A lot of brides think they should lose a few pounds or tone up their muscles before their weddings.   While I’m all for adopting a healthy lifestyle, there are right ways and wrong ways to go about this task,

Do:

• Start early. Don’t wait until 2 weeks before the wedding to try to lose 20 pounds.
• Set realistic goals.  If you are a size 20, chances are you won’t be a size 2 in 6 months.
• Consider meeting with a nutritionist and personal trainer.  These experts can help you determine proper diet and exercise routines based on your height, weight and body type.
• Use the buddy system.  Find a friend (or all of your bridesmaids, perhaps?) to share your workout routine and diet plan with.  Or, look for a bridal boot camp to work out with other brides to be!
• Reward yourself.  Sticking to your weight loss plan is great, but having fun is important too! Treat yourself to ice cream on date night, or skip the gym and go for a long walk with your fiance on the beach.

Don’t:

• Buy a dress that is way too small.  Even if you are dedicated to losing weight, things happen.  It’s always easier to take a dress in than to let one out!
• Try a new diet every week.  Talk to a professional when you get started, and stick to a steady plan.
• Not eat.  Fasting makes you more irritable, tired, and less able to deal with stress.
• Eat too little.  Just like fasting, cutting your calorie count too much can be dangerous.  A bride in England even died of heart failure from eating a measly 530 calories for 11 weeks.  It’s just not worth it!
• Focus on the wedding day.  Make lifestyle changes so that you will be healthier all around!  Married couples tend to gain weight at a faster rate than their single peers.

We’re thrilled to announce that Melanie and her husband Eric have a beautiful baby girl!  Madison Mary was born yesterday, and everyone is doing great!

As some of you know, Melanie is not only part of our amazing coordination team, but she is also a former client!  I met Melanie and Eric as they began planning their December 2007 wedding in St. Augustine, and I had a great time getting to know them and their families.  So when Melanie came to me about a year later and asked if she could intern with me, I was thrilled to say yes!

When Melanie told me she was pregnant, I almost fell off my chair.  But I couldn’t be happier for her and Eric, and I can’t wait to have Baby Madison as part of the First Coast Weddings team!

If you look at any wedding professional’s website, you are likely to see some type of award they have won.  Which is great! But before you use that solely as your decision-making factor, take a look at that award and see how it was earned.

• Brides voting:  These awards are usually reputable.  The Knot has awards, Wedding Wire has awards, and many other well-known wedding sites have awards.  But also remember that anyone can register as a “bride” and vote, so there is still a slight chance of not-so-honest results.
• Industry peers or associations:  These awards mean the most to me.  They show that not only do your clients love you, your fellow professionals do too.  The field is often limited, and judging is usually done by well-known folks in the industry.
• Paid “awards”: Yes, they are out there.  ”Send us $100 for your plaque…”  I don’t think I really need to explain this one!

I was honored to be nominated for one of the National Association of Catering Executives’ Best Wedding Reception of the Year awards.  NACE has a very lengthly submission process, and from those submissions, only a handful make it through to actual nominations.  This year’s awards were held at the NACE Experience! 2010 conference in July, and while I didn’t win, it was such an honor just to be a nominee.  I even got to wear a little sticker on my name badge that said “Award Nominee!”  Out of 600 conference attendees and over 4,000 members, it was so special to be in such an elite group.

As you are interviewing prospective vendors, please be sure to ask questions!  Not only about awards, but also certifications, education, and associations.

One of the coolest things I saw at the recent NACE’s Experience! 2010 conference was the new line of rentals from Cort.  The Endless Collection is aptly named – the possibilities are incredible!

This collection has sectionals, chairs, ottomans, loveseats and sofas.  The circular and serpentine sectionals can be combined into all sorts of configurations.  Plus, with high and low back options, you can fill everything from a small, intimate space to a large expanse.

Check out the Cort website to view the complete collection!

I’ve just gotten back from Austin, TX, where I attended the National Association of Catering Executives annual conference, Experience! 2010. There are so many highlights, I’ll have to write several posts over the next few days as I go through my pages of notes and tons of photos!

For me personally, the highlights were:

• Being runner-up for Best Wedding Reception of the Year (with over 4,000 members, this is such an honor!)
• Teaching a session on “Wedding Harmony,” which included a great discussion between wedding planners, venue managers, and event professionals
• Getting to spend time with my local NACE pals, seeing old friends from across the country, and meeting new event professionals to inspire me
• Learning about new trends, products and services to share with my clients
• Riding a mechanical bull!

Watch for more details soon…

The Brides Against Breast Cancer Nationwide Tour of Gowns is coming to Jacksonville! This unique opportunity allows brides-to-be a chance to find the gown of their dreams at a remarkable price, while helping to make wishes and memory-making events come true.

Most gown prices range from $99 to $799, including hundreds of beautiful new name brand and designer gowns valued up to $8,000.  More than half the gowns presented during each event are NEW designer gowns that arrived directly from designers, manufacturers and bridal retailers.

You won’t want to miss it!

Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront
225 E Coastline Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32202

VIP NIGHT
Friday, July 23: 6 PM – 9 PM
$45 per Bride and guest, $20 each additional guest
In addition to getting first pick of the gowns, enjoy hors d’oeuvres,
a mini-bridal show, and a wedding expert panel discussion
Buy tickets in advance

GENERAL SALE
Saturday, July 24: 10 AM – 8 PM
Sunday, July 25: 10 AM – 6 PM
Free Admission

(this is me, volunteering at the Brides Against Breast Cancer gown sale in Orlando in 2009!)

Happy anniversary to Lauren and Jeff, who were married at TPC Sawgrass one year ago today!

(photo by Agnes Lopez)