Essence magazine, the magazine for professional black women, is this month featuring its first ever lesbian couple in the Bridal Bliss section. As surprising as that is, (don't hold your breath waiting for Ebony to go there) even more surprising is how overwhelmingly positive the comments are.  So far. But black LGBTs aren't out of the woods yet within their own community.

I'm in a dilemma that I'm sure many have experienced: There's a 3-4 month period when everyone near and dear to me seems to have a birthday, one right after another. And while I know them like the back of my own hand, I have trouble thinking of that perfect gift, and the pressure of thinking up a one perfect gift after another can prove to be too much trouble. In that light, weddings can feel like a blessing, a break from the game of trying to surprise someone with a perfect gift.

—Last night, health care reform passed in the House of Representatives with a vote of 219-212. Republican opposition was unanimous, and 34 Democrats joined in opposing the bill. [New York Times]

Today, discount designer retailer Gilt kicked off its “wedding weekend,” three days of sales themed around nuptials. Bargain-hungry brides can scoop up steals like an embroidered Alexander McQueen gown for $3,999 ($11,950 originally) and Sergio Rossi strappy sandals for $199 ($770 originally)—or they could before those items were sold out.

Each week, we debate a question in conjunction with the Washington Post Magazine. This week: Which wedding tradition do you wish were abolished?

Sundays used to find me reading the New York Times Vows column on my hand-me-down four-poster bed. The sunlight shone through the mesh and bars of my fire-escape-covered window, making a lacy pattern on my duvet that mimicked the gown of some quirky or blue-blooded bride. Sentimental tears inevitably flowed. People get married all the time, but those featured in the Vows column seemed especially to go through a portal into Happily Ever After.

Welcome to "Friend or Foe," a regular DoubleX advice column for your queries about the trickiest of all love affairs: friendships.

This is part five of Bridget's wedding countdown. Read parts one, two, three and four.

I was recently asked to be a bridesmaid for the third time. Although I was thrilled to accept, many friends and relatives received my news with a pained look. They asked about the dress in concerned tones; they offered sympathy for the costs I may incur; they expressed annoyance on my behalf. None dared utter what perhaps they were all thinking: “Always a bridesmaid; never a bride.” It’s a lament, not a cheer. The role of bridesmaid is commonly understood as pitiable and tragic, a highlighting of one’s not-bride status.

This is part three of Bridget's wedding countdown. Read parts one, and two.