Cherry Blossoms are an extremely delicate and simple flower. They are an emblem of love and affection. Cherry Blossoms make for an intimate and whimsical wedding, so here are some inspiring ways to incorporate them into your wedding day.
A Little Piece of History // When you don't want to wear your mom's wedding dress
As a bride, you've got to get used to getting pulled in every which way. Your mom wants your wedding flowers to look like this, and your soon-to-be sister-in-law wants your wedding dress to look like this. Your maid of honor wants the bachelorette party here, and two of your bridesmaids want it there.
Before you get too frustrated, just know that the reason this is happening, is because everyone around you loves you and wants your big day to be absolutely perfect. The problem? My idea of perfect is different from theirs. That is not the point of today's post, but just wanted to get that little detail into your head before we move forward.
As many of you know, our blogging calendar is made up of questions from all of our bride readers. And here is one question we've been getting quite a bit:
My mom wants me to wear her dress, but I don't want to.
What do I tell her?
Remember that little tid-bit I told you above? She isn't being selfish and she isn't being mean. She loves you, loves the idea of this tradition, and just wants to see her daughter in a dress that she once believed was the most beautiful gown in the world...her wedding dress.
The problem?
You may not believe it is the most beautiful dress in the world. Or, you think it is beautiful, but you want the experience of shopping with your girls and finding that gown you've always dreamed of.
The Reason WHY
So what do you do? You've first got to start off by telling her no.
It doesn't have to be a "No, I hate your dress," because that is just rude. But explain to her why you want to purchase your own gown.
You want the experience? It doesn't match the rest of your wedding day? The style just isn't your style? It doesn't flatter your body? It'll cost more money to alter to your liking than it would to purchase a new gown?
Whatever it may be, tell her a reason WHY and be POLITE.
The Alternative
If you don't like the dress as is, have a dress from your mother-in-law AND your mom, or just love the tradition of wearing your mom or grandma's dress but want the best of both worlds, there are some alternatives you can try to keep that tradition.
1. Use her veil instead
I was dying to wear my mom's veil on my wedding day as my mom passed away my sophomore year in college, but unfortunately we couldn't find it before the wedding. But this a great way to use a generational accessory as your something old.
2. Use a piece of her gown
If she is okay with you cutting a piece of the dress apart, you can use it to make your own veil, your garter, or sew a piece into your gown. That way, you still have a beautiful piece of your family history there with you on your wedding day.
3. Wear one to the ceremony, and a new gown to your reception
It is normal for a bride to change her dress from ceremony to reception, so why not wear your mom's gown to your ceremony, and your new gown to the reception? That's definitely giving you the best of both worlds :)
No matter what you decide to do, do what makes YOU happy. Because you don't want any regrets - this day only comes once!
Upper Body Blast // Arm Workouts for Brides
Written with love, by Nikki Lian
When we’re out of time and ideas to maintain a good fitness routine, sometimes we prioritize our cardio exercises and abdominal workout. If this is you, chances are your upper body isn’t getting the attention it needs. The majority of my clients come to me wanting to strengthen their upper body and get that shapely-arm look so they can feel confident in their sleeveless tops. Here are some easy, anywhere upper body movements you can add to your workout to tone those triceps, biceps and shoulders so you can look great in your strapless gown!
1. Bicep Curls into A Shoulder Press
Start off with lighter weight dumbbells and work your way up. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart holding your weights palms up. Curl both weights at the same time, and then press the weights over your head. Bring the weights back down to your sides. Repeat 12-15 times. This is actually a compound exercise. So if you already do these two exercises in your arm routine, put them together for more of a challenge. It also helps to get your heart rate up and move your workout along faster when you’re pressed for time.
2. Walk Outs with A Push-Up
Start with your feet shoulder with apart. Squat and walk your hands out into a plank. Once you are in a straight-armed plank position, do the greatest push-up you can possibly do. If it’s all the way to the floor--fantastic! If it’s a decent, half-pushup, you’re doing great! Once you complete your pushup, walk your hands all the way back to your feet and stand up straight. Repeat 10 times at your own pace.
3. Shoulder Crosses
Again, start off with a lighter weight on this one. 5 lbs can get heavy really fast when you’re working on your shoulders. Holding a dumbbell face down in each hand with your arms straightened, raise your arms shoulder level. Keeping your arms straight and palms down and shoulder-level, bring them out to the side. Once your arms are out to the side, reverse the movement until your arms are back down to your sides again. Repeat 8-10 times at your own pace.
4. Weight Jacks
Using 3-5 pound weights, simple do jumping jacks while you’re hold the weights. However, keep your arms slightly bent and control the movement. This is important because if you let your arms flail around with weights in your hand you may hurt yourself. You can alternate this exercise with one of the exercises above.
When you are trying to tone up, it’s best to do higher repetitions with lighter weights. I would recommend 3 sets of each exercise at 12-15 reps. If your arms are lagging and you really want to step it up a notch, you can use any of these exercises and incorporate them in any of your fitness routines. Bring some weights along on a hike, do them when you wake up in the morning or before you go to bed at night, or before or after your ab routine!!
