HEY APW,

First up, I’m super excited to announce that we’ve got a new staff writer joining the team while Meg is on maternity leave. Please joining me in giving Stephanie Kaloi a huge welcome. You may recognize Stephanie as the Managing Editor of the excellent Offbeat Mama/Offbeat Families, which stopped publishing last year. If you don’t know her from there, you might remember her from last month’s awesome photography roundup, from her post about having only one kid, or from her kickass photography business. The whole APW staff has been a big fan of Stephanie’s work as a writer and editor for years, and we’re thrilled to have her join us this summer. Here’s a little more about Stephanie, in her own words:

Stephanie is a photographer, writer, and Ravenclaw living in Portland with her husband, their six-year-old metalhead son, and a crew of adopted animals. Her writing has been published in The Good Mother Myth, xoJane, and TIME. Current goals include successfully moving to Chattanooga (this August!) and becoming a professional kitten cuddler.

And with that, it’s your happy hour, so get on it. Happy early long weekend!

Cheers,

Maddie

HIGHLIGHTS OF APW THIS WEEK

What happens when your long distance relationship ends… with marriage?

A six-step tutorial to DIY a birdcage veil. Can’t beat that.

The most epic list of love poems we’ve made to date. Not cheesy, not dominated by dead white men.

The secret to having fun while raising teenagers?

You can now get gorgeous custom address stamps for your invites. Pro-tip: they work after the wedding too.

We asked for #lazygirl eco-friendly wedding suggestions, and you delivered.

The spontaneous traveler and the meticulous planner try to plan a honeymoon, and it feels really complicated.

Makeup or no, here’s some awesome skincare tips because… why not?

Our Two Cents series continues, this time: the best microphone to DIY sound for a wedding of a hundred.

We’re tired of #weddingseason jokes, because we think it’s kinda the best.

A gilded orthodox church, a swoon-worthy backless dress, and a wedding that looks utterly lovely.

LINK ROUNDUP

A humanizing (and visually compelling) video about the shaming of sex workers.

Welcome to the “mommy bonus” world of the Upper East Side.

When penguins have honeymoon suites.

Judy Blume is back in action. Future APW book club material? You decide.

Want to know some funny truths about yourself? Ask your child.

Taylor swift’s new video is giving us serious #girlpower life. (Meredith Grey and Olivia Benson on screen at the same time is my life’s hope realized.)

This wooden centerpiece DIY is so good, we wished we’d made it up ourselves.

Artisanal pencil shop in lower Manhattan. End scene.

Seventy year old MIL versus Mad Max: Fury Road.

Suprise! Your anti-gay pastor is… gay, and likes to cuddle. Maybe we can preach tolerance instead?