Planning: Animal Attraction

It goes without saying that on your big day you want to be surrounded by your entire family and close friends. For a good majority of couples that also means including Fido as well. Here, our tips to bone up on the basics.

MUTT-DO’S For starters consider your pet’s personality. Is the pet comfortable around strangers? Think of where your event will be held. Dogs may not be permitted in the house of worship or indoor reception venue; it's always best to check first.

BEST ATTENDANT IN SHOW What part will your pup play in your wedding? You’ve got options: Pooch can be escorted down the aisle to deliver the rings or even stand at your side as a "bone"afide attendant.

DOGGIE FUN To up the fun factor, dress your dog up for the wedding. A simple dog collar in a color that coordinates with your bridesmaids will do. Or go fancy and try Pink Belly Gifts for 

pup­-sized wedding gowns and tuxes, Etsy for a bow tie or Calling All Dogs for a tiara. Lastly, you might ask your florist to fit your pooch with a floral neck wreath in your wedding colors or attach single bloom to the dog collar.

HEAVY PETTING Grooming your pooch is a crucial step—and we’re talking beyond the basics. Start with a full grooming session two or three days prior, including a shampoo, haircut and nail trimming. Add a spa extra like a hot oil treatment or a pet­i­cure. Don’t forget to banish bad breath.

BONE APPETIT With all the picture­-taking and socializing, your dog will certainly work up an appetite. Remember to bring along your dog's tre. And most of all, enjoy the celebration and pup’s company.

Happy tails to you!


By Patricia Canole
For more wedding planning tips and trends, visit ForTheBrideMag.com
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Planning: Say "I Do" To A Green Wedding

THROWING AN ECO­-FRIENDLY EVENT DOESN’T HAVE TO MEAN SACRIFICING STYLE.

From bakers to brewers, plenty of environmentally conscious vendors keep elegance in mind, so you both can commit to each other—and the planet. Here, our tips on ways to go green—any time of year.

INVITE RIGHT Choose recycled paper for your wedding stationery—save­-the­-dates, invitations, and programs. Invite Site, Of the Earth and Twisted Limb Paperworks specialize in gorgeous handcrafted paper made from 100 percent recycled material. Ask your printer to use soy­based inks, which emit 70 percent less volatile hydrocarbons than petroleum­-based inks.

Courtesy of Invite Site

Courtesy of Loveridge Photography for Celia Grace

LOOK ECO­-CHIC Hemp, bamboo, organic cotton and “fair­wage” silk may not sound glamorous, but wedding looks made from eco-friendly fabrics can actually be quite chic! Celia Grace debuted their 2015 Collection at New York’s Bridal Fashion Week as the first ever fair trade wedding dress designer. For this collection, you’ll be enchanted with the eco­-conscious line of dresses sourced from woven silks and natural fibers then transformed by hand and into stunning one­-of-­kind designs.

PICK PURE PETALS Ask your florist to use organically grown, pesticide­-free flowers or order them yourself from Organic Bouquet (they ship nationwide). For destination weddings, stick to local florals to avoid the pollution created by transporting your blooms.

Courtesy of Organic Bouquet

Courtesy of Craft Beer

NATURE AT ITS BEST Brides and grooms are asking for everything from grass­-fed beef to free­-range chicken. A good resource is Green Planet Catering for ideas on planning a menu. If you’ve already hired a catering crew, see whether they’re willing to work with organic ingredients. For beverages, The Organic Wine Company specializes in high­-end wines made from organically grown grapes while Craft Beer will direct couples to the nearest local brewery offering beers using only organic hops. A nice touch: many feature seasonal brews.

SWEET SENSATIONS Consider serving an organic confection, like this three­ layered naked cake from Edith Meyer of Santa Cruz, California. Almost too good to eat, this floral decorated delicacy consists of three tiers of vanilla and chocolate cake and filled with 
ganache.

Courtesy of Edith Meyer Wedding Cakes

By Patricia Canole
For more wedding planning tips and trends, visit ForTheBrideMag.com
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Planning: Decode your wedding day

You're engaged and with it brings the rush of social media announcements. As you tweet, text and e­mail friends and family, you’ve no doubt realized this is a whole new world filled with lace, tulle and a vocabulary all its own. Do you know what BM, E­Ring, DF, MILTB and RB mean? Being engaged is almost like a secret club with a language filled with wedding abbreviations that you've probably never used.

The next time you’re texting your florist, browsing the wedding boards for inspiration, or sending e­mails to your bridesmaids, refer to our “dictionary” of commonly used wedding abbreviations.

Life just got a little simpler!

AHR At­-Home Reception 
BF Boyfriend/Best Friend

BIL Brother­-in­-Law
BM Best Man/ Bridesmaid
BP Bridal Party
DW Destination Wedding
E­Party Engagement Party
E­Ring Engagement Ring
FILTB Future Father­-in­-Law to Be FG Flower Girl
FI Fiancé/Fiancee
FIL Father­-in­-Law
FNF Friends & Family
FOB Father of Bride
FOG Father of Groom
FSIL Future Sister-­in­-Law

FW Future Wife 
GM Groomsmen 
H2B Husband­-to­-Be 
HM Honeymoon 
ILs In­-Laws

JP Justice of the Peace
LDR Long­-Distance Relationship 
MILTB Mother­-in­-Law to Be
MOB Mother of the Bride
MOG Mother of Groom
MOH Maid of Honor/Matron of Honor 
OOTG Out of Town Guests
OTT Over the Top
RB Ring Bearer

RD Rehearsal Dinner
SIL Sister­-in­-Law
SO Significant Other
STDs Save­-the­-Date Cards
WP Wedding Party/Wedding Planner

By Patricia Canole
For more wedding planning tips and trends, visit ForTheBrideMag.com
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Health & Fitness: Rest Easy

Effective Ways To Wind Down, Rev Up, And Feel Your Best All Day Long.

Sleep is elusive. With lives multitasked to the umpteenth degree, many brides-to-be come up short on shut-eye. You toss and turn as you slumber (an average of 7 ½ hours a night, says the National Sleep Foundation), upsetting the all-important REM-rich cycles while unconsciously fretting over wedding planning. Here, two compelling reasons to get enough rest.

Your Weight 
Brides who skimp on sleep are significantly more likely to be overweight than those who
consistently get seven hours of shut-eye a night. When you’re sleep-deprived, your body produces more stress hormones such as cortisol, which slows down your metabolism and ups production of appetite-increasing hormones such as leptin.

Your Health 
Being tired means you’re more susceptible to everything from developing diabetes to catching colds. Experts indicate that after six nights of four hours’ sleep, you may have an increase in higher blood sugar (an early warning sign of diabetes) and weaker immune systems than those who slept eight hours. Sleeping only six hours a night increases the risk of heart disease by 18 percent.

 

RESTED DEVELOPMENT Think you’re slumber savvy? Don’t be so sure! Answer these questions to reveal if you catch enough z’s.

Do you generally wake up before your alarm goes off every morning?

A.    Yes

B.    No

Best answer: A 
You’ll wake up on your own if you’re getting enough sleep, which many of us aren’t. More than 43 percent of women report feeling so tired it affects their day-to-day activities three days a week.

How fast do you fall asleep when you get into bed?    

A.    As soon as your head hits the pillow

B.    Within 10 to 15 minutes

C.    You toss and turn for almost an hour

Best answer: B 
If you lose consciousness almost immediately after crawling under the covers, you’re sleep-deprived. But if you toss and turn, consumed by stress, you may be spending too much time in bed, which contributes to insomnia. Try going to sleep 15 minutes later.

How much caffeine do you consume?

A.    You’re useless without your morning brew and afternoon cappuccino (not to mention those two diet sodas you drink with lunch.

B.    You have a cup of coffee in the morning and either a cup of coffee or a diet drink in the afternoon as a pick-me-up

C.    Just one cup in the morning.

Best answer: C 
The less caffeine you crave, the more rested you are. If you can get through that 3pm slump (your body’s natural low point) without reaching for a the cup of java, then you’re master of your sleep domain.

By Patricia Canole
For more health & fitness tips and trends, visit ForTheBrideMag.com

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