Blogs

Guest blogger: Bonne Marcus
A fitness industry expert for 27 years, Marcus holds numerous certifications from the Aerobic Fitness Association of America (AFAA), including Step, Spin, Bosu™, Pre/Post Natal, Youth Fitness, Aqua, and Personal Training. She has taught for New York City’s top health clubs, including Crunch, New York Health and Racquet, and Reebok Sports Club. A recognized name on Long Island, Bonne has taught at Dany Holdstein’s Two Worlds, North Shore Health Club, LA Fitness, Sport time, Equinox and currently teaches at the Sid Jacobsen JCC in Roslyn. Learn more at getfitwithbonne.com.

Photo Credit: iStockPhoto

I pride myself in not just training brides, but educating them in a way that ensures good health and fitness for a lifetime. It's important to me that I give you everything you need to be successful — with a little help from me, you will encounter a relationship with exercise as rewarding as with the love of your life. Here, learn the most common fitness mistakes that can easily be avoided. 

Not only did 25-year-old Morgan Welge win nearly $36,000 worth of prizes in her Showcase Showdown — including a Jeep Patriot SUV and a trip to Bora Bora — but she also gained a fiancé! After spinning the wheel to earn her place in the showcase, her groom-to-be, Nick Parker, rushed up to the stage and popped the question:

That trip to Bora Bora will certainly come in handy for the honeymoon!

—Kristen Klein

What can you do if you fall in love with a venue that'll only fit half of your preliminary guest list? If you take real-life couple Laura Gray and Jordan Klepper's approach in their new Upright Citizens Brigade video, you'll find some pretty hilarious reasons to eliminate people from the list — including being too cute (sorry, babies), having no black friends, giving a bad Secret Santa gift, not calling after saving your life, crying too much (bye, Mom), and having weird bangs.

OK, you probably shouldn't actually use these reasons to cut people from your guest list, but anyone who's ever tried to trim a guest list can certainly relate to this video!

—Kristen Klein

When a couple who's madly in love realizes they want to get married and spend the rest of their lives together, naturally, they may wonder what their own version of forever will be like. "Will we be happily married in the future?" "Do we ever have kids in the future?" "Do we retire at a decent age?"

At Ben Nissen's wedding to his wife Katie Clementz, all of these questions and more were answered when the couple video-chatted with some very special guests — the future versions of themselves, 50 years from now! The best part is that they even had Jetsons-like cars zooming past them in the distance (whew, it was about time those were invented).

These happy newlyweds come from a creative background: The groom is the senior video editor at Groupon and the founder of his own video company, and the bride is a graphic designer. We tip our hats off to them (do they still have those in the future?) for finding such a unique way to incorporate their passions into the wedding reception.

You'll just have to watch this hilarious video for yourself to see how their relationship turns out over time:

Congrats to the happy newlyweds!

— Stefania Sainato

A week after his wife of 43 years, Carol, lost her battle with lupus and lung cancer, Lee Ballantyne, 65, dined alone for the first time at Cicco's Ristorante, an Italian restaurant in Barrie, Ontario. When he spotted a young couple enjoying a romantic meal together, he initially felt jealous — but then realized the reason was because the couple reminded him so much of his relationship with his late wife.

Lee and Carol Ballantyne (photo via Facebook)

"Watching them smile and chat as they studied the menu at first made me envious, but the longer I watched, the more I came to realize they are on the same journey as Carol and I experienced over the years," Ballantyne told the Daily Mail. The high school sweethearts were married in 1970 and together have three sons and five grandchildren. 

Ballantyne tracked down the couple's waitress and paid their bill, leaving them this note:

Loverly is the heart of weddings: a visual inspiration search engine designed to help brides discover ideas, people to hire, and things to buy. Loverly makes finding beautiful wedding inspiration easier than ever! Their images are powered by the best wedding publishers and wedding shopping partners on the web. Find Bridal Guide on Loverly >>

We’re looking forward to seeing temperatures rise (sooner rather than later, please!), but while it’s still chilly outside, we can’t help but daydream about beautiful bridal cover-ups. For those tying the knot in the cooler months, adding a beautiful wrap or bolero to your big-day look is a chic way to stay warm at your wedding. Here are a few stylish options for winter brides.

1. A faux-fur jacket is the perfect topper for a vintage-chic bride.

Finally decided on the big date? Next it's time to share the happy news with your closest friends and family members by sending them a save-the-date that reflects who you both are as a couple. If Amy DeChristopher and Hunter Cain's creative video is any indication, then we have no doubt that their May 30, 2014 wedding will be awesome!

The couple had two children reenact their love story — with some seriously sweet motivation, of course (they were promised ice cream). From Hunter's guitar wooing to Amy's memorable gift, we feel like we know them now. Watch this awww-worthy save-the-date for yourself and try not to crack up:

Save The Date - Amy & Hunter from Dozenaire on Vimeo.

—Stefania Sainato

Did you receive an extra-sparkly gift under the Christmas tree or while ringing in The New Year? If so, congrats! One of my best friends just got engaged (hey Stella!) and I’m looking forward to sharing in her joy as a bridesmaid in the coming year.

Since she relocated to Jacksonville from New York a couple of months ago, I couldn’t celebrate with her in person and I was really bummed out about it. So, I did the next best thing I could think of: I mailed her a huge stack of my old bridal magazines and used Post-It notes to tag all of the things that reminded me of her, whether it be a dress, reception detail or bouquet. Stella loved it and she said my inspo package arrived at just the right time — the engagement euphoria was settling down and she was gearing up for planning.

Learn how to make this cute engagement gift on Ruffled.
Photo Credit: Anniemade

Someone asked me recently how I still get so excited about weddings after marrying my husband Jason just four months ago. Shouldn't I be swearing off taffeta and color palettes forever and just indulge in all of this free time that I have, now that I'm not painstakingly coordinating a 300-person event?