Is a Fairy-tale Wedding Worth the Expense?

 

With the average UK wedding costing almost £25,000 is a fairy-tale wedding really worth the cost?

No – Susan
Couples today spend tens of thousands on their wedding day and I think it’s a colossal waste of money. I’m not against marriage but I am against the self-indulgent trend that’s emerged in recent years where normal couples try to recreate lavish celebrity weddings from the pages of a magazine.

Of course your wedding day is important but it is just one day! There’s absolutely no point getting into debt for the sake of having one glamourous party. With so many young couples struggling to buy their first home, I would have thought that the money would be better spent on property or other investments. From experience, no matter how much money you spend on your wedding, there will be elements that you’re disappointed with.

It’s also worth remembering that many marriages don’t last. In fact, I know people who are still paying off credit card bills from the wedding long after the marriage has broken down!

For any couple planning a wedding, my advice would be to set a small budget and stick to it. There’s no need to have the most expensive version of everything – you will still have a wonderful day even if you spend less. You can get married in the local registry office rather than a swish hotel and your marriage will be just as valid. Save the cash for things that will last like your home!

Yes– Katy
All my life I’ve dreamed of having a big white wedding and when I get married, I’m really going to push the boat out to ensure I have the best day of my life. You only get married once – or at least, I believe I will only get married once; so why not spend a lot of money making the day perfect?

Your wedding day isn’t a time to cut corners – if you choose things that are cheap but not really what you want, you’ll always be disappointed. Far better, to get the best of everything and make it a really magical day. I appreciate that people spend a lot on what is just one day in their lives but even after the day is over you’ll still have your memories and photographs to look back on. Do you really want to be looking at photos in ten or twenty years’ time and think ‘I wish I’d bought the dress I really wanted’?

I want my wedding to be really special and am looking forward to having all of my friends and relatives there to share the day. I want to impress them so that they will have a fabulous time and remember the day forever. I don’t want people complaining about the food or thinking that the venue isn’t very special so I’m happy to spend the money to make sure everything is exactly right. I probably will use my credit card for some big purchases but so what? I’ll remember this day long after the credit card bills have all been paid and I think all couples should be free to spend as much as they wish to get their own fairy-tale wedding too.

 

Categories: card bills, Couples, credit card, married, money, spend, wedding, wedding day

How to Get Your Upper Body Toned in Time for Your Wedding

For most brides, the upper arms are the only area on show. Whether you’re going strapless or have a dress with capped sleeves picked out, your arms need to be at their best for all the bear-hugging, hand-holding, bouquet-tossing, and glass-toasting you’ll be doing at your wedding. This is perhaps why most brides focus on their upper body fitness for the big day and with these exercises, so can you.

 

1. The Push-Up Progression: Wellness expert Lexi Walters instructs, ‘Place your hands on a windowsill, table, or bench with your toes on the floor. Keep your body in a straight line, with your arms fully extended. Bend your elbows 90 degrees; then push back up. Be sure to keep your abs engaged and your head in line with your spine. Continue doing push-ups for about 30 seconds. Next, hold yourself in the start position for another 30 seconds.’ For a more advanced version of this exercise, Walters outlines, ‘Assume a regular push-up position with your hands on the floor, palms below your shoulders and your abs contracted. Do 30 seconds of push-ups. Hold the push-up plank position for 30 seconds. Contract your abs and squeeze your inner thighs together.’

 

2. Cheerleader Raise: ‘This move will raise your heart rate as you target your shoulders, helping to take care of excess flab as you tighten and tone the muscles underneath,’ says Walters. ‘Stay motivated: Imagine those dumbbells are five-pound bouquets. Stand with your fee hip-distance apart, one hand on your hip, the other holding a dumbbell at your side. Raise the dumbbell above your head. Try to lengthen your opposite arm and leg away from each other. Then drive the knee toward the elbow. (The more the legs work, the higher the calorie burn.)’

 

3. Pullovers with Dumbbells: According to Walters, ‘You’ll be toasting your guests at some point during your big day – here’s a move that’ll make your arms look tight as you raise that glass. Lying on an exercise bench or large couch cushion, hold a five- or eight-pound dumbbell in both hands with your arms extended over your chest. Slowly lower the weight behind your head and return the weight back. Do 15 reps. (Want it harder? Raise your legs and bend your knees 90 degrees.)’

 

4. The Kickback: Walters notes, ‘An amped-up version of yoga’s Cobra pose, the Kickback can get you closer to those sculpted shoulder blades your backless dress is begging to reveal. Lie facedown on a mat with your legs together and a resistance band under your chest, holding one end in each hand, arms by sides. Lift your chest and reach your arms straight out at shoulder level in front of you, keeping your shoulders down. Hold for one count.’

 

5. Total-Body Burner: ‘This move will tone and sculpt just about everything, so you’ll want to add it to your routine no matter what your dress looks like,’ asserts Walters. ‘Come into a full push-up position, balancing with your toes on a step. Lower into a push up. Bring your left knee toward your chest, then raise the knee out to the side until it’s at hip height. Bring the knee back to centre, then lower your foot back to the step and return to start. Repeat the sequence for eight reps. Rest for 30 seconds, then switch sides.’

 

6. Cat & Cow: Walters explains, ‘This combo is an excellent stress reliever as well as back strengthener and toner, especially if you’re holding tension (invitations are late, mother-in-law just upped the guest list) in your lower back. Cow Pose: On hands and knees, inhale and lift head while making back concave. Cat Pose: On exhale, tuck tailbone, contract abs, and round back, head down. Child’s Pose: Draw hips back to heels, drop chest, rounding spine, and rest forehead on the floor, arms in front of you. Do 6 reps of the whole cycle. Rest in Child’s Pose for several breaths.’

Categories: arms, nbsp, push, Push ups, raise, tone, Upper Body, walters, wedding

Wedding Weight Challenge: Could You Fit in Your Dress Again?

They say that your wedding day is the best day of your life, so surely you want to look the peak of wellness and wellbeing. Many brides choose to lose weight for the big day, if only because knowing that everyone you know is going to be watching you walk down the aisle is great motivation! However, once you say “I do” you relax and start to regain all that weight you made the effort to lose in the first place. If you ever look at your wedding dress and wonder if you’d ever be able to fit back into it again, why not learn from a few success stories from people who have done exactly that? These brides (and one groom) followed a wedding dress weight loss plan that consisted of a diet developed by nutritionist and registered dietician Stephanie Middleberg and weekly exercise videos with dedicated personal trainer, Angela Salveo, to get back down to their wedding-day weight. Let’s see how they got on.

 

1. Rita Cookson: Rita, 43, has been married five years, and managed to lose 29lbs in four months. She asserts, ‘If I can do it, anyone can—I’m a pastry chef! Last year at this time, I felt depressed, tired, and generally gross about myself. I am a completely different person today. I stopped eating all those extra cupcakes and cookies, plus I’ve been doing four fun cardio classes per week at Gold’s Gym, in addition to meeting with a trainer there twice a week. I was afraid of lifting heavy weights because I thought I’d bulk up, but I got leaner and feel amazing.’

 

2. Lindsay & Brendan: Both aged 35, Lindsay Michalcik and Brendan Rineer decided to take up the weight loss challenge together and have been married eight years. ‘Figuring out how to fit in exercise was key,’ says Lindsay, who lost 18lbs. ‘I do a workout DVD before work a few mornings each week, and Brendan and I have a standing gym date on Saturday and Sunday mornings. We completely changed our eating habits too. Now we stick to one serving of protein each and load up on veggies, not carbs. We’ll still take the kids to Chuck E. Cheese’s, but we bring our own snacks or eat from the salad bar.’ Brendan, who lost 23lbs, adds, ‘Lindsay and I were able to learn healthier habits from each other. Before the challenge, I’d drink 32 ounces of Dr Pepper or Coke a day. Once I cut out soda, I immediately had more energy to work out. When I started, I said my goal was to develop a six-pack, but that’s just a bonus. My five-year-old daughter likes to count the “bumps” on my stomach.’

 

3. Jeanell Boomer: 36-year-old Jeanell has been married 10 years. She details, ‘I’m down 14 pounds. I’m not back in my dress because it took me a while to get a handle on my eating habits. For example, I’d tell myself I had to eat things that weren’t good for me because my family expected me to cook and bake certain foods—with no shortage of butter or oil. After I stopped the rationalising, the weight started to come off. And it’s true what they say: Once you lose the first 10 pounds, you really gain momentum. I lost three more the week after this photo was taken.’

 

4. Heather Wells: It’s nine years since Heather walked down the aisle, but the 42-year-old managed to lose six pounds and get back in that dress. She recalls, ‘When I joined the challenge, I knew I needed to start working out, so I walked and did the Wii Fit at home. But my body didn’t begin to change until I upped the intensity. Once I started taking spin classes and following the workout on Jillian Michaels’s 30 Day Shred DVD, I started to see a difference. I lost four inches off my waist and hips, and two and a half inches off my thighs. I’m fitting into clothes that are three sizes smaller, and I’m still going. I never thought I’d say this, but if I skip a workout, I miss it!’

Categories: dress, eating habits, Lose, success stories, wedding, wedding day, wedding dress, weight, Weight Loss, years

Getting Married? How to Look Your Best on the Big Day

Every woman wants to look her very best on her wedding day, and that is why, as soon as a proposal has been uttered and a ring is on a finger, many women find that their first thought is of a new fitness regime and weight loss plan. Of course, losing weight and getting into shape at any time is a great idea for the sake of your wellness and wellbeing, but for the newly engaged woman it can be an integral part of the wedding planning process.

 

Brides are all the same, and spend a lot of time focusing on getting the best wedding and honeymoon body, through a programme of diet and fitness. Some see personal trainers, and notch up hundreds of pounds on personal fitness regimes, but, of course, many others do not have that kind of money to invest in the process. Fortunately, there are simple things that you can do to organise your new workout regime.

 

First of all, decide on a time of day that suits you best. If you are a morning person, that is the best time for you. If you find yourself with a little free time after work some days – utilise it. Choose a time of day that works best for you and then stick to it.

 

Next, decide what your goals are. Do you want to lose weight or are you simply looking to tone up? If you want to lose weight, cardio is your best bet. Keep things fresh, so don’t do any exercise that you really dislike. If you find that you enjoy running, go for a run, and if running is not your cup of tea then try a workout class such as a Zumba class or take tennis lessons. There are lots of ways to work out without going on a boring treadmill. If you are looking to tone up, look out for free online workouts.

Categories: fitness, Lose weight, married, nbsp, time, wedding, weight

Wedding Planning and Rising Above the Peer Pressure

If you were to take a moment to imagine your dream wedding, what would come to mind? Perhaps something you saw in a movie, magazine or a ceremony that you attended a year prior? Chances are the idea of what you desire for your nuptials has been molded by various cultural influences. While finding outside inspiration is not always a negative, it can place unnecessary pressure on women as they feel obligated to live up to the very costly illustrations featured on TV and in magazines, and feel like failures if they don’t spend lavishly. When the accepted expectation is nothing less than perfection, you are setting yourself up for disappointment, and this can weigh heavily on engaged couples. Therefore, if you find yourself soon walking down the aisle, take some simple steps to averting the common traps of bridal peer pressure that can be imposed by the industry, society and those around you.

 

1)      Start your planning at least one year in advance to allow more time for contemplation rather than rash decisions. Next, make a list of what is important to you and what you honestly have little opinion about; when budgeting, set strict and specific financial boundaries for yourself to make sure that you don’t later feel pressured to pump more money into a specific detail that you personally do not care about, simply because you read that it is necessary.

 

2)      In addition to setting firm boundaries for yourself financially, set boundaries with loved ones. Your family and friends will undoubtedly be excited about the upcoming vow exchange, and they will want to offer you their opinion and tips. The result is that you may feel like you’re being yanked in a million different directions by future in-laws, siblings and more. Your vision of your wanted décor, dress and venue might be slowly compromised until you can’t even recognize your own wedding. Therefore, thank people for their advice but, unless you specifically asked for it, inform them that you have a clear idea of what you imagine. Additionally, set boundaries with your staff and venue – yes, the hotel that is slightly outside your budget might offer 70% off their chocolate fountain, but be weary of being seduced by talk of “discounts” and “affordable upgrades”, as these are designed to make you spend on items you otherwise wouldn’t. When talking with professionals, it is advised to give them a firm budget and the question of “what would be possible for this amount?” as this should hopefully prevent them from hassling you about indulging in a larger cake or fancier dress.

 

3)      Broaden your mind to what a “wedding” must look like, as there are pleasant, gorgeous alternatives to some of the more costly wedding expenditures. For instance, flowers can cost thousands, but who says that you need opulent floral arrangements on every pew, table, doorframe and unfilled corner? Stores like American Bridal and Martha Stewart offer decorative options that are equally as charming but only a fraction of the cost of high-demand and overly promoted flowers.

 

4)      Your wedding is about love, joy, friends coming together . . . what it should not be is a mark of status. However, couples will often go into crippling debt to appear richer than they are for a single day as a way of impressing others. Furthermore, pay little heed to what you imagine others may be expecting at your ceremony or reception; even if your sister splurged on details like an aisle runner, wedding favors and balloons that are dropped from the ceiling does not mean that you have to do the same in order to have an equally enjoyable event! Make sure you catch yourself when you are starting to think with this competitive mentality, as it is a long way down that rabbit hole.

 

Above all else, remember that people are attending your wedding to show their love and support, and not to judge the ceremony with a scrutinizing eye. So make sure that you’re honestly happy on your big day by not sweating the details, pushing cultural expectations out of your mind and making sure that your voice and preferences are heard.

Categories: Peer Pressure, wedding, wedding planner

The Wedding Diet: Brides go to Lethal Lengths for Big Day

You may think that a New Years’ resolution or getting bikini-ready for summer may be the catalyst for crazy weight loss, but for brides, the day you get engaged is the day that your crazy diet begins. This is according to wellness expert Joanna Ebsworth, who was alarmed by the number of brides-to-be she met through her work who are going to drastic measures to be thinner.

According to Ebsworth, ‘Unfortunately for many women, it seems as soon as they get that ring on their finger, a signal goes off inside them telling them they need to start losing weight for the wedding.’ Many women even make the mistake of buying a dress one or two sizes too small to give them an incentive to lose weight, meaning that they fly into a panic when they realise closer to the day that their dream dress still didn’t fit.

Ebsworth noted the story of one bride from Nottingham: ‘After ordering her dress in a size 10, the bride-to-be realised two weeks before her wedding she hadn’t lost nearly enough to even get the dress done up, she went into a complete panic and basically went on a starvation diet, eating only steamed courgettes when she did eat. In the two days before the ceremony, nothing passed her lips apart from fluids and not one person, including her husband-to-be, could get her to eat. In the end, she passed out weak from hunger as she walked down the aisle, at the very moment when all eyes were on her, which is terribly sad and distressing to imagine.’

She also explained how another bride, this time from Sheffield, went under the knife so she could fit into her perfect dress. Weeks before her ceremony, she went abroad to have a tummy tuck operation that cost £7,000. Ebsworth said, ‘While the operation did get her into her dress, she was in serious discomfort leading up to the wedding and on the day, and then spent her dream beach honeymoon covered up because the bruising and swelling had yet to go down.’

‘It’s a bit bizarre when you think about it really, because surely, when a man asks you to marry him, he’s declaring that he loves you for you, and accepts you exactly the way you are? He’s not secretly hoping that if you accept his hand in marriage, you might drop a dress size or two,’ Ebsworth said, urging ‘brides need to keep things in proportion, and understand that their health, happiness and their relationship with their partner is so much more important than being thin. When you picture a bride, you picture someone who is glowing, radiant, and happy – not tired, stressed and scrawny!’

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The Wedding Diet: Brides go to Lethal Lengths for Big Day

Categories: brides, crash diets, wedding