Manic Monday: Physical Release

Manic Monday: Alyssa Aiola

If you feel like you are alone when it comes to wedding stress we are here to tell you your not, in fact it’s expected.  Between planning, organizing and maybe even the entire aspect of getting married you have a lot to be over whelmed by. A simple easy way to channel all this pent up anxiety can be through something as simple and old school as exercise.  Exercise is proven to relieve all types of stress and there are so many different types and forms that you are bound to find something perfect for  you. Engaging in moderate exercise for as little as 30 minutes a day can improve your mood dramatically statistics show and an added bonus is you will tone up for the big day! Here are a few different forms of exercise that maybe you never even considered would help ease wedding day stress that are not only good for your body but also mental health.

• Yoga: Many people think that yoga is just stretching. But while stretching is certainly involved, yoga is really about creating balance in the body through developing both strength and flexibility. This is done through the performance of poses or postures, each of which has specific physical benefits.

• Hot Yoga: Hot yoga is a vigorous form of yoga performed in a studio that is heated to 105 F (40 C) and has a humidity of 40 percent. The formal name for hot yoga is Bikram. Bikram yoga is a 90-minute program that consists of a series of 26 postures. The postures require lengthy, forceful and well-controlled contractions of all major muscle groups. The demanding nature of the poses and the heat are designed to raise your heart rate and tire your muscles.

• Restorative Yoga: While many forms of yoga offer a relaxing element to their practice, some poses and postures may require a lot of effort to maintain or get into—not exactly something you need to stress over if you’re burned out. Instead of moving from pose to pose, you’ll hold restful positions for a longer period of time, giving your body the opportunity to truly let go and releas

• NIA: which stands for Neuromuscular Integrative Action, is a blend of martial arts, dance, and healing arts. Done barefoot, this workout features a flowing blend of movement that combines deep breathing exercises with moves like kicks and turns to keep your heart rate elevated, your mind relaxed, and your body moving.

• Tai Chi: An ancient martial arts form originally developed in China, Tai Chi is a flowing, meditative series of movements designed to connect the mind and body and foster a sense of calm and serenity. But don’t be fooled by its peaceful nature—tai chi will keep you constantly in motion, engage your entire body, and offer a great mental challenge to stay present and in the moment.

• Kick Boxing: Combines elements of boxing, martial arts, and aerobics to provide overall physical conditioning and toning. Did we mention it is probably one of the best stress relievers if you just want to punch something, and no not your photographer!!!

• Koga: This unique form of exercise takes the best of yoga and kickboxing and combines them! Koga combines the mind-body mindset of yoga with the intense isometric and plyometric movements of boxing into one workout. Proponents of Koga say it increases your flexibility as well as burns fat and tones muscles.

let us know what forms of exercise has helped you cope with your wedding stress by commenting on our blog, writing on our facebook or tweeting to us!!

Manic Monday: Budget Bliss

Manic Monday by Alyssa Aiola

Lets face it, wedding planning can be extremely fun yet overbearingly stressful. With that being said, sometimes paying for it all can weigh down the future bride and make the entire planning process unenjoyably.  Every couple is working with a budget whether it is big or small, yet all have desires for things that could be possibly out of their reach.  One of the best tips in keeping within budget and preventing any let downs is to know exactly how much money you have and only working with what you have got.  As the budget stress begins to boil up here are a few tips any bride should keep in mind!

Accept that you can’t have it all: We are all guilty of looking through bridal magazines and falling in love with items that are simply way to expensive and out of our reach. No matter what your budget is, there will most likely always be something you can not afford and can only dream of.

Prioritize: Here at Private Receptions we think that prioritizing your budget is the best way to get rid of any type of anxiety you may feel as well as stay organized. When we receive new clients in order to get a better feel of their budget and how the bride wants to spend it, we ask them to take a look at our list of compiled of all things pertaining to the wedding and then have them rate them on a number scale of 1-10 of importance.  Some brides are extremely focused on the music being phenomenal day of the wedding while other brides would rather spend more money on flowers and décor. Finding what is most important to you and planning the budget that way will help bring your wedding dreams to life and also eliminate budget stress.

Be Somewhat Flexible:  Staying on budget for anyone can be an almost impossible task, especially when planning such a huge event.  Just say you gave yourself $300.00 dollars to spend on a cake but actually ended up spending $600.00 after cake tasting, you can fix it! Since you spent twice then what you originally planned, find a way to cut $300.00 from another part of the wedding.  This may mean not sending out save the dates or finding a DJ who charges slightly less then you budgeted, but its all possible as long as you are not spending significant amounts for every vendor.

Anticipate Unforeseen Costs: When coming up with your initial budget I am sure there were tons of things you hadn’t even thought to put into consideration. Until you really begin planning, you don’t notice how many details and components go into the actual wedding planning.  Maybe you overlooked transportation for the guests or sometimes a band requires an overnight stay in a close by hotel, all things you might not even considered.  Double-check your list and try to ensure that every item you’ll need to pay for is reflected in your total sum. But be prepared to add some things down the line that you probably didn’t anticipate in your original cost breakdown.

Be Comfortable:  You are not going to be able to enjoy the big day or shake any type of stress if you are literally breaking the bank. Can’t afford a $30,000 dollar wedding? Then DON’T have one!   You need to discuss with your fiancé what your exact budget is and accept it and learn to work with it.  You can make your day personal and amazing no matter what your budget is; you just have to get crafty!

Let us know some of your key tricks to keeping yourself in line with your budget as well as preventing yourself from getting overwhelmed and anxious when spending!

Manic Monday: Compromising

Manic Monday by Alyssa Aiola

One of the most stressful aspects of wedding planning can be when you and your fiancé are on completely separate pages with wedding details and both have different ideas on what the day should be like. After discussing some of the details that you have disagreed on, the next step is learning how to find a balance and a happy medium for the both of you. Maybe you always imagined your wedding in a church while he wants to run to the courthouse or where to even have the wedding his town or yours? The surprising thing is the incredible variety of subjects over which disagreements can arise and how common this actually is. If the decisions are not handled properly it cannot only put a damper on your big day, but also on your marriage. The best way to handle disputes like this is to compromise. As long as you both understand in advance that you wont always see eye to eye on things and you both fight fair, there is no reason why any single dispute or even a long series of disagreements should rock the boat . Here are a few ground rules every couple should set in order to prevent huge blowups on tedious wedding details.

How to Compromise: Before you start overwhelming yourself with who wants what, sit down with your fiancé and start making a list of importance. As far as the ceremony and reception are concerned write down the top 3 things that are important to you. After comparing your lists of importance you will be able to start compromising. If he wants a small wedding but you want a big one, you can always hold a small ceremony with a big after party. Or, if he wants a destination wedding and you want to be home, simply have the ceremony out of town and the reception in your hometown.

World Outside of the Wedding: Now that you are engaged it seems all you can talk about with anyone is wedding details. It is important to set aside time to spend time with your fiancé and remind each other why you are doing this in the first place. Wedding planning can drive couples crazy and you need to learn when to turn the planning on and off so you don’t sabotage your engagement.

Pick One Topic to Fight On: With any type of argument whether it be big or small can have a snowball affect leading into other arguments and disputes. If you start a debate on who wants to have a 5 piece band versus a disk jockey, it is against the rules to turn the discussion into how one person is a tightwad while the other is a spendthrift. It is also not permissible to turn the conversation into how if you didn’t spend all your money on the expensive engraved invitations, you would be able to afford a 5 piece band. Focus on one problem at a time and don’t carry one problem onto the next.

You Both Still Win: Whether your final agreement comes to your groom wearing a rainbow tuxedo or your getting your food catered from the school cafeteria, your both still getting married.  At the end of the day the main goal is just to celebrate two people celebrating a new chapter of life together and regardless of the details that will be accomplished.

It is important to remember that this is the person you are planning on spending the rest of your life with and learning to compromise and communicate now will be a vital task in your relationship. With that in mind take a few deep breaths and learn to give and take, you will be able to find a solution you are both happy with!  Having problems coming to an agreement on your wedding details?! Reply to us and let us know, we will help you see eye to eye!

Manic Monday: How to Avoid Dress Shopping Meltdowns!

Manic Monday: How to Avoid Dress Shopping Meltdowns by Alyssa Aiola

Exciting, fun, emotional, over-whelming, intimidating, frustrating, scary – just some of the words you might use to describe your experience of wedding dress shopping. With millions of dresses to choose from and one vision in mind, it is very easy to become unbearably overwhelmed and extremely anxious during the process. Here are a few tips to avoid the infamous wedding dress shopping meltdown, as well as ensure that your experience is one you will never forget.

• Do your homework: There is way more to your appointment then just showing up on time, you need to do your homework. Consultants need to know what you have in mind so researching online and pulling pictures from magazines is a great start to show dresses you love. Without any direction both you and the consultant will become quickly frustrated and might even be on different pages. Also try and stay as open minded as possible during your appointment, the dress of your dreams could be something you never imagined before!

• Trust your consultant: One of the most important aspects of wedding dress shopping is to trust your consultant. Remember their job is to ensure you find the perfect gown and they want you to feel that firework feeling the second you find it. Listen to their advice and take suggestions with an open mind, they do this everyday! Avoid getting nasty or snippy no matter how frustrated you may get.

• Don’t bring an entourage: We have seen it happen millions of times before on “Say Yes To The Dress”. Brides who bring more then two people are automatically overwhelmed with way too many opinions and the fun is quickly spoiled. Remember this day is about you and you shouldn’t settle on your dress in order to please everyone. Pick two people whose opinion you really value and know you best to keep things focused on you.

• Don’t wait till last minute: Nothing will make a bride more anxious then needing to find their dress in a time crunch. Keep in mind finding “the one” may take months and the store must order the dress from the supplier first. You also need to allot time for alterations, so you must start shopping close to a year prior.

• Appointment: You absolutely MUST schedule an appointment with the bridal salon in order to receive great service. Without one you might be rushed or given less attention to, and that just sounds like a recipe for disaster!

• Budget: One of the worst things you could possibly do during your appointment is try on dresses way out of budget. You need to be realistic about what you can spend and stick to it so you don’t get your heartbroken by an expensive gown. No matter who is paying for the gown, the budget needs to be discussed prior to the appointment so you avoid a financial strain and burden.

• Don’t Over shop: During each appointment you should only try on maximum 9-10 dresses in order to avoid feeling completely overwhelmed. Once you have started trying on too many dresses everything starts to look the same and you begin to feel as if the dress of your dreams doesn’t exist. Schedule another appointment and go back a different day with a clean slate and fresh outlook, you’ll be happy you did.

• Bring a heel: In order to get the perfect image of what you will look like on your big day, you should bring a pair of heels roughly around the same height as the ones you plan on wearing.  This also allows you to see exactly where the hem will hit and create the full effect.

• Hair Tie: Although this seems pretty silly, a hair tie can change the whole look of a dress. By simply putting your hair up when trying on dresses you will be able to see the full neckline of the gown, as well as a better image of what the dress will look like with an up due.

• Don’t continue shopping: The golden rule of dress shopping is once you have found the gown, don’t keep looking! You didn’t continue shopping for men after your engagement, so don’t cheat on your dress either! Once a bride continues looking the only thing she is doing is setting herself up for fear and doubt about her original choice.

We wish you the best of luck during your wedding dress shopping experience and let us know if these helpful stress-free tips were useful to you!

Office Quickie!

Manic Mondays By Lauren Cooper

Yoga for Relaxation

If wedding and work stress has you tense, and your normal workout just isn’t cutting it; you might want to try working in yoga to your everyday routine.

There are a few simple poses that you can do in the comfort of you own home, and even a couple you can sneak into the office.

(Don’t worry, your boss won’t catch you doing down dog in the copy room)

Corpse Pose

This pose is ideal for early morning or pre-bedtime relaxation.

Lay completely flat on your back, legs comfortably apart, arms at your sides with palms facing up and fingers relaxed. Start by drawing in a breath deep into your abdomen. Gradually relax each muscle one by one. It helps if you imagine that you inhale to one specific part of your body, and release the tension from that part as you exhale. Eventually you should feel as if your sinking into the earth. This pose promotes deep relaxation and you may find yourself starting to drift asleep.

Cobra Pose

Start face down on a yoga mat, palms next to your shoulders, legs straight back and toes pointed outward. As you inhale, push with your arms so that your torso arches back. Relax your neck and let it fall back if it needs to. Breathe deep into your spine as this pose helps release tension and toxins from the spinal column. Gradually lower yourself back down to the mat.

Mountain Pose

Stand with your feet aligned with your shoulders, palms facing outward. Breathe deeply, imagining that your feet are connected to the earth. Inhale and raise your arms, palms facing each other, to the sky. Reach above your head, bring your palms together and draw your arms down towards your heart as you exhale. Repeat as necessary.

This is great to do in the office when you need to stretch or release tension.

Happy Baby

This is probably one of my favorite positions!

Its particularly great if you suffer from lower back pain. Begin lying face up on your yoga mat.Draw your knees towards your chest and gently rock back and forth.Grab the arch of each foot and gently pull your legs towards your head.  (Kind of like how a baby reaches for his toes when he discovers them) Breathe until you feel the tension released from your back.

Sweet Bridal Dreams

Manic Mondays by Lauren Cooper

Its 3am and you just jolted awake from that recurring nightmare where you tear your dress, run out of food and get stuck in a torrential downpour.  No, it’s not a premonition; nightmares about the wedding day are normal. Here are some tips to keep your dreams sweet and stress free.

• To help you relax, try avoiding wedding related tasks too close to bedtime.  This way they aren’t in the forefront of your mind waiting to assault your dreams.
• If you’re a tea-drinker, sip on some chamomile tea which has relaxing properties.  I’m a fan of Celestial Seasoning’s Sleepytime Tea, available in the tea isle of most grocery stores.
• Play soft music, like classical, before bedtime. Soothing grooves can do wonders for stress relief.
• 

  source: It Happened in India

  Try picking a scented essential oil and placing it on your pressure points: behind the ears, wrist, temples.  Vanilla or lavender scents have proven calming effects.  Bath and Body Works has two remedies: Stress Relief, with eucalyptus and spearmint and Sleep, with warm milk and honey notes.

• If you’re too sensitive to scents, try meditation which forces you to focus on calming breaths or even just sitting quietly while taking deep, slow breaths.  The key is to imagine your head being emptied of thought; otherwise you’ll just sit there itemizing all the things you could be doing (trust me, I’ve been there!).
• Recruit your fiancé to give you a massage.  Bonus points if he offers first!!

No matter which method works for you; remember, even with a few bumps and bruises, it will all be perfect in the end.

Wedding Tension, Headaches and Breakouts, oh my!

by Elysha Beckerman

Don’t Stress! There are many ways to combat unwanted wedding anxiety. Let’s investigate…

• Back or body tension may be the cause of tossing and turning over decisions for your wedding while laying awake in bed at night.  Attend a spa that gives you the works.  Bliss has a remarkable menu, offering well-known treatments like the Blissage 105.  This massage includes head to toe relief on a warmed massage table for an hour and forty five minutes!

• Is trimming the guest list giving you a horrible headache or even worse a migraine? Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese practice that entails placing needles in certain points of the body to regulate flow of your Chi.  Acupuncture can sound scary to a first-timer but its natural relief will have you coming back for more and studies show amazing results. If you are located near Manhattan check out  Anastasia Hall of Fire Lizard Acupuncture. She is known for taking pain out of your life!

• Bodacious Bumps (better known as breakouts) are quite common the week leading up to a wedding.  Attending a salon that offers multiple types of facials will guarantee to meet your needs.  Try the Peninsula Spa by ESPA NY.  They offer seven types of facials from ninety minutes long to sixty minutes short specializing in oil controlling, skin firming, and instant brightening.

Studio Saldana

If the spa doesn’t fit into your tight schedule we suggest to take a night to chill out with yourself!  Relax in a bubble bath surrounded by aromatherapy candles and have warmed lotion waiting for you when you’re done.  Try Lollia Life Relax: Unfrogettable set, which includes bubble bath, shea butter crème and an aromatherapy candle.

Indulge! Treat yourself to some relaxing moments during the wedding planning process.

Are you a bugged out Bride-to-be?

Planning the perfect wedding is overwhelming and there is so much to do and never enough time. As if you don’t have enough stress from your everyday life add BRIDAL STRESS to it all and you may find yourself at the tipping point! The bad news: Planning your wedding is bound to be stressful! The good news: you don’t have to let the stress consume you! Below are some pre-wedding relaxation tips to make sure your special day is successful and stress free…

Things You Can Do For Yourself:

1. Get A Massage: Treat yourself! Don’t let wedding stress add tension to your body.

2. Exercise: Take yoga or pilates classes. Your health is important!

3. Take A Bath: Indulge in a warm, relaxing bubble bath.

4. Have Romantic Time: Don’t neglect your spouse. You need each other and spending time together will ease the stress.
5. Girls Nights: Talk with your close friends. Don’t they always help you feel better?

Things You Can Do For the Wedding:

1. Plan the Wedding Early: The more you leave til the last minute the more stress there will be!

2. Ask For Help: Your loved ones love you! Don’t be afraid to ask them for help.

3. Stay Organized: Being organized will always keep stress levels to a minimum.