It is considered the most important day of your life—and you don’t want to spend it worrying about tables, décor and dealing with vendors. Brides who want to plan their own festivities often feel overwhelmed by the way things will—or will not—come together on the big day, and St. Louis event organizer Kate & Company offers a unique semi-planning services to help these brides stay blushing, not flustered.

Writing your thank-you notes should start right after any engagement party you may have. If people are kind enough to give you a gift, a lovely handwritten note (on a fold-over note card, written in black ink) is a priority—a priority you should carry all through the bridal shower, cocktail parties, rehearsal dinner and wedding events.

Extremely rare pieces from one of the largest private collections of Alexander McQueen’s work are among those to be showcased in an upcoming exhibition at the World Chess Hall of Fame. 

“At 91 my mom is sweet, unassuming, loves the Lord and is still as pretty as ever! She still remembers when horse-drawn wagons delivered the milk and when the ‘Laclede Gas Man’ lit the streetlights each night. She is as inquisitive as a child and always makes sure to point out a perfectly blue sky, and then wonder what makes it so blue.”

It's so small that if you blink, you might miss it—but that would be a shame because restaurateur Zoe Pidgeon's newest eatery, Bar Les Freres, definitely is a stop you want to make.

With hit TV show, The Biggest Loser, bestselling books and 1.6 million people visiting her weight loss website each month, Jillian Michaels has become one of the nation’s most popular experts on healthy eating, exercise and leading an exceptional life. Now, she is sharing her success secrets with audiences across the country through her Maximize Your Life tour, a live show coming May 11 to the Fox Theatre. LN recently spoke with Michaels about her personal health journey and her upcoming show, which aims to help people kickstart their life and fitness goals and achieve health and happiness.

We have more national recognition for our local culinary scene to report:

The Gatesworth is getting ready to break out the silver, as it celebrates its 25th anniversary this fall. That kind of longevity doesn’t come easily, and it has been earned with a commitment to providing the highest possible level of service, says director of operations Bob Leonard. “We do quality, not quantity,” he says. “We’re not trying to run 30 senior living facilities—we have one at each level of care. We decided to do one thing, and do it right.”

Caroline Kennedy will be in town next Wednesday, April 3, for the ninth annual Family Read Night at St. Louis County Library headquarters to discuss her new book.

Chill Cool Frozen Yogurt in Clayton will be celebrating its third anniversary on Friday, April 19. At 3:30 p.m. that day, Fredbird will make an appearance to hand out limited-edition Chill batting-helmet bowls with frozen yogurt purchases. The store also will present its third annual donation to Friends of Kids With Cancer during the celebration. By the way, Chill has some new spring flavors on the menu: Root Beer Float, Mango Sorbet and Pina Colada.

This year is the 20th anniversary of Dining Out For Life, the national fundraiser for AIDS service organizations. This year's event on Thursday, April 25, involves a variety of local eateries that will donate 25 percent or more of your bill to Saint Louis Effort For AIDS (SLEFA). More than 100 area restaurants are participating. For the full list, visit diningoutforlife.com/stlouis/restaurants. Since 1990, Dining Out For Life has raised more than $4.3 million for SLEFA.

The small-town sounds of Rock and Roll Hall-of-Famer John Mellencamp will make for a big night at the 25th Annual Bob Costas Benefit on April 20 at the Fox Theatre. The highly anticipated event, which raises approximately $1 million annually for the Bob Costas Cancer Center at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center, is known for its star-studded performance lineups that in past years have included Jerry Seinfeld, Jimmy Fallon, Ray Ramono, Bill Murray, Conan O'Brien, Dana Carvey, Billy Crystal, Cedric the Entertainer, Kathleen Madigan and Jay Leno. This year will be no exception as event host Bob Costas welcomes the legendary Mellencamp and a yet to be announced comedic artist to commemorate the silver anniversary. The Indiana native and his band will be returning to the Costas Benefit stage with a set that draws from an extensive catalog of classic songs, such as Small Town, Jack and Diane, Pink Houses and R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.

We now have the names for the upcoming Maryville University St. Louis Speakers Series. The 2013-2014 season at Powell Hall begins Oct. 8 with former Greek Prime Minister GEORGE PAPANDREOU. The rest of the lineup includes: A Walk in the Woods author BILL BRYSON, Former U.S. Defense Secretary ROBERT GATES, Apple co-founder STEVE WOZNIAK, historian/author DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN and journalist DAN RATHER, whose March 25, 2014, appearance will be sponsored by LN. For subscription information, visit stlouisspeakersseries.org.

The restaurant takes its name from the house-made olive bread used for bread service, which came to the table warm and fresh, with plenty of accompanying olive oil on the side. The Pan D'Olive website describes the overall cuisine as "Mediterranean with a California twist," with an emphasis on Greek and Turkish flavors.

Valentine's Day may have passed, but who says you can only have a romantic evening out on Feb. 14? St. Louis has plenty of places where you and your significant other can have a fine meal and pitch some woo all year long. Here are a few of our favorites:

I’m on Facebook. I’m not proud. Admittedly, I really only check the site to monitor Cranky’s postings—what boys she’s posing with, scanning a photo for a stray can of beer in the background—but a problem has emerged. Facebook no longer is the cool college social networking hub it was in 2005. Now it’s the 21st century equivalent of a slide carousel of your neighbor’s family vacation. It’s the digital version of cropping, and worst of all, it apparently is the world’s most unproductive cure for boredom. I’ve realized something: Facebook isn’t cool anymore.

Hot off the press…Ten local women are being lauded for their leadership and community service as this year’s WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT honorees. They are: KIM EBERLEIN (Volunteer Leadership), SHEILA GREENBAUM (Social Justice), MARGARET ISRAEL (Health Education), SALLY KATZIF (Women’s Empowerment), VERONICA McDONNELL (Health & Arts), MERRY MOSBACHER (Community Betterment), PEGGY NELSON (Health Advocacy), BRENDA NEWBERRY (Civic Responsibility), MARIAN NUNN (Youth & Family), and VIDA ‘SISTER’ PRINCE (Multicultural Leadership). The Class of 2013 will be celebrated during an awards luncheon at The Ritz-Carlton on May 2. For reservations, call Sarah Thorowgood at 421-2005 or email sthorowgood@macmeetings.com.

We can think of no cozier place to spend a winter’s evening than Bar Les Frères, Zoe Robinson’s newest creation and one of the most charming and romantic new dining spots in St. Louis.

Congratulations to Villa Duchesne senior Sarah Sutherlin, who has been selected as one of Missouri’s top youth volunteers of 2013.

For the second year, in a tight competition with less than 20 votes separating the top two churches, St. Paul's Catholic Church, Fenton, beat out St. Dominic Savio, Affton, to win Friendship Village Sunset Hills' Fourth Annual Quilting Competition. Several hundred voted in the week's competition and display of quilts from area churches at Fountain View, the freestanding assisted-living community at Friendship Village Sunset Hills. Pictured: Erlinda Madridondo, Ruth Finder, Donna Robinson and Mary Haukap (kneeling) proudly display their winning quilt.

LN first reported months ago that Chef LOU ROOK of Annie Gunn's is releasing his first-ever cookbook, Rook Cooks; Simplicity At Its Finest. Well, it’s finally here! The tome is available at the restaurant, as well as such area stores as Left Bank Books and Kitchen Conservatory, for $35.

The St. Louis Classical Guitar Society focuses its mission on three key areas: to provide the experience of live performance on the classical guitar; to promote widespread understanding of the art; and to provide opportunities to learn to play this instrument.

When a local woman’s battle with cancer left her exhausted from chemotherapy treatments and unable to afford nutritious meals, Food Outreach was there. “Without Food Outreach, I would not have been able to maintain a healthy diet, which is critical to my recovery,” she says.