Tuesday, February 22, 2011

New Jersey Wedding Planner - Work it Out ..Together!

I was watching television the other day and a commercial came on for a new show called “Shredding for the Wedding” where couples work out, train and diet before their wedding to try and lose as much weight as possible before their big day. At first I rolled my eyes and sarcastically thought, “Great another TV show about weight loss” . Then I actually thought about it and the benefits to working out with a partner.

Why do shows like this and “Biggest Loser: Couples” work so well? I think it’s because of one main reason: you have a workout partner with you. What better way to motivate yourself than to have someone else there with you, shooting for the same goals and reaching them. This not only is a great way to lead a healthier lifestyle, but also a great way to get closer with your partner.





Here are some great benefits, courtesy of GoldsGym.com, on why you should work out with a partner [substitute “friend” for “fiancĂ©”, “partner”, etc.]:

You'll get out of bed. If you know someone is meeting you at the gym in the morning, you going to slap the snooze button and sleep in? Unlikely. "When you schedule workouts with a friend, you're held accountable, so you're less likely to skip out on a workout," says person trainer Mel Joyner.

You'll make it a habit. People are used to moving from appointment to appointment during the workday, so meeting a workout partner at the gym will just feel like another appointment in a busy day. "I believe strongly that you should make a point of going to the gym with a friend during the first few months of your gym membership," says Dr. Belisa Vranich, a clinical psychologist and member of Gold's Gym's Fitness Institute. Why? "Working out should be a habit, and it takes 21 days to form a habit. If you're going it solo, you're likely to slack off during those three important introductory weeks, but if you're regularly meeting a friend, the habit is more likely to set in."

You'll work harder. "When I work out on my own, I'm not likely to force myself to do extra reps or increase my speed on the treadmill," says Joyner. "But if I'm working out with a friend — ideally a friend who is stronger and faster than me — you can bet I'll try to one-up the other person by doing more chin-ups or running faster in a race or lifting more weight on the machine." Adds Vranich: "A friend can read your facial cues and body language, so he'll know when you're slacking off and, as a result, give you that extra nudge or a few needed words of encouragement."


You'll diversify your workout. "There are a variety of workout moves that you can only do with a partner," says Joyner. His favorite? The wheelbarrow push-up, where one person does a push-up while the other (standing) person holds on to the ankles. "The holder has to squat as the person goes down toward the floor, so the exercise works the muscles of both involved."

You'll stay social — without loading up on calories from food and drink. Let's face it: working out alone can take time away from your social life. But working out with a friend allows the two of you to catch up on work, life, and all the rest without doing so over, say, five frosty — and calorie-laden — beers. You're killing two birds (and, quite possibly, two beer guts) with one stone. Joyner learned this important lesson in college. "After my friends and I bonded over one too many boxes of pizza, we decided to center our social activity around the weight room as opposed to the pizza joint," he says.





And there you have it! I really think this is such a great idea… working out with your man or woman! Not only are you going to look great for your wedding, you’ll learn to live a healthier lifestyle that will [hopefully] stick with you throughout life and you’ll reconnect on a deeper level with each other. It doesn’t matter if you have a strict work out plan and diet that you intensely follow or go with the flow and plan daily outdoor activities like running or biking (no excuses – spring is almost here so the weather will be nice!).. get creative! As long as you go out and do some of your own shredding ;o)



Happy Training,


Kaitlyn

Monday, February 14, 2011

New Jersey Wedding Planner - Anthropologie Launch's Bridal Shop!

This has been a long awaited launch by fans of Anthropologie every where! Today on Valentine's Day they launched their official Bridal shop "B H L D N". They are providing brides with all types of budget options starting from jewelry to gowns and everything in between. I love their style it's young, romantic and vintage but done modern (lol i know that sounds crazy). I am thinking of ways that I can get myself back into a wedding dress, perhaps a 2 year vow renewal?! I don't think my husband will go for that but for all you lucky ladies who may be getting engaged tonight or already are engaged take a look at their site! Even if you already have your dress they have accessories, shoes, jewelry and dresses! I am so excited and I am not even getting married! Enjoy everyone!

I will take that first and last hair piece OMG !!!


Shoes... Yes please :)



Perhaps as a 2nd dress or for bridesmaids? OR for a fabulous chic court house ceremony...LOVE IT!!
The middle one is my favorite! So different!

OK ladies I am done drooliong over this new line! Go check it out ASAP! Enjoy ......

Friday, February 11, 2011

New Jersey Wedding Planner - Royal Wedding Dress

2011 THE YEAR OF THE ROYAL WEDDING DRESS!!

Prince William and Kate Middleton will be getting married on April 29th at the Westminster Abbey and everyone wants to know...who will she be wearing?!?!



The buzz around Prince William and Kate’s wedding right now is who is going to design her dress. Many designers are in the running, but the designer chosen will most likely be British. This decision is so important because the designer and style of the dress Kate wears could determine wedding dress trends for the rest of the year. She would also be propelling the designer into stardom. Here are two of the front-runners rumored to be designing her dress and the styles I could see her wearing.

Bruce Oldfield - is a British fashion designer, best known for his couture occasion-wear. Some of his clients include: Sienna Miller, Barbra Streisand, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Rihanna, Kelly Brook, and Taylor Swift..



Phillipa Lepley is one of London's leading bridal couture designers.



Other designers who could potentially get this royal duty include: Vivienne Westwood, Amanda Wakeley, Stella McCartney, Alice Temperley, and Brazilian designer Daniella Issa Helayel.

What dress could YOU see Kate wearing??

Megan

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

New Jersey Wedding Planner - Your Own Awards Show

Its award season and that means one thing: 2011 fashion trends have begun to surface! I’m one of those people who watches award shows just so I can see who’s wearing what on the red carpet – I rarely watch the actual ceremony (I read about the winners later). So far this year, we have had two major celebrity events: the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards. There were so many chic stars and fresh trends, I can’t possibly list them all, but I’ve come up with a list of my favorites. Below are some great ways you can incorporate trends you see on the red carpet into your wedding day:

Jewel tones. Basically any color that you would see in a jewel, including: emerald green, amethyst purple, ruby red, topaz yellow, sapphire blue, and turquoise blue. You can incorporate these colors in your theme colors, flowers, accent pieces, or jewelry. Get creative with it! [Yes, Mila is on here twice because she is one of my favorites and does everything right!]



Nudes. This is one of my favorite trends of the season; I love nude colored dresses, nude shoes, nude lips.. you name it, I’m probably a fan of it. I think it looks great for all occasions. Use it as an accent color, bridesmaids dresses, or in your makeup!



Pink. It doesn’t matter what color pink you decide to use; the red carpet was full of this shade from pale to hot pink. Go bold and use pink as a theme color. Or for a more subtle effect, use pink in your make up; pink lips or cheeks look great on your big day.



Lace. As we all know, lace is super sexy and we’ve been seeing more and more people rock it lately, not just celebrities. Whether you wear it as part of your dress or opt to use it in, say, your bouquet, you will be sure to add a hint of sexiness and style to your day.



Sleeves. This trend has been popping up everywhere. People are starting to wear more gowns and dresses that have sleeves. If you like this style, why not try working it on your wedding? It’s a fabulous way to mix it up and surprise people (and great if you’re thinking of having a winter wedding!)



Hair. Updos are making a comeback! The most popular styles so far are the elegant French twist and the simple, chic ponytail. Both are super elegant and a great way to show off your dress, shoulders/upper body, and your beautiful, smiling face.





Keep in mind that just because the trend isn’t listed above doesn’t mean it isn’t great and won’t work for your wedding. I just picked my top 6 that I’ve seen this year thus far. The red carpet is a great way for ideas, but make sure you keep it original and make your day about YOUR style.

PS— let us know who your best and worst dressed at the awards were!


Happy Planning,

Kaitlyn ;o)

Friday, January 28, 2011

New Jersey Wedding Planner- Top Wedding Blogs for Ideas

Happy Friday everyone!! Hope you all have fun plans for the weekend and getting lots of planning done for your big day :) ! We wanted to share with you some of the top wedding blogs that brides to be use for inspiration, style and well all things wedding! So go grab a cup of hot coffee and soft blanket and your laptop and take some time to browse through these blogs for inspiration, enjoy!!

  • Green Wedding Shoes- If your looking for southern Cali feel and inspiration you have to check out this blog! They have beautiful DIY ideas and real wedding inspiration. I love everything about this blog and if you like modern vintage ideas you will also love it!

  • Style Me Pretty- This is the mother of wedding blogs, I think that's all we have to say. Find inspiration from some of the most beautiful weddings in the world and great DIY projects! Their style is Chic, Classy and Stylish and they truly live it up to that!

  • Grey Likes Weddings- This is a great blog for simple and beautiful ideas from real weddings, you can search by color and season! I love the feel of this blog....

  • The Recycled Bride- This is a great blog to find out DIY and Eco-Friendly ideas and inspiration! If your having a Go Green wedding, you have to check this site out!!

  • Offbeat Bride- Maybe your not like the typical bride and you have a little punk rock to you and want to show your fun and playful side, then this is a MUST. They have real wedding inspirations from some of the most creative weddings out there, but they keep it beautiful!

  • Groom Advice- OK lets not forget about the men out there, check this site out for everything groom and groomsmen. They also have a great Man Registry!

  • Temple of Groom- I love the excerpt of this blog, "written by a straight man that actually cares about wedding planning!" and no he isn't a planner he is an actual groom so follow his journey!

Hope you all have fun checking these out and that it gets the creative wheels rolling for your big day!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

New Jersey Wedding Planner - Top Wedding iPhone Apps!

Good morning everyone! So here in NJ we woke up to yet another winter wonderland, it's beautiful to look at if your sitting at home sipping on hot chocolate in a soft and cuddly blanket, but for those of you who have to brave the roads we wish you a safe trip!!

Now on to today's post! So I don't know about you but I love using iPhone Apps and if your as bad as me I am pretty much glued to my phone. Although one of my resolutions for 2011 was to put my phone away when I am home at night ( it has not been easy!) . Anyways, you can find all kinds of apps but we are going to talk about the top 10 Wedding iPhone apps for brides on the go! It's nice to be able to organize all your info for your big day and have it at the palm of your hand when needed, so it's going to be easy to update all your info as your planning progresses. So let's take a look into a few of these apps:

  1. iWedding Deluxe- Allows you to manage your guest list, to-do list, budgeting and way more almost like a pro ;) .

2. Wedding Dress Look Book by The Kot- Well first it' free! This is a great on the go wedding dress shopping app. You know how you always show up to the bridal salon with print outs from the Knot site of dresses you like? Well now you can save them with this app and it also helps you find the dress your looking for by salon! Also helps you search for dresses by shape, cut, style and price!


3. Wedding Dash- This is for the bride who can't get enough and wants to just practice for her wedding day :) . It's an action puzzle game with 50 levels and just a fun little game when you have time to relax but still want to think wedding!


4. The Wedding Party Studio- This is an extension of http://www.weddingpartystudio.com/ , list top wedding industry professionals, real wedding inspirations, trends, do's and don't and get this online shopping!

5. Wedding Countdown- Know exactly how far away your big day is down to the second! It's a simple app, but something about a countdown clock makes wedding day exciting!

6. Wedding & Prom Hairstyles- Ok this app is kinda cool! You can upload a photo of yourself and try on different hairstyles for your big day! It has over 50 different styles, side and back views, various head pieces and you can post to facebook to get feedback from friends!


7. Tiffany & Co. Engagement Ring Finder- Ok ladies this is for the ones that are not engaged yet! How about installing this app on your man's iphone LOL, and giving him a little hint along with ideas of what your looking for. I am loving this app, I wish I had this 2 years ago!!





8. 99- Wedding- This is a book that tells you 99 things you wish you knew before planning your wedding. Provides you with tips on all aspects of planning!


9. Wedding Speeches for the Best Man & Groomsmen- Scared about what they may say on wedding day? Or maybe you know they are struggling to find the words, get them this app for inspiration or for them to just pick a speech word for word! I would recommend this for Maids of honor also!



10. Shape Bride- Ok last one! This is a great app to have. We all stress before wedding day about how we will look and we beat ourselves up at the gym and diet till we can no longer all to fit into that fabulous dress and look extra beautiful for our groom! Check out this app, for exercise plans and nutrition information. Remember you have to be healthy and do this the right way and to help it will provide weekly workouts and meal plans!



Saturday, January 22, 2011

New Jersey Wedding Planner- Hang Your Dress Up in Style!

So you finally have your perfect wedding dress and you just know it's going to look fabulous in your photos. Well there is a new detail that is a big 2011 trend that is just for your dress. Why not hang your dress up in style and purchase a customized wooden hanger. Sounds crazy right? You have to check it out, I personally love this idea and I think it's a great gift for the bride to be for her wedding day (mmhmmm if your a maid of honor this may be a good idea for you to get ;) ). They come in your basic wood stain and also in colors, I love the blue hangers, they make a great something blue for wedding day. Check them out on Etsy.com, enjoy!!



Check out Dawn's Craft Store on Etsy.com, it's all about the details!!