Searches for "how to plan a wedding" have spiked a panicky 500% over the past 7 days. Leading all wedding-related quests is the bridal dress, followed by cakes, invitations, songs, and rings. Other urgent searches include "wedding decor," "bridal registry," and "how to plan a cheap wedding."

That last query comes as no surprise to wedding watchers. According to an Associated Press report, the average cost of a wedding is $28,704. Sounds like a lot of money, but that figure is actually lower than it was the year before. Apparently the intended are combining do-it-yourself craftiness with Web savviness. Here are a few nuptial hints from the Buzz for a "dream day wedding."

With This Ring 
Over the past month, look-ups for "engagement rings" have been twice as popular as "wedding rings" searches. Diamonds took a slight search dip last year compared to 2006, but their popularity is coming back, perhaps thanks in part to black diamonds. Antique engagement rings are enjoying a revival... though not as much as the new fad of "divorce rings" (led by trendsetting ladies in Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri, apparently).

Dual Showers
Yumsugar says more brides don't want to go it alone, hence the rising popularity of couples showers. FitSugar suggests a lawn-games twist for a garden engagement party. Either way, the co-ed approach may please ladies who find the obligatory bridal shower games tiresome...

Packing the bags
Honeymoons usually don't get their due consideration until it is too late. Inclusive resorts may not be for everyone, but this guide can help you decide. Brides.com's "Top Ten Eco-Honeymoon Resorts" presents an itinerary that combines romance with environmental sensitivity. As for whom to pay, the Wall Street Journal exposes which registries are trying to weasel a chunk of change from guests.

Other wedding tips that have spiked in the Buzz
• This CasaSugar interview ran in April, but a photographer's insider tips will help your wedding day all the more memorable.
• Mashables evaluated a start-up called The Man Registry. Wasn't that called The Sharper Image back in the day?
• BuzzSugar suggests asking people to recommend wedding songs on the guest response cards. A brilliant political move... but beware of 10 recommendations for "I Will Survive."

The resurgence of political song and satire, that's what. While tech pundits—and most recently the Associated Press—like to call citizen-created ads and viral videos a "new form of campaigning," political creativity has existed as long as government—and almost certainly before.

In the pro-Obama camp, two videos gathering search momentum are "Barackula" and "The Empire Strikes Barack." The first goes back to Obama's Harvard days and explores his fledgling fight against vampiric bloodsuckers through song and dance. Blaxploitation allusions aside, the Harvard students' riff is catchier than it is subtle, although the girlfriend twist casts an interesting light on Michelle Obama.

The "Empire" mashup is even less subtle (casting Clinton as Darth Vader), and will probably be destroyed by the jedis of jurisprudence before more men between the ages of 35 and 54 can seek it out.

Searches for satirical Clinton clips aren't as plentiful. (And really, it's hard to rhyme with Clinton, or Hillary, for that matter. Pillory? Conciliatory?) Video-related Clinton searches have focused on "tina fey hillary clinton" and "hillary clinton snl," ever since the SNL alum lauded the candidate's, er, strong female attitude back in February. The latest "saturday night live hillary clinton" resurgence, though, revolves around backpedaling worthy of a superdelegate.

The most viral video of all, though, may soon belong to Clinton, herself. She recently sent out a thank-you to fundraisers that some have read as her farewell aria. Regardless, however the race shakes out, there will be a song to sing and a video to go along with it.

Geographical flubs have brought down lesser beauty queens, so when a Democratic presidential hopeful says he has already visited 57 states, searchers will flock to the Buzz like 14th century explorers to the New World.

The queries "obama 57 States" and "57 states" pulled into the top 35,000 searches in the past 7 days. Of course, the inflated number unleashed conspiratorial theories. Rush Limbaugh implied a "more telling slip" after claiming there happened to be "57 islamic states," which in turn spurred online investigations into that bit of information.

Actually, according to Obama, there should be 60 states, since he mentioned during his Oregon tour that he had another state to visit, plus Alaska and Hawaii. If he indeed harbors empire expansion plans, how about annexing Tijuana, as the Border State?