Bridezilla Faces Jail Time for Being a Bridezilla

The WEtv hit reality show Bridezillas is a guilty pleasure look inside those crazy brides who think weddings are the end-all, be-all of their whole existence. There was once an episode of Bridezilla where a woman smashed her hand into a cake like a 2-year-old child all because it wasn’t the cake she wanted. After the temper tantrum, the woman triumphantly marched out the bakery and smiled for the cameras.

But now it appears such despicable behavior is no longer getting a pass. Karee Gibson, a recent bridezilla who appeared on the program, is facing jail time for the violent behavior she displayed on the show, according to a local Fox news station. Gibson, who’s on parole, violated her probation that forbade her from “behaving in a threatening manner.” Gibson argued in her defense that she was simply “acting” for the cameras because she thought it would lead to an acting career. Riiight.

There’s no doubt in my mind that producers probably persuade brides to be at their meanest, but it’s about time these brides stop wearing the title of “bridezilla” like it’s some kind of badge of honor. I think a lot of them think it’s cute, and that it comes with the territory when planning a wedding, but frankly, they all need a wake up call. Thoughts?

Bethenny Frankel is Engagement 101’s Cover Girl!

Secret no more! Our upcoming celebrity lifestyle issue, which hits newsstands later this month, has an exclusive with Bethenny Frankel, the fan-favorite housewife from The Real Housewives of New York City and author of The New York Times bestseller Naturally Thin. She tells all to Engagement 101 about the “skinny girl” diet craze and her relationship with Jason Hoppy.

“He’s kind, modest and a good person who can handle my success and my crazy lifestyle,” she tells Engagement 101. “Plus, he’s tall and good looking.”

The size 0 author, who says she wants a “six carat oval” engagement ring, announced that she has “found the one” to Engagement 101 way up in early June.

“It’s not fake,” says Engagement 101 editor-in-chief Severine Ferrari. “Bethenny is a genuine person and she’s seriously committed to Jason.”

The exclusive interview also includes a gorgeous photo spread by photographer Jill Wachter, and a behind the scenes teaser video of the photoshoot is available to view on Engagement 101’s official website.

Look for the magazine when it hits newsstands later this month!

And the Backlash Begins: JK Wedding Video Inspires and Annoys

The viral hit of the Minnesota couple dancing down the aisle to Chris Brown’s “Forever” has done more than provide a little light-hearted entertainment. The video has started a trend of couples who all want to do something unique, unorthodox and rememberable for their weddings. I somewhat touched on this topic last week when I wrote about how to have a unique wedding. Although I listed three tips, the general consensus was to have fun and make the whole experience personable. What I didn’t touch on was how this advice could backfire and turn into an over-the-top effort to impress others.

After I posted that blog, I chatted with editorial director Satya Picard (and also author of our Wedding Dresses Magazine blog) about the phenomenon, but she wasn’t as enthusiastic as I was. She shot the idea down and said the video would inspire those who only care about one-upping the next wedding so that all their friends and family will talk about them. I disagreed at first, because I’m a big fan of nontraditional weddings, but at the same time I could see how people could start taking things too far.

This sentiment was echoed in blogs and message boards when people shared their reactions about the video. Although there were several “I want to do something similar at my wedding!” responses, there were also an equal number of, “They should have saved this for the reception; you don’t do that at church.”

The Grand Folks Herald even interviewed several church leaders about the JK Wedding Dance; a few of them were not pleased with what they saw, while others said they would let it slide…for now. “My concern would be if it looks showy, trying to draw attention to themselves,” Rev. Keith Becker said. “Is it more a show than a glorify-God moment? It goes back to the heart of the individuals involved.”

But religion aside, where should the line be drawn? What is genuine quirkiness and what’s just elaborate attention grabbing?

3 Romantic Summer Getaways

Want to kick some spice into your relationship? A fun and easy way to bring more zest into a relationship is to go on a weekend getaway! Sunny beaches, ski slopes or just a nice shady park are excellent excursions for you and your loved one. Below are some suggested getaway locations from the Engagement 101 staff. Chem ’em out!

Charleston, South Carolina
Alex Kimbro, Engagement 101‘s only male employee, suggested this location. This appealing town overflowing with old school charm is perfect for those couples interested in a city full of historic landmarks. Relax at one of their many beaches, or take a stroll through Battery Park. There’s also plenty of great food and boat rides, too!

Long Island Beach, New Jersey
This vacation community, as suggested by our news editor Stephanie Taylor, is an excellent beach spot. Although it’s more family oriented and has less of a nightlife scene, Long Island Beach is perfect for those who just want to unwind, play some golf and forget all about the hustle and bustle of life.

Hot Springs, Arkansas
This location was suggested by Online Editor Tiffany White. There’s not a lot of things in Arkansas that’s considered vacation-worthy, but Hot Springs is fun, family-friendly resort that anyone can appreciate. The heavily, wooded resort is great for more outdoorsy couples, and they have several beaches, parks and an amusement park as well.

How Long Should You Wait?

A reader at Datingish posted this interesting dilemma about waiting for an engagement. The girl says she’s been living with her long-term boyfriend for five years now and is more than ready to get married. Unfortunately, her guy friend is afraid of marriage and told her to wait a bit longer until he feels more ready. The reader then asks how long should she wait for her boyfriend to make a commitment?

Although many of the commenters jumped in with various suggested time tables (“The four year mark is when you either commit or quit; that’s just law,” advised one commenter), the question is really not one you can apply with a general response. For one, the answer to the question relies on the couple, what kind of relationship they have, their financial status, their educational status and more. For example, for a young couple still in school, finances and future stability will weigh heavily in a decision to get married. Also, most men would rather wait until some level of success has been reached before tying the knot (graduating from college, landing a first job, etc).

But what about those relationships where the couple are both happy, both stable and both content with their lives but are still hesitant to pop the question even after 10 years of dating? Some couples don’t need a ring or a slip of paper to be happy, while others are simply waiting for when they feel the time is right. How long would you wait for someone to pop the question?

We have a brand new section in the site called Propose Too to empower women to propose first or back. Check it out!

Bachelorette Jillian Harris’ Engagement Ring

Needless to say, but we’re complete suckers for gorgeous engagement rings. Check out this stunning diamond platinum engagement ring by Neil Lane. Ed Swiderski proposed to Jillian Harris with this ring during the finale of The Bachelorette. The estimated value is $60,000.

BBC sShow "Dont Tell the Bride" Seeks to Destroy Weddings

Recently I caught a rerun of the BBC America show “Don’t Tell the Bride.” The reality series follows engaged couples as they plan their weddings. Oh, but there’s a catch. The bride isn’t allowed to have any say in the wedding plans whatsoever; instead, those responsibilities are saddled onto the groom who has $20,000 and four weeks to get it all done by himself. In print it sounds like TV crack, but in reality it sounds like a complete nightmare. Besides having BBC America foot the wedding bill, I can’t think of any other reason to sign up for such a show.

The episode I saw featured the couple Sam and Katy. Sam had a sensible approach to wedding planning. He consulted his friends, the bride’s friends, and the salesclerks and then made decisions by process of elimination. When it came to choosing the wedding dress, he chose the dress the salesclerk told him was the most popular amongst brides. The whole process definitely wore Sam out, and I could tell it was a lot harder than he probably thought it was going to be, but he put in a good effort and did the best he could. And, to be honest, none of his choices were downright awful. Some of his choices, like the wedding dress, were fantastic.

But that’s when Katy started to crack. As soon as she saw the wedding invitations, she started getting panicky about the wedding not being what she imagined. I guess she forgot what she signed up for? Anyway, the day before the wedding when she tried on the wedding dress Sam picked out for her, she goes nuts. The dress, which was a perfectly nice dress, was too “common” for her. In a frantic fit of anger, she asked the salesclerk how many people have bought her dress. The salesclerk said the dress was a bestseller. Katy turns toward the mirror and starts morphing into the Hulk. I seriously never seen anyone lose their cool over a perfectly cute dress. The salesclerk offered her another dress to wear on loan and so the wedding went on, they got married and somehow everything worked out (like most reality shows).

Would you trust your fiance to plan your wedding without your input?

Have a Nontraditional Wedding

A video of a wedding with a nontraditional wedding march has been sweeping across the internet recently. In the video, the wedding party dons sunglasses and busts a sweat down the church aisles. The highlight is when the bride makes her appearance and starts getting down in her white wedding dress as the wedding guests stand up and clap.

It’s a lot more acceptable these days to think outside the box and do something interesting and unconventional for a wedding. Every day while I’m scrounging through wedding blogs I see brides-to-be interested in finding unconventional location spots, unique color schemes and even a *gasp* non-white wedding dress. For those who who enjoy seeking out what other people aren’t doing, check out these ideas that should help your wedding be truly unique.

Have the wedding based on a hobby
A wedding should include as much of the bride and groom’s personalities as possible. Make sure to incorporate all the things that you like. This is your wedding, right? If you’re a rocker than rock out at your wedding. If you’re an artist, have your wedding at an art gallery or studio. A wedding should be all about the two of you.

Be spontaneous!
Too often I’ve been to over rehearsed weddings where the bride and groom stand around awkwardly trying to remember what they practiced the night before. Why not ditch the rehearsal and try throwing a wedding on auto pilot. Could produce disastrous results, but at least you can laugh about it later.

Do what you want!
Don’t do what is expected of you; do what you want! If you want something less formal and more like a casual party, then throw a smaller, more personal wedding party. Wear clothes that you like and that you think is comfy. If your absolute favorite food is hot dogs (perish the thought), then why not pull out a hot dog cart and have a carnival themed reception. Of course, I’m just throwing random ideas out there, but the gist of all this is to be yourself and do what you like. That’s what’s most important.

The Millionaire Matchmaker is Engaged

Is everyone getting engaged this week? Hey, no complaints here! Yesterday, Patti Stanger from Bravo’s Millionaire Matchmaker announced she’s engaged to long-time boyfriend Andy Friedman. In our upcoming celebrity lifestyle issue of Engagement 101 Magazine, we talked with the matchmaker about love, engagements and her new book Become Your Own Matchmaker: 8 Easy Steps for Attracting Your Perfect Mate.

“Do not move in with him!” Patti advises engaged women. She insists that couples should still work on their relationship even after the ring is on.

And speaking of the engagement ring, what kind of ring did her fiance give her? “Four carat heart F stone,” she said. “And non conflict.” The ring was also designed by her fiance.

Read more about Patti and her new book in the next issue of Engagement 101!

Would you convert to a different religion for marriage?

Why did it take Ivanka Trump and Jason Kushner so long to get hitched? According to E! News, the famous billionaire daughter had to covert to Judaism before Kushner would pop the question. Actress Isla Fisher did the same thing when she married Bruno comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. Other famous couples that converted before marching down the aisle? Katie Holmes converted to Scientology to

marry Tom Cruise, and Guy Richie converted to Kabbalah when he married Madonna. Her current boytoy, Brazilian model Jesus Luz, also is about to make the switch to Kabbalah.

Would you ever convert to a different religion to be with the one you love?