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What could be easier than letting your bridesmaids choose their own little black dress? They get to find whatever pretty dress they like without having to pay for alterations and you don't have to worry about color variations - black is black (for the most part.)

Still, if any of your bridesmaids are having trouble finding a dress that flatters their figure show them this very chic and very wearable offering from Lane Bryant. The draped neckline is soft and interesting, and the dress is inexpensive and easy to care for. We're sure they'll love it!

Available at Lane Bryant for $59.50 in sizes 14-28

It's July and therefore very hot up here in the northern hemisphere so talking about ways to keep warm might seem a bit odd - but of course, summertime is exactly when most winter brides are thinking about their outfits.

One of our readers with a winter wedding (hi Pam!) asked for our help locating ivory faux fur hand muffs and we're delighted to help out. We love them for winter brides because they can be such a glamorous accessory (like the one pictured here by princessbridetiaras.com) and are romantic to boot (Dr. Zhivago anyone?) - just be sure to carry yourself regally and you'll pull them off successfully.

We've put together a gallery of our favorite sources for faux fur muffs - check it out and keep warm and fabulous this winter!

To create the illusion of a plump and sexy mouth simply dab the center of your bottom lip with gold or silver lip gloss. You can do this over any lipstick (the silver gloss works best over cooler reds) but if what you want is to create the illusion of fullness, be sure to just use a dab on the bottom lip.

This trick works best right before walking down the aisle or taking photographs, because the effect is short-lived: Once you blot or wipe your lips the illusion will be gone (but the gloss will still add a pretty dimension to your lipcolor.)

Pictured: 24K Sexy Gold lip gloss by Benefit, available here.

Do you love retro? So do we! A retro wedding is unique and lots of fun - let us help you pull it off!

Retro-glamour at its best, this dress by David's Bridal brand Galina Signature has a gorgeous draped bust line that's emphasized in the front and back by glittering brooches - so you can wow them both coming and going.

The draping and empire waist give this dress a definite goddess feel. We find it to be sophisticated and sexy and are sure that any bride wearing this will feel like a siren.

(Alternate view after the jump)

Availability and pricing: Sizes 0-16 $600 / Sizes 14W - 26W $700 at davidsbridal.com

Gallery: Dress of the day: Brides

Smitten Kitchen is one of the most popular food blogs out there and it's easy to see why. Deb finds the most delectable recipes and her photography is simply exquisite. If you've never visited her site, you're really missing out on some of the prettiest food on the internet!

When we saw that Smitten Kitchen is tackling that most intimidating of culinary feats - baking a wedding cake - we just had to tell our readers. Ever wanted to know what really goes into making your cake? Now's your chance to learn! She's chronicling the process in a series of posts called "Project Wedding Cake" and she already has two posts under her belt. We will following her experience and can't wait to see the final result - we're sure it'll be spectacular!

Project Wedding Cake: An introduction

Project Wedding Cake: Mango curd

Have you ever wondered why we save the top layer of wedding cakes, only to freeze it and consume it an entire year later when chances are it won't be quite as delicious?

Here's a hint:

First comes love,
Then comes marriage,
Then comes a baby in a baby carriage.

It used to be a very common occurrence that by the time the one-year anniversary rolled around a couple would be busy planning a christening. So instead of baking another cake for the occasion, people just baked a huge cake for the wedding and saved part of it to be served at the christening.

How very practical yet sad for the little one, don't you think?

Of course, nowadays there is no such expectation, but the tradition of saving a piece of cake lives on. And now you know why.

This dress is great-all around. It's a fun party dress and would be perfect for a swanky rehearsal dinner. It's short and sleek and white - making it a fine option for the hopelessly chic bride who wouldn't be caught dead in a princess ball gown. And it also has a definite 80's vibe (check out that belt) and a tiered skirt - which makes it white-hot and trendy.

It also comes in black (picture after the jump) - a look your bridesmaids will love. On the other hand, YOU could wear it in black to your rehearsal, right?

Lauren by Ralph Lauren - $280 at Macy's

Get more fashion bang for your buck with this very chic offering by Banana Republic. It's not "officially" a bridesmaids dress, but let's face it - for many of us that's a huge part of its charm.

This is a great update of a little black dress - by layering black viscose over a light-colored lining you get a trendy gunmetal color. Then the dress is cinched at the waist with a tough studded belt so you get biker-chick attitude along with glamour-girl cool. Give them pink or orange bouquets to hold for a splash of color.

Available for $225 at Banana Republic.com

Gallery: Dress of the day: Bridesmaids

I always knew I wanted a small wedding. So once the excitement of the engagement wore off, we got out a notebook and wrote down the names of everybody who meant the world to us - there were close to 80 names on that list.

I also knew that I wanted my wedding to be elegant and incredibly romantic. We wanted to spoil our guests because we had people flying in from literally all corners of the world - from Argentina to Austria, from Colorado to New York City, everybody met up in Miami to celebrate the fact that we were finally tying the knot. (Why such an international guest list? Our life is spread out: I'm a Latin American mutt and my husband is from Europe and we've lived in every major city in the East coast.)

Oh, and we had to stick to a budget because we paid for everything ourselves. In other words, we wanted it all - and because we had a small(ish) wedding, we got it. And it wasn't stressful - in fact, it was fun! It felt like a great big dinner party where all of our friends and family finally got to meet. And they did, because no one was lost in the crowd.

Combine pretty lace in pastel brights as fresh as sorbet with a simple silhouette and you get the Arianna bridesmaid dress by Jenny Yoo. We're huge fans of the sage green color shown here, but you can choose from 18 shades - and they all come with matching silk lining.

This strapless dress with a sleek a-line silhouette has an unfussy preppy vibe to it - it's classy and elegant without any pretense.

Available at jennyyoo.com.

Pricing starts at $276 (when you order 7+) to $325 (for 1 or 2 dresses.)

We simply love birds! As a design element, they add a touch of romance and playfulness to anything they touch (we've shown you weddings and cakes so far) and they're so cute to look at. What's not to love?

We've just come across Lenox's "Chirp" china pattern (part of their Simply Fine collection) and we just fell in love all over again. The delicate watercolor-like bird and flowers illustrations contrast nicely with the bold teal accent border; the result is modern sophistication rather than grandmotherly kitsch.

You'll always have something pretty to look at - both the interior and exterior of cups and bowls are decorated with birds and blooming branches. Your daily cup of coffee and bowl of cereal will be elevated to new heights!

Best of all, this Bone china set is meant for daily use: All pieces are chip-resistant and dishwasher/oven/microwave/freezer safe.

Available at Macy's

Gallery: Lenox Chirp China