Keep Calm and Plan On! 5 Ways to Relax During the Wedding Planning Process

Wed, 08 May 2013 17:00:00 +0000

The final few months leading up to a wedding day can bring even the calmest of brides to her breaking point. Last minute details begin to pile up and the ‘to do’ list becomes a task that intimidates the most eager of brides. When everything becomes too much and you feel like you're losing more hair than normal, curb your first instinct to panic and follow these simple and effective techniques to relax, decompress and enjoy the final weeks leading up to your wedding day!

1. Sit down and read a book – Yes, an actual book.

Do you remember that great book your friend was talking that you promised you’d read? Well, there is no time like the present. Picking up a good read that suits your interest levels can be a great way to relax and take your mind off of wedding stress at the end of your day. Studies have shown that reading a book for just 15 minutes before you sleep at night quiets your mind, reduces anxiety levels and leads to a better sleep. So, remember that 50 Shades of Grey you saw everyone reading? Maybe now is the perfect time to borrow that copy from your friend.

2. Exercise and eat right

Although you may feel like you have no time to spare, taking an hour out of your day to raise your heart rate can do wonders for your mental state and not to mention your body. Try taking up hot yoga (or regular if you don’t like the heat) if you haven’t before. You may think that yoga is a fad however the list of benefits from yoga seems to be endless. By taking an hour to stretch, breathe, enforce positive thinking and self-love and burn up to 800 calories in one session (yes, you read that right!), hot yoga might be just the thing to take your stress levels down to a manageable and productive level. Grab a girlfriend, get your mat, enjoy a cold fruit smoothie after class and feel your stress level decrease by the second. Namaste!

Hot Yoga on 17th in Calgary offers a great location for all yogis from beginners to experts. The calm, relaxed and zen-like atmosphere with the combination of friendly trained professionals will have you addicted in no time!

3. Laugh together

With all the last minute arrangements taking up your time, you may have forgotten to show that fiancé of yours some tender (and perhaps much needed) TLC. Clear an afternoon to plan an activity together that you both enjoy. Perhaps check out what’s playing at your local theatre and see if there are any comedies that appeal to both of you. Laughing together and spending some quality time where wedding talk is off the table will help to rejuvenate your energy, reduce your stress and get you and your fiancé excited for your wedding day!

Maybe check out the 3rd instalment of the Hangover movie coming out on May 24, 2013. These movies have been great for a laugh - or ten - and will be a great way to bring some laughter into you and your fiance's afternoon.

4. Don’t be afraid to say no

The few weeks leading up to your wedding allows for no extra time to take on new tasks. If you have family members, friends or coworkers asking for favours like watching their pet or picking something up for them, don’t be afraid to say no. Minimizing your list of things that needs to be completed before your big day is essential. At this point in your wedding planning process, don’t feel bad about saying no to someone. It’s important to keep your mind on what tasks need to be done and not to increase your stress levels.

If you're the personality type who has a hard time saying no and who feel's guilty about it when you do, Amazon has some great books on the techniques of saying no and making more time for yourself in other areas of your life that are important to you!

5. If you haven’t already done so, think about hiring a coordinator.

If you don’t have a wedding planner and haven’t hired a day of coordinator, maybe consider if hiring one is the right thing for you. At Reflections, Wedding Coordination is our most popular service and one we think every couple should have. As your coordinator, I will help you tie up the loose strings, prioritize what needs to be done, make a list of the essential tasks that need completion, take over communication with your vendors and will take care of every hiccup on your wedding day so your wedding runs smoothly and feels perfect to you. By passing off your to do list to a professional, you are able to decompress in the weeks leading up to your wedding and truly enjoy your day. It’s impossible to shut off your mind on the day of, so hiring a coordinator who will step in a couple of months leading up to your wedding is an option to consider. If you are interested in setting up a consultation or have any questions about our Wedding Coordination services, you can contact me at [email protected]. We can set up a time to meet and chat over a nice cool drink on one of Calgary's many patios!

Overall, don’t forget that even through all the stress that comes with planning a wedding that this day is about you and your husband or wife to be. It’s a day to celebrate your love and commitment to one and other and taking the appropriate steps to de-stress and relax is crucial to enjoying your day.

Keep Calm and Plan On!

Teal Minisofer

Wedding Hair - My Favorite Updo's

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 17:20:00 +0000

Hello Beautiful Brides to be. I want to give you some advice regarding your wedding hair. Below are my top 10 favourite updo's.

Your wedding hair is just as important as the dress, if you have a fabulous dress and look fantastic in it but your hair and makeup don't compliment it then it really is a waste. We all love feeling beautiful and this of course is VERY important on your wedding day. All eyes are on you all day and you also have a camera in your face all day, taking pictures that you, as well as friends and family will be looking at for years to come. And of course you want to look amazing for your husband to be! He should be in complete awe of your beauty, so don't sacrifice anything regarding your appearance on your wedding day.

One of the biggest mistakes brides make is not getting their hair done professionally. Unless you are AMAZING at doing hair you shouldn't be doing it yourself, especially since you deserve to be pampered on your wedding day and that would be stressful doing it yourself. The exception to this rule is a friend or family member doing it for you but make sure you have them do a trial before your big day, as you don't want to be disappointed. Honestly, if they don't do hair professionally I recommend hiring a professional or even have your actual hair stylist do your hair. If you don't have your own personal hair stylist, not to worry, there are many professional hair stylists in the city that would do an amazing job. I recommend bringing inspiration pictures to your first appointment so you can give them an idea of what your looking for.

The biggest thing to remember is this is YOUR day. Your worth it so pampering yourself is well deserved, every bride deserves to feel special and beautiful and your husband-to-be agrees because he asked four your hand in marriage. Even if your not a girly girl you can get natural makeup done and fun hair that maybe wouldn't be something you would do everyday but then again you don't get married everyday now do you? Make sure you have no regrets on your big day.

We are having some technical difficulties with adding the photos to our blog today, so I'm going to direct you to my Pinterest board that has all my favourite updos! Please repin and share if you like one for your big day!

pinterest.com/ReflectionsCA/wedding-hair-ideas/

Happy Planning

Monica Watson

Well... that was different!

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:00:00 +0000

Being the newest member of Reflections Event Productions, allow me to introduce myself, Teal Minisofer. As a graduate from the University of Calgary in Communication Studies, my path has led me to join the talented, unique and above all successful team at Reflections. My degree forced to me test the waters and analyze situations to draw unique perspectives that are different from the ordinary ways of thinking. With this underlying way of thinking, my heart was drawn to event planning. To describe my style I would say that I love all things classic, elegant, and soft. Rich gold, cream, blush and lavender always make my heart beat faster with excitement and bliss. Nature and its simplicity is key to my inspiration as well as classic love stories and old architecture. Overall, I feel fortunate to begin my journey in wedding and event planning and am excited to start my own path and create my own story here at Reflections!

For my first blog post I wanted to explore the theme of uniqueness and look at three different examples of how to incorporate a fun surprise into your wedding for your guests, bridal party or your own bride or groom. The examples provided below are clips from YouTube of people’s weddings who added a fun twist to different parts of their special day that create a fun, positive and exciting atmosphere for all attendees of the wedding. I urge you to watch each clip – you won’t be disappointed!

1. Surprise your guests

This clip (as I'm sure you've already seen as it is immensely popular with 80+ million views) shows a wedding party that surprised their guests at the ceremony with a grand choreographed entrance to the upbeat tune of Chris Brown’s “Forever.” This routine caught guests by surprise and set the tone as joyful, exciting and upbeat. This is a great way to set the energy for the rest of your special day!

2. Surprise your wedding party

This clip shows a groom who put together a slideshow and 15 minute song at his reception that incorporated thank you’s to the wedding party, his parents, parents of the bride and the bride herself. This presentation incorporated humour, storytelling and even tears from the groom. A surprise twist on your speech is both a great way to surprise your wedding party and guests and provide a positive, memorable and unique experience for everyone involved.

3. Surprise your bride or groom

This last clip shows a groom who put together a dance routine with his groomsmen that tricked his bride and surprised his guests with a choreographed dance number to Justin Bieber’s “Baby.” This put a fun twist on reception and made a memorable experience for both the bride and the guests that was for sure to be talked about (as I am doing now!)

These clips are simple yet powerful examples of how traditional sections of weddings can be done with flare, excitement and with a twist. Incorporating a unique and personalized touch into your wedding that is a surprise for your guests, bridal party or bride or groom, is a for sure way to create a memorable, unique and overall enjoyable experience for your guests! I encourage you to think about how you can incorporate a unique and personalized moment into your own wedding or event!

Happy Planning!

Teal

Express Yourself...with Your Wedding Shoes

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 21:25:00 +0000

I think I can speak on behalf of women everywhere when I says shoes...great shoes...make us feel amazing! They define us in a subtle (or sometimes not so subtle) and exciting way.

We have to incorporate this particular accessories into our everyday routine and we consider every element of the type, style and comfort of which footwear we so decide to choose on any given day. Why should we not pay this much attention if not more when shopping for the perfect pair of wedding shoes?

What we put on our feet can speak volumes of who we are and how we express ourselves. Through color, texture, type of heel and even taste in designers. Shoe fashion is endless. Your wedding dress is the most important fashion piece yes...but for those Brides to be who perhaps are a little less inclined to show their true personalities thru the choice of their dress and want to take it one step further, well, your shoe style can certainly take care of that for you!

Be bold with a color or pattern choice that might surprise even you! These stunning Brian Atwood Claudia Embroidered Suede Pumps are sure to grab the attention of every guest.

Source: modernlywed.com viaReflections Event Productions on Pinterest

Yellow peep toes make a fun and bold statement, lift up that dress and show them off in your photos.

Source: clhweddings.com viaReflections Event Productions on Pinterest

Like the idea of being traditional but don't want to be boring? Add a little embellishment to a classic bridal shoe.

Source: shaadiesque.com viaReflections Event Productions on Pinterest

Let's see that attitude girl! There's no better day to let your inner diva out than your wedding day!

Source: aliexpress.com viaReflections Event Productions on Pinterest

Pantone's color of the year for 2013 is Emerald and it's making a big splash in the wedding world. Yves Saint Laurent must have seen this coming and showcased these fabulous emerald pumps in their Fall 2012 collection. What a fantastic way to incorporate this year's color into your wedding!

Source: rosalieava.polyvore.com viaReflections Event Productions on Pinterest

For those brides who want to show off your inner SASSINESS Christian Louboutin has the perfect solution! And don't worry, you will for sure wear these plenty of times after the wedding day too!

Source: us.christianlouboutin.com viaReflections Event Productions on Pinterest

Other ways that you can express your personality, attitude or bravery if only for a day with your shoe fashion choices…

Reflect yourself with a few personal customization to your shoes's soles.

Source: sosnweddings.blogspot.ca viaReflections Event Productions on Pinterest

Stay true to your sweetness and be romantic.

Source: weddingchicks.com viaReflections Event Productions on Pinterest

Your shoes are a great way to incorporate your "something blue". These Manolo Blahnik's are gorgeous and classic. Of course not everyone can have the luxury of Manolo's but the color is the key!

Source: neimanmarcus.com viaReflections Event Productions on Pinterest

Our accessories allow us to speak about who we are inside and give us the possibility to show a little flare, attitude and sexiness that we may not generally share with the rest of the world. So expose that inner personality that you haven’t before and go get a fabulous pair of wedding shoes for your big day!

GO ON GET TALKED ABOUT!! Remember it is all about you!

Happy Planning!

Shauna