The OurWeddingDay Blog

We shouldn't be so bothered because it's likely just a publicity stunt, but online bookie is ranking the recent Jared Kushner/Ivanka Trump marriage to be the most likely to end in divorce, beating out other recent celebrity couples like Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom.  And they're taking bets on it.

We understand how gossiping about celebrities can be fun, but doesn't this seem like meanness for meanness sake?  "Unlikely couples" end up enjoying a lifetime of happiness together all the time, and even if that doesn't turn out to be the case for Jared and Ivanka, should anyone really be hoping for the marriage to end?

Reducing marriage vows to gambling and statistics seems so unnecessarily ugly to us!

Johnathon Schaech met One Tree Hill star Rae Kramer during the filming of their "Prom Night" remake in 2008, and almost two years later he proposed marriage -- while ice skating!

"It was the best present ever," Schaech told People Magazine. "It was the happiest moment of my life... I can't wait to make Jana my wife and have a family."

Congratulations Johnathon and Rae!

But as fairy tale as their romance may have been, their proposal is ultra-modern: Johnathon filmed the proposal and posted the whole thing to Facebook.  Check out the video here.

Now, we're torn on this.  We totally get the "shouting it from the rooftops" thing, but... announcing your engagement isn't really the same thing as making your proposal a public event, is it?  Shouldn't some things be special for the happy couple?  In the past public proposals on the street were only witnessed by the few people who happen by, and had an air of spontaneity and romanticism to them.  Isn't getting down on one knee, with a ring in one hand and a camera in the other, taking it a bit far?

The whole thing reminds us of the groom who recently updated his Twitter page at the altar, in the middle of his vows.

What do you think on this new trend in modern romance?

More and more, brides are picking multiple Maids of Honor for their weddings. There’s nothing wrong with this new trend (and a few advantages), so we just posted a new article all about how it could impact your wedding planning.

Having trouble choosing between friends or siblings to be your Maid of Honor?  Concerned that all the duties required of the Maid (or Matron, or Man) of Honor may be too much for one person?  This may be your answer.

Check out the article here.

Renting wedding day jewelry is the latest trend in bridal fashion, and it's no surprise: Just because you're planning your wedding during a recession doesn't mean you have to downplay the glam!

Ever watch those Hollywood starlets stroll down the red carpet wearing jewelry so fabulous it really does make them seem ethereal? On your wedding day, you too can wow the crowd with a to-die-for diamond necklace, a dazzling gold bracelet, or maybe some emerald earrings as stunning as you are. If you’re worried that expensive pieces are not in your budget, you should know that it’s not in theirs either.

Check out the full article here.

According to Glamour Magazine, there is a specific roasted chicken recipe that, well, helps you get engaged!  It all started when an editor at the magazine gave the recipe to an assistant who made the delicious dish for her boyfriend.  Within a month, she was engaged!  As the recipe was passed around from assistant to assistant, the weddings had been sparked!

Could it be too good to be true?  The magazine claims that over 26 engagements (that they know about) relate back to a certain chicken dish that was made in the not-so-distant past.  And just this very month a Glamour writer for the popular blog "Smitten" got engaged post-chicken roasting.

So while all of our OurWeddingDay.com brides may already be engaged (congratulations by the way!) surely there are friends out there in relationships who also want to get engaged.  And who enjoy roast chicken.

You can find the Engagement Chicken recipe here.  Pass it around... and let us test it for ourselves to see if the myth is true.  I think I'll be making this dish myself in the next coming weeks!

Think charming weddings on a budget can't also be fashion-forward?

Lawren Howell recently shared with Vogue her wedding ideas, and one of them was a gorgeously simple natural bench from Party Rental Ltd.

Says Lawren, "Long benches for the ceremony not only look great, but they seat more people (and cost less money) than renting chairs."

Finally something that the high-gloss, high-fashion of Vogue and casual, classic Americana of Martha Stewart can agree on!  We love it!

Unless you have been off planning your wedding in a dark cave without any electricity or word from the outside world, you are fully aware of being "green" (a.k.a. eco-friendly / earth friendly / saving the planet one reusable bag at a time...).  Millions of people have made small adjustments to their lives which, collectively, create a large and positive impact on our planet.

Now, as bride-to-be, you can take it one step further.  Head out to your local bookstore and pick up a copy of The Green Bride Guide: How to Create an Earth-Friendly Wedding on Any Budget by Kate Harrison.  It can help you have the most spectacular wedding while simultaneously being eco-chic!

The book covers planning you engagement party, locations for the ceremony, invitations, flowers, and all the way up to the honeymoon.  Happy (green) planning!

Caroline and her soon-to-be husband had an inspired idea to capture their wedding day.  They rented three Super 8 video cameras and gave them to their friends to document the expierence.

It resulted in a compilation of lovely images that capture the feeling of an amazing day.  Check it out!

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that "new economic realities are now further shaping couples' priorities," and that more and more couples are requesting cash for their wedding present.

They even quote a disgruntled groom, who asks: "What the hell are we going to do with a $400 stand-up mixer?"  He and his bride live in a small one-bedroom apartment in New York. "Everything we get for our wedding is doomed to spend at least three years in her parents' garage."

The WSJ contines to comment on the "right" and "wrong" ways to request cash.

What do you think?  Do cash gifts seem less special or romantic?  Is it always tacky to request cash?  Is cash more practical?