Product Reviews and Recommendations

Our Team What We Do How We Make Money News & Deals Safety Why You Should Trust Us Meet Us Contact Us

Our Team

We're a team of experienced writers and editors who obsessively scour the retail landscape (both online and off) to find the best products for your big day. Besides being experts in our fields—having worked for brands like InStyle, Domino, and Brit + Co—we're consumers too, and we have a passion for products and services that make your life easier.

Zazzle Personalized Tote Bag — Brides / Vicky Wasik

What We Do

Our mission is to help our users make the best purchase decisions—it's that simple.

We exhaustively research a broad range of products in every product category we cover, creating curated lists of recommendations. Our writers are subject-matter experts who consult with industry professionals—including wedding planners, gemologists, photographers, and hair and makeup artists—to get guidance on what to look for in a product and how to evaluate it.

When possible, we work with the testers in our testing lab to determine whether certain items—including everything from custom anniversary gifts to bridal party favors—live up to their claims. We also send products to the homes of our team members and contributors.

Uncommon Goods Reel View — Brides / Vicky Wasik

We live and breathe the bridal market. Our jobs require us to spend a lot of time online shopping, and we want to pass along our expert knowledge to you. In addition to lists of the best products for your home, we share new launches, can't-miss sales, and personal stories about items we love.

After we publish an article, we don't just forget about it. Our team is relentlessly updating stories to keep our recommendations fresh, accurate, and helpful. We have our fingers on the pulse regarding the latest wedding dresses, bridesmaid gifts, registry items, and more. Our recommended products run the gamut from budget to splurge-worthy, and we're not loyal to any specific retailer or brand. We make it a point to source recommendations from reliable companies that deliver exemplary customer service so you can have a seamless shopping experience.

Pottery Barn Woven Picnic Basket — Brides / Vicky Wasik

How We Make Money

We receive an affiliate commission on some, but not all, of the products we recommend—but only if you decide to click through to the retailer's site and make a purchase. We only recommend trusted retailers with a proven track record for service and dependability.

News & Deals

In today's world, it's challenging to keep up with the best deals and how to find them. Our shopping experts stay up-to-date on the latest bridal beauty, fashion, and gifting trends, scouring the internet and covering the latest and greatest product launches, sales, and restocks. We also work around the clock on shopping holidays like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Amazon Prime Day to ensure you get the best bang for your buck on the biggest sale days of the year.

Safety

While we thoroughly research everything we review, test, and recommend, occasionally, certain products may be subject to recalls or revised use recommendations. We do our best to regularly update our content to reflect any official announcements from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). We urge you to monitor information related to items you purchase.

The Painted Press Ring Dish — Brides / Vicky Wasik

Why You Should Trust Us

The product recommendations on Brides are purely editorial. Occasionally, brands and PR agencies send us products for editorial consideration, but our thoughts and opinions are our own. We do the heavy lifting by either testing the products ourselves or tapping into our vast network of experts (think: wedding planners, photographers, real-life brides!) to help you make smart purchases—and to avoid that dreaded buyer's remorse.

We want everyone to see themselves represented on Brides. To ensure this, we showcase brands and services owned by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and other minority groups whenever possible and hire more diverse writers and staff members to cover topics important to our audience. Click here to read our full commitment to anti-racism and diversity.

Meet Us

Bronwyn is the VP of Commerce at Dotdash Meredith. She joined the team in 2021.

Before joining Dotdash Meredith, Bronwyn was co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of a boutique content agency. She has also worked as an editor and writer, at InStyle, Entertainment Weekly, People, and National Geographic.

She earned a B.A. in Literature and Sociology from Queen’s University at Kingston.

Bronwyn Barnes

VP of Commerce

Jessica is the Commerce Beauty & Style Group Director at Dotdash Meredith. She joined the company in May 2019.

Before joining Dotdash Meredith, she worked at L’Oréal’s Skincare.com where she covered all things beauty. Prior to that, she worked on the digital team at DuJour writing beauty, fashion, culture, and lifestyle content.

She received her B.A. in Journalism and Sociology from New York University.

Jessica Mahgerefteh

Director of Commerce

Avery joined the Brides team in 2019 and has been with Dotdash Meredith since September 2018.

Prior, she worked as a digital editor at DEPARTURES, a staff writer at For the Win, and a trends reporter at HuffPost. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications including ELLE, Refinery29, GQ, VICE, and more.

Avery received a B.A. in English Literature from Amherst College.

Avery Stone

Commerce Editorial Director

Kate has been with Brides since 2015.

With 15 years of experience in the magazine industry, Kate is an expert in the worlds of decorating, food, and lifestyle. Before joining Brides, she held positions at Martha Stewart Living, Domino, Cookie, and InStyle.

She has a BFA in printmaking and art history from the Rhode Island School of Design and lives in New York City.

Kate Donovan

Senior Editor, Commerce

Erika joined the Brides team in 2021 and has been with Dotdash Meredith since November 2020.

Prior to joining Brides, Erika was a commerce producer for Dotdash Meredith's Food Group. Her work has also been featured in online publications such as The Daily Mail, CollegeFashionista, and The Whisp.

She received a degree in journalism from the University of Kansas.

Erika Reals

Associate Fashion Editor, Commerce

Alyssa joined the Brides team in 2020.

Before joining Dotdash Meredith, she worked for local radio stations in the Greater Danbury Area, where she wrote articles for i95Rock and Kicks105.5.

She received a B.S. in Hospitality and Tourism from Central Connecticut State University and a Social Media Certificate from NYU.

Alyssa Kingham

Production Manager

Chloe has been producing content for Dotdash Meredith brands since November 2020, and she joined the Brides team full-time in July 2022.

Her work has been published in print and online for publications such as Thrillist, TripSavvy, Uproxx, Brides, FabFitFun, and more.

Chloe has a Bachelor's degree in Journalism from the University of Oregon.

Chloe Caldwell

Commerce Writer

Contact Us

If you have questions, comments, or opinions you'd like to share with our team of editors, please feel free to email us at commercefeedback@dotdash.com.