Any bride on a wedding budget is most likely monitoring it closely and trying not to overspend. But what if there’s something you forget to add to the budget — or want plain to splurge on? If you’re looking into what last-minute purchases you may want to make, here are six splurges brides are thrilled they made during wedding planning.

1. A Day-Of Coordinator
“I thought hiring someone to oversee the day would be a waste, especially because we got married at a hotel and they assured us there would be someone there we could work with. It was the best last-minute thing to spend money on. We paid about $800 for someone to be at the wedding for 8-hours and make sure it was set up perfectly and our vendors came on time. She also troubleshooted all the things that went wrong, so that I didn’t even know about them.” —Mary D., 32

2. A Dessert Bar
“We almost spent about $500 on a wedding cake and then my fiancé decided that since we are not really cake lovers, we should spend the money on a dessert we enjoy. We scrapped the cake and instead paid the cater extra to present a dessert bar. It was such a delicious way to end the night and to be honest, nobody even noticed that we didn’t cut a cake.” —Danielle H., 29

3. The Photobooth
“I know everyone has a photobooth, but it was something we almost didn’t do because it’s an added expense, and I didn’t think people would care to use it because every wedding has one now. I noticed, however, that it was such a good way to get guests out of their chairs, especially the ones who didn’t want to dance. It was also a great icebreaker for guests who didn’t know each other and just met that night.” —Sarah P., 27

4. Bottles of Water
“We did bottles of water with customized labels on them for our party favor. So glad we spent the money to do that. Everyone is thirsty leaving a wedding. They don’t care about anything else or any other kind of party favor. They will take the bottle of water, and they will drink it.” —Marissa B., 30

See More: Got a Little Room in Your Budget? Wedding Planners Say You Should Splurge on These Items

5. An Extension With the Venue
“Our wedding should have ended at midnight. At around 11pm, everyone was having so much fun. Nobody wanted to leave. We didn’t have an after-party or anything planned, so I spoke to the venue owner and we got to keep the party going until 2am. Of course we paid a pretty penny to make that happen, but it was surely worth It.” —Jessica V., 31

6. A Videographer
“The one thing I’m glad I did for my own personal wedding, is pay for a videographer. I was so busy the whole night and having someone videotape every moment was the only way I could recap the night knowing exactly what happened. It was cool seeing things I missed and remembering moments I enjoyed.” —Barbara C., 31

Jen Glantz is a “Professional Bridesmaid” and the founder of Bridesmaid for Hire. She’s the author of All My Friends Are Engaged and frequently wears old bridesmaid dresses to the grocery store and on first dates.

Long distance relationships, though tough, have their advantages. The time you get with your partner is limited, yes, but that time is also special and intentional, chock full of real QT. You always look your best when you see one another. You have built in alone time to pursue your individual passions. You don’t have to work (too hard) to find a balance between the things that matter to you most.

Despite its advantages, the ultimate goal of almost every LDR is to go same-city. But living nearby your love comes with its challenges, too.

“Once a long-distance couple is able to see each other more frequently, the day-to-day routine begins to slip in and competition for each partner’s time and attention increases,” says Lesli Doares, marriage coach and author of Blueprint For A Lasting Marriage. “The high intensity that comes with long-distance relationships eases and this inevitably results in the dynamics of the relationship changing.”

But don’t despair. Not all change is bad. Here’s how to deal when your LDR goes same city.

Talk about your expectations.
Let’s face it: Things just won’t be the same. But knowing this, “provides you with the opportunity to really talk about what you want the new parameters to look like,” says Doares. A good place to start, she says, is by talking to one another about what you did and didn’t like about your LDR. “Trying to get more of the positive and minimizing the negative is good advice for all relationships,” she says. “Clearly deciding, versus just sliding into a relationship pattern, is always a plus.”

See More: Love Secrets From Couples in Long-Distance Relationships

Enjoy being spontaneous.
Now that you live nearby one another, “time together does not need to be planned carefully and in advance, and you can be more spontaneous,” points out psychotherapist and relationship coach Toni Coleman. “The relationship will feel more natural, like less work, and both partners will have more time and energy for one another.” Of course, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ever make advanced plans. (That’s just part of making your partner a priority.) “What it does mean is that you can enjoy picking up the conversation again later, being together and just hanging out and not feeling like you have to squeeze in a lot in a small amount of time,” she says.

Set aside dedicated time to talk.
When you move closer to one another, you may swap long and meaningful conversations for watching TV silently side-by-side. “The amount of time dedicated to conversation can get shorter and shorter,” warns Doares. “Communication becomes informational exchange instead of connecting conversations.” But you can prevent this from becoming your new reality by making time to talk. “Setting aside uninterrupted time on a regular basis is one way to allow for deeper, more intimate communication,” says Doares.

Continue doing you.
One of the benefits of being away from your partner was having the time to pursue your own individuals passions. Coleman encourages couples to continue to make time for what you love, even if you can’t do it together. “You can still have plenty of couple time, but you shouldn’t feel as thought you have to do everything together,” she says. “You can plan dates, meals together, and get-togethers with mutual friends, but also make time for your individual friendships and time alone.”

Brides of the world, consider yourself entitled to a bridezilla moment or two. After all, you’re under a lot of stress with budgets to keep track of, vendors to chase down, and your well-intended mother in law breathing down your neck. Your friends and family will probably forgive and forget if you shed a tear over a wilting bouquet or your jigsaw puzzle of a seating chart. An unforgivable bridezilla transgression? Straight up racism. As one Reddit user tells it, she was cut from a friend’s bridal party — for one of the most horrible reasons we can think of.

According to former bridesmaid and Reddit user, throwittothewolves60, she was invited to be a bridesmaid in a friend’s wedding when she and another woman suddenly had their invitations revoked. Under the impression that it was simply because there weren’t enough groomsmen for a balanced wedding party (uneven wedding parties can be done, y’all!), she let it slide — until she learned of the real reason she and her fellow former bridesmaid were nixed.

As reported by Refinery29, the bride didn’t want the two women in her wedding photos… because of their skin color.

“A month after the wedding, one of the bridesmaids was venting to me about how the bride still hadn’t paid for the catering that her boyfriend did and how angry she was about it. During this conversation, she casually lets it slip that the real reason we were removed from the wedding was because I (South Asian) and my friend (Black) had dark skin, and she preferred how the dresses looked on pale skin. I still haven’t told the other removed bridesmaid about this revelation,” wrote throwittothewolves60.

See More: 30 Ways to Style Your Wedding Party

With 12 years of friendship under their belt and the fact that this bride had in fact been in her wedding when she tied the knot, we can’t imagine how devasting the news must have been to this bridesmaid. And we thought the woman demanding that her bridesmaids dye their hair was bad…

There’s no getting around that this bride’s preference to how the bridesmaid dresses looked on pale skin is horribly discriminatory. This ain’t no bridezilla — this is just a racist…

Ever feel like you’re addicted to being in love? You’re not alone. Studies have shown that love can do miraculous things to the body and even mimic symptoms of drug addiction. Butterflies in the stomach and elevated mood are just some of the things that happen to the brain and the body when one falls in love. But unlike other addictions, love can actually have great health benefits.

Check out these five impressive ways that falling in love can benefit your health.

Love can alleviate pain
A Stanford University study recently proved that being in love can help you endure pain, which could help how researchers in the future handle pain management in patients. Some of the candidates of the study were shown pictures of their romantic partners, while others were shown pictures of casual acquaintances. The study proved that viewing pictures of the romantic partners actually had analgesic properties, especially when compared to those who were just shown pictures of acquaintances. Moderate pain was reduced by approximately 40 percent in those that were shown the picture of loved ones, and intense pain was reduced by up to 15 percent.

Love can cure headaches
Oxytocin, which has been dubbed “the love hormone,” is the chemical that the brain releases when one is in love. It has been known to make people want to cuddle up next to their romantic partners, but recent research suggests it might also help in curing headaches, even some as severe as migraines. It is thought to inhibit pain receptors in the brain, which researchers are using to develop a new drug to help with headache relief that has no known side effects as of yet.

Love might decrease your risk of heart attack
A study from the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology could prove that living with a spouse can prevent heart attacks in men and women of various age groups. When studying acute cardiac instances over 10 years, the study showed a much higher rate of heart attacks and fatalities in the people who were unmarried or living alone. They also had a much higher rate of fatality in the month after leaving the hospital after their cardiac incident. The theory is that someone who is married may have better health habits leading up to the cardiac event to begin with, but also better care after an incident if they are living with a spouse.

See More: Is Working Out Better Than Couples Therapy? Experts Weigh In

Love can reduce blood pressure
It is also possible that the lowered risk of heart attack in married people is because love has been known to reduce blood pressure. A recent study showed blood pressure dropped in people when their spouses were present. The study has spurred more conversation about the effects of deep, meaningful relationships on one’s long-term health, but it’s certainly not the first. The National Institute of Health has long been studying the health benefits that love, cuddling and oxytocin have on the health of any love relationship, including a marriage or a relationship between a parent and child.

Love helps relieve stress
Researchers at the State University of New York at Stony Brook found being in a love relationship can reduce anxiety and help people cope with stress better than those without this meaningful support system. The Department of Health and Human Services issued a lengthy report showing that people in marriages tend to abuse substances less and find better ways to alleviate stress. The report showed that people in marriages tend to live longer, happier and healthier lives in general than those that aren’t in long-term love relationships.

This post was originally published on ClassPass’s blog, The Warm Up by Danielle Page. ClassPass is a monthly membership that connects you to more than 8,500 of the best fitness studios worldwide. Learn more here.

On your wedding day, you’ll be floating on a cloud — but how should you plan to actually get around? It all depends on your style. Do you want transportation with a bumping sound system? Something out of a retro movie? Chicago area transportation vendors have got you covered and we’ve broken down your options for you.

For the couple that’s ready to party:

Get things popping as you take pictures or travel from ceremony to reception in a fully-loaded party bus. Exquisite Limo & Party Bus, for instance, offers a fleet of fun-mobiles for up to 30 passengers with features like leather seats, bars, fiber optic lighting and custom sound systems just waiting to blast your Wedding Day playlist.

For the fairytale fans:

There are few things that can make a bride feel more like a princess than having a real life horse-drawn carriage waiting to carry her and her new husband off into the sunset (or, you know, to the reception). If your wedding is outside the city, there are a few places that offer the old fashioned rides. Looking to go full fairytale? Try the Peotone-based Jim & Becky Horse & Carriage Specialists, which offers a Cinderella-style pumpkin carriage for you and your Prince Charming.

See More: Cherish your big day forever with beautiful pictures. Find the perfect local photographer on our Chicago Photography page!

For the old-world charm:

A trolley is good middle ground for couples looking for something more dapper than a shuttle but more low key than a limo. Companies like Trolley Rates Chicago offer the colorful vehicles for transporting your guests from hotel to wedding and back or just to transport your wedding party around.

For the car buffs:

On your wedding day, nobody has to know you drive a ’93 Chevy. Borrow a pair of significantly sleeker wheels — a 1954 Bentley Sedan? A 1962 Rolls Royce limousine? –from a company like Classic Wedding Car for you and your fiancé to cruise around town in or take pictures with.

For the traditionalists

You can’t go wrong with a classic. Rent a stretch limo or town car from Windy City Limousine or Celeb Lux Limos. Want to take things up a notch? The Hummer H2 from Naperville Limousine seats up to 20.

Browse dozens of other options, from cars to carriages, on our Chicago Transportation page!

We’re calling lights, camera, action on your best year EVER — and it all starts right now! Our December 2016/January 2017 issue is hitting newsstands and along with your sparkling engagement ring, it’s your golden ticket to the best year of your life. (Pre-“I do,” of course!)

We’re ringing in the New Year with dozens of dream wedding dresses — including yours! From soft and romantic frocks that we shot on the elegant, easy breezy beaches of St. Lucia (seriously, these gowns are gorg) to the modern striped Hayley Paige organza ball gown that our cover model is rocking, wedding dresses of all styles are taking over the pages of our latest issue, so get those Post-Its ready for all the bookmarking you’re bound to be doing!

What else is going on in our December 2016/January 2017 issue? Well, we’re showing you how to cut down on your catering costs, because whoever said that less money meant less fabulous flavor? Trust us, no guest will go hungry with these budget-saving tips. In fact, they’ll be begging for seconds and you’ll totally be able to oblige! And with all that cold hard cash you’ll be saving, you can splurge on that luxe honeymoon getaway we know you and your hubby-to-be have been dreaming about. And we have all the exclusive honeymoon deals, upgrades, discounts, and perks to make it a total reality!

Need another reason to go out and get your hands on this mag? You’ll find all the wedding style inspo you’ve been craving right here. And spoiler alert: Pastels are back — with an icy, wintery twist that’s pretty enough to melt even your future mother-in-law’s frosty heart. (Kidding!)

See More: 36 Rustic Wedding Cakes We Love

And finally, what’s your best year ever without your love by your side? Take note, brides, because we’ve got the ultimate guide to getting your groom involved in wedding planning. May we suggest starting off with setting-up your wedding registry together? It’ll be no sweat with our Registry Awards, featuring the 50 best finds of 2016. Your best year ever will turn into the best years ever with these gorgeous goodies that’ll make newlywed life a breeze.

So what are you waiting for? Time to check finish wedding planning off that list of New Year resolutions!

Subscribe to BRIDES now for the best wedding dresses, advice, and big-day inspiration.

After a ceremony filled with promises and vows, the most important kiss of your relationship, your wedding kiss, seals the deal, confirming your status as a married couple. It’s also the most watched kiss you’ve ever had, after all, all eyes — and cameras — will be on you (and your lips!) once the officiant says, “You may now kiss the bride!” Before the biggest smooch of your married life, get your lips smooth, plump, and photo-ready with these pout-perfecting lip treatments.

You exfoliate your body before applying self-tanner for a streak-free glow, so why not exfoliate your lips before applying lipstick for an even application of color? This certified organic lip scrub gently buffs with sugar cane crystals to remove unflattering flakes, leaving behind a moisture-rich barrier packed with honey, beeswax, and various oils to protect against future dryness. You’ll be hooked on the results — and the sweet vanilla and spearmint scent. (Vanilla and argan lip scrub, $10, Lather)

Chapped lips can happen to anyone at almost any time, but they’re especially a concern for winter brides. Luckily, First Aid Beauty offers a fragrance- and taste-free intensive lip treatment that helps alleviate — and, remarkably, prevent — dry, distressed lips. Its key ingredients all draw on the natural healing power of bees: honey and beeswax for moisture and propolis extract to repair and restore damaged lips. (“Ultra Repair Intensive” lip balm, $20, First Aid Beauty)

On your wedding day, everything should be perfect — including your lips. This aptly named lip treatment offers long-lasting moisture, a fuller looking pout, and a more defined lip line thanks to super scientific-sounding ingredients like Bio-Engineered Renewal Complex and Apple Stem Cell Technology. Even better, after repeated use, Perfect Lips minimizes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, so your lips can continue to look perfect long after you say “I do.” (“Perfect Lips” hydrating lip treatment, $45, 3LAB)

We wouldn’t necessarily recommend sipping on a mojito while getting your wedding makeup done, but we’re totally on board with lip scrub and solid lip oil that smell and taste just like the traditional Cuban cocktail. Practically a party for your lips, this exfoliating lip duo smooths and conditions with Marula Oil, a powerful antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals while helping to build collagen. This convenient two-in-one — perfect for vegan and gluten-free brides — comes with a mirror for on-the-go exfoliation emergencies. Because that’s a thing. (Exfoliating lip duo, $25, Bodyography)

Before you seal the deal with a kiss, seal your lips with this innovative gel patch. After 20 minutes of intense hydration and nourishment (and silence — there’s no talking while the patch is on your mouth!), your lips will be soft, smooth, and ready for their first kiss as a married couple. But don’t stop with the wedding: At $4, this lip mask is so affordable, you can keep your kisser in prime condition even after the honeymoon ends. (Gel lip mask, $4, Miss Spa)

See more: How Not to Have an Awkward First Kiss

If you can’t get to Beverly Hills for an appointment with Dr. Harold Lancer, you can still reap the benefits of his expertise in the form of Lancer Volume Enhancing Lip Serum. The celebrity dermatologist’s advanced lip treatment minimizes the appearance of vertical fine lines while increasing hydration for visibly fuller lips. While the product can define lip contours and highlight your natural lip color on its own, it can also be worn as a foundation under your wedding lipstick to help bright colors pop. (Volume enhancing lip serum, $40, Lancer Skincare)

Given the choice, we’ll almost always pick a product that works instantly and offers long-term benefits. GrandeLIPS, for example, is a hydrating lip plumper that makes mouths look bigger in three-to-five minutes and increases overall hydration, volume, and firmness in just one month. The vanilla-flavored treatment, which can be worn on its own or under other lip colors, tingles when applied; that’s the hyaluronic acid and Volulip™ getting down to business. (Hydrating lip plumper, $27, GrandeLIPS available at Sephora)

Brides and grooms usually have an image in their heads of how their weddings will look, and how many friends and family will be present to celebrate with them. Most of the time, things turn out exactly as planned, and they get the “dream wedding day” they’ve intended.

Occasionally, however, things go awry, for any number of reasons, and a bunch of people you invited to your wedding will back out, sometimes with very little notice. It can be devastating to the wedding couple when they look at their final list of acceptances.

I’ve been planning destination weddings for almost 10 years, and I’m always sure to remind my clients that there is a larger decline rate for destinations than at home. Sixty acceptances of 100 invitations is about average, although there are exceptions both ways.

Traditionally, the less notice brides and grooms give their guests for a destination wedding, the lower the attendance rate will be. If you want all of your invitees to attend, the most important thing to do is to send out your wedding invitations as early as possible — with a normal maximum of eight weeks to respond — any time after the one-year-out date for the actual wedding. It’s easy for all of your friends to tell you they’re going to travel wherever for your big day, but another thing entirely for them to make the commitment in writing. Up until the point when they RSVP “yes,” they aren’t being rude if they decide they cannot attend.

In the past year, the Zika virus has wreaked havoc on the guest lists for a number of weddings I’ve planned, both in Florida and the Caribbean. Frequently, many of the guests (and members of the wedding party) are at an age where they are thinking about, or actively trying to, get pregnant. And the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control have labeled the vast majority of popular destination wedding areas as part of the area to be avoided if you’re trying to conceive.

I’ve dealt with brides in tears, and brides who are just plain angry, about their friends backing out of their weddings at the last minute. I get it — this isn’t new, and their friends knew about Zika when they committed to being a bridesmaid or a guest. But although her wedding may seem like the most important thing in the entire world to the bride, all of her friends and family have their own lives, too. And many won’t be willing to put off procreation to see her say “I do.”

See More: The 8 People to Cross Off Your Wedding Guest List Right Now

Keep Negative Reactions to a Minimum
First, it’s okay to be frustrated and angry, but you need to keep those feelings between you and your fiancé. And maybe your parents. Do not rant about a bridesmaid who dropped out to another member of the wedding party. People gossip. Your remarks could get back to the offending party. And while you’re angry now, you do not want to lose a friendship over something you will later come to realize wasn’t as a big of a deal as you made of it. Trust me, I had a bridesmaid get pregnant and drop out before my wedding. I had been her maid of honor, and at the time, I was devastated she couldn’t be there with me. She’d even bought the dress! But I was nice about it, and supportive to her, and looking back, I’m glad she made the best decision for her own health.

Don’t Let It Temper Your Excitement
Second, once you’ve “gotten over” it, you need to focus on getting excited again. Do not complain about the drop-outs to your other guests. Do not let anybody know that you are bothered that some people will not be there. To do so is to insult the guests who are making the effort to attend. It’s like you’re saying they’re not enough to make your wedding day special. Are your parents coming? Will your fiancé show up? Okay then, you have everybody you NEED, even if you won’t have everybody that you want. So get excited about your upcoming wedding, and focus on the time you will have with your more intimate group of guests. The size of the wedding has absolutely nothing to do with how much fun you’ll have, or how beautiful your wedding will be. Keep a smile on your face throughout the wedding weekend because, when the bride smiles, her guests smile with her. When the bride is unhappy, the entire group will be unhappy for her.

Forgive and Forget
Third, and probably most important, let it go after the wedding. Do not return home and be snarky to your friends who didn’t attend the wedding. Don’t keep bringing up the absence of those who backed out. Don’t tag “missing” people in the pics that you post to try to make them feel guilty. What’s done is done, and their absence didn’t prevent you from getting married. If it put a damper on your happiness that day, it’s not about them — it’s all about you.

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.

Heading to work is a whole lot more exciting when you have something — or rather, someone — to look forward to. Just ask Lina Fares and Andrew Rodale Norelli, who first met in their office in May of 2011. Fast-forward four years and you’d find the happy pair enjoying a sailing cruise to Greece’s Schinoussa Island. There, on July 1, 2015, Andrew asked Lina to be his wife.

As the great-grandson of JI Rodale, one of the first advocates of a return to sustainable agriculture and organic farming in the United States, it’s no surprise that Andrew and his bride-to-be knew they wanted to tie the knot on the groom’s family farm in Allentown, Pennsylvania. “It’s so picturesque and has been the venue for many of my family members’ nuptials,” Andrew says. With a venue so steeped in family history, it was easy to start planning their June 11, 2016, wedding — and even easier for Lina and Andrew to decide they wanted to infuse their day with pieces of their unique backgrounds. With the help of Mark Kintzel Design, the future Mr. and Mrs. imagined a classic celebration with plenty of bright elements inspired by their farm backdrop. Rebecca Yale Photography captured the breathtaking results, all seen below.

“Since the wedding was going to be outdoors, the hardest part of planning was worrying about the weather and making contingency plans,” the couple says. In fact, in the 10 days leading up to the wedding, forecasts were predicting hail and thunderstorms, so Lina and Andrew were forced to make a last-minute decision to tent the ceremony and cocktail hour. Luckily, they tied the knot on a picture-perfect June day, surrounded by 130 of their closest friends and family. “The rain held off, but the tent was a welcome gift for our guests at the temperatures rose into the mid-90s.”

Everyone was invited to the festivities with a punchy suite created by Fourteen-Forty, complete with a property map and poppy coral hues that were carried over into the big day itself. And, to ensure friends and family were comfortable throughout their stay in Pennsylvania, Lina and Andrew surprised guests with a package of their favorite goodies and wedding-necessities, like Cape Cod potato chips, Kind bars, organic mints, Advil, and stain remover.

Lina’s lace Monique Lhuillier wedding dress was unfussy yet elegant, perfect for the couple’s farm wedding. “I wanted something simple and understated for my jewelry, so I went with a Swarovski crystal bangle and earrings,” she says. But when it came to picking her shoes, this bride knew she wanted her personality to shine, so she went with a fun coral pair from Stuart Weitzman.

Her bouquet of peonies, garden roses, astilbe, lisanthus, mountain laurel, and hypericum berries looked as if it could have been handpicked right from the property’s gardens.

One of our favorite details from this bride’s wedding day look? Her subtle something blue nail polish!

Andrew chose a custom slate blue suit from Michael Andrews Bespoke, which he paired with a pale yellow tie and a boutonniere of spray roses and mountain laurel.

Linda’s bridesmaids wore bright coral dresses from J.Crew and carried romantic bouquets of peonies, roses, and astilbe.

As a gift for his groomsmen, Andrew purchased the Bonobos suit each guy wore on the big day. Like the groom, each attendant finished his look with a pink-and-green boutonniere.

One of the decisions the bride and groom are most happy they made was deciding to have a first look. “It broke the nerves,” Lina says. “This way, we could share our special moments as well as get photos out of the way early.”

Although the ceremony was initially set to take place in the open-air, there’s no denying Lina and Andrew’s greenery-covered plan B tent was absolutely breathtaking. Beneath it, arrangements of hydrangeas and eucalyptus marked the top of the aisle while lanterns and an installation of peonies, garden roses, ruscus, and berries served as the most beautiful backdrop for this couple’s vows.

The pair wrote their own vows, but stuck to a traditional format. “We exchanged more personal messages in private on the morning of the wedding,” they say. After Lina and Andrew were pronounced husband and wife, the newlyweds made their exit of Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida” while guests showered them in fresh flower petals.

Cocktail hour was held in an uncovered greenhouse, where garlands of greenery were interspersed with café lights, creating an ultra-romantic, cozy space for drinks and light bites. There, the couple served up three signature drinks: Andrew’s choice, the negroni, Lina’s pick, a spicy passion fruit margarita, and the bride and groom’s favorite, a guava mimosa. Guests enjoyed tapas-style snacks, including mini empanadas and lobster rolls, along with a full raw bar.

The party then moved into a sailcloth tent, and guests found their table assignments on a mirrored seating chart. Bare wooden tables and round ones topped with natural-colored linens were arranged across the lawn.

Gold compotes held bright mixes of roses, lisianthus, and greenery, adding a fun dose of color to the space. And to make sure the event felt elevated, the bride and groom chose additional metallic accents, like gilded flatware and table numbers.

“We both love to travel and come from diverse backgrounds, which we wanted to showcase throughout our wedding,” Andrew says. “The food was a blend of cuisines from all of our travels, including Italian, Spanish, Greek, Dominican, and Lebanese, and was served family-style to bring everyone together for a special occasion.”

This couple knew what they were doing when it came to picking fun extras for their reception. In addition to a custom Snapchat filter, the pair treated guests to a photo barn. Yes, you read that right: a photo barn. Guests posed for fun pictures in an antique car that was covered in greenery and bright flowers before leaving a copy of their snapshots for the newlyweds to enjoy.

After dinner, everyone dug into slices of the lemon wedding cake with raspberry filling. Before departing, guests grabbed a mini succulent favor, a nod to the wedding’s natural backdrop.

Lina and Andrew, who will be honeymooning in New Zealand this December, have this advice for future couples: “Take a moment for yourselves during the day and savor it, each other, and everyone who came out to celebrate.”

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Rodale Family Farm || Wedding Planner & Flowers: Mark Kintzel Design || Bride’s Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier || Jewelry: Swarovski || Shoes: Stuart Weitzman || Hair & Makeup: Jackie Schneider Beauty || Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J.Crew || Groom’s Attire: Michael Andrews Bespoke || Groomsmen’s Attire: Bonobos || Wedding Bands: Cartier || Invitations: Fourteen-Forty || Music: Montero Strings; Wesley Works || Catering: Cobblestone Catering || Cake: Katherine Sprules Cakes || Lighting: Tony Millross || Photo Booth: Designed by Mark Kintzel Design, shot by Big Laughs Photo Booth || Photographer: Rebecca Yale Photography

Feeling inspired by this beautiful wedding? Then get even more ideas from another couple’s farm wedding in the video below.

While the ceremony and celebration are the most memorable parts of a wedding, if you want it to be legal, the most important part is the signing of the marriage license. This document legally binds the two of you together — and plays a big role if you’re planning on changing your name! But it takes more than just the happy couple to get the job done! Here are the people you need to have present when it’s time to sign the marriage license.

While the requirements for signing a marriage license (as well as applying for one in the first place) vary from state to state, most follow the same general outline:

The Couple
Of course, you must both be present — and preferably not drunk — when it’s time to sign. Most marriage bureaus will provide you with a handout specifying how and where to sign, especially if you’re planning on changing one or both of your names, so make sure you have those handy.

The Officiant
Whoever legally performed your ceremony, whether it was a judge, a religious leader, or a friend ordained for the day, must also sign the license. There will be a line for them to sign their name, as well as specify their title or ordination. But note: There are a few states (Colorado, Wisconsin, the District of Columbia, and parts of Pennsylvania) where you can self-unite or self-solemnize your marriage, which means that not only does the officiant not need to sign your marriage license, you don’t have to have one in the first place!

The Witnesses
These could be your parents, your maid of honor and best man, or any other friends you nominate for the honor. They must be physically present and, well, witness the two of you signing the marriage license. In most states, the witnesses must also be over the age of 18.

See More: When Do We Need to Decide If We’re Going with Our Rain Plan?