Welcome to our big 3-in-1 issue! You'll not only find fabulous wedding fashions, beauty, reception and planning news in our September/October magazine...

Get a behind-the-scenes look at our cover shoot here:

...but on the flipside, you’ll discover a special “Your Home” section:

Bonus: All of these registry-perfect products from Kohl’s are available for you to win, along with a honeymoon in Aruba, so be sure to enter our sweepstakes at bridalguide.com/winkohls!

And speaking of honeymoons, you’ll also find a separate Honeymoon Guide magazine with this issue:

Scratch Weddings is the nation's leader with the best wedding DJs at affordable prices. This week's post comes from DJ Kuato, whose unique blend of feel-good music has extended from New York to London and beyond.

Wedding bells are ringing for Halle Berry and new husband, Olivier Martinez! The happy couple exchanged vows in a private ceremony at Chateau des Conde in France, according to Us Weekly.

Though she told InStyle that she would “never, never get married again,” in 2007, the surprise nuptials mark the third marriage for Berry, 46, and first for Martinez, 47.

Rumors of the wedding began swirling on Tuesday when the couple was spotted at LAX with Berry’s daughter, Nahla, 5. The three boarded a plane to Martinez’s native Paris where many imagined their ceremony would take place. Though wedding details were kept quiet, several sources told People that the couple had their hearts set on a summer wedding.

The two began dating on the set of their film Dark Tide in 2010 and announced their engagement in March of 2012. Martinez proposed in Paris with an emerald-and-diamond ring from Gurhan.

The engagement came as a surprise not only to Berry's fan, but to the actress herself. "Who knew? I swore it off, right? Never say never, people," Berry told Extra.

Photo Credit: Michael Jung/iStock

Q: What's the most tactful way to ask both sets of parents if they will help pay for the wedding?

A: Asking parents if they intend to help out with wedding costs should not be a scary thing. But for a lot of couples, broaching the subject can be a bit uncomfortable, especially if their parents have not said a word about making any contributions. Naturally, you do not want to be in limbo wondering how much you will be able to spend on your wedding, so the sooner you do ask, the easier it will be to start your planning.

First, discuss with your fiancé the type of wedding you want to have — and be practical. Chances are a guest list of 500 for a wedding in Venice will not fit into your budget! Decide how much you both can afford to spend. Determine a rough estimate for your guest list, the time of year you would like to marry, the day of the week and where you might like to have your reception. All of these factors will determine the expense of the wedding. Next, ask your parents if they can meet for lunch or dinner — you will want the setting to be relaxed and casual — to discuss wedding plans. You and your fiancé may choose to do this together, or you may want to talk with your own parents separately.

When it comes to my diet, two of the biggest tests of my willpower are the free goodies at work and going out for drinks with friends. 

In my office, we have a huge kitchen stocked with everything you could ever imagine, and it’s so hard to stay away. Look at the snack wall — and this is only half of the food we have here!

To keep myself from snacking all day, I've been drinking ice water throughout the day — I keep a big cup on my desk filled with ice water at all times. This helps fill me up, and it also helps me get through these humid days!

Tuesday was one of my best friend's birthdays, so a few of us decided to go out for drinks later in the week. I recently discovered Smirnoff Sorbet Light vodka — it only has 78 calories per serving, compared to about 100 in regular flavored vodkas. I added some fresh raspberries and club soda; it was so good.

Here, a look back at my week:

Monday, July 8

I've never particularly enjoyed getting my hair done for events — I always get this nagging feeling that I could've done a better job myself (and saved a ton of money). So for my sister's wedding, three of my cousins and I decided to skip out on the morning salon trip and do our own hair (with my sister's blessing, of course!). We spent hours trolling Pinterest for ideas we felt were within our capabilities, scheduled a day for trials a few weeks before the wedding, had a Target shopping spree for curling irons, bobby pins, and combs, and got to work.

If you're thinking about doing your own hair, either as a bride or as a bridesmaid, here are the most important things we learned:

Practice, practice, practice

Yes, it sounds obvious. But when I say practice, I don't mean trying the hairstyle once or twice. I must've practiced my hairstyle at least 10 times before the wedding — and I was going for a very simple look. Try following the same timeline as the wedding day — do your hair in the morning, then see how it wears throughout the day. That way, you can troubleshoot any problems.

Also, make sure that you practice every detail of the hairstyle — including the curls. I made the mistake of not testing curling my cousin Rachel's hair, and the curls practically fell out before the ceremony (sorry, Rachel). At least the top still looked good!

Loverly is the heart of weddings: a visual inspiration search engine designed to help brides discover ideas, people to hire, and things to buy. Loverly makes finding beautiful wedding inspiration easier than ever! Their images are powered by the best wedding publishers and wedding shopping partners on the web. Find Bridal Guide on Loverly >>

Choosing what will adorn the top of your wedding cake is almost as much fun as choosing your cake’s flavors (almost!). There are so many different styles and ways to honor your favorite things as a couple. If you’re having trouble deciding, here are 10 wedding cake toppers that we love.

1. A gold script topper works for nearly any style of wedding.