12 Week Wedding Weight Loss Challenge

As the wedding day approaches stress, late night planning and a busy schedules of fittings and appointments all lead to one thing... naughty snacking. While I absolutely do not advocate fad or crash diets - particularly when you want to have that radiant bridal glow, I am all for healthy living through lifestyle change.

It is 4 months until my wedding (Nov 2013 eekk..) so in the spirit of "doing it together" I am going to embark upon a journey of hard work and sacrifice in order to reach my goal before the big day. My grand plan is to finish up my weight loss challenge 1 month prior to the wedding to fit in with may last dress fitting and also to avoid any last minute unnecessary stress.

So after weeks of research (reading, net surfing and talking with friends and industry professionals) I have decided to combine the best parts of numerous programs into 1 simple easy to manage plan. I am by no means an expert or professional in this area and I have no idea if what I have put together is going to work - but I guess if you join me on the journey we will find out together. I am hopeless at counting calories and weighing everything I eat so this plan will be simple, easy to follow and based on common sense and clean eating.

Here is my week by week 3 month plan:

FOOD:

It is recommended to eat 5 small meals each day to speed up your metabolism and curve sugar cravings. I will choose 1 item daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner and 2 items from snacks as listed below. It is important to remember your portion size is everything so don't over do it!

Breakfast
2x Poached Eggs on Wholemeal Toast with Mushrooms and Spinach
Spinach and Mushroom Frittata
Muesli
Fruit and Yoghurt (I love Activia Yoghurt)
Whey Protein Shake
Banana or Berry Smoothie

Lunch
Char-grilled Chicken Skewers with Salad
Cold Rolls (or rice paper rolls)
Chicken, Zucchini & Cottage Cheese Pocket
Vegetable Soup
Curried Egg & Lettuce Sandwich 
Ham or Rare Roast Beef and Salad Wrap
Sushi
Tuna Salad

Dinner
Grilled Meat, Chicken or Fish with 2 cups of salad or vegetables
Beef or Chicken Teriyaki Vegetable Stirfry with Brown Rice or Noodles
Vegetable Stack
Greek Lamb Salad
Soup (Broccoli, Minestrone, Pumpkin)
Prawn Pad Thai
Chicken, Pumpkin and Cottage 

Snacks
Veggie Sticks with Hommus or Cottage Cheese
Low Fat Yogurt 
Fruits 
Corn Thins with Cottage Cheese, Tomato and Avocado
Handful of Nuts and Seeds
Whey Protein Shake
Herbal Tea or Decaf Coffee / Tea

Supplements
Whey Protein - after a strenuous workout 
Garcinia Cambogoia - twice daily 1/2hr before meals (As seen on Dr Oz) 

Avoid
Potato, White Rice, Cereal, Pasta, Bread, Caffeine, Fruit Juice, Soft Drinks, Cordial, Alcohol, Sweets/Chocolate, Refined Foods, Cakes and Biscuits 

My most important areas to focus on is water intake, 2 litres a day (*sigh* I struggle to drink 500ml so this will be a difficult task) and curving my sugar addiction - particularly chocolate this truly is my greatest weakness!

EXERCISE:

Choose at least 3 activities a week, when it comes to exercise I think its important to be creative and mix it up. Include activities you love - otherwise from previous experience you will end up hating the whole process!

Indoor Bike / Cross Trainer / Treadmill  (30-45 mins)
A walk or run with the dogs (30-45 mins)
Mount Lofty Climb (For this of you who live in Adelaide this is a 7.8km uphill climb)
Squat Challenge (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDpB8pWEjhk)
Waist Slimming Pilates (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUur9Jqm64c)

Come along with me on the journey! Over the next 12 weeks I will share with you my struggles and breakthroughs once a week via video and blog posts. Lets lend one another support and encouragement to shed those unwanted kilos and find our inner bridal glows! 

Yasmin xx 

Wedding Snap Review and Competition

During a recent planning meeting we (The Wedding Gurus team) were excited about an interesting, new wedding trend that we had recently heard about. Wedding Snap had come to our attention through one of our readers and it had immediately tweaked our interest.

When Wedding Snap contacted us two days later with an offer to not only review their app but to give one lucky couple the chance to win one for their big day, to say that we were surprised would be an understatement. Co-incidence or fate? We will let you be the judge.

So with our fast little fingers we eagerly set about doing our research, playing with the app and checking out what people had to say about it.

Wedding Snap seems to be literally taking wedding industry by storm. According to their website “Wedding Snap is the simplest way to capture all your wedding memories in one place” and never has there been a truer statement!

We have been totally blown away by this user friendly, modern and exciting technology which not only enables wedding guests to capture on their smartphones every intricate detail of the bride and grooms big day, but instantaneously upload them to the online album.

The idea of this is simple, but brilliant. The technology, available on iPhone and Android, is a concept similar to the old-school disposable cameras which allowed guests to capture amazing moments that may have been missed by the official photographer.

Wedding Snap has taken this concept, modernised it and taken it further allowing you to capture and upload not only photos but also videos too. Imagine having that “I do” moment at your ceremony captured from every angle or being able to see moments amongst your guests that you may have missed out on – after all not you or your photographer can be everywhere at once, but this app sure is.

By far our favourite aspect of this is the fact that the shots captured often show the true spirit of the day, the real reactions of the guests at pivotal moments and the candid shots that will be laughed about with the grandchildren in years to come.

Want more? Well there’s plenty! When the photos and videos have been captured and uploaded they are available on the app and online for all guests with the album code to view instantly. So for example - an image that ‘Roger’ captured at the garden ceremony is instantly available for ‘Pam’, who was unable to attend the ceremony due to work commitments, to view. With every guest able to take pictures and upload them, the photo album becomes choc full of priceless moments that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. For those who are not as smartphone savvy, grandma ‘Sue’ can still use a digital camera & upload photos into Wedding Snap after the wedding.

When the big day comes to an end and the bride and groom set off into married life together, the newlyweds can log in online and view their guests captured moments from anywhere in the world..

The online album allows you to download your images straight onto your computer with one click whilst also giving the options to edit and share them with your social media friends.

The whole process is simple, easy and 100% user friendly.  Here’s a rundown of the steps:

Step 1

Sign up for a package and create an album title and album code. All packages allow you to create multiple albums so that your guests have the option to use the app for your hens night, bridal shower or even to upload images from your professional photographer for your guests to view after the big day (your albums are generously available up until 1 year after your wedding date).

Step 2

You will receive from Wedding Snap 200 free customized cards to send to your guests  - see below, (why not with their invitations) with instructions on how to download the app to their phones and how to upload the captured media on the big day. You may also choose to send these instructions via facebook or include on your own wedding website or blog page.

Step 3

For Iphone Users:

On the day of your wedding the guests simply have to open the app, enter your album code and get snapping. The app screen is completely idiot proof where on the iphone you are brought directly to the camera itself to take your shot, you may then choose to edit it if you like with various filter options including antique and sepia and hey presto the image is saved safely into the album. You may choose to click on the Gallery icon to view the album photos of not only the ones you have taken and uploaded but also the photos which have been uploaded by other guests on the day.

Iphone Screenshot

For Android Users:

On opening the app on the android you are presented with 4 simple options:

Camera - Where you are able to take photos and videos which are instantly uploaded to the album
Gallery – Where you are able to view not only your captured images but also the images that other guests have captured.
Upload from Gallery – This function allows you to upload any images from your phones inbuilt gallery that you may have taken without the help of wedding snap. On choosing this your personal gallery will open and you may then select which image you would like uploaded.
Settings - Providing you with links for help and feedback.

Android Screenshot

Step 4

After your big day grab a drink and settle in to begin looking through the amazing moments captured by your guests. You can view, edit and download all of your captured images and videos and have them printed, stored in an online album, emailed, shared amongst friends or whatever you wish.

The possibilities are endless.

Wedding Snap are so confident that your guests will love participating and having fun with this that they even offer a great guarantee that if you end up with less than 100 images in your albums they will give you a 100% refund.

Overall we have been super impressed with this fabulous technology which is the only one of its kind available in the world. With impressive package options and a friendly support team whom we have chatted with first hand, we know you will not be disappointed.

This app offers a unique experience for the bride, groom and their guests to be involved in the big day from every angle, more so than ever. Not only does it provide the bride and groom with some beautiful keepsake memories but also gives the guests a unique and entertaining opportunity to attempt to capture those special, intimate and sometimes funny moments every wedding day is sure to experience.

If your wedding is approaching and you are looking for something different and exciting, then Wedding Snap is definitely for you.

You can find all of the details including package options and detailed information at www.weddingsnap.com.

We can’t wait to see some of the fantastic pics from all of your weddings captured using Wedding Snap App. Send them through to us, we would love to showcase some of the fun moments you are all capturing!

COMPETITION TIME:

Wedding Snap have been generous in giving one of our lucky readers a chance to win the Wedding Snap Unforgettable Pack (RRP: $149) which includes:

- Unlimited high quality photo & video uploads by all your guests
- Unlimited albums for all your wedding occasions: bridal shower, bachelorette party etc.
- The ability to download or order prints of all your photos in high quality
- Live moderated slideshow: As your guests take photos during your wedding, the photos can    
  be instantly shown on a live slideshow as the wedding is happening. Our professional    
  moderators virtually moderate the photos to make sure they are all appropriate.

To enter:

Leave a comment on this post telling us in 25 words or less 

"What is your favourite 'Wedding Snap' feature and why?"

To earn extra entries simply share this post on facebook, twitter and/or a +1 on google (each option counts for an extra entry).

Entry example:

Anne Smith wrote:
My favourite feature is its ability to capture video as I love knowing I will be able to view my weddings milestone moments again and again.
Have shared on Facebook and Twitter

For this comment Anne would have received 3 entries. 

Terms and Conditions

- Entrants must be 18 years or older.
- Competition is open to all residents (over the age of 18) worldwide.
- Maximum 4 entries per person - 1 entry for 25 words or less answer, 1 entry for a facebook share, 1  entry for a twitter share and 1 entry for   

  a +1 on google.
- Competition drawn 25^th January 2013. Winner drawn at random on the 25^th of January 2013 between 0900 and 1700.
- The winner will be announced on the 25^th of January 2013 after 1700 via a separate blog post on The Wedding Gurus and shared 

  amongst facebook and twitter. It is the winners responsibility to contact The Wedding Gurus (theweddinggurus@live.com.au) to claim their 

  prize.
- The prize must be claimed by 31^st January 2013. Should the prize remain unclaimed, an unclaimed prize draw will be conducted on the 

  01^stof February 2013 where a new winner will be announced.
- The prize does not include personalised instruction cards. The cards are available free on request to Wedding Snap, postage of the cards 

  will be at the winners expense.

- The winner may choose to upgrade their prize package (at their own expense) by contacting info@weddingsnap.com

- The prize will be presented to the winner by Wedding Snap via email.

Goodluck!

The Wedding Gurus

xxx

Week 22: Handfasting with Children

Welcome to week 22 of our "52 traditions/rituals in 52 weeks".

Some time ago we brought you a version of a 'handfasting' (view here) which has been very popular on the blog, so we thought we would follow it up with a fabulous way of including children in this wonderfully meaningful ritual.

Including children in a handfasting:

Celebrant: 'When we think about marriage we immediately visualize the joining of two people. But this is not always so. Marriages unite families and as is the case in many families today, who already have children, they give us a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and embrace some of the other important relationships in our lives.

During a wedding ceremony rings are sometimes exchanged with a promise. As (Bride) and (Groom) are not exchanging rings, but instead binding their hands, they thought appropriate that their children should also take part as a reminder of their promise to them on this day.

They wanted to find a way to let them know now how special and wonderful they are, and how privileged and blessed they feel to be their parents'.

Children step forward and their hands are bound with the parents

Celebrant addresses children:

'(Insert children’s names): These are the hands that will support encourage and protect you through all of life’s ups and downs, happy times, sad times, love and we hope, great joy. This binding is a reminder of the love and respect that each of you have for the others and that which will last for a lifetime'.

The Wedding Gurus x

Horrifying Bridesmaid Dresses

Ok, so we've all been there, excited about being asked to be a bridesmaid and all the fun that comes with that role. And then...........it happens. The bride chooses the ugliest creation you have ever had the displeasure of laying your eyes on and you just know that there is absolutely nothing you can do about it.

So in the spirit of friendship and solidarity, the true measure of your love and loalty to that special friend, we thought we would explore some of the bridesmaids outfits that have truly displayed the lengths that some true friends will go to in making sure the bride's day is perfect!

Good on you, we say



unknown source



Pic from: my 10 online.com;

Pic from: www.bridalwave.tv;



Pic from: www.stinkypalace.com;



Pic From: www.people.com;

Pic From: www.projectwedding.com

Pic From: blog.shabbyapple.com

Pic From: manolobrides.com

Pic From: zoomers.ning.com

 



Pic from: slightlywarped.com



The Wedding Gurus

xxx



Marriage & the step parent dilemma

The society in which we live today is filled with wonderful blended families that come in all shapes and sizes.  We're not just talking about couples coming together from different cultural backgrounds, but also couples coming together, each with children of their own. (How could we forget The Brady Bunch - if only it was that easy). So many of the couples I see as a celebrant have families like this.

The joining of two families can be a really wonderful experience, but it would be remiss not to mention the fact that it can also be exceptionally difficult and fraught with potential disasters, particularly when combined with the stress of planning a wedding. Step parenting is never easy and we all know very well that planning a wedding can be overwhelming, even for the calmest of couples, but combining the two can see some couples in total despair.


To any of you who have successfully brought two families together while planning and executing an amazig wedding, we commend you. You truly deserve a round of applause.

BUT, for those of you (and I'm sure there are many) who are currently struggling with a suddenly much larger family, while trying to plan your big day and include children and step children, then we symapthise and are here to help.

In working with many couples in this situation I have put together a few ideas I wanted to share with you that may hopefully help you in finding ways to include children and step children and ease the stress of  any family tension that may be lingering.

I have found that finding ways to include and unite the family on such a public level really helps to strengthen the bond and puts the focus on inclusion and unity rather than exclusion and individuality.

Here are some ideas to help:

1. If the children are old enough allow them to act as junior bridesmaids/groomsmen. Asking them to stand beside you earns them a level of importance and respect that you may find helps them to feel apart of it all.

2. If you are each coming to the marriage with a couple of children it may not be practical to have them as attendant in the ceremony. I once did a ceremony for a couple where they each had 3 children and so they bought each of them a gold letter (the childs first initial) and as part of the ceremony each child was asked to come forward as the step parent placed the necklace on and gave them a kiss. All  the guests were crying and the children were so proud and pleased it was beautiful.

3. Include a unity ritual in your ceremony. A great way of making children feel included is by having a unifying ritual. A sand ceremony is a great example (see our sand ceremony for an example) I perform many sand ceremonies with families which usually requires a vase of coloured sand each different and representing the particular family member, They each then pour their sand into the large vase so the colours layer beautiful and then the vas eis then sealed. The glass can be engraved with the wedidng details or an engraved plaque put on the front. Once on display in the home the significance of the once single colours of sand that can now never be seperated again from the others is a constant reminder of the families bond.

4. If they are not wanting or confident enough to take part in the ceremony then give them a job. Ushering guests, handing out rose petals or bubbles. This will allow them to have a purpose on the day.

We really hope this helps and if you are still stuck feel free to contact us and we will be happy to help with more ideas.

The Wedding Gurus
xxx

UGG Boot Wedding Collection

Yes that's right, it's not a misprint. The fabulous Aussie's and creators of the UGG Boot have done the unthinkable - yep, they've created a bridal UGG collection.

         

Check out this fun picture from the NY Daily News was taken by Clarke Walker Studios and shows the bride wearing a pair of the bridal UGGs while the bridal party wear traditional ones.

You can read the full article at:

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/fashion/australian-footwear-company-uggs-unveils-line-brides-article-1.1084348

It's called the 'UGG I Do Wedding Collection' and consists of:

The 'Bailey Bling I Do' Boot (RRP: $225)

The 'Sparkles I Do' Boot (RRP: $190)

The 'Fluff Flip Flop I Do' Slipper (RRP: $80)

After a long day of standing, photos and saying your hello's to every guest how fantastically comfy would it be to throw off those stinging stilettos and wack on a pair of these at the reception?

We absolutely love them, but then again we love anything original and new (especially when it's shoes!). We would love to hear what you think so please give us your thoughts.

If you are interested in purchasing a pair of these gorgeous things you can find them at
UGG Australia:

http://www.uggaustralia.com/i-do-wedding-shoe-collection/the-i-do-collection,default,sc.html?icid=ft_wedding

The Wedding Gurus

xxx

Movie Review: The 5 Year Engagement

Picture courtesy of: IMDb

Taking some time out from our usual writing, The Wedding Gurus decided to temporarily break free of the chains that usually bind us to our desks, pick up giant popcorn and massively oversized drinks and head to the movies for some fun, lighthearted entertainment.

Of course we couldn't stray too far from our favourite topic 'weddings', so we spent two fun filled hours eating through all of our goodies and watching 'The Five Year Engagement'.

The film starring Jason Segel (Tom) and Emily Blunt (Violet) sees Tom propose to his girllfriend one year after meeting, but as they begin to make plans one thing after another just seems to get in the way and the wedding looks like it will never take place.

The movie had some funny moments, but also some sad ones and definitely a lot of things that many of us who have been engaged can relate to. Just as the couple did in the movie, so often we become consumed with life and getting everything exactly perfect before doing the things that we really want to that we end up never actually getting around to doing what we set out to.


Perhaps we don't see it (or maybe we do on some subconcious level), but we tell ourselves whatever makes it ok - Once we move house, when we have more money, when we start or leave our job.

THERE IS NEVER A RIGHT OR PERFECT TIME

Through alll of the comical twists and turns in the movie, the tear jerking moments and the 'ah-ha' moments, the overall message is clear: CARPE DIEM - SEIZE THE DAY!

The only time that you have is right now so work with what you have, DIY what you can and just go for it!

Overall we loved the movie especially the ending that we will definitely not ruin for you even though we are dying to make comment on.

We give the movie 4 stars out of 5.

The Wedding Gurus
xxx

The weird world of strange & bizarre Wedding Cakes

Wedding cakes are definitely something that every couple spend a lot of time deciding on. When I think of a fabulous wedding cake it conjures up all sorts of perfect images of little handmade flowers and intricately sculpted designs that leave guests in awe. Some cakes, however leave guests shocked for other reasons!

We believe the philosophy of 'each to their own', so we will give you the opportunity to make up your own mind on some of these more 'interesting' designs.

  
                                                 

  

The Wedding Gurus

xxx

Week 12 - Libation Ceremony

Welcome to week 12 in our ’52 Rituals/Traditions in 52 Weeks’

This week we have decided to look at ‘libation’ in ceremony and how you can use it to create an interesting and heart felt ceremony.

Some traditions or rituals are not unique to just one culture and are in fact practised in many cultures throughout the world. These rituals are often similar in nature, but may have different relevance or meaning depending on who is practising them. This is certainly true for libation rituals.

The libation ritual is a traditional part of ceremony practised by the Greeks, Romans, Africans and Burmese Buddhists to name only a few. The term ‘libation’ actually means ‘the pouring of a liquid offering as a religious ritual’ and this liquid may be any number of things, again dependant upon who is performing it.

In some African cultures, an essential part of any ceremony is the pouring of libation. Sometimes water, but most often a traditional wine is used for the pouring which it is believed shows recognition and thanks to their ancestors and the Gods. A prayer calling all to attend and participate is given by an elder who through this tradition invokes both ancestors and Gods to be present.

The Ancient Romans were also big believers in the use of libation rituals in ceremony, usually consisting of wine and perfumed oil, it was considered an act of great worship.

These days we still see libation rituals used in ceremony and also in showing recognition to those no longer with us. If you live in the United States you may have heard of the term ‘tipping a forty to their memory’ which involves tipping a small amount of liquid (usually liquor) from the glass before drinking, paying respect to and in memory of those no longer with us.

If you are looking for a simple, easy ritual to use in your wedding ceremony that doesn’t cost anything and allows you to word it specifically to recognise something, then a libation ritual is a fabulous idea.

You could ask the head of either of your families,-a grandmother or grandfather, the celebrant or anyone you wish - to lead the ritual and say a few words as to the sentiment of the ritual.

An example of this may be where a loved one has passed away or unable to be present and you are looking for a way to acknowledge those unable to be with you. A libation is a simple, yet powerful way to pay your respect and honour their significance.

The Wedding Gurus

xxx

Caleche Bridal House Wedding Gown Collection

Alexandra



Some time ago we brought you the stunning photos from the wedding of 'Ben & Daphne' in which Daphne was wearing a Caleche gown. We had a huge response to that post and wedding dresses is clearly a very popular topic with brides, so we have decided to bring you some of our favourites from the fabulous 'Caleche Bridal' collection. C aleche is a local Adelaide bridal house and we have provided a bit of their story below, from their website at http://www.caleche.com.au/. We hope you enjoy these gowns and they are deifnitely work a look if you are searching for that perfect dress. 

About Caleche Bridal
It all began in 1973 in an Adelaide Hills lounge-room with one machinist and a small bank loan.

French migrants Olivier and Colette Foubert began the Calèche Bridal Centre in such humble beginnings with patterns and fabric spread across the floor. Colette was the designer, Olivier the cutter. They travelled the country for five years, until agents offered to promote their range in Melbourne and Sydney. The business flourished and as their four children grew up, they each in turn joined the business.

Since Colette's passing away in 2003, Elizabeth Foubert, carries on the tradition of European style designs. Liz graduated from the London School of Design and then worked in France before coming to Australia 15 years ago.

Today, Caleche gowns are stocked in selected boutiques across Australia and New Zealand. In South Australia, at the Calèche Bridal House in Norwood, Brides-to-be can view the latest collections or have their dream gown made specially for them.

Allanah

       

Briony

Portia

       

Anna

Cindy

      

Coco

Elizabeth

      

Ellie

Evita

Katie

     

Kimmie

     

Layla

Leah

      

Rachelle

Ruby

Vanessa

       

Riya