When I first met my wife, the chemistry and connection was off the charts.

Then, shortly after we got married, we began arguing more and more. At times, it seemed like we weren’t on the same page about anything. I thought it was mostly her fault because she was just being stubborn and difficult.

Was I ever wrong…

I’ve come to realize that I made a lot of mistakes in my marriage over the years. And the following three mistakes are the ones I see countless other couples make, as well:

1. Not making connection their top priority.
It’s easy to neglect your marriage because of parenting obligations, work responsibilities, etc. Many couples simply do not understand how important sustaining connection really is. In fact, I’d say keeping the FEELING of connection with your spouse a priority is the most misunderstood and underestimated aspect of true marriage success.

Early on in my marriage, I wanted to be ‘right’ when my wife and I disagreed. I also made myself out as more important than her and the relationship; What about me? What isn’t she doing for me? What’s wrong with her? What am I getting and not getting from her? All of these things created disconnect. Anytime I was only focused on me, she and I became more separate. And many couples struggle with this disconnect.

2. Failing to truly understand what their partner needs from them.
Because I focused more on what I was (or wasn’t) getting, my willingness to give was sometimes based on feeling resentful or bitter. Whenever I felt that way, I gave very little. Of course, that always made things worse.

There were other times I wanted to defend myself or give my advice, when all she ever wanted me to do was listen. I misunderstood that her emotions and tone directed at me were simply requests for me to give her more of my presence and attention. Defending myself always made things worse. Often couples unravel because they also remain stuck in this space of assuming they know what’s best for their partner, versus really hearing what their spouse needs.

See More: 50 Love Quotes That Express Exactly What ‘I Love You’ Really Means

3. Not being clear what they want from the relationship.
I originally thought that our marriage would be on auto-pilot, and that our relationship would always be good without giving it any more thought than just that.

I had no vision for our marriage. And because I wasn’t clear about what I wanted our union to become or how I wanted to feel when I was with her, I often got caught up in the day-to-day stress of the moment. That kept my wife and I stuck arguing about tiny insignificant things that I can’t even remember now.

While I clearly remember having big, escalating arguments with her, I have no idea what those arguments were actually about. That’s a good indication that an argument that might have ended our marriage was actually about something small and unimportant. Couples commonly dig their heels when a lot of little things stack on top of each other, and then that last thing is the straw that breaks the back of marriage connection.

See More: I Refuse To Let My Wife’s Depression Ruin My Marriage

When I finally got fed-up with being stressed out and unhappy, that was the moment our marriage began to get better.

I figured out how to get our deep connection and chemistry back by fixing the three mistakes above. Now, I help couples all over the world re-ignite their love and passion for each other, as well.

Reflect on your marriage happiness for a moment. Turn your thoughts inward and think about how deeply connected you FEEL with your spouse. Is that good enough for you?

How many more days will you continue to allow your marriage to struggle? How is it ever going to stop if you keep making the same mistakes? If you don’t take some corrective action, you’ll inevitably regret it.

See More: 15 Things My Wife Does That Make Me Fall In Love With Her Again

Jeff Forte is a relationship coach. Visit 90minutemarriagemiracle.com to sign up for a Free PEAK Relationship Consultation to get his direct input on your situation and how to repair it. Also, read book “The 90-Minute Marriage Miracle” to learn more helpful strategies that you can implement right away.

This article originally appeared on YourTango.

As Mariah Carey’s pending wedding to James Packer looms, we can’t help but take a nostalgic pause to look back at the “Hero” singer’s first two loves — and those two lavish ultra-luxe nuptials. The diva has promised her third wedding won’t be as over-the-top as her first two, citing her world tour as reason enough to keep the focus off wedding planning. Guess that 35-carat engagement ring doesn’t mean it’ll be a 35-carat wedding? So while we await the pop star’s third wedding (will it be a Christmas wedding for the queen of Christmas?), we’ll just have to rely on our memories to relive the glitz and glamour that is a Mariah Carey wedding.

Tommy Mottola, 1993
Once a diva, always a diva! Mariah went full on princess to wed her mentor, former record producer Tommy Mottola at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York on June 5, 1993. The lavish $500,000 affair was fit for royalty, allegedly inspired by Princess Diana and Prince Charles’s wedding. Mariah even wore a Princess Diana-inspired over-the-top dress — complete with 10-foot veil and 27-foot train — courtesy of Vera Wang. The gown’s estimated cost — $25,000. The guest list was a who’s-who of the 1990s music industry — Barbra Streisand, Michael Bolton, Bruce Springsteen, Dick Clark, and Ozzy Osbourne.

Mariah’s musical fairy tale romance would end in 1997, when the couple filed for divorce.

Nick Cannon, 2008
A mere six weeks after they started dating, Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon said “I do” on April 30, 2008 at a surprise wedding in the Bahamas. The pop diva’s Bahamian estate served as the backdrop for the couple’s beachside nuptials.

Mariah was definitely more subtle for this second walk down the aisle, donning a Nile Cmylo slip dress perfect for a beach bride. But not even the designer was clued in to the true nature of the event, Cmylo thought he was in the Bahamas with Mariah for a video shoot. “I was pulled aside and said this is actually a real wedding,” Cmylo told Access Hollywood of the morning of Mariah and Nick’s nuptials. “So I went back to the fabric store in the morning and started over again and came back with something a little more appropriate.”

To celebrate their surprise wedding, the new Mr. and Mrs. Cannon did something a little permanent. “We got tattoos,” Carey told People.”His is on one shoulder to the other and it says ‘Mariah.’ [Mine is] on my lower back and it says ‘Mrs. Cannon.’

The romantic couple renewed their vows yearly on their anniversary, saying “I do” everywhere from Disneyland (Prince Charming outfit included), to Magic Mountain, Paris, and even in the hospital on the day their twins were born. Sadly, their love affair would also come to an end and the couple would file for divorce in 2014, though the papers haven’t been signed yet — hence the holdup on Mariah’s third walk down the aisle. For his part, Nick Cannon has said he is not likely to marry again after his divorce from Mariah is finalized.

See more: The Most Iconic Celebrity Brides

Who among us hasn’t scrolled through Instagram for a little fitspiration. And usually we stop at Hannah Bronfman. The DJ, entrepreneur, founder of wellness Web site HBFIT, and bride-to-be gives her 329,000 plus Instagram followers a glimpse into her gorgeous lifestyle—chronicling her amazing workouts and healthy eating habits (not to mention some adorable shots with fiancé Brandon Fallis.) Now, the bride-to-be is ready to share how she’s prepping for her wedding with other brides. Read on for her get wedding-ready tips, and see the video above for Bronfman’s 55 second wedding workout.

The post-workout snack
“You want to have 19 to 20 grams of protein to replenish, so I make a smoothie with chocolate protein powder, water, a bit of almond milk, sometimes half a banana, and powdered peanut butter. I love the chocolate-peanut butter combo, and the powder has less calories and is higher in protein than regular peanut butter.”

The elixirs
“Sometimes I’ll add a collagen booster to water and tea; it’s great for plumping skin. A ginger-turmeric shot eases inflammation if you’re bloated. If your skin is dull, a shot of vitamin C will make you glow.” (Try Juice Press Water + Ginger + Vitamin C, $2.75.)

The Diet
“I eat a lot of vegetables — especially detoxifying, mineral-rich marine plants — and healthy fats in moderation. I avoid fried and processed foods, which are notorious for causing breakouts. And I don’t have the biggest sweet tooth, but I could definitely sit down and eat an entire bar of dark chocolate, no problem.”

The makeup
“I’m usually trying to mattify because my skin is oily, so I use Benefit’s the Porefessional Face Primer ($31). I wear SPF every day; there are two tinted moisturizers with sunscreen I love: Urban Decay Naked Skin One & Done ($34) and Honest Beauty Everything ($28). For my wedding, I’ll step up my makeup, but I’ll still want it to look like it could be from any time period.”

The exercise
“Pilates is my staple. It’s the best for stretching, alignment, and toning. One thing I’ll be avoiding? Cardio. It leaves me starving and tempted to eat unhealthy things. After I work out, I use Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes ($4.49) to prevent breakouts and then apply a really lightweight moisturizer. I hate feeling like I’m wearing a heavy layer of lotion.”

See More: 25 Boutique Fitness Studios for Your Wedding Workout

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For many years, it was fashionable to have a big wedding party, with all of your sisters, brothers, cousins and besties included as bridesmaids and groomsmen. In fact, in the South, it’s still tradition to automatically include your brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law who are married to the bride and groom’s real siblings in your bridal party. Add up all those people and you may end up with a REALLY big wedding party.

The bigger the wedding party, the mores stress there is on the wedding couple. So you might just wonder why and how the number of bridesmaids and groomsmen got so large. Believe it or not, like so many things, the tradition dates back to Roman times, when the law required 10 witnesses to be part of the wedding ceremony. And all the bridesmaids wore white, like the bride, to confuse evil spirits.

Fortunately, nowadays there are no rules that dictate how many people have to stand up for you, and most states don’t require more than two witnesses (although that varies by country — many require two for each person getting married). So couples have the option of having as many, or as few, attendants as they wish, based solely on their own preference.

My observation, from the many weddings I’ve planned, is that younger brides and grooms generally choose to have bigger wedding parties than older couples (35 and up) getting married. That may be because it’s the time of life when so many of their friends are getting married, and asking them to be in their wedding parties, so they feel they need to reciprocate the honor when it’s their turn to tie the knot. There’s also the basic fact that younger adults travel in larger packs — when a group of 20-somethings head out for an evening on the town, they’re far more likely to go out with a whole bunch of other friends. If you look at the size of older groups, it’s usually just two or three couples.

The big question, for many brides, is how many bridesmaids she actually NEEDS for her wedding. And my answer to that is definitely ONE. Yep, one. You need one friend to bounce ideas off during the planning, one friend who will make sure you go do something ridiculous for your bachelorette, and one friend who will help you get ready on your wedding day, and stand next to you as you take your vows.

You CAN have as many friends and family members in your wedding party as you like, but keep the following things in mind before you start asking all your friends to participate:

– Bigger means more expensive for the wedding couple, with flowers, gifts, etc.

– If you’re having a small wedding, a huge wedding party can look lopsided in the pictures.

– More people and personalities sometimes means more drama.

You should absolutely have however many people in your wedding party as you like, but just remember that bigger doesn’t always mean better. Sometimes it just means more work for the bride and groom!

See More: 30 Ways to Style Your Wedding Party

Sandy Malone is the owner of Sandy Malone Weddings & Events and author of How to Plan Your Own Destination Wedding: Do-It-Yourself Tips from an Experienced Professional. Sandy is the star of TLC’s reality show Wedding Island, about her destination wedding planning company, Weddings in Vieques.

Looking to add some Out of Africa romance to your honeymoon plans? An African honeymoon is easier to achieve, more affordable, and possibly even more exciting than you ever thought possible. Here’s an easy intro to Africa itinerary to fulfill your honeymoon dreams:

Cape Town
For an intro to everything that’s great about Africa, start in Cape Town. With two oceans that meet at its coast, two mountain ranges embracing it, and Table Mountain stunningly framing the city, there are few international destinations that such an impact when you arrive as this cosmopolitan city does. Stay at the Ellerman House for stunning views over the beaches of exclusive Bantry Bay and easy access to the natural beauty of Cape Point, scenic views from Table Mountain, the tottering Cape penguins at Boulders Beach, and the extensive flowering acres of Kirstenbosch Gardens. Made with honeymooners in mind, the 13 plush suites and 2 multi-room villas here all look out over the sparkling coast and come stocked with complimentary wine and snacks to enjoy as you relax and take in the views. The jewel-box restaurant, excellent wine cellar, sybaritic spa, and impressive art gallery are all exclusively for use by hotel guests. Have a special menu item in mind? Chefs are on duty 24-hours a day to make your dining dreams come true. Want a private wine tasting? The sommelier will create a tasting experience in the award-winning wine cellar, and even set up a tour of the neighboring wine areas (just an hour away).

Speaking of wine, the Winelands around Cape Town are what you’d get if you crossed Napa with Burgundy, France — expansive rolling green hills, incredible food, fine wine, gorgeous places to stay, all with a bit of French accent from the Huguenots who originally cultivated the vineyards. The towns of Paarl and Stellenbosch are stunning and worth a visit, but base yourself in neighboring Franschhoek for lodging and dining to take your breath away. Leeu Estates is the newest hot spot to stay in the Winelands, with views over the vineyards and valleys, a modern spa that offers couples massages, and a private wine cellar. For a dinner to remember, book a table at sister property The Tasting Room, for 10 innovative courses and matching wines from the area’s top cellars.

Honeymoon bonus: The exchange rate is so strong for Americans that you’ll pay about a quarter of what you would in a US city for similar multi-course feasts and 5-star lodging throughout South Africa.

Victoria Falls
What is it about rushing water that makes a heart flutter? The same way Niagara Falls made couples swoon at the turn of the century, Victoria Falls delivers epic, pounding tides of water that make modern couples want to get even closer to one another. (It’s also one of the 7 Wonders of the World, so you can cross that off your bucket list). It’s not just about the cascading waters here—although they are a swirling, thundering, breathtakingly beautiful sight—but also about the heart-racing activities that allow couples to see the incredible scenery from every angle. Jump into married life, literally, with a bungee jump over the Zambezi River. See the falls over the air from a glass-bottomed helicopter or, for true adrenaline junkies, from a microlight flight (picture a hang glider with a lawnmower motor). Go white water rafting over level 5 rapids. Too much danger for a honeymoon? There’s luxury on hand at Toka Leya, a luxe lodge on the Zambian side of the Falls. Here, you can sit on the deck of your private chalet and watch the waters flow by while enjoying complimentary wine and gourmet meals, or get a beauty treatment in the riverside spa, no safety harness required.

Honeymoon Bonus: Some of the few remaining white rhino in all of Africa are in a protected reserve near Toka Leya. The camp can arrange a safari to see these gentle, endangered beasts.

Safari, So Good
Of course, if you’ve come all the way to Africa, you probably want to spend part of your honeymoon on an authentic safari. The romance of the bush is a true aphrodisiac (if you haven’t seen Out of Africa yet, add it to your viewing list for the flight—there’s a reason it’s been the romance standard for three decades). Just a short 20-minute private flight from the Falls, Wilderness’ Safari’s Linkwasha lodge in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park is a perfect safari destination for couples. Although you’re surrounded by vast plains filled with wild animals—including prides of lion, large herds of buffalo, elephant, zebra, giraffe, and impala—there’s an emphasis on comfort here in sleek accommodations housed in modern, glass-enclosed chalets; perfect for couples who want style on their safari. Stellar service is part of the package as well. Expect to be greeted with scented warm towels and snifters of sherry after a cold night drive as well as cocktails and canapes under the stars every night around a roaring fire before a multi-course dinner in the lodge.

Honeymoon bonus: Request tent 6 — it’s the only one with both a freestanding tub and fireplace, but it’s called the “family suite” since it has two rooms. Don’t let the name fool you: this is the room you want for romance.

Practicalities
A trip to Africa usually involves a plethora of details, and many lodges, such as those in the Wilderness Safaris family, don’t allow individuals to book on their own. So an African travel expert is in order. Julian Harrison of Premier Tours in Philadelphia has planned African honeymoons and safaris everywhere from the Skeleton Coast of Namibia to the wild plains of the Serengeti and assisted us with our honeymoon itinerary.

South African Air offers the only non-stop flights from the United States to South Africa (put up your feet in NYC, close your eyes, and arrive in Johannesburg 15 hours later). They’ve won the SkyTrax award for service 14 consecutive — so you know you’re in good hands.

See More: Brides Best Honeymoons: The Top 10 Resorts in Africa

Pediatricians Lindsay Kibuyaga and Homare Kubagawa have their careers to thank for their first meeting: The pair spoke for the first time at orientation at the start of their medical residencies in 2010. Just three years later, the two doctors found themselves in Santorini, Greece, where a Mediterranean sunset made the perfect backdrop for a proposal.

The couple decided on a local wedding and invited 100 guests to the Atlanta Botanical Garden (where they celebrated their first Valentine’s Day!) to watch Lindsay and Homare tie the knot on October 25, 2014. “Fall is the perfect season in Atlanta for an outdoor wedding. We loved the natural beauty of the gardens,” the bride says. With help from wedding planner By Brian Green and some well-organized Pinterest boards, the bride and groom created their dream wedding: an open-air ceremony followed by a serious party inside the venue’s gorgeous ballroom. And lucky for us, all of the details were captured by Anna and Spencer Photography, seen below!

Lindsay knew she wanted a fitted mermaid style when she first set out to find her dream wedding dress. The bride tried on a number of different gowns at several bridal shops in Atlanta before she finally found her Martina Liana chiffon corset gown. “The gown’s floral embellishments were a perfect fit for our garden wedding,” she says. Lindsay completed her look with a lush bouquet of ivory and blush roses, peonies, lilies, and hydrangeas.

Homare flew to New York to get measured for a custom tailored tuxedo from Suitsupply, which he paired with a black tie and knotted cufflinks.

The groomsmen matched in black tuxedos, while Lindsay’s bridesmaids wore a variety of different dresses in a unifying shade of blush. Their looks were further tied together by the length and fabric of their gowns and their updo hairstyles.

The roles of flower girl and ring bearer were filled by the couple’s dogs, Marty and Mia. The venue doesn’t usually allow pets, but their exception made for one of the bride’s favorite moments of her big day. Marty was outfitted in a tuxedo collar and Mia had a gorgeous floral wreath that matched the bride’s bouquet created by Edge Designs.

At the ceremony, a string quartet played their rendition of Coldplay’s “Yellow” as guests were seated. Then, the musicians began performing Mendelssohn’s Wedding March, but in a unique twist, the melody slowly morphed into the Beatles’ “All You Need is Love”. The idea was inspired by the wedding scene in Love Actually.

At the cocktail hour and reception, guests had access to an open bar or their choice of three signature cocktails — the Cheeky Rose Martini, a Patron margarita, or an Old Fashioned. The couple and their guests got the party started with playful lawn games like cornhole and oversized Jenga.

The newlyweds shared their first dance as a married couple to Etta James’ “At Last.”

Wedding rehearsals are an important necessity: Practicing getting down the aisle in order will make sure you’re all on your A-game come wedding day! The other benefit? Rehearsals are followed by rehearsal dinners! This “party before the party” kicks off your wedding weekend, but what else is supposed to happen? Our experts weigh in on what goes down at a rehearsal dinner.

While the type of rehearsal dinner you have, from a formal sit-down dinner to a backyard bbq, is up to you, there are a few things that you should make sure to add to the timeline. The first, of course, is to eat! Whether you’re having dinner with just your immediate families or inviting the entire guest list for a pre-wedding feast, it wouldn’t be a rehearsal dinner without, well, dinner.

The rehearsal dinner is also a great time to distribute gifts to your wedding party and your parents if you aren’t planning to do so on your wedding day. You’ll be in a smaller crowd and a have little more time to spare to hand out and open gifts.

Another rehearsal dinner mainstay is toasts. Usually the hosts of the event will kick things off, followed by the groom toasting his bride and her family. You could also stand up together and offer a more personal toast to your families and wedding party at this time.

Want to limit who is speaking on your actual wedding day? Cut down on mic time during your reception by scheduling some of the toasts during the rehearsal dinner, whether it’s a free-for-all or a set list of who you’d like to have speak. For anyone who may want to present a roast instead of a toast, the rehearsal dinner is the more appropriate venue for some good-natured fun.

Now on to dessert. Traditionally, the groom’s cake is served during the rehearsal dinner, as well. Of course you can serve it alongside the wedding cake on your wedding day, but every good party needs something sweet!

The most important part of a rehearsal dinner is the chance it offers for both of your families to spend a little more time together before your wedding day arrives. Encourage people to mix and mingle, and take the opportunity yourselves to squeeze in a little quality time with people you haven’t seen in awhile.

And before everyone heads home for the night, make sure to give them a quick refresher on the next day’s schedule, including any important timeline details or last-minute changes.

See More: 22 Festive 4th of July Wedding Ideas

When Liz Krueger attended one of her friend’s weddings this summer, she was probably expecting to have a fun time filled with love, laughter, and (let’s be real) lots of good food. Who wouldn’t have those expectations in mind? Well, instead of feeling welcome at these particular nuptials, the fitness instructor was completely degraded and harassed by fellow guests attending the wedding, all because of the outfit she chose to wear. According to the viral picture Krueger posted on her Instagram account, “So many women [were] outrightly rude to me, and even came up behind me [and] slapped my a** as I was standing alone…and then proceeded to spill a full beer down my arm.”

Let us remind you, these were adult women being “outrightly rude” to another grown woman, all for the sake of embarrassing her and ridiculing her in front of everyone. But instead of getting into a fight at her friend’s wedding, Krueger took the high road and did the one (classy, no less!) thing she could to peeve the bullies off even more — she had fun. In the caption to the Insta, the minidress-baring fitness instructor wrote: “Good thing for thick skin, being able to laugh at things and not take it personally, and good friends/hubby by my side. #adultsarebullystoo Regardless, we had one heck of a fun night and no ‘grown’ women’s comments/glares could bring me down as a wedding guest :).”

The inspiration didn’t end there, either. About three days ago, after her Instagram post went crazy viral, she created a #KruegerKindness campaign to challenge women around the world to be each other’s biggest supporters, not only by simply being respectful of each other, but by volunteering to help girls who have been bullied or by getting to know women on a deeper level who are going through a rough patch. Her goal? To “kill all the mean girls with kindness.”

We could definitely use more Kruegers in this world, even if that means more minidresses at weddings!

I'm starting my own kindness movement #KruegerKindness! Whether it's just a party of 1 (me), or others want to join me! I'm going to actively make it a priority to do good things for other women, every single day from here on out. I'm hoping to inspire others to do the same, just as I have with fitness journey. Anything as simple as a complimenting a women daily, buying them a coffee/lunch, taking the time to speak to someone who's in a hard place, volunteering with girls who have been bullied, getting to know women deeper than surface level and making a point myself to not judge a book by its cover on a daily basis. A movement for women, by women, and it's starting with me! If you want to join me in this movement, share your stories on social media with #KruegerKindness and let's kill all the mean girls with kindness. We live in a world that needs more women willing to put themselves out there for a good cause!!! Who's with me!? #kruegerkindess #killemwithkindness #nomeangirls #nobullying #womankind #liftup #empower #rolemodels #kindessallaround #makeadifference #bekind #supporteachother #respect #complimeny #listen #care #share #girlpower #strength #haveavoice #beheard #cometogether

A photo posted by Liz Krueger (@mrslizkrueger) on Jul 2, 2016 at 6:38pm PDT

If only I knew that choosing this dress for a wedding on a 90 degree day meant so many women would be outrightly rude to me, and even come up behind me slap my ass as I'm standing alone. As quote " it was a dare from her friends, bc I was a target." And then proceed to spill a full beer down my arm???????????????????????? Just one of maaaaany acts of kindness of the night! Yup. That happened. Good thing for thick skin, being able to laugh at things and not take it personally, and good friends/hubby by my side ???????????????? #adultsarebullystoo Regardless, we had one heck of s fun night and no "grown" women's comments/glares could bring me down as a wedding guest:)

A photo posted by Liz Krueger (@mrslizkrueger) on Jun 19, 2016 at 5:48am PDT

See More: 9 Things Every Wedding Guest Should Know

Still searching for wedding dress inspiration? Look no further than the recent Couture Fashion Week runways from Paris. While most of us couldn’t possibly dream of affording one of the exquisite gowns that paraded down the runway, we can be sure that these trends will eventually make their way to the bridal world.

If the last few seasons have ushered in the ’90s style renaissance (minimalism, chokers, oh my!), the coming years look to be signaling the return of the ’80s. Over-sized bows, opulent fabrics, taffeta peplums, and a certain quality of power dressing seemed to be ubiquitous on the Couture runways. While romantic and ethereal gowns still had their place, there seemed to be a hint of over the top dominating the fashions. Sure, that’s common place for the world’s most extravagant runways, but this time it felt bigger than usual.

From Dior to Giambattista Valli, designers at Couture Week in Paris gave their all on the runways, and as is tradition, most of them closed their shows with a bride! Georges Hobeika, Elie Saab, and Ralph&Russo were among the houses that finished off their Couture shows with a big bridal moment, and the drama didn’t disappoint. Long lace sleeves, 3-D floral embroidery, cathedral-length veils, and even a blushing bride in a pink gown were among stand outs — and you can bet you’ll keep seeing these trends come Bridal Fashion Week.

So what does that mean for brides getting married in 2016 and 2017? Could this be the return of the Princess Diana-style pouf sleeve? Will bohemian bridal sheaths give way to big, jaw-dropping ballgown? Only time will tell, but for now, take some inspiration from the gorgeous gowns that took our breath away on the Paris runways this past week. Here, 10 dresses we couldn’t help but drool over.

Elie Saab’s blushing bride closed the show in a pink creation.

As usual, Giambattista Valli offered up plenty of drama with jaw-dropping tulle gowns in origami shapes.

Rami Al Ali closed off the show with a classic bridal look.

Armani Privé tapped in to the house’s 80s heyday with over-sized bows and plenty of power dressing tailored looks.

J.Mendel’s take on the modern bride included boots, long sleeves, and fur embellishments.

Georges Chakra’s bride was an ethereal vision with watercolor designs adorning an otherwise simple wedding gown.

Big bows were a hit no the Couture runway, as seen on the Alexis Mabille collection.

Couture simplicity was what made Dior’s collection standout. A white goddess dress is perfect bridal inspiration.

Ralph&Russo’s opulent bride was made to make jaws drop.

Like last season, Georges Hobeika’s closer was a vision of loveliness with everything that makes a bride special. We especially love the Spanish feeling of the veil.

See more: Spring 2017 Wedding Dress Trends

The celebrations have commenced! R&B star Ciara and her NFL fiancé Russell Wilson stepped out in public on July 5th for their rehearsal dinner in Liverpool, England just days before their upcoming wedding.

The 30-year-old singer and her 27-year-old fiancé are getting married in England later this week. They were headed to Liverpool’s Titanic Hotel, according to E! News, and looking pretty slammin’ while doing so. Ciara donned a flowy, white halter gown with a pulled back chignon, and Wilson rocked an all-black suit and button-down. They walked on a cobblestone walkway to the hotel venue surrounded by paparazzi, looking pretty natural in their soon-to-be husband and wife status. See the photo below.

The rehearsal dinner comes a few days before the pair’s nuptials, but many of their loved ones were already in town to celebrate the big day (or should we say week!) — as over 100 of their family friends attended the rehearsal dinner. While there were many people in attendance, one celeb couldn’t make it: Ciara’s gal pal Serena Williams. The tennis star will unfortunately miss out on bridesmaid duties as she preps for the Wimbledon finals on Thursday. Regardless, the Body Party hitmaker’s bridal party will be nothing less than star-studded, with celebs involved in the wedding party to include Lala Anthony and Kelly Rowland.

See More: The 49 Mistakes Bridesmaids Always Make

The wedding ceremony is supposed to go down at Peckforton Castle, according to The Daily Mail, which is located close to Liverpool in Chesire county. The 19th century castle venue has been the locale of several English soccer stars’ weddings, including Jamie Vardy and Wes Brown. It boasts 36,000 acres of land and guest accommodations with over 48 bedrooms. It has also been used as a location for various television and movie productions including Doctor Who, Sherlock Holmes, and The Real Housewives of Cheshire. Not a bad spot to tie the knot, C!

Wilson and Ciara started dating 16 months ago and got engaged in March while on a trip to Seychelles (after many rumors were swirling about her gigantic piece of serious bling, she finally announced it officially, obvs to our delight). The “Body Party” hitmaker celebrated her bachelorette party in Las Vegas last month with her girls, snapping ‘grams of them poolside. Now, the countdown is on and it’s almost time for the big day. For as beautiful as she looked on her rehearsal dinner day, we can only imagine how Cici is going to stun in white at her wedding!

Omg ** Ciara and russell at their rehearsal wedding dinner ****** #ciara#ciarafans#russelwilson#russci

A photo posted by cici updates* (@ciara_zone) on Jul 5, 2016 at 10:53pm PDT

#Ciara and #russellwilson spotted in London headed to their rehearsal dinner. Congrats cici! **

A photo posted by Tae michelle (@ohtaemichelle) on Jul 5, 2016 at 5:04pm PDT

First comes love, then comes marriage.. congrats to Ciara & Russell Wilson on their nuptials https://t.co/198hWLDO3e pic.twitter.com/fCrFoF1pVW

— The Root (@TheRoot) July 6, 2016

** #CavsVsWarriors

A photo posted by Ciara (@ciara) on Jun 19, 2016 at 7:31pm PDT

Eating Our Natural Fruit Popsicles. #Yummy

A photo posted by Ciara (@ciara) on May 28, 2016 at 3:15pm PDT

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A photo posted by Ciara (@ciara) on May 23, 2016 at 12:13pm PDT

A photo posted by OK! Magazine Russia (@okmagazine_ru) on Jul 6, 2016 at 2:24am PDT