests with puzzlers like "How did the bride and groom meet?" or "Where did the groom buy the ring?" Place one at each table or hand them out individually to see how well your guests really know you! Check them out (along with a selection of Katrina's other cards and favors) here. —Kathryn Papanek

To Have and to Hold

Get this do!

Love our home page hairstyle? Hot-roller your tresses, then brush out the curls into voluminous, untamed waves to get this perfect party-girl style. Accessorize with these crystal hairpins by Haute Bride, $250 for three, and crystal and pearl combs by Tigerlilly, $60. Check out our other red-carpet inspired coifs here. —Cari Wolfert

Celebrity Insider

Mariah and Nick give new meaning to roller coaster romance

Nick Cannon rented out Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, Ca. last night as a surprise to his new bride Mariah Carey for their second wedding celebration, People.com reports. One hundred guests were in attendance for the affair that cost the couple a pretty penny (a five-hour rental of the park costs over six figures.) Usmagazine.com reported that the park was decorated with balloons in Mariah's signature colors, pink and purple, and a banner that read "Mariah and Nick - A Love Story." During her guest appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Monday, Mariah said that her and Nick are planning to have a wedding every year. Well if you're interested Mariah, we host 14 weddings every Valentine's Day at the Empire State Building—check back in late summer for more details! —Cari Wolfert