Pre-Wedding Hair Care Tips

Source: ratedesi.com via Tonia on Pinterest

There are avariety of steps that can be taken when it comes to obtaining the mostbeautiful and softest hair achievable for your wedding day. Hot oil treatmentsthat work to penetrate deep into the hair and the hair follicles are one of themost important steps that many women take prior to their big day. There arealso many different benefits to using this particular type of treatment. To lista few of the most beneficial advantages of a hot oil treatment are as follows:

• This is a hair care technique that can quickly turn limp hair that has no body into healthy bouncy hair that appears to be as healthy as can be.

• There are many things that can strip the hair of its natural oils and cause a tremendous amount of damage. Women with hair that has been damaged from coloring, perms and various other hair treatments immediately notice a healthy and shiny difference in the appearance of their hair when a hot oil treatment is used.

• Problems with dry hair that tends to break off rather easily can benefit a great deal from hot oil hair care treatments. It helps to restore the natural elasticity and moisture that is lost, leaving behind a lustrous shine and healthy head of hair.

There are alsoother beneficial pre-wedding hair care options that are available tobrides-to-be. One

of the most popular choices that more and more women arechoosing is known as keratin hair treatments. This is actually one of the mostwidely-used methods of hair care that can quickly get a person’s hair in tiptop shape before the arrival of their big day. A few of the hair types thatthis type of technique can be especially helpful for includes the following:

• Hair that is unmanageable

• Hair that is extremely curly and hard to manage

• Hair that has been damaged and is frizzy

Why Keratin Hair Treatments?

One of thebiggest benefits that a large number of people enjoy about this technique is itinvolves the use of keratin, which is a pure and natural protein. This proteinactually makes up as much as 88% of a person’s hair. None of the hair’sinternal bonding properties are affected with this type of process. This isbecause the protein used in this treatment mixes quite easily with the keratinthat is already found within a person’s hair growth.

This pre-weddinghair care technique provides the hair with an adequate amount of nutrition thatis essential to having strong healthy hair. Not only are the amazing resultseasy to see but they are also easy to feel in the silky smooth texture of thehair.

Important Factors to Keep in Mind When Using KeratinHair Treatments

Before usingthis type of technique often used for pre-wedding hair care, be sure that youtake the time to carefully read the label included on the product. This way youcan make sure there are no harmful or toxic ingredients in the products you areusing.

This article was written for Wedding Highon behalf of Keraplast, a leading innovator of keratin protein technology,working with partners to create products, such as HairRescue, to keep hair healthy, shiny and strong. 

5 Tips for Shaping Up for your Wedding

Guest Post by Jessica Best 

Source: beautifulbrowngirls.com via Kim on Pinterest

When wedding bells are fast approaching, one of the biggest worrieson a brides mind is fitting into ‘that’ perfect wedding dress. With all thestress of wedding preparations, it’s no wonder blushing brides-to-be find itdifficult to get the perfect shape up routine in place. Luckily, with a few ofthese basic tips you will be toning and tightening your way to the wedding ofyour dreams!

 Remove soda and alcoholfrom your diet

Yes, before we even get started on the exercise tips addressing theissue of calorie containing, nutrient starved beverages is foremost.Preparation for weight loss, and skin purifying starts with the removal of Sodaand alcohol from your diet. The sugary drinks offer nothing nutritionally foryour body and they can hinder your motivation to work out. Opt for plain water,green tea and fresh vegetable juices which contain great detox and moodenhancing properties. Aim to drink 2L of water a day and extra if you areexercising.

 

Limit your stress

Planning a wedding is no easy feat, so during times of stress andimmense pressure try to remember, this is about the bond between two people inlove. Don’t sweat the small stuff! On the big day it won’t bother you if theflowers are one shade off what you originally wanted. Stress leads to skinproblems as well as over-eating which, we all know causes weight gain. So focuson remaining calm, relaxed and focused.

 

Employ the help of atrainer

Whether you are new to exercise, or a seasoned pro, everybody canbenefit from hiring a trainer for the pre-wedding shape up. Having a personaltrainer will boost motivation and commitment levels, keeping you focused, ontime and ultimately seeing results. A trainer will also tailor a workout toyour specific needs, toned arms are important for a strapless wedding dressesor maybe you are looking to lose 10lb for that honeymoon bikini. Shop aroundand find a trainer that you really connect with, ask as many questions as youneed and never be shy to tell them what you want. Whatever the goal, a trainerwill have you well on your way to looking and feeling great.

 Add swimming to yourworkout routine

If you have time to add some extra exercise into your workoutschedule, don’t go past swimming. Not only is swimming fantastic for toningarms and legs, it’s also a great form of stress relief. Water offers peace andtranquility use this opportunity to think and have space away from the world.

Plan your workout scheduleand menu

Keeping on track is difficult, especially when you’re busy makingwedding preparations. By organizing your time efficiently you know where you’resupposed to be and there will always be enough time to get your workoutcompleted. Planning also lets you monitor your progress, seeing this successwill keep you motivated. By planning your food you won’t be tempted to grabtakeaways or skip meals.

 

Enjoy your wedding!

As the date grows nearer, and the excitement mounds make sure youtake the time to smile, nothing is more attractive than a genuinely happybride, so remember this for the big day. Most importantly enjoy your weddingand the celebration of all your hard work, congratulations!

Guest post by Jess at MAX Fitness College, a school specialising in personaltraining courses for people who are looking at starting afitness business.

Friday's Wedding Photo Fix

OMG...

Could I start this post out any other way than with an OMG?

Many, many things contribute to how beautiful and eye catching this picture is, not least the keen eye and talents of the photographer of Sarah Scruggs Photography, but also the fabulous church door, beautiful bride and stunning dress and even the flowers!!

Definitely check out your locations and talk to your photographer about #winning { big shout out to Charlie Sheen ;) } shots like this!

Check out all the pics from this gorgeous wedding on Sarah's blog!  

Source: scruggers.wordpress.com via Bláithín on Pinterest

Catering: How to Get More for Less at Your Wedding

Guest Post by Frankie Burns of LowCountry Barbecue

When it comes to your wedding reception, cateringis one of the most important aspects. The food is something your guests will continueto talk about for weeks following and can be a huge factor in how well yourwedding unfolds. It’s no secret, however, that the catering is one of the mostexpensive undertakings. The average amount of money spent on food is about$50-$90 per head, butthis cost depends on the type of food, number of courses and the caterers. Regardless, mostbrides and grooms overspend on catering, so here are three great tips on how tomanage your costs within your spending limit. 

Incorporate Economical Food Choices

Whenit comes time to plan your menu, consider balancing out expensive andinexpensive food. While having a full menu comprised of luxury food items maybe your first choice, incorporating economical food choices may be the bestroute to take, especially if you are preparing to have a large crowd. This iswill not only ensure that you have plenty food to serve for less of the cost,but you will feel good knowing you accommodated all your guests while stickingto your budget. 

Organizethe Correct Amounts

For many brides and grooms, estimating the howmuch food you will need to have prepared is nearly impossible. With last minutecancellations and impromptu invites, it’s no wonder wedding catering can getexpensive- and wasteful.  Estimating afew extra rounds of hoursde oeuvres in case two or three additional guests arrive is ideal, but goingbeyond that is the easiest way to pay for too much food that will go uneaten.

Take Advantage of Natural Resources

Welcoming the outdoors and takingadvantage of natural resources is a great way to get more for less. Utilizingfree resources, like having an outdoor venue, not only gives your guests achance to mingle in the fresh air, but it also a great way to lower some ofyour catering costs so you can splurge in other areas of your wedding. Not tomention, outdoor weddings boast many economical food opportunities-you cangrill specialty meats or indulge in some home style barbecue.

While the food is one of the bestdeterminants of a successful wedding, you don’t have to overspend on food thatwon’t even be eaten. Ultimately, this is your special day, so satisfying yourguests while maintaining your budget will create the best outcome for both youand your guests. By following these tips you will be able to get way more outof your catering, which will ultimately enable you to splurge on more importantaspects- like the honeymoon! 

This article was written exclusively forWedding High by LowCountry Barbecue, proud to be a leading Atlanta weddingcaterer, serving happy couples on their big day for more 25years. LowCountry specializes in events, big or small, across the country; nolocation is too far and no party is too much.

Your DIY Wedding Bouquet

                             Guest Post by Breanna Gunn              

So you’re being frugal about your wedding. Good for you! Ihad less than $3000 available for my big day,which meant that my entire day was DIY. And that was before DIY weddings werecool. There are lots of wonderful tutorials out there for making all kinds ofthings...but I have yet to find one for flowers that doesn’t terrify me.

So I’m here to help. Your wedding flowers make a hugestatement about who you are, and they only take about three hours. Of course,if you choose to do this, those three hours are going to be spent workingreally hard the day before your wedding.

Let’s start, shall we?

Buying Your Flowers

The first thing that you’re going to need are flowers. Thereare a number of places you can acquire them, including big box stores,florists, online, and your back yard. One thing that I learned was that youcannot mention the words ‘wedding’ (or anything related) if you want to get agood deal and not pick the flowers yourself.

Go and inquire about pricing for the quantity and types offlowers (don’t forget filler!!) that you want, and then ask about discounts.DIY is all about being frugal, remember.

Once you’ve secured your blooms, schedule their deliverythe day before your big day. Morning would be awesome.Then you need to find:

1. Florist tape

2. Florist pins

3. SHARP scissors

4. Ribbon

5. Florist wire

6. Accents (stones, sparkles...you get the idea)

Prepare Your Blooms

First of all, get some help. This task is easiest with 2 to3 people. Then...

Trim and feed your flowers. What this means is that you needto take off any leaves, and trim the stems on a diagonal. This is easiest ifyou set up an assembly line at your kitchen sink.

Once they’ve been trimmed, place the flowers into 5 gallonbuckets filled with room temperature water. This will ensure that they do notwilt, and that they open just a little. If you have a few blooms that you donot want to open further (think daisies), use ice water or stick the entirebucket in the fridge.

Assemble Your Bouquet

Once you’re all trimmed and watered, get set up to assembleyour bouquet. Make sure you have more blooms than you think you’ll need...got‘em? Then let’s get on with the fun stuff!

To assemble your bouquet:

1. Have your tape, scissors, and wire handy.

2. Carefully choose 5-10 blooms to start your bouquet.

3. Arrange them in a half-ball shape, and tape themtogether. If you want them to really be secure, use a piece of florist wire,and stick it through the stems.

4. Now for the fun...continue adding blooms until youachieve the look you want, taping and wiring as you go.

5. Got saggy blooms? Use the florist wire to perk them up!Stick the end of the wire just below the head of the flower, and wrap theremainder of the wire around the stem, going down to help hold it upright. Thenadd it to your bouquet!

6. Once you’ve finished adding flowers, tape the entirebouquet between 2 and 4 inches.

7. Wrap a ribbon around the bouquet to hide the tape, andembellish with florist pins or glue on rhinestones and the like.

Then, admire your handiwork!!

Brea Gunn writes about the best Westchesterwedding venues.  Check out whatthese weddingbusiness marketing insiders have to share.

Top Three Tips For Choosing Groomsmen Gifts

Guest Post by Mary T Smith

Weddings are an amalgamation of two souls but there are so many persons who are involved to make it the best day of your life. It is a once in a life time opportunity and hence every couple wants it to be special and a memory that lasts a lifetime. Friends, family and close relatives all are part of the entire ceremony and it requires a lot of planning and time becomes the most difficult factor to manage. Giving wedding gifts has been a tradition for quite few years now, it is small token of gratitude for all the things your friends have done. Groomsmen are a very integral part of any wedding, these ushers are by your side in every ritual and they help in making the day the best you ever had. Groomsmen gifts are a token of appreciation for all their undying support that they have given on the day. It is very important to realize the role they play in your lives. They are your best pals and have been part of your life for longer than you know. Be it good or bad they have been around as a pillar of support for you. Here is a guide that will help you in finding one that they will surely cherish. 

Tip 1# Here is general rule of thumb to stick with one particular size that fits all. Weddings in general are a costly affair and if gifts are taxing on the budget then this may work. Purchasing more items always gives you an edge with discounts. Think and put some thought in choosing a gift that they will love and use. Do all of you enjoy playing golf, camping or trekking? Be it any sport or any activity that you and your friends have always loved to play.This is a very thoughtful gift idea; they will love the emotion behind the gift. Trust me, whenever they use the gift they will remember the good time they had at your wedding.Another great creation that is in the market is engraved or personalized gifts. Be it shot glasses, key chains, grooming kits you can engrave them with a special message and their initials. 

Tip2# - Another alternate is to get personal and choose one that suits their personality. If your buddy is into football then a special edition football will be really appreciated. If they enjoy drinking beer, then a engraved pub signs are available that will remind them of good times. Are they into games, then getting them an embossed chess set is a nice choice. 

Tip #3--Do not be a risk taker, if it is a last minute planning and you still want to make it special then go with what works all the time. You cannot possibly go wrong with cuff links and pocket watches.The thought is what that matters, you will be remembered for a lifetime to come with the gifts you offered them. They will feel the warmth and emotion behind the gesture for sure. Have a blessed Wedding!!! 

About the Author: Mary is a freelance guest writer for quite some years now. Have been sharing my thoughts online about the topics I am well versed and passionate about. My other interests include Art, Home Design,ProfessionalResume Writing Careers and HR.

A Wedding Tatoo, would you?

I've had brides desperately try to hide tatoos they had done in their youth, they've chosen to wear dresses they didn't really want because their aim to cover the 'dreaded thing' { their words, not mine}, came first over their desire for a nice dress. I've had brides make bridemaids wear longer dresses or cardigans or whatever so they didn't show up in photos. But would you actively go out and get a wedding tatoo?

The use of Henna in Indian Weddings is a big and long standing tradition. Its beautiful and intricate and often tells a story. { Of course this type of 'tatooing' isn't what springs to mind when I say would you get a wedding tatoo... but look at this... }

This is what I am talking about when I say would you have a wedding tatoo...

Source: google.com via Bláithín on Pinterest

I think this is beautifully stunning and it is definitely something I would consider on my wedding day. Would you?

A Bride's Guide to Goodie Filled Favour Boxes

Guest Post by Susan Hawkins 

You’ve found the perfect favour boxes foryour wedding reception! Now you simply have to decide what to put in them andhow much you’ll need to make sure you have enough to fill every box, or elseAunt Eleanor will wonder why her favor box only has three candies in it, whilethe box of the guest sitting next to her is filled to the brim.  Once you’ve filled and sealed favour boxes, it’struly frustrating to discover you’ve put too many in the first 50 boxes,shorting the next 50 boxes and possibly running out. You also don’t want to overspendand be left with three or four large bags of small candies you can’t return. Let’savoid that!  

 

Once you know how many candies to put ineach box and how many of those candies come in a pound, you’ll know how muchyou need to buy.  Favour “boxes” may alsobe bags, envelopes, pouches and other shapes, but we’ll base our calculationson the most popular wedding chocolates and candies and a standard 5.1 cm x 5.1cm favour box:

Description                    Amount/Full Box                               Avg.Quantity/1 lb.

DutchMints:                     36 yummymints                                210

JordanAlmonds:              15 tasty traditional almonds               120

HersheyKisses:                 11sweet kisses                                   100

MeltyMints:                      12 mouthwateringmints                    100

ConversationHearts:        30 love-laced hearts                           150

M&M’s:                              90chocolaty bits                                530

ButterMints:                      62after-dinner mints                         270

JellyBeans:                        75 rainbow-colouredbeans                400

Here’s an example: Let’s say 75 people areattending your wedding, and you’ve decided to fill your favour boxes withButter Mints. Multiply 62 x 75 to get 4,650 mints required. Divide that numberby the average number of mints in a pound (270) to arrive at 17.2 lbs. That’show much candy you’ll need to fill your favour boxes.  

These amounts completely fill the boxes tothe rim, which you don’t necessarily have to do. If you only want to fill themhalfway, make your calculation based on the info above and divide by two. Manybrides who choose to give Jordan almonds only place five almonds in each box.Traditionally, each of the five almonds represents a wish for the bride andgroom: health, wealth, happiness, fertility, and longevity.

Candy-filled favour boxes are alwayswelcomed by guests, and they make the sweetest day in your life a little bitsweeter!

This post was kindly written by:

Susan Hawkins is a writer for Kate Aspen UK, a premier designer,manufacturer and online retailer of wedding favours, favour boxes, bridalshower favours, bridesmaid gifts and more.