By Laura || married on May 29th, 2010 || Bridal Bootcamp Survivor
As a reality TV junkie, I applied (pleaded) to get on Slice TV’s “Last 10 Pounds Bridal Bootcamp”. For the 3rd (and final) time, I received the same email stating that they only accept people who live in Vancouver. Time for Plan B. I now had to find a personal trainer, buy my own shiny new set of workout gear, and resign to the fact that a camera crew wouldn’t be following me around. I belonged to a gym in the city, but they would only allow me to buy personal training packages that included at least 24 sessions. This bride didn’t have that kind of cash.
Enter Tamara Brouwer.
I knew of Tamara because she was a personal trainer at the gym I was a member of. She not only had a reputation for making you sweat but also being able to speak to what a person should be eating to maximize their health and workout. I knew she was the one that I needed to help me with my personal ‘Operation: Bridal Bootcamp’. Tamara had started her only personal training business, so I met with her to chat about my goals. I wasn’t looking to lose a certain amount of weight, as I was already fairly active. Rather, I wanted someone who could be tough but fair so that at the end of 6 weeks, I felt amazingly confident when all eyes were on me.
For 6 weeks, Tamara came to my house at 6 a.m. She made sure I maximized my effort for each exercise. She changed up exercises to always keep me engaged and interested by using a mix of kettlebells, weights, steps, and her stopwatch.
Her programs were customized just for me. She also gave me a food journal to record what I was eating so that she could provide feedback. It was important to her that what I was eating maximized the effort I was putting into my workouts. She was truly invested in me and my goals.
I can’t always say I was excited to get up at 6 a.m., but Tamara always came with an energetic and great attitude. One of the most important aspects when working with a trainer is connection and she had my full trust. I knew she was making my goals her goals.
On my wedding day, I felt fabulous! I had that final burst of confidence knowing all the work that I put my body through for 6 weeks had paid off. When I stepped onto the scale a few days after my wedding (post-honeymoon), I was 6 lbs. lighter with 1.5% less body fat. At our final session together, Tamara went through a series of testing with me and we discovered that I had gained 30% more endurance and strength than our baseline from the first session. Even though I am not training regularly with her anymore, she is still a support for me, giving me advice and encouragement.
Tamara Brouwer’s credentials include Certified Personal Trainer, Fitness Instructor Specialist, and Nutrition and Wellness Specialist.
Her passion and motivation is the baseline for her success with clients.
Since 2006, she has been creating specific workouts and providing strong nutritional guidance to clients so they are able to gain confident, energy, and strength.
She trains boot camps and circuits for Brides-To-Be to maximize results and to ensure they feel absolutely gorgeous on their wedding day.
You can contact Tammy at 905-650-8538, or at tbrouwer2002@msn.com to start making your wedding day dreams come true!
Weight and inches are the only thing you have to lose!
Dolcetto Designs is a relatively new online custom photo card business based out of the Niagara region, shipping all across Canada and the United States. We create modern custom invitations, announcements, thank you cards, etc. We are thrilled that our designs feature the beautiful photographic art of various photographers in the Niagara region, as well as across Canada. You are invited to visit our shop at www.dolcettodesigns.com
We are pleased to offer products to suit all budgets. We offer high quality post cards and fold over cards printed on card stock as well as cards printed on photo paper. We also offer the digital file, allowing the client to print as many copies of the image as they wish. This is the perfect solution for the DIY or bride on a budget.
One of the trends in wedding stationary is more customization. All of our designs can be fully customized. We work with clients one-on-one to ensure that each design is customized to meet their needs. We use your photo(s), colours, font choices, etc to create your perfect card. We can even adjust the layout to work with your photos and written details. Anything is possible. Therefore, if you have an idea we can create it!
The following are a few examples of ways that the “Laura and Shane” wedding invitation can be customized.
Photo cards are the perfect way to add that personal touch when thanking your guests. Sadly, thank you cards get the least attention when it comes to wedding stationary. When you give a photo thank you card, you are giving a keepsake to your guests, a lasting memory of your special day. It’s not surprising, that our photo thank you cards are the most popular item ordered. They’re a great way to give guests a sample of your wedding photographs, while saying thank you at the same time. The collage style is especially popular for destination weddings, since most of the thank you cards are going to people that weren’t at the actual wedding. A personal note of thanks can easily be written on the back of the photo. Another option is ordering fold over cards and writing your note of thanks in the inside. Photo cards are also the most appreciated thank you card, as guests love seeing photos of the bride and groom on their special day.
Ordering is easy and the turnaround time is fast. An electronic proof is always sent within 24 hours of ordering. From final proof approval, there is 48 hours until shipping for photo cards and 8 business days for card stock printed cards. The process is usually 1-2 days for digital designs.
We also have an extensive line of birth announcements, birthday invitations, etc.
Have a question or would like to chat? Shari can be reached by email at dolcettodesigns@gmail.com or by phone at 905-680-6284. All ordering can be done through our website at www.dolcettodesigns.com
Today, I’m showcasing what happens when my favourite cinematographers, Wanda and Brian at Studio67, meet my favourite decorator, Angelica at Simply Beautiful Decor, and create a promotional clip that is nothing short of spectacular…..
If a fire destroyed your home and all of your belongings, what would you do? If you could take out three things before the blaze, what would they be? (Assuming there is no one in the house at the time of the fire.)
Is it ever appropriate for someone to express anger in a physical way? If so, when and how?
When you are sick and feeling poorly, do you like to be alone or do you like to be pampered and have someone close to your side most of the time?
Do you think you would prefer a calm, loving, consistent marriage or one that was full of excitement, wild times and rocky patches?
What makes you feel secure and safe?
Which do you think should have the final say in decisions – logic or emotions? Why?
What five things have you done in your life that you are most proud of?
If your partner had an affair, how would you react? Could you forgive him or her?
Over the last five years how do you think you have changed for the worse? Better?
On which topics do you feel qualified at giving advice?
If you could live one year of your life all over again without changing a thing, what year would you choose? Why?
Do you prefer receiving expensive gifts or ones that come from the heart?
What first attracted you to me? How has that one attraction changed since then?
If you suddenly became blind, how would your idea of the perfect mate change?
Are you currently comfortable with your body? If not, what would you change to make you comfortable?
What do you think are your optimum hours of sleep to be fully energized?
If you could plan any vacation for us, where would it be?
Is there anyone you would be willing to die for?
If your dear friends wanted you to donate sperm or eggs because they were infertile, would you do so? How would you feel about your mate doing so? What about donating them for a couple that would remain anonymous?
Do you believe there is one right person for you out there in the world or that there can be many different potential mates that you could live blissfully with?
If you and your spouse had two cars, one much nicer than the other, who do you think should drive the newer vehicle? Would it make any difference if only one of you worked?
What feeling do you have the most difficulty expressing?
Is there anything you feel you must accomplish before you die? What steps do you need to take to achieve these goals?
Which family members should we buy birthday or special holidays gifts for (parents, siblings, aunts/uncles, grandparents, cousins, etc.)?
As any bride can attest, planning her wedding can be one of the most trying and stressful times of her life and a true test of her relationship, patience and ability to bite her tongue.
I am a non-traditional person by most standards and have always lived my life dancing to my own beat. When I presented the idea of marrying my true love on a beach in the tropics, not a soul tried to dissuade me but deep down I knew it wouldn’t be entirely fair to our families and friends who could not make it to Mexico for one reason or another.
Our simple wedding of 2 turned into 9 months of furious planning of two very detail-required venues. Between working at an extremely demanding job with long hours, buying our first home, and the regular hectic pace of life, there seemed to be little time to tend to our ever-growing list of things to do, people to see and places to go relating to our wedding. The plans started to progress and then the inevitable happened all at once: my wedding coordinator in Mexico, my wedding coordinator at home and the coordinator of a hall we had booked for our company Christmas party all moved on to different positions at once.
I was entirely responsible for the Social Committee events alone at work and had to start from scratch with the new planner for the Christmas party. The coordinator for our at home reception moved on to a new position so I met with the new planner to ensure there were no miscommunications. I had literally sent dozens maybe even safe to say, a hundred emails to our coordinator in Mexico. When planning a wedding abroad, you need to trust that things don’t get lost in translation (literally). Just as I was comfortable that things would go off without a hitch, I was presented with a new coordinator who promised that we could leave the details in her hands. It took everything inside of me to refrain from reading reviews about weddings at our resort and how the last couple our coordinator married, totally messed everything up. If it wasn’t bad enough that it was pouring rain on their day, the coordinator showed up with one umbrella, for herself, letting the guests get soaked and not informing the guests of the Plan “B” rainout location. The new couple, Bill and Karen were wed in the basement of the fish restaurant, with no music, missing guests, a stench to remember and their monogrammed linens Bill and “Karys”.
In hindsight and reflection, I am truly thankful that the things that went wrong during our day were minor and mostly unnoticed. Everyone was healthy, had a great time and at the end of the day, we were married without a hitch. (Pardon the ridiculously bad pun!)
The above mentioned scenarios are mild compared to some of the disasters that take place during the wedding planning process. Friendships are lost, families fight, the weddings are called off, drama unfolds and weather ruins. The day becomes more about what everyone else wants and as you nod your head in agreement, you can understand the latest trend.
Trashing the dress or otherwise acronyme-d “TTD” has become a post-matrimony custom for many brides. The white dress throughout the process is carefully preserved, guarded and cherished until the day of reveal. Once the big day has come and gone, the dress is wrapped, saved or displayed for perhaps a day when her daughter will carry on her mother’s legacy.
Enter the Trash The Dress phenomenon.
Symbolic of the frustrations and stresses a bride (and sometimes the groom but let’s face it, a bride) goes through during her planning, neverending lists, ever-increasing demands of family and usually a number of budget-bursting expenses, choices and decisions to make, it becomes cathartic and almost ironic to take it all out on the one thing that represented the whole headache to begin with: the dress.
From a fun and creative photo shoot after the wedding to an all out ruining of the dress, TTD, is anything but traditional. I got to thinking, what a great way to celebrate your divorce too! (I’m really not a cynical angry person but MAN did it feel good to cut up that dress and dive into the ocean!) Here are a couple of images and a video I am posting (with permission) from the amazingly talented Still Motion which captures a bride and groom in Coney Island and Times Square ruining her dress. You do not want to miss this!
Most of us know how much time, and responsibility goes into being a bridesmaid or groomsman, not to mention the financial investment of buying dresses, renting tuxes, paying for shoes, accessories, hair / make-up, planning pre-wedding events, etc. As a bride-to-be, it’s important to consider how you’re going to thank your wedding party attendants for all their hard work and support throughout your wedding planning process!
Thank Your Bridesmaids
First and foremost, remember to thank your bridal party throughout the wedding planning process rather than just on the day before the wedding! A simple Thank You Card or a bridal party get together is a sweet way to let your troops know that you’re thinking of them and that you appreciate them as they ride your wedding planning roller coaster alongside of you!
A special thanks to MapleSpice for submitting this blog post on how to thank your wedding party AFTER the wedding!
You have finally made it—you’re married! But, there’s one thing left to do—that is, thanking the other important people that helped you along the wedding way…your bridal party!
There are many ways in which you could go about thanking those special people, while factoring in your costs, originality and your tastes. Here are some suggestions:
Thank You Cards
Sending a card is probably the most cost-effective way to thank your bridal party for all of the hard work that they have done for you. If you are crafty and have some extra time on your hands, consider creating your own cards to showcase your originality! Purchasing some gift certificates to a spa or the movies, or even store gift cards as a little addition to your card is also a great way to show your appreciation. For some ideas, see the blog TigerLily wrote on embossing thank you cards on WeddingGirl.ca!
Souvenirs
This is arguably the most popular “thank you” to give to your bridal attendants. I still have my gift from my sister for being her Maid Of Honour all those years ago! With all of the selections that are available, there is definitely room for uniqueness when purchasing this type of gift—you could even engrave or embroider their names or initials on your gift, depending on what you have chosen.
Keepsakes
Ideally “decorative” by nature. Gifts in this category include: jewellery, drinking glasses/beer steins, candle holders and picture frames, to name a few.
Practical Gifts
While all souvenirs are generally keepsakes, some gifts, like the ones listed below, are meant to be used—so take full advantage! I would include gifts such as: environmental (i.e. bags/totes), gift certificates, clothing items (i.e. t-shirts), edible items (i.e. chocolates)…and the list goes on.
Try looking for the best deals for these types of gifts at wholesalers, at discount/dollar stores or even online. Some of the websites that I like are: Wedding Channel and the Canadian site Wedding Favours.
Wedding Wear
Some brides and grooms get together and purchase or rent items for their attendants to say thank you on their wedding day. For the bridesmaids, consider purchasing their dresses, shoes, accessories, even services such as hair or makeup. For the groomsmen, why not rent their suits, tuxedos or shoes on their behalf? With the economy just coming out of a recession, not all of your attendants might be able to afford paying for all of the costs associated with being involved in a wedding. By purchasing these items on their behalf, it shows your appreciation while saying “thanks for being there for us”.
Brunch/Dinner Party
If you are the more casual type, how about treating everyone to a nice brunch or dinner when you are back from your honeymoon? You could do this in a restaurant, or at home by having a BBQ party (if the weather allows, of course). Have your bridal party get together one final time in a relaxing setting and talk—what a great way to unwind after the wedding!
Lessons
Give the gift of learning and fun! Try purchasing dance lessons or cooking lessons. For the fitness fanatic, yoga lessons would be excellent for stress management, or even personal training sessions if they are really into getting fit! Granted, that these ideas are not for the frugal at heart and it definitely requires investigation into your attendant’s likes and dislikes, but taking lessons definitely maximizes the fun in gift giving. You could purchase the lessons for each attendant individually, or try scheduling a group session if your bridal party lives fairly close together. Try your local parks and recreation centre for more cost-effective lessons.
Unique Trips
Organize a weekend trip somewhere for your bridal attendants. This can be done with the whole wedding party, or as separate weekend trips for the bride and her bridesmaids and the groom and his groomsmen. It can be as intricate or as simple as you would like it to be, such as going on a cruise versus renting a cottage. If going away for the weekend is too difficult to plan, why not go out on a day trip? Try going on a helicopter ride around the city. For something even more casual, try going to an amusement park, or the beach, or even ice skating in the wintertime. Sometimes the best gift you could give someone is spending time with them.
Thanking your bridal attendants does not seem like an easy task. After all, how could you possibly even thank someone that has seen you at your best and your worst in the span of a few months? Be creative and think about what your attendants will like and what they will enjoy the most. And remember that no matter what gifts you choose for your attendants, they will always be your family and/or your friend and that is what is ultimately important—you are the best gift they could ever ask for!
Tips for Keeping Your Marriage Fresh, Fun & Enjoyable!
By: BeachBumBride
Speaking from experience, life as a newly married woman is exciting, passionate, adventurous and full of amazing and unexpected surprises.
Along with these loveable moments, there are also the many stresses of everyday life. Life as a newly married woman brings on new experiences of coming home from a long day of work, to a sink full of dishes, the garbage needing to be emptied, cooking dinner and even lovingly preparing lunches for yours and your spouse’s work day ahead.
Life takes a toll on many a people, but should not take a toll on your marriage and relationship as a couple. Time needs to be set aside and enjoyed, just the two of you! Sure, many are on a tight budget after paying for a fabulous wedding and honeymoon.. but finances are the Number 1 concern and reason for times of dispute among newlwed couples.
I have complied a fun list of activities that both you and your husband can enjoy together, even on a tight budget:
Consider coming home from a long day of work, and taking 30 minutes or more to enjoy a walk around the neighbourhood, meet some new friends, talk about your spouse’s day, chat about your dream homes as you pass by on your walk and discuss future plans. Make this time, just for the two of you! Take this time to learn new things about each other.
How about going out for some fresh air on a nice bike ride through a park or forest bike path?
Rollerblading along a beach strip.
Go–carting or Mini-Putt are always fun. And keep it exciting by placing bets on who will come in first or putt a hole in one, making your prizes sexy and fun!
My husband and I have always enjoyed kayaking and camping together. You can literally drive 40 minutes out of the city to find a beautiful camp site for $50 a night. You can roast marshmallows over a warm fire, snuggle under your blankets and enjoy looking at the glistening night sky.
Other great ideas are a day away at a theme park or water park. Driving back to your home town and showing each other the sights. Or discovering new towns and cities together. Take up a sport together; a co-ed baseball or soccer team. A match on a tennis court. $3 swim admission at a public pool. Free skate evenings, available through Tim Horton’s days. Taking in a movie at the Drive-In. Playing catch in your own backyard. Balloon fights in the summer. Drinks on the deck, after a long days work. The ideas are endless and fit every budget. Most importantly enjoy your moment as a couple.
~ Here is to many adventures and memories to be made for your life long future together~
Planning a wedding is an overwhelming task, which is precisely why many brides are opting to hire a planner to do the work for them. Between designing your event, researching vendors, attending meetings, negotiating, and making final selections, planning your wedding can become a full time (and highly stressful) job!
In doing your wedding vendor research, you aren’t going to love everyone you meet. Personality, service details, and pricing, all play a role in choosing one vendor over another. If you do choose to plan your own I Do’s, an inevitable component is to let some vendors know you’ve selected someone else.
If you’ve only interacted with the vendor on a minimal basis, an email or a note is more than appropriate to break the news. Be direct in your note. Remember, it’s not personal – it’s business! (most vendors are very aware of this). Thank the vendor for their time, compliment their work, and simply state you’ve chosen another vendor for your wedding day. For example, “I’ve found another photographer who is a better fit for my needs”, or “I have found a florist whose vision is exactly the same as mine.”
If, during your vendor selection process, you’ve developed a closer relationship with a particular vendor, take a more personal approach. Talk to them by phone or in person, but don’t send an email. Here, it is important to be sincere. Be honest about why you chose to go with someone else. This doesn’t need to be rude – it’s a great source of feedback for the vendor! Reasons for choosing someone else include pricing, style, selection, personality – all of which can be shared in the form of constructive criticism.
Your feedback can help a vendor land another client by altering his/her approach, details, etc. The truth doesn’t need to hurt, and it can be tremendously helpful!
Finally, when making vendor selections, inform everyone of your decision as quickly as possible. This allows everyone involved to move on quickly, smoothly, and to plan some fabulous nuptials!
Today’s blog is dedicated to the amazing Bill and Jeff over at Future Access Web Design in St. Catharines, Ontario.
The WeddingGirl.ca site you’ve come to know and love over the past year has been a labour of love between my quirky, girly visions and Bill and Jeff’s incredible design and programming abilities. Together, we have collaborated on all the elements you see today – the site design, blog structure, inspirational albums, and beyond.
Relationship is Key
As their website explains, Future Access is dedicated to building a relationship with their clients prior to taking on any work with them. “When we meet you for the first time, we want to get to know you and understand your business before we start discussing your technology needs.”
From the moment I first walked in to the Future Access office, I have felt like family. At no time was I made to feel silly for not knowing what I wanted, or how to make it happen (after all, a wedding-planning-girl in a web-design-world is about as logical as a bull in a china shop). I’ve relied on Bill and Jeff throughout the entire development process, and they’ve been nothing but patient, supportive, understanding, and remarkably talented!!
Top-Notch Knowledge and Service
As so well-put on their site, “Building relationships and making new friends is great, but that only goes so far when it’s time to get the job done.” Bill and Jeff have the knowledge, experience, and expertise to design websites that will improve business, and offer I.T. solutions that will keep businesses running effectively.
No word of a lie, poor Jeff has received hundreds upon hundreds of emails from me between when I first contacted Future Access with my WeddingGirl vision to when we just relaunched the brand new website that you’re visiting now. One of the most key elements in my reasons for using Future Access? the accessibility!
Due to the high volume of traffic that comes to this site, it’s imperative for me that it runs as smoothly and flawlessly as possible. If something needs to get tweaked, changed, added, removed, updated, I need it to get done right away, and I’ve been able to count on Jeff for this day-in and day-out! Thank you, Jeff, for not adding a trash filter to my emails yet ;)
Today, my blog love goes out to the two men who made WeddingGirl.ca possible.
To Bill and Jeff from Future Access, thank you thank you thank you!!
