WeatherTrends360.com: Not your Grandmother's Weather Prediction

Let's face it: Weddings take a great deal of planning and forethought, especially outdoor celebrations. They're not exactly the type of party you can pull together on a week's notice after you've checked the weather forecast! And yet, sunshine is the #1 desire of every couple planning an outdoor wedding.

Traditional forecasting tools like The Old Farmer's Almanac offer a picture of the weather to come over a long period of time which, though doubtlessly not a perfect predictor, may give you a valuable estimate. WeatherTrends360.com is a modern alternative that you might also want to consult. The Web site, still in beta format, claims to give weather predictions up to a year in advance—something that could definitely be handy if you're planning an outdoor ceremony! It's tricky to tell how accurate these predictions will be, especially at such an early stage in the technology's development, so you'll want to be prepared to adapt your ceremony to Mother Nature anyway: It can never hurt to have all of your bases covered.

So brides, what do you think? Leave us a comment and tell us how much stock you place in long-range weather predicting technology.

~Kasey Brooks

Win a Wedding in Times Square

Just because you aren't exactly a nature girl at heart, you don't have to write off the spontaneity and originality of planning a wedding with a spectacular outdoor backdrop. Try looking for a more metropolitan setting for your nuptials! Get Married is offering a once-in-a-lifetime chance to tie the knot in New York City's Times Square on New Year's Eve. All you brides and your sweethearts have to do is crank out an essay and video package that tells your love story and submit it online at the Get Married Web site. After the winning couple is chosen, other visitors to the site get to surf photo galleries and vote on sponsored elements like the cake, dress and invitations. Then, to top it all off, the couple gets the perfect rock star wedding on New Year's Eve with an audience of a million guests! The deadline to submit your entry is October 1, 2010, so be sure to get started soon! Who knows: You just might end up with the ultimate kiss at midnight this year!

~Kasey Brooks

Find an Outdoor Wedding Dress to Impress... for Less

Planning an outdoor ceremony and afraid you'll be devastated if you get grass stains on your $3,000 dream gown? Consider buying a used wedding dress for your outdoor wedding at a Web site like PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com!

This site offers beautiful, worn-only-once gowns from designers like Vera Wang, Carolina Herrera and Monique Lhuillier, and most of them are priced under $1,000. At these discounted prices, you can afford to satisfy your finer tastes and still be prepared for whatever Mother Nature may have in mind for your big day... even if the post-wedding dry cleaning bill is steep! Dresses on the site generally run from size 2 to size 18, with styles spanning the gamut from strapless and simple to long-sleeved Renaissance-themed gowns. Make sure you pay attention to the terms of returning a gown, just in case you find a problem or run into fit issues. According to the site's FAQ section, gown sellers set their own return policies. With more than 5,000 gowns listed on the site, it's worth checking to see if the designer gown you've always wanted is available at comfortable price.

~Kasey Brooks

Want a Personalized, Original Song for Your Outdoor Wedding Day?

If your creativity and originality have inspired you to plan an outdoor wedding celebration that will be completely personal and unique, chances are you won't want to hire the same DJ or band everyone in town books for their wedding. And you won't want to hear the same tired tunes, either. Well, believe it or not, there's a way for you to have a song tailored specifically for you and your wedding: Launch a song contest!

MusikPitch is a Nashville-based service that allows you to set your own price and collaborate with songwriters all over the world in order to come up with your ideal wedding song. Songwriters can also post their own compositions for review on the Web site. This custom songwriting service makes a great engagement or bridal shower gift or a one-of-a-kind surprise from the bride to the groom or vice versa. Each song contest usually lasts up to 14 days, and the result is a unique, original song with all the right sentiments: one you can be sure no other couple will be dancing to!

~Kasey Brooks

Grooms in Jeans: A Trend or a Travesty?

You've got your heart set on a gorgeous pin-striped Gucci three-piece for your groom, but he wants to wear his tuxedo T-shirt. You've got 5 million other things to worry about. What's a bride to do?

Believe it or not, celebrities like Harrison Ford, who donned Wranglers for his outdoor nuptials to Calista Flockhart, are setting a new, more casual fashion trend in outdoor wedding attire that has some definite potential: jeans for the groom. When done right, denim as wedding attire can complement your outdoor wedding in ways you might never have expected. When done wrong, however—as we will soon see—jeans can be a bit of a distraction. To help you out, here are a few groomsmen who hit the nail on the head, and a few others who weren't even working on the same building!

Grooms in Jeans: Looks We Like

Look 1: These guys have it! They're pairing their denim with fancier vests, shirts and caps that give them an art-school edge. Jeans complement the look rather than detract from it. Be sure your guy buys the right fit, though—some of these grooms look a little on the uncomfortable side!

Look 2: Jewel and her husband, who is an actual rodeo cowboy, have used denim in the best way possible. It contributes to the overall style of the ceremony itself—not to mention that a Western-style wedding on the beach is incredibly romantic!

Look 3: If all the groomsmen can be persuaded to wear jeans—and, let's face it, most of them probably wouldn't say "no"—the look can actually be very uniform and classy. Just make sure their shirts and jackets are corresponding, and nobody wears denim of a different wash.

Grooms in Jeans: Looks We Loathe

Look 1: Whew! Thank goodness this is just a Halloween costume! But, for the record, a groom in jeans and a groom in overalls are two very different creatures. Jeans can be classy, but overalls are just too casual.

Look 2: This is an example of color coordination taken way too far! Your groom's outfit should not look like a jumpsuit. (Besides, how likely is it that he'll keep all that white garb clean if you're marrying outdoors?) You also may want to gently suggest your groom rethink the Native American feathers and arm bands on your big day.

Look 3: We're all for expressing individuality here, but the groom in the second photo is a little much! If you and your groom are going to take the denim plunge, he should find a pair without holes in them. Remember, there's a line between casual and too casual. If you can integrate denim while sprucing it up with other accents (such as clean shoes!), then you'll be set to go.

~Kasey Brooks

Your Wedding Manicure: What Do Your Nails Say About You?

Celebrities are often at the forefront of the latest trends in fashion, and this particular one is no different: funky, elaborate nail decorations that range from cute and tongue-in-cheek, like Rihanna's, to subtle and sophisticated, like JLo's. Even Lindsay Lohan has gotten in on the action, although you definitely don't want to take a cue from her on your wedding day.

If you're looking for those intricate details as part of your bridal manicure, especially if you have a bit of an artistic streak, you may want to try the Sally Hansen Nail Pen, an inexpensive way to achieve similar results without having to shell out major bucks at a salon. Just keep these tips in mind: a flowery, feminine design like the one Jennifer Lopez sports might be better suited for your ceremony than Rihanna's smilies or Lindsay's wild-child nails.

Brides, tell us what you think! Is a trendy manicure something to toy with on your wedding day, or is the potential for a faux pas too great? What did you do with your nails on your big day? Click "Post a Comment" below, and tell us your manicure story.

~Kasey Brooks

Your Outdoor Wedding Can Help the Environment—and Your Wallet!

Figuring out how to pay for your special day can sometimes be frustrating, and many brides and grooms find themselves recalling the old saying: "Money doesn't grow on trees." Well, who says it can't? Pete and Andrea, a couple from Spokane, Washington, came up with a unique way to finance their July 31 celebration that is sure to provide cherished memories for them on many different levels, plus, their wedding will be about as green as they come!

The Washington bride and groom are raising funds to pay for their entire celebration by recycling cans. To contain expenses, Pete and Andrea will hold their wedding and reception in their backyard with "DIY decorations." Their idea has garnered attention and a few very sizeable can donations—more than enough to fully cover their wedding expenses—so, they'll donate some of the proceeds to non-profit organizations. Pete and Andrea have even started putting money away for their honeymoon!

So, instead of letting the stress of financing a wedding get you down, consider alternative resources for your outdoor wedding that will help others and, in doing so, boost your morale when you need it most! Pete and Andrea said it best: "Saving the environment and throwing a killer party. What could be better?"

~Kasey Brooks

Your Perfect Outdoor Wedding Venue Might Be Waiting... on Craigslist!

So, you've combed every wedding book and magazine you can find and searched high and low online, and still, the perfect outdoor wedding location eludes you. Try checking a resource you may not have thought of right away: Craigslist.

Not only is Craigslist a potential source for finding second-hand gowns, limousine services and wedding photographers--sometimes at fantastic rates--if you live in the Dallas, Texas, area, you might stumble upon this quirky ad for an Outdoor Wedding Ceremony Venue priced at just $350.

"We are a new venue and excited to work with you!" says the dfw wedding room's posting. "Bring your wedding dress, wedding rings, marriage license [and] up to 50 guest and we will talk care of the rest."

If you need to get hitched in a hurry--and $350 sounds steep--this new Texas venue has an option for you, too. You can book the Drive-up I Do Wedding Package. This elopement package lets you drive "your car, bike or truck" to the portrait studio, where you can exchange vows without leaving the comfort of your vehicle! The package costs a measly $100 ($215 with cake and flowers) and comes with the guarantee that your outdoor ceremony will be as unforgettable as it is affordable.

~Kasey Brooks

Win an Outdoor Island Wedding and Honeymoon

So you've always wanted an extravagant outdoor wedding like your favorite celebrities, but you can't afford to break the bank? Try your luck at winning your wedding! Spa Week and WeddingChannel.com have teamed up to offer the Wed Like a Celeb Ultimate Bridal Giveaway. Through July 1, you can enter for a chance to win the outdoor wedding to end all outdoor weddings: five nights and six days at the St. Regis Bora Bora Resort in the South Pacific Islands. The VIP package includes a couples' massage, dinner for two, round-trip airfare and complimentary breakfast each morning. As if all this wasn't glamorous enough, you'll win a designer wedding gown for your special island wedding day!

~Kasey Brooks

Keep a Wedding Workbook Online—Free!

Planning an outdoor wedding will require you to keep tabs on a wide variety of questions, details and concerns—but it doesn't mean you need to stress out or shell out for an expensive, bulky wedding binder! Keeping a wedding workbook online will help you to track all of the details, large or small, and you’ll have fun in the process! MyWeddingWorkbook.com is an online wedding organizer that offers a free base package including handy checklists and suggested task worksheets. It also allows you to plan your budget and manage your guest list for any size celebration. You can also work with the event planning tools and prepare for any curveballs Mother Nature may throw.

~Kasey Brooks