Most of us have fantasized about our extravagant wedding since the days of playing in the sandbox. At the age of 9 you probably had all the details laid out, from the toppings on the cake, venue, and even that your bridesmaids would be wearing pink, frilly dresses to coordinate your long pink train. Now as an adult you realize Barbie Pink is less than appeasing, and you seek a color scheme that is expressive of your style, modern and unique. Another interesting fact about women is that our taste changes just as often as the weather, so making a definitive decision on your wedding colors can be almost impossible. Things are no longer easy as 1-2-3 and getting the color scheme right can be frustrating. In order to avoid being the annoying “order, switch, change, and cancel bride”  here are 5 tips to help you get it right the first time.

1. Choose One Dominant Color

What is your favorite color? It should be whichever color that can instantly perk up your mood. As a traditional bride you may want to choose this color to surround you to make you feel good on your special day.

2. Consult The Color Wheel

The world’s biggest problems are easy to solve by going back to the basics. After you choose your favorite color select choose two opposites to compliment.

3. Get Swatches

Before you order anything take the time to visit your local Home Depot or Lowe’s to check out the colors for free. Go on a late afternoon and spend as much time that you like.

4. Be Season Friendly

Keeping the season in mind when choosing your colors can be very helpful. For a Winter wedding choose colors like soft blues and silvers.

5. Do Your Research

Soak up inspiration from design magazines, visit art galleries and museums and have fun going window shopping. Inspiration is all around us.

Image Courtesy of thoughtfullysimple.com

When it comes to the big day, we strive for perfection in all ways. Anything that comes with being a bride–the dress, jewelry or makeup,  has to transform us into the princess imagined since childhood. After the cut and style of the dress, the next biggest battle is with the hair. It must glamorous, sophisticated, and most importantly something you’d want to look back on proudly 40 years later. For many it’s difficult to put that look into words, making that process that much more frustrating. To help you along the way, check out these timeless yet very modern wedding day hair styles courtesy of our partner, WeddingChannel.com. Click for more great bridal beauty ideas.

Classic French Twist

Modern Bouffant

Elegant Updo with Sideswept Bangs

Teased Updo with Frace-Framing Pieces

Sleek, Straight and Short

Trendy Side Bun

Tell us: how did you wear your hair on your wedding day?

Celebrity Suspect : Chelsea Clinton

Case: The wedding of the century, one that has Americans  fawning over all intimate details, is finally happening. Former First Daughter Chelsea Clinton is going to be marrying her long time investment banker beau, Marc Mezvins. Most of the all, the deets have spilled out to news outlets. There will be roughly 400 guest, including Oprah and Stephen Spielberg, the cost is expecting to tip in to the $5 million range with $200,000 going to security alone, and the location will be under the great white tents in the small town of Rhinebeck, NY. The bride is still mum on one very important detail:  Whose gown will be plastered on the pages of People next week? The battle rages on between Vera Wang or Oscar de la Renta, but all will be revealed Saturday.

Spa Treatment Sentencing: For successfully keeping us all in such wrongful suspense we’re sentencing Chelsea to post-nuptial spa prison. As an added bonus we’re allowing Marc to join you in Massage Therapy sentence at Algonquin Spa & Couples Resort.

Image Courtesy of Examiner.com

File this one away in wedding news of the weird! Several couples around the country got married on Valentine’s Day in that most romantic of wedding locations, White Castle.

The fine purveyor of tiny hamburgers ran a contest open to couples all around the company. Winners had the whole wedding shebang provided to them: dress, rings, tux, and of course a vast selection of sliders, chicken fingers, and fries.

Two of the White Castle newlyweds were a Newark, New Jersey couple who have been engaged since 2006 but could never seem to find the time to make the wedding happen. The bride told press outlets, “I am thrilled to be marrying the love of my life. I would marry him anywhere.” (admit it: that’s a little aww.) For a glimpse of their White Castle happy future, they need only to look to the couple in St. Louis who renewed their wedding vows at their local franchise on the same day–because they’ve spent every Valentine’s Day at a White Castle for the 33 years they’ve been married.

I’d definitely rather go to a wedding at a place like White Castle, especially one that reflects the couple’s personality, than a generic wedding. Plus, burgers. Way more people should incorporate burgers into their weddings. So, good luck to the White Castle couples!

For Wedding Wednesday today, we’re going to look at the dark side of weddings. (Consider it a V-Day backlash.)

Reason #8743 not to get married: German courts just ruled that in-laws can demand gifts given to their children’s spouses back in case of divorce. Imagine: you have a great wedding with all the best intentions for your life together, and your mother-in-law gives you a toaster. I mean, we’re talking a really nice toaster – the kind that poaches an egg to go on your toast, too. And for six months you enjoy the toaster and your spouse, too. And then things go horribly wrong, as they sometimes can, and you end up getting divorced. You’re heartbroken!

And then, the straw on the camel’s back: your ex-in-laws take the toaster away. Because they can.

We can imagine no worse insult to the injury of divorce than losing your toaster (or dishes, or microwave, or other household gifts.) So this week’s installment of Wedding Wednesday is a warning: don’t get married in Germany.

In honor of the V-day backlash, what’s your best Valentine’s Day horror story?