Simple wedding rings

I've spotted lots of women around New York recently wearing simple gold wedding bands (pretty!), so I decided to do a round-up of long-time favorites. You can always get your ring engraved, too: My wedding ring says "all my love," and Alex's ring says, "all my life," inspired by our grandparents.

1. Loved ring, $315.
2. Polka-dot band, $310.
3. Heart ring, $88.
4. Tie-the-knot ring, $154.
5. Diamond ring, $600.
6. Thin gold band, $16.

Thoughts? What's your wedding ring like? xo

(Graphic design by Jennifer Hagler for Cup of Jo)

Wedding love

Oh, wow! Our good friends Susan and Rob are in the current issue of Martha Stewart Weddings! I can't wait to look through all the beautiful photos. Don't they look adorable? (I love her parted hair.) See more photos here.

(Photos by Gemma and Andy Ingalls; see their wedding here)

New York City Hall wedding

Our good friends Maz and Lee tied the knot at New York's City Hall. The following evening, they threw a big party in Brooklyn for our friends. The weekend was so relaxed, easygoing and full of love. These photos look straight out of a 1960's French film!

Would you ever consider getting married at City Hall?

(Photos by Stephen K. Schuster. Lee's dress was from Theory; her veil, jewelry and shoes were vintage.)

DIY wedding hair: Pretzel braid

I'm excited to share another hair tutorial! My friend (and hair genius) Caroline adores this gorgeous pretzel braid, which she says is easy enough for brides to do themselves. So, we met at our favorite wedding shop, and Jamie Beck took photos. Doesn't her hair look breezy and romantic?

Here are Caroline's steps, if you'd like to try it out...
"I have a friend who was an Irish dancer, and she would always wear her hair in amazing elaborate braids. This one is not-too-fussy (my favorite way to wear my hair) and would look so pretty for an evening wedding or outdoor summer party."--Caroline

1. Start by making two pigtails, using rubber bands. Make them a bit higher up on your head.

2. Braid both pigtails...

3. ...and secure ends with a rubber band.

4-6. Remove the top rubber bands from the pigtails.

7. Cross one braid over the other.

8. Starting with the braid that's now on top, create a sort of "C" shape and pin. It doesn't have to be precise; you just want to have a nice curved shape from the braid.

9. Make the same curved shape with the other braid and pin. Curve it up and over the top of the braid you just pinned down.

10. Ultimately, you want to get a nice sort of pretzel or knot shape from the two braids. Tuck the ends of both braids behind the knot and pin them down securely.
Voila! Isn't it gorgeous? Would you wear it to your wedding (or a summer party)? This is one of my favorite hair tutorials of all time! Please ask any questions in the comments below; the instructions are a little tricky...

P.S. Seven genius hair ideas.

(Photos by Jamie Beck for Cup of Jo. In the step-by-step photos, Caroline is wearing an Eberjey robe. In the wedding photos, Caroline's wedding dress is by Ivy & Aster from Lovely, a gorgeous bridal boutique in the West Village. Her jewelry is from her own line, Brvtvs, and her lip color is lipstick is NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Damned.

Wedding idea: Burgers!

Abby and her fiance wanted a relaxed wedding, so they invited their friends and family over for burgers! "We celebrated at my parents' house in Maine," says Abby. "We ate burgers, sweet-potato fries and salad. For dessert, we served Maine blueberry pie." Isn't that sweet? Would you rather have a casual or formal wedding? I love this idea!

(Via Smitten)

Found! The perfect wedding nail polish

I finally found the perfect pink. You know how pink polishes can end up looking grey, which makes your nails look dull? Instead, I wanted something bright, clean and pretty--finally, when my friend Elizabeth came to visit this month, she told me about Fiji, and it's beautiful. Honestly, this sounds ridiculous, but every time I look down at my toes, I feel a little thrill.

Now I wear it everyday, and if I were getting married all over again, I would wear this in a heartbeat! I'd highly recommend it, ladies. :)

Genius wedding idea: Photos before the ceremony

Would you rather see your groom before the ceremony or wait until you walked down the aisle? This bride and groom managed to take pre-ceremony photos without actually seeing each other: behind a door. Clever! Can you imagine how much their hearts must be racing?!

P.S. The cutest photo of a groom seeing his bride.

(Photo by Gina Leigh, via PBFingers)

New York legalizes gay marriage

This July 24th was the first day that New York legally recognized gay marriages. Three hundred couples got hitched at City Hall, and New York Magazine took photos and asked them some giddy questions. (See them here.) Bravo, New York.

(Photos by Spencer Heyfron)

Fun wine labels

Alex and I had a few people over for wine and cheese last night, and, just as a twist, we made personal wine labels from Pinhole Press. I used a photo of Paris and the words, "Have a magical evening."

P.S. I'd also love to make this next time, haha :)

Simplest marriage proposal

How sweet is this proposal video? This spontaneous moment feels just as romantic as a dramatic gesture.

Kelly, above, tells the story: "After dating for four years, we had just moved to Oregon. We drove out to take pictures in my favorite giant field, and Paul spontaneously asked me at sunset. He didn't have a ring or anything--he just suddenly felt like it was the right time and place. It's not the most glamorous proposal, but it was so heartfelt, and I can't imagine a sweeter way. We got married three months later."

How sweet is that? If you're married, what was your proposal story?

(Video by Kelly and Paul)

A new documentary

Love, Etc. is a new documentary that follows five couples for one year in New York City: old, young, gay, straight, falling in love, getting married, having babies, breaking up. The film showed the complexities of romantic love--not just the happy stuff of Disney movies. I watched it this week and adored it. It was funny, heartbreaking and beautiful. Here's the trailer...

What do you think, my darlings? Would you want to see it? (Here are show times.)

P.S. 10 best documentaries.

(Via Glamour)

Tubing party

I haven't posted about real weddings for a while, but how fun is this pre-wedding tubing party? What a great way to have all your guests relax and get to know each other before the ceremony and reception.

(Via Snippet & Ink)

Tying the Knot in Florida: How Laid Back Locals Do It

All you need is love and a little creativity to pull off an utterly simple yet breathtaking wedding ceremony on Florida's gulf coast.

Do it in November, when the weather starts to cool down. Hire a pontoon boat for all your nearest and dearest and head out from Pine Island Marina to the desolate, southernmost point of North Captiva Island at Redfish Pass.

Ask your guests to take their shoes off, disembark on the beach and assemble at your chapel by the sea, built by mother nature.

Have a good friend of yours officiate the ceremony. Say your own vows. Improvise if you need to.

Kiss and don't care about getting the hem of your dress all wet. Collect shells. Soft golden sunlight is making everything look so damn gorgeous. It feels good, like getting married for the second time because you want to not because you have to.

On the way back to the reception, open the cooler for beers. Play Bob Marley. Dance under the full moon, its silver glow lighting the smooth waters of Pine Island Sound.

"One Love."

Yeah, that works.

What else do you need?

This wedding cynic totally dug her friend's beach ceremony. If you're going to get married Florida gulf coast style, less is definitely more.

DIY wedding hair: Chestnut bun

When I got married, I never would have thought of doing my own wedding hair, but my friend (and hair genius) Caroline swore this beautiful chestnut bun was simple enough for brides to do themselves. So, I invited her to a West Village wedding shop to explain the steps (and play dress up), and the wonderful Jamie Beck took photographs. Doesn't the elegant bun look like something Grace Kelly would wear? Would you wear it?

Here are Caroline's steps, if you'd like to try it out...
1. Gather your hair into a high ponytail and secure it with a rubber band. You want the band to be pretty tight (otherwise the sides of the ponytail will droop after you do step three).

2. Next, slide your rubber band down a little so it's no longer tight against your scalp.

3. Create a little "hole" in the loosened part of your hair (between your scalp and the rubber band).

4. Pull your ponytail through the hole you just created.

5. Note: Be sure to pull the ponytail UP through the hole (instead of DOWN through the hole, like the topsy-tail we used to do in the 80s:)

6. Pull the ponytail all the way through so it hangs over the top of the rubber band. You may have to fan out the ponytail a little to create an even shape.

7. Next, loop the end of the ponytail under, towards the rubber band. If your hair is super long, you may have to wrap the ends of the ponytail around your hand a few times before you tuck it under. (I did!)

8. Pin the ends that you just tucked using a few bobby pins. Make sure it's pinned very securely. Then keep pinning the sides and bottom of the bun until it feels secure. You can spray with hairspray for extra hold, and feel free to bring some extra bobby pins for touch-ups throughout the night.
Voila, that's it! What do you think, my dears? Would you do your own wedding hair? Isn't this surprisingly simple? xo Thank you, Jamie and Caroline! And most of all, congratulations to all you brides-to-be out there!
P.S. More hair tutorials...

(Photos by Jamie Beck for Cup of Jo. In the step-by-step photos, Caroline is wearing an Eberjey robe. In the wedding photos, Caroline's adorable wedding dress is by Ivy & Aster from Lovely, a bridal boutique in the West Village. Her jewelry is from her own line, Brvtvs, and her red lipstick is Rouge Dior Lipcolor in Red Muse.)

Wedding cake toppers

The new shop Lil' Cake Toppers launched today. Aren't the custom cake toppers adorable? I love that she represents different ethnicities and backgrounds. xo

P.S. My sister wore a sari at her wedding!

Bicycle wedding

Pam and Joe are teachers in Brooklyn and didn't have a huge budget, but they put together the most gorgeous, heartfelt wedding. First they tied the knot at a neighborhood park, then rode bikes to a Brooklyn bar, where they'd had their first date. (Pam's biking secret? She wore denim cutoffs under her dress! Can you spot them, above?:)
Everyone drank beers and smashed a pinata...
...and they had whoopie pies instead of wedding cake.
Doesn't it look great? Sometimes the simplest weddings look the most relaxed and fun, don't you think? Congratulations, Pam and Joe! (See many more photos here.)

(Photos by Inbal Sivan, via Perfect Bound)