Bridal Party

Where & When: Bridal Edition

Friday, November 20, and Saturday, November 21
For Carine’s Bridal Atelier’s (1726 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 202-965-4696) three-year anniversary, is discounting all bridal gowns by 13 percent. Designers include Angel Sanchez, Carolina Herrera, Kenneth Pool, and Pronovias. Friday 11 to 7, Saturday 11 to 6..

At the bridal boutique Hitched (1523 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 202-333-6162), you can catch Anna-Maier Ulla Maija dresses at this weekend’s trunk show. Sample gowns will be available for viewing, but all the New York-based designer’s gowns are custom-made for each customer. Friday 11 to 6 , Saturday 9 to 5. To schedule appointments, which are required, call the store or e-mail appointment@hitchedsalon.com.

Sunday, November 22
A glitzy wedding cake isn’t just for photos—it has to taste as good, too. Custom Cake Design (8535 Ziggy Ln., Gaithersburg; 301-216-1100) is holding its monthly open house with more than 60 cakes on display. Brides can try 12 flavors as well as the company’s imported-Belgian-chocolate-fondue fountain. Noon to 4. Call 301-216-1100 to reserve a spot.

Tales From the Groom: Jimi, the Monkees, and Our Ceremony

Carl explains how his wedding is like Jimi Hendrix playing his guitar. Or something along those lines. Just stick with him for a bit.

As a live-music fan, something funny I realized about planning a wedding is that the wedding ceremony is the “opening act” of the day. The ritual binding of you to someone for eternity, amidst the hoopla that is the wedding day, is the appetizer. It’s the biggest part of the day only to those on stage or those directly related to those on stage. A wedding ceremony is, ironically enough, a lot like the Jimi Hendrix Experience.

Jimi Hendrix? Let me explain where I’m going.

Hendrix achieved fame in 1967 at the seminal acid-rock event known as the Monterey Pop Festival. (Remember footage of Hendrix on his knees stoking the flames of a burning guitar? It happened at there.) Hendrix and his band opened for the only act to ever record four number-one albums in a single year: the artistic juggernauts and the ’60s cultural icons known as the Monkees.

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.

Where & When: Bridal Events

Discounts on wedding gowns, wedding-photography showcases, and more this weekend.

Thursday, November 12, through Saturday, November 14
Starting tonight, the Junko Yoshioka trunk show at Carine’s Bridal Atelier (1726 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 202-965-4696) offers discounts on Yoshioka wedding gowns each day from 4 PM on Thursday through 6 Pm on Saturday: 12 percent on Thursday and Friday and 10 percent on Saturday.

Saturday, November 14
Recently relocated to a new Vienna store (8496-B Tyco Rd.), Crystal Bridal Gallery is holding a grand reopening. Visit from 10 to 6 for 25 percent off any special order or purchase plus a preview of the gallery’s 2010 collection. Call 703-288-3066 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Sunday, November 15
Maggie Sottero’s selections from Allure Bridals and Impression Bridal will be on display at the High Tea Bridal Open House from noon to 5. The event is hosted by It’s All About the Dress (511 11th St., SE) and will feature modeled wedding presentations at 1 and 3. Check out mother-of-the-bride dresses by Sarah Danielle and Jovani and bridesmaid designs from Bari Jay. Appetizers are included with the $5 price; call 202-546-7682 to reserve your spot.

Tales From the Groom: There’s No Basement at the Alamo . . . or the Mayflower Hotel

After a rocky start, Carl and Kristin find the wedding venue of their dreams.

Kristin and I were standing on the grounds of a tranquil little wedding venue, with a great outdoor setting situated on the banks of the Potomac, when I realized a jumbo jet was screaming toward us. I could see the people on the plane putting up their tray tables, the heat coming off the engines, and rivets. Looking across the water from the back porch of the establishment, I watched as a massive 767 touched down at Reagan National Airport no more than 500 yards away. I turned to Kristin and said, “Tower, this is Ghost Rider requesting a flyby.” To which she responded, “That’s a negative Ghost Rider. The pattern is full. We’re planning a wedding, honey, not an air show.”

Finding a venue got off to a rocky start. Besides the landing strip, we also had an establishment at National Harbor that wouldn’t call us back and a place in Dupont Circle where the event coordinator stood us up. At one hotel, the salesperson showed us a room that was way too small for the number of guests we were planning to invite. We had to sneak into the joint late one night and find a ballroom that was large enough.

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.

Where & When: Bridal Edition

If planning a wedding is leaving you scratching your head, try some of these upcoming bridal events in Washington to make life easier.

Saturday, November 7
Envi Consulting & Associates cuts out the guesswork with its four-week wedding-planning series, “I Do It Myself.” The sessions will help brides and grooms steer through Washington’s wedding industry, offering tips on local professionals, trends, and keeping the big day affordable. Couples will receive expert advice, a course workbook, and a light lunch at each class. The series is $100 per couple and starts at 10:30 at Farmers & Fishers restaurant in Georgetown (3000 K St., NW).

Take a tour of your potential wedding locale at Foxchase Manor’s free bridal open house. Couples can check out the facilities (8310 Chatsworth Dr., Manassas; 703-369-3638) and visit the manor’s showroom, where there’ll be a variety of vendors. 11 AM.

Sunday, November 8
The Montgomery Parks Event Center challenged teams of bridal experts to develop plans for an elegant but economical wedding for 65 people costing less than $15,000. See what they came up with at Rockwood Manor (11001 MacArthur Blvd., Potomac), where the finished plans will be on display. Couples can get inspired from noon to 5.

Tales From the Groom: The Little Things Add Up

Carl goes rogue (with a spreadsheet) to make sure his wedding budget stays under control.

One of my favorite Beltway tales of government spending run amok is the story of the Navy’s $600 toilet seat. At the end of the Cold War, the Navy commissioned upgrades on a fleet of aircraft. As part of the revamp, the contractor looked at the jet’s narrow toilet coverings, which totaled more than $30,000 in labor, or approximately $600 per seat. The media had a field day when it became public. President Reagan said, “We didn’t buy any $600 toilet seat! We bought a $600 molded plastic cover for the entire toilet system.”

For me, this piece of Washington folklore reminds me that when faced with a big project, you can spend a lot of money on little things if you’re not careful. We had heard stories of couples who spent ungodly amounts on invitations or a hotel’s cake-cutting services. Our friends who had already gone down this road made it clear that we needed to track every dollar we spent.

Kristin and I had to establish a strict budget and commence planning from there. Because I had been stripped of my wedding play-calling duties, I decided I’d focus my attention on getting us organized and managing our finances. Having been a member of corporate America for the better part of the last decade, I did what any high-powered executive would do to get his numbers in order. Hire an accountant? No. Create an Excel spreadsheet.

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.

Tales From the Groom: A Collaboration . . . of Sorts

Carl learns the meaning of compromise during wedding planning. Or rather, the meaning of letting your bride make most of the decisions.

At the 1979 Cannes Film festival, 3½ years after initial filming for the movie began, acclaimed film director Francis Ford Coppola premiered his Vietnam War epic, Apocalypse Now. It was a pet project for Coppola, who felt at the time he had earned enough creative capital through his success with The Godfather that he could make the most thought-provoking film of his career. What Coppola wasn’t prepared for was what’s now known as one of longest and most arduous production periods for any film. In a press conference that week in Cannes, in a brief moment of honesty and drama, Coppola described the effort it took to make his vision a reality: “We were in the jungle, there were too many of us, we had access to too much money, too much equipment, and little by little we went insane.”

In getting ready to plan a wedding, I felt no truer words had ever been spoken.

The day after our engagement, Kristin asked, “What colors do you envision for our wedding?” Colors? We don’t need no stinking colors! It felt like something I should have an answer for but didn’t. It was like the pop quiz in junior high or the “logic games and critical thinking” section of the LSAT. Since I hadn’t done the reading the night before, this was going to be more complex than I anticipated.

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.

Where & When: Bridal Edition

Try on gowns, try out venues, and try out honeymoon ideas in this week’s bridal-events roundup.

Thursday, October 29, through Saturday, October 31
Visit Carine’s Bridal Atelier (1726 Wisconsin Ave., NW) for a three-day Kenneth Pool wedding-gown trunk show. His gowns, which he describes as lavish fabrics with a mix of fantasy, drama, and careful bead work, look straight out of a fairy tale. If you find a gown to send you into happily-ever-after, you’ll receive a 12-percent discount on Thursday and Friday and 10 percent Saturday. Appointments required; call 202-965-4696 or e-mail info@carinesbridal.com. Thursday 4 to 6, Friday 11 to 6, and Saturday 11 to 7.

Friday, October 30
Ky Washington of Richie (7775 Jewelweed Ct., Springfield; 571-332-3170), a multipurpose salon, will share her fashion and styling expertise during her Personal Accents trunk show and cocktail party. Washington encourages attendees to bring an outfit or a picture of a potential wedding look so she can provide advice on how to glam it up. The bride who brings the most people gets a prize. 6 to 9:30.

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.

Tales From the Groom: Welcome Our New Wedding Blogger!

We’re turning to a new blogger for a perspective on wedding planning.

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.

Where & When: Bridal Edition

Find the perfect dress—and make a difference in the life of someone who needs it. This weekend, the Making Memories Cancer Foundation is holding a Brides Against Breast Cancer tour of gowns at the Milestones Bridal Expo. The dresses are donated by designers, retailers, manufacturers, and past brides, then sold at deeply discounted prices. Although some are valued in the thousands of dollars, the prices at the tour top out at around $800. The proceeds from the sale are donated to the Making Memories foundation, which grants final wishes to women with terminal breast cancer. And if already have a dress, the Milestones Bridal Expo could have something for you: There’ll be food, raffles, fashion shows, and lots of prizes. VIP night ($25 for brides, $15 for guests), Friday from 7 to 10, lets you have the first crack at the dress selection. Saturday ($7) 11 to 5, Sunday (free) 10 to 5. Get tickets here. Crowne Plaza Hotel (8777 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring).

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.

Where & When Bridal: What to Do This Weekend

Thursday, October 15
Anyone planning a wedding could tell you that when it comes to a color scheme, there are more hues to choose from than a Crayola Big Box. Brides magazine’s Color School series at the Park at Fourteenth will educate brides and bridal parties on the season’s trendiest combinations. The event will also feature wine, specialty cocktails, and hors d’oeuvres. 6 PM. Sign up here.

Friday, October 16, and Sunday, October 18
Brides hoping to gallop off into the sunset after their wedding won’t have to look far if the big day is at a horse farm. Lynden Farm’s Open Farm event Friday and Sunday will give couples a chance to explore the working family horse farm (19690 Silcott Springs Rd., Purcellville) and decide if it’s the place they want to trot down the aisle. The events include a tour of the facility, light appetizers, and an information session. Friday 11 to 2, Sunday 1 to 4. Free.

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.

Weeks to a Wedding: The Big-Day Recap

Despite a rainy weather forecast, Sophie’s wedding day turns out perfectly.

My last wedding post! So sad. The last ten weeks seemed to fly by like, well, weeks. Along with my fellow bridal blogger Erin, I started checking the weather forecast as soon as I could and was gutted by the prospect of rain right up until two days before the wedding. I should’ve trusted more in two people: my bikini waxer, Lidia, who assured me with complete certainty that it “will not rain,” and my editor Garrett, who says that it rains only in the afternoon in Washington. Both were right.

I can describe our day only as perfect. There were a few minor snags, but they really only served to make me laugh. My two brothers walked me down the aisle, meaning that there was some confusion over where they’d both stand, and for the duration of the ceremony I was distracted by the lily-pollen mark on John’s face—he had helped transport the flowers earlier. But the ceremony, the weather, the location, and the brunch were absolutely perfect and just what we’d wanted and imagined when we’d first thought about getting married, which is really all that matters.

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.

Where & When: Bridal Events

Thursday, October 8, through Saturday, October 10
Carine’s Bridal Atelier (1726 Wisconsin Ave., NW) will host an Angel Sanchez trunk show, featuring the New York-based designer’s Spring 2010 collection. If you stop by Thursday and Friday, you can receive a 12-percent discount on a Sanchez gown, or 10 percent if you attend the Saturday trunk show.

The store is also launching Bliss, a new bridal line by designer Monique Lhuiller, whose dresses are known for their delicate laces and intricate embellishments. While the dresses in the new line range from $2,300 to $3,500, there’s a 12-percent discount Thursday and Friday and a 10-percent discount on Saturday. Appointments required for both events; call 202-965-469 to schedule one. Open 10 to 6.

Saturday, October 10
At the Great Bridal Expo in Alexandria, there’ll be cosmetic surgeons, dentists, dance instructors, and financial-service representatives. Other exhibitors include Cuisinart, David’s Bridal, American Airlines, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, and JC Penney’s wedding and gift registry. Brides will have a chance to win prizes at every exhibit booth, and a few will win the grand prize: a honeymoon at Sandals, a resort in the Caribbean. The show is at the Hilton Alexandria Market Center (5000 Seminary Rd.) from noon to 4. Tickets can be purchased for $7 online or for $9 at the door. Visit greatbridalexpo.com for more information.

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.

Weeks to a Wedding: Karaoke and Flowers

John and Sophie got married this weekend! But before the wedding, there was the bachelorette party. Sophie talks about her “hen” party and why it was the most epic night ever.

We did it! After ten weeks of planning, a lot of stress, and not much eating, John and I got married on Saturday. I’ll fill in all the details later, but first I owe a post to last Thursday night. It was epic—and will go down in history not only for being the most fun I’ve ever had in DC but also for making my new husband the most drunk I’ve ever seen him. I would’ve blogged about it last Friday, but funnily enough, I wasn’t feeling very well.

When my friend Liz said she wanted to throw me a bachelorette party, I had a few qualms. For one thing, I worked for years in a London restaurant known for its private party rooms, so I’ve experienced more “hen” parties than anybody should ever have to. They’re always cheesy and gross, and the idea of wearing a mock veil while going around kissing strangers was unappealing. Also, I still have flashbacks to the stripper my friend Luda had at her party—he looked like a skinnier version of Gollum. So I told Liz I’d love a quiet dinner with just a few family members and good friends. No trips to Camelot. No men in jockstraps. No shots.

Erin’s Engagement . . . Err, Erin’s Wedding!

After her wedding, Erin offers a few tidbits of wisdom for brides-to-be.

October 3, 2009, was the best day of my life. I know it’s a cliché to say that your wedding day was the happiest day of your life, but I can assure you there’s nothing tired or boring about being surrounded by the people you love most in the world. From the moment my mom woke me up in the morning—singing “Get Me to the Church on Time” at top volume—to our final dance, every part of my wedding day was exactly as I had hoped it’d be and much, much more.

Now that I’m a wise married woman, I feel I can offer future brides just a few words of advice.

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.

Where & When Bridal Edition

On Saturday, October 4, hit the one-day Washington Bridal Showcase at the Bethesda Marriott. It’s the largest bridal show in Montgomery County and the last one this season. There’ll be runway shows, samplings, music, and plenty of booths, and the first 500 brides in the door will receive a year’s subscription to Modern Bride magazine. Marjorie Maxfield, author of The Write Stuff: A Modern Guide to Personal Stationery and Weddings, will be there to give presentations on etiquette and stationery. Tickets, which can be purchased online here, are $8 online and $10 at the door. 11 to 5.

Also on Saturday, the Ritz-Carlton in Tysons Corner will host its first-ever South Asian Bridal Soiree, geared especially for couples planning a South Asian wedding. New York-based wedding consultant Sonal J. Shah has assembled a range of high-quality Washington-based bridal vendors for the event. Admission includes a catered luncheon by Tandoori Nights plus a chance to win a honeymoon at any Ritz-Carlton hotel. The event is $20 for the first attendee and $5 for each additional guest. On Saturday, registration begins at 11:30; the event runs until 4.

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.

Weeks to a Wedding: Nearly There!

Believe it or not, Sophie gets married this weekend. What’s she doing in the final days? Ordering $350 worth of flowers, for one.

Okay, I’m actually genuinely stressed now. Not because things are going wrong, but just because there’s so much to do! I spent a whole two hours on Sunday trying to find a nice place where my mom and I could get pre-wedding manicures and pedicures at the same time. In a major metropolitan area, I figured this wouldn’t be a problem. But I called Bliss Spa, and although its manicures are wonderful, only one nail technician works on Friday, meaning my mom and I wouldn’t be able to sit and chat about the wedding and spend some time together. And neither would my sister and stepmother. Ditto with Aveda salon in Georgetown. I thought about taking everyone to the nail place I frequent by Dupont Circle, but it’s not the most salubrious of places, even though it’s cheap and efficient. Coming from two years in New York City, where I got used to an abundance of beautiful, luxurious, cheap nail bars, DC is kind of a bust. Please feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.

Weeks to a Wedding: The Groom Has Something to Say

Sophie’s been detailing the ups and downs of planning a wedding in weeks for, well, weeks now. Today her fiancé chimes in with his perspective.

Sophie has covered quite a bit here, and, fortunately, we haven’t run into many snags. I don’t have horror stories or planning tips. But in hoping that this blog is making its way to a few guys, I’ve got something for the grooms.

Sophie outed me a few posts ago. It’s true—I’m fussy about clothes. I’m especially concerned with fit—I hate clothes that are too big. So, as you can well imagine, I’m daily offended by the sartorial horror show that is Capitol Hill. It seems that guys here find a suit that fits and then buy it two sizes larger. Do they expect to grow into it?

A few years ago, I received a beautiful Brooks Brothers tuxedo as a gift. I’ve lost a little weight since then, and it was important to me that the tux not look like I had borrowed it from my dad. The first tailor failed. And, yes, I guess I pouted a little. (Though, in truth, it was more of a manly tirade.) I insisted on finding another, which I did, and I’m confident they’ll get it right. With that sorted out, I started thinking about shoes.

Where & When Bridal Edition

A wedding-invitation workshop and bridal trunk shows are taking place this weekend for brides-to-be.

Thursday, September 24, through Sunday, September 27
Brides-to-be will be saying “I do” to the elaborate beading and elegant details of designer Rina di Montella at her trunk show hosted by Bridals by Elena (556-D Ritchie Hwy., Severna Park) . The four-day event runs through the weekend. By appointment only; call 410-975-0076. 11 to 5.

Friday, September 25, and Saturday, September 26
Fall means trunk shows for the bridal set, and Hitched (1523 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 202-333-6162) has an early-bird Anna Maier/Ulla-Maija trunk show before the season kicks into high gear. The event is by appointment only during store hours: Friday 11 to 6 and Saturday 9 to 5. Designer Charles W. Bunstine II will be in attendance all day Saturday. Free.

Sunday, September 27
Beautiful invitations don’t just make themselves. Crafty couples can learn how to cross their t’s and dot their i’s with style at Paper Source Alexandria’s Wedding Invites Workshop (118 King St.) Sunday. Students can get inspiration from studying examples, experimenting with different papers, and testing out designs. The experts will also offer tips on mass-producing your homemade cards and the best ways to incorporate ribbon into your creations. The lesson plan also includes addressing and printing the invitations. After all, you want them just write.

To read the latest Bridal Party blog posts, click here.

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.

Bird-cage veils are such a pretty idea.

Branded beer cans for the reception can come surprisingly cheap if you know where to look. (Like Tip #5 in this Broke-Ass Bride post.)

We're quite keen on the notion of "midnight snack" reception munchies. [via Instyle Weddings]

Bridal attire inspired by the Emmys.

How to make a wedding cake chandelier. [courtesy The Bride's Cafe]

Weeks to a Wedding: In the Panic Zone

With less than two weeks to her wedding, Sophie finally starts to freak out. But just a bit.

There comes a point in every shotgun wedding when you start to panic. For me, that was this weekend. Until then, I was a model of serenity, blithely making decisions about cards and people and food and dresses without batting an eyelid. People kept asking, “Are you stressed?” “You must be so stressed.” “Is it a nightmare?” “Are you so, so busy?” To which I’d respond, “Actually, it hasn’t been that bad.” Sure, we’ve been busy. But we’ve managed to keep it pretty cool. Laid-back, even.

That is, until I tried on my dress Friday night and flipped out. It doesn’t fit. Well, it does, but either my underarms have put on weight or my dress is too tight, because all I could see was fat. In addition, the multiple pairs of shoes I’d ordered were all wrong. One pair was too high, so I towered over John like Attack of the Sixty Foot Bride. The other pair was too dark, so they didn’t match the dress or the jewelry. I still didn’t know who—if anyone—would be doing my hair, we didn’t have a florist booked or a cake or a marriage license. I was five pounds over my target weight. John was going to look nicer than me. Everyone was going to look nicer than me. I was going to be the ugliest bride in the history of weddings, and it was all because I hadn’t spent enough time planning my outfit properly, choosing instead to occupy my time with things like work and CSI and perfecting my whistle. And the wedding is in two weeks, so I don’t have much time now to compensate. Oops.

The Slice: Serving You Today's Wedding News

Start your morning with The Slice, a daily feature bringing you up-to-the-minute gossip, news, and buzz on all things wedding around the world.