I was terrible about my blogging this week, but at least I have some interesting links for you this lovely Friday!

This post on A Practical Wedding made me way more emotional than I expected. I think it's a gorgeously written piece that struck me because it so beautifully illustrated how the "traditional" engagement isn't the only way to do it. It made me really feel for the first time how romantic and lovely a mutual engagement can be. I really encourage everyone to read this because rather than just talking theoretically about how "men don't have to do a big, grand, surprise proposal to a woman" - this shows you how it could be. And hot-damn, it's really lovely.

I had very mixed feelings about this couple who recently wed in my town of Del Ray. They had their first kiss at the altar. I think at the end of the day, I gotta say that if it works for you, good for you.

Very interesting piece on NPR about how the gender imbalance in China is impacting marriage. The scarcity of women is now giving them bargaining power when it comes to marriage. Negotiations, bride prices,... very different perspective on marriage.

Finally for some fun stuff - I loved this piece on babble about disneyland surprises gone wrong. This may seem off-topic, but I thought it really illustrated very well how important expectations are (yes, especially for kids - but for lots of adults, too). Whether it's setting your family and friends up to have realistic expectations for what your wedding celebration will be like, talking about marriage and commitment before a surprise proposal, or just creating epic fails like these hilarious disneyland surprises, it's always important to remember how important plans can be to some people, and how changing the plan and thereby messing with their expectations can often cause big issues. Plus, these videos are just hilarious.

Great giveaway on Spoonflower (an awesome site where you can design or buy custom fabric) - you can get a custom wedding print. The giveaway goes til May 1st, so enter now!

Finally, I had to end with my favorite random link of the day. You all know I love me some Downton, and I love me some musicals. Hilarious sneak peak at their new season - Downton's musical episode.

Happy Friday!