Table of contents for June/July 2017 in Brides

facebook.com/brides twitter.com/brides pinterest.com/brides instagram.com/brides snapchat: @bridesmag HONEYMOON AWARDS 2017 We toured the globe to find trips worthy of your first romantic adventure as a married couple. See our VIP picks at brides.com/honeymoons. #BRIDESRINGS A few of our favorite ring pics right now from @brides Instagram Show off your #BridesRings selfie! TAG US ON INSTAGRAM @BRIDES!…

1 LIP SERVICE “Celeb makeup artist (and dear friend) Joey Maalouf introduced me to this gloss when we did my wedding trial. I’m hooked!” 2 BATHING BEAUTY “I love Australian designers— Zimmermann in particular. They make the most flattering swimwear.” 3 PERFECT FIT “My husband gave me a Suzanne Kalan diamond-and-emerald ring that I wear on my right hand. Her pieces are modern but also have a romantic vintage vibe.” 4 OBJECTS OF AFFECTION “I’m always searching for place-card holders in curious shapes. They make any table more charming. The T. rex was a nod to my husband’s love of science and our inside joke that it’s my spirit animal.” 5 WELL HEELED “If you’re dancing all night, you need shoes that are kind to your feet and easy on…

YOUR BEST HAIR, MAKEUP, BODY—EVER…

LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED! 1 / GO SEASONAL To make a big impact on a budget, consider garlands as a cost-effective option for reception centerpieces. “A garland, if mostly made of greenery, can help you save money by filling the table with foliage instead of big, expensive flowers,” says floral designer Denise Fasanello. Use a range of leaf sizes and shapes to break up all that green, then add your favorite wildflowers. (Local and in-season blooms will save you even more.) Budget for two feet of overhang to make a statement, or take it to the floor for high drama. 2/ ADD SCENT Flower free doesn’t mean fragrance free. Fruits and herbs supply a heavenly aroma. Edibles such as bay leaves, rosemary, and seasonal fruits (apricots and plums in…

The wedding invitation is a guest’s first impression of your big day. That’s why you want to put your best foot forward with a personalized preview. So how exactly do you do that with a piece of paper? First, decide what you want your invites to highlight—whether it’s a general feel, like a formal design to match your 7 p.m. start time, or a specific element, like a floral motif to call out your garden venue. To gather inspiration, look at real weddings on Brides.com and stationery sites like Oh So Beautiful Paper and pull at least five examples of what you do (and don’t) like to help guide your vision. For the actual production, decide how involved you want to be and how much you want to spend. Your…

Emanuela & Gaston (To read this couple’s story, go to page 188.) Emanuela & Gaston MARRIED 4 YEARS HOW THEY MET: Ten years ago, Emanuela de Paula, a Brazilian model, was in Tulum, Mexico, for a fashion shoot; Gaston Levy was a driver for the crew. “I’d been working in advertising, but I got a bit burned out,” says Gaston, who was raised in Argentina, “so I was living on the beach, Robinson Crusoe–style. Manu and I spoke different languages, and we looked different from each other—she was black and I was white—but surrounded by a German crew, we were like, ‘Hey! We’re two Latins!’ And we connected.” DISSENTING PARTY: “My father gave Gaston a really hard time,” says Emanuela of the men’s first meeting, after the couple had been…

ATLANTA / JUNE 11, 2016 THE COUPLE McKenzie Redmon and Detroit Piston Kentavious Caldwell-Pope THE WEDDING At the St. Regis Atlanta HOW THEY MET In Dallas, where McKenzie lived at the time, when Kentavious was in town for a game THE PROPOSAL In October 2015, at Kentavious’s house in Atlanta THE HONEYMOON Krabi, Thailand SOUND ADVICE Retired NBA player John Battle officiated the ceremony, sharing lessons from his nearly-30-year-long marriage and life as a pro athlete. DRAMATIC ATTIRE McKenzie made two grand entrances at the reception —the second in a beaded jumpsuit with a detachable 12-foot train. ALL-OUT GLAM The bride had a vision for a Gatsby-esque party, minus the beads and feathers. The result: a chic black, white, and gold affair. CENTER STAGE Kentavious ended the night by serenading…

UNLESS TRAVELING FOR WORK, I rarely book the same hotel twice. Why repeat when there is so much uncharted territory to explore? However, I make an exception for Grace Bay Club in Turks and Caicos. The first time I waded into Grace Bay and made my own waves in its calm, crystal-clear water, in view of my private plunge pool, I knew I’d be back. I’d fallen in love with the property, the resort’s staff, and the breathtaking beach. It took me five years, but in an attempt to shake off post-election blues, I scheduled a return trip to Grace Bay. The sea and sand were as spectacular as I remembered, so I was not surprised when Grace Bay Beach ranked as the top beach in our 2017 Honeymoon Awards.…

WHEN YOU STARTED DATING YOUR PARTNER, HOW SOON DID YOU GET IT ON? 41% After a few dates 24% After a month 15% On the first date 8% After the wedding! 7% After three months 5% After six months or more 38% SAY GETTING ENGAGED CHANGED THEIR SEX LIFE—FOR THE BETTER! WHAT HAPPENED? “We had it more often.” “It felt more connected than ever.” “It was more adventurous.” 22% DID A “SEXUAL FAST” BEFORE THE BIG DAY. HOW LONG DID YOU HOLD OUT? “Just the week before the wedding.” “The last month of our engagement.” “ Three months—and it was so worth it!” 84% HAD SEX ON THE WEDDING NIGHT. AND THEY RATE IT… 56% LOVING, SWEET, AND AMAZING 25% NICE, BUT WE WERE EXHAUSTED 19% SMOKING HOT 69% ARE…

About Face “I created this collection around my exact beauty needs,” says French actress Charlotte Gainsbourg of her new collaboration with Nars. Lucky for us, Gainsbourg had “needs” for products that would subtly highlight favorite features and cover up blemishes and dark circles. In the collection are nextgeneration offerings of several Nars classics, such as the Multiple stick, which is now sheer enough that even the red lets your skin shine through while giving you a flush of color, says Gainsbourg, the daughter of English beauty Jane Birkin. Eye shadows are soft, matte neutrals, and the line’s Hydrating Glow Tint ($36), a gel cream that evens skin tone, makes it appear as if you’re lit from within. That, in fact, is perhaps the greatest French-girl tip of all: Perfect your…

TALK IN ADVANCE Before a tasting, I have the couple select five or six flavors they want to try and answer questions about their decor, guest count, budget, and menu. This helps me give the best recommendations on flavor and look. BRING PICS Our designs are based on the wedding’s overall aesthetic, not on photos of other cakes. I ask the bride to show me three or four images of, say, the entire room setting, her dress, and one cake she likes. DO YOUR RESEARCH Find out if the company bakes from scratch. When I visit others, my trick is to say that my son has a severe allergy to propylene glycol mono, an additive that’s in almost every cake mix. If they can’t tell me confidently that it’s not…

HONEYMOON IDEAS FOR THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME MOST ROMANTIC DESTINATIONS IN THE WORLD 1. French Polynesia Flying in over dreamy reefringed motus (a.k.a. islets) sets the scene for an epic honeymoon. Touch down on culture-packed Tahiti, dive in the ocean from your overwater bungalow on Bora Bora, sample plates of smoked breadfruit on Moorea, or sail to the barely inhabited Marquesas Islands and you’ll learn the true meaning of paradise. It would take years to explore all 118 islands of French Polynesia—but that’s what anniversaries are for, right? MORE FAVORITES 2. Italy 3. The Hawaiian Islands 4. Maldives 5. Greece 6. Bali 7. Mexico 8. Thailand 9. Fiji 10. South Africa EXCLUSIVE: ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A TRIP TO HAWAII! One lucky couple will score five nights…

TO SEE MORE WITH EDIBLE FLOWERS (AND HOW BUTTERFLY-PEA BLOSSOMS CAN TURN YOUR SIGNATURE DRINK SAPPHIRE BLUE!), VISIT VIDEO.BRIDES.COM.…

NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND / JUNE 18, 2016 THE COUPLE Stephanie Brag, cofounder and chief operating officer of Dee Hutton, and Peter Enestrom, education entrepreneur THE WEDDING At a friend’s home, with a reception following at the New York Yacht Club HOW THEY MET In 2013, at a mutual friend’s house party in New York City THE PROPOSAL On the beach in Antigua on April 3, 2015 THE HONEYMOON A minimoon in St. Barth, then a two-week trip to India for their six-month anniversary GLOBAL RECEPTION With guests coming from 16 different countries, Peter and Stephanie paid extra attention to seating and gathered a mix of nationalities at each dinner table. FRAGRANT FLORALS Bundles of lavender doubled as favors and escort cards. “The men loved this idea and put the sprigs…

KENWOOD, CALIFORNIA / AUGUST 11, 2016 THE COUPLE David Fonseca (opposite, at right), hairstylist and salon owner, and Christopher Larsen, event coordinator THE WEDDING At Kunde Family Winery HOW THEY MET On the sidewalk after a Madonna concert in Chicago in June 2006 THE PROPOSAL While on a boat ride in London’s Regent’s Park in June 2015 THE HONEYMOON Still to come! STYLE, REDEFINED The grooms wore matching suits but accessorized to fit their own aesthetics. That meant sparkly loafers for Chris and gray suspenders for Dave. MUSIC MATTERS The couple entered to their fave Beyoncé song, “Halo,” then the wedding party read Madonna lyrics during the ceremony in a nod to how they met. PARTY PEOPLE In the precisely planned seating chart, Dave and Chris sat guests across the…

I WAS A REAL GROWN-UP WHEN I GOT MARRIED—a wise old woman of 35. I’d traveled to more than 40 countries; I had my own car, my own apartment, my own Netflix account, and my own way of doing things. But what I was most proud of was how good I was at traveling on my own. That was how I set out for the Galápagos Islands: just a girl, a carry-on, and a tattered copy of Kurt Vonnegut’s Galápagos. Only there was this guy on my 10-day boat tour—a longhaired California dude who wore hiking sandals with misplaced confidence, and when he laughed, it rolled up from his belly and made everyone else on the boat laugh with him. He’d brought along his own tattered copy of Galápagos, which…

“CAP SLEEVES, STRAPLESS NECKLINES, AND ANYTHING BIAS CUT CAN BE A NIGHTMARE FOR PLUS-SIZE WOMEN. A-LINES, V-NECKS, AND EVEN SUPPORTIVE HALTER STYLES WORK FOR EVERYONE.” —KATIE STURINO, BLOGGER, THE 12ISH STYLE…

To look bright on your big day, feed your skin from the inside, says Beauty Detox author Kimberly Snyder, whose clients include Amanda Seyfried and Rooney Mara. That means replenishing your body first thing in the morning with fruits and vegetables, like those in Snyder’s smoothies. Produce breaks down quickly, she says, so when eaten on an empty stomach, it can help promote high energy and optimal digestion—which is also essential for healthy skin. Whip up these drinks as part of your wedding prep and you’ll be one step closer to a photo-ready complexion. THE RECIPES MONDAY WATER WEIGHT ELIMINATOR SLIM-DOWN 1 cup coconut water ½ cup frozen cranberries ½- inch-piece ginger, peeled and minced ½ cup frozen pineapple chunks 1 banana Blend until smooth. GOOD TO KNOW Pineapple is…

What are some great present ideas for bridesmaids and groomsmen? It can be challenging to find a one-size-fitsall gift. Instead, make it more personal. Consider giving tank tops with different Beyoncé lyrics or a coffee-table book based on each person’s interests with a handwritten note inside. How about a monogrammed Lucite cellphone case and charger for the selfie queen or rose-gold headphones for the music lover? Give them each something they’ll really enjoy. My brother is my man of honor. What should he wear? It’s becoming more common to have male members in the bride’s party. (According to the 2016 American Wedding Study, 14 percent of brides have a guy stand on her side.) Typically, he would coordinate with the groomsmen’s attire, but if you want to set your brother…

WEDDINGS WE LOVE, IDEAS TO MAKE YOUR OWN TEN YEARS AFTER they first met at the University of Texas, Jessica Latham and Ryan Brooks reconnected as producers on the film Inocente, which won an Oscar in 2013 for best documentary short. The couple got engaged two years later and decided on a destination wedding at one of their favorite vacation spots, Italy’s Amalfi Coast. But while scouting venues, Jessica and Ryan fell for the nearby island of Capri and locked in a private garden and restaurant overlooking the water for their party. “It was important to us to share a part of the world that we love with our family and closest friends in an authentic way,” the bride says. “We didn’t want to go to Italy and create a…

JOHNS ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA / NOVEMBER 7, 2015 THE COUPLE Nedenia Hutton Craig, cofounder and fashion designer at Dee Hutton, and Reed Edmiston, media director THE WEDDING At Fenwick Hall HOW THEY MET As undergrads at Brown University THE PROPOSAL On December 6, 2014, over breakfast in their first apartment THE HONEYMOON St. Barth STYLISH SQUAD The bride dressed her wedding party in individualized colorful looks. “I wanted my bridesmaids to be the wow factor,” says the designer. CUSTOM I DO’S Nedenia and Reed recited traditional vows but also put their own touch on the ceremony by each selecting a reading and asking a friend to speak. A MASTER PLAN Guérard used calligraphed wine carafes for table numbers and topped each place setting with a gold pear, a last-minute addition…

Ever wonder why some single ladies duke it out on the dance floor to catch the prized bridal bouquet? The practice dates to the 14th century: The bride was thought to be extraordinarily lucky, and it was common for wedding guests to rip off shreds of her dress (while she was wearing it!) and grab at her bouquet to claim a bit of good fortune for themselves. But in England, women got fed up with people—think drunken groomsmen—attacking their bridal ensembles and came up with the garter toss to steer them away. While it’s still customary to throw the garter, tossing the bouquet became another diversionary tactic. So at the end of the night, as your girls are getting into formation, take a moment to be grateful that the crowd…