Brides October/November 2016

Here at Brides, each issue is a labor of love, fun, and often adventure. Six months before we go to press, my directors and I hunker down in a large conference room, and the departments (fashion, features, beauty, wedding style) come in one by one to pitch the stories and ideas they’re most excited about. Conversations on the tiniest of topics (should we show a fork with that mini cake to convey scale?) can stretch from five minutes to 45, and two things are always involved: lots of enthusiasm, and chocolate to keep us going through what is often an all-day meeting. The best part is seeing our work come to life, like associate wedding-style editor Hannah Baker’s remix of roses, starting on page 280. You’ll also love senior wedding-style…

THE BEAUTY ISSUE 12 MONTHS BEFORE • Write up the guest list. • Figure out who’s paying for what. • Set the wedding budget. • Hire a planner if you’ll be using one. • Book the ceremony site and reception venue. 10 MONTHS BEFORE • Choose your officiant. • Go dress shopping. • Set up in-person meetings with potential vendors. • Select the bridal party. • Hire the stationer if you’re going custom. 8 MONTHS BEFORE • Hire the caterer, florist, band/DJ, ceremony musicians, and photographer and reserve rentals. • Order your wedding dress if it’s custom. • Set up your wedding Web site. • Block hotel rooms for out-of-town guests. • Register. 6 MONTHS BEFORE • Order bridesmaids’ dresses. • Book the honeymoon. • Shop for wedding bands. •…

CHANGING YOUR TUNE My fiancé and I are huge hip-hop fans, and we’re worried older guests will hate our playlist. Do we have to change it? We’d love to say it’s your wedding and you can listen to as much Kendrick Lamar as you want, but in the interest of making sure all your guests have a good time, try mixing up the music styles. Include current radio hits and Motown classics to take everyone’s tastes into consideration and ensure your dance floor stays full. If you can’t go without rap for longer than 30 minutes, stick to clean versions of upbeat, crowd-friendly throwbacks. (Think Outkast and the Notorious B.I.G.) And, of course, play whatever you want at the after-party, once Grandma’s turned in for the night. SPLIT DECISION I…

WHO DID YOUR MAKEUP? 69% A makeup artist 21% Me 10% A friend HOW DID YOU WEAR YOUR HAIR? 43% Half up, half down 36% Up 21% Down 76% say that if they had to choose, they’d rather have perfect skin than perfect hair. 58% tried a new makeup, skin, or hair product for the wedding that they still use today. 27% changed their hair and/or makeup look between the ceremony and reception. IF YOU COULD HAVE HAD ONE OF THESE FOR FREE FOR THE ENTIRETY OF YOUR ENGAGEMENT, WHICH WOULD IT BE? 49% A personal trainer 34% A subscription to a healthy meal plan 15% A nutritionist 2% A subscription to a juice cleanse 80% modified their diet while engaged. And it paid off: 74% lost a few pounds.…

My boyfriend, Ben, and I were due to leave for a camping trip in New Hampshire one Saturday, a trip during which he was planning to propose. I knew this because I’d overheard him talking on the phone with my mother about his plans, and I’d caught a glimpse of him showing my friend the ring. We’d met a year before when I walked into the bar he owned. Like a good alcoholic, I latched on to the guy with the booze immediately, and we spent much of our early relationship drinking together. But even without the partying, he was always someone I wanted to be around—kind and generous, sensitive and sweet. We were also a good balance for each other: me, laid-back, and him, a detail-oriented worrier. I was…

EXCLUSIVE! WATCH THE FULL SERIES Follow Elle and Alex’s journey to “I do” across three cities in two countries by heading to brides.com/video. For the fourth-annual Brides Live Wedding, our readers, users, fans, and followers threw beauty vlogger Elle Fowler and her musician fiancé, Alex Goot, one unforgettable celebration. Thousands of you voted on every detail, from the reception decor and bridesmaids’ dresses to Elle’s hairstyle and the couple’s registry. The results were tallied, the choices were brought to life by SoCal-based planners at Brooke Keegan Special Events, and all was unveiled at the Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara, California. To see the full bash, go to brides.com/video. “I LOVE THE ANTICIPATION OF SEEING WHAT AMERICA SELECTS,” PLANNER BROOKE KEEGAN (A 2014 BRIDES LIVE WEDDING VETERAN) SAYS OF…