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.

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!)

One of the fun parts of my job is seeing what is ahead in colors, design and products.  Today I got to attend a webinar produced by Pantone, the people that determine what colors will be in fashions, home accents, and pretty much everywhere else.

The webinar discussed eight unique color palettes, all of which are amazing.   Here’s a peak at the Blue Sky palette:

With this palette, we’ll see colors blending into each other, one-piece molded looks in womens fashions, and helix forms.  There will also be a mixture of textures or color shades to create contract.

It’s so exciting to read about these forecasts and then months (or years!) from now see these colors in the stores.

We got some great news from our friend Ashley at Bella Bridesmaid in Jacksonville!  She is offering a 5% discount on dresses if you mention our name – what a sweetie!

Ashley is also really excited about some of the new styles coming in.  Here’s what she had to say:

“Priscilla of Boston has come out with a classic collection and their short satin dresses are $160.00 and their long is $180.00.  Their quality of dresses are absolutely great and girls love them as cocktail dresses!  Plus, girls are mixing it up and letting girls pick their dresses, but keeping it with the same designer and fabric.  Priscilla of Boston has many styles to pick from and allows girls to do just that!

Also, Cynthia Rowley has started a bridesmaid collection, and her prices are too around $165.00 to $200.00, depending on style.”

Check out some of these faves:

Cynthia Rowley Style 8005

Lela Rose LR 118 from The Dessy Group

Cynthia Rowley Style 8000

Ashley also said that one-shoulder looks continue to be hot!  Be sure to visit Bella Bridesmaid in San Marco for all the latest looks.  Call 904.374.0351 to schedule an appointment.

If you are in the market for a wedding gown, you may have seen invitations to trunk shows.  And you may be wondering, what is a trunk show, and should I go to one?

A trunk show is typically one or two days, where the designer or their representative travels to a bridal salon to showcase their new line.  Most salons have limited space for display and may not be able to have an entire line on hand – this gives you a chance to see more variety from a designer.

• Make an appointment! Time slots usually fill up fast.
• Talk to the designer or their rep about changes you’d like made to the dress – they should be able to easily tell you what will work and what won’t.
• Ask about discounts.  There may be special incentives for ordering at the trunk show, or you might get those little changes (adding length, changing the neckline, etc.) thrown in for free.

Our friends at Sharon Batten are having a Ramona Keveza trunk show this weekend.  Call the shop at (904) 285-4544 for more details.

It’s one of my favorite times of year again! Time for Pantone’s Fall Color Report.

Pantone is THE source for everything related to color.  Twice a year, they publish their color reports for the next season.  Here’s a peak at the colors that will be in all the stores this fall:

Love, A Bridal Boutique, is hosting a trunk show this week!

Legends by Romona Keveza Trunk Show
January 22-23, 2010

Appointments are required, call (904) 242-9800.

Love, A Bridal Boutique434 3rd Street North
Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250