Photograph by: Alex Beauchesne/BRIDESYou've found the perfect gown—now get the body to rock it. Our wedding-dress workout, designed by New York trainer Shaun Zetlin, will help you target the parts your frock will be flaunting. Bring it on.
FOR AMAZING ABS: SIDE PLANK Lie on your left side, with your legs and feet stacked; your knees, hips, and shoulders should be in alignment. Prop yourself up with your left arm while keeping your shoulders, neck, and spine relaxed. (Your abs should be tight.) Push upward with your hips and glutes. Hold for 30 seconds, then return to the start position. Do two repetitions on each side.
Photograph by: Alex Beauchesne/BRIDESFOR AMAZING ABS: TABLE CRUNCH WITH BALL Lie with your back neutral (not arched). Your feet should be in the air, your legs bent, your hands holding a four-pound medicine ball above your head, your elbows slightly bent. Use your abs to come up into a crunch position; avoid relying on momentum from your arms. Return to the start position. Do two sets of 15 reps.
Photograph by: Alex Beauchesne/BRIDESFOR A BEAUTIFUL BACK: ZOTTMAN ROW Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees, and angle your torso forward from your waist. Holding five-pound weights (palms down), extend your arms forward. Rotate your palms up as you bring your hands to your hips. Tuck your elbows, and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Return to the start position. Do two sets of 15 reps.
Photograph by: Alex Beauchesne/BRIDESFOR A BEAUTIFUL BACK: SCAPTION Holding five-pound weights with your palms facing in and your hips aligned, bend one knee so the foot is three inches above the ground. Extend your arms forward into a V shape. (Don't raise them above the shoulder.) Return to the start position; repeat with the other knee. Do two sets of 12 reps.
Photograph by: Alex Beauchesne/BRIDESFOR AWESOME ARMS: OVERHEAD TRICEP EXTENSION Stand with your knees slightly bent and your right foot on one end of a resistance band. Holding the other end with your right hand, bend your elbow, creating an angle. Keeping your shoulders down, straighten your right arm until it's almost fully locked. Return to the start position. Do four sets of 12 reps on each side.
Photograph by: Alex Beauchesne/BRIDESFOR AWESOME ARMS: ARCHER PRESS With your feet shoulder-width apart, hold five-pound weights with your elbows bent and your palms in. Take a step forward with your right foot while slowly extending diagonally upward with your left hand. Alternate hands and feet. Do two sets of 12 reps.
Photograph by: Alex Beauchesne/BRIDESFOR SMOKIN'-HOT HIPS: PRONE BACK KICKBACK Resting on your elbows in a plank position, round your back slightly and bring your right knee close to your chest. With your left leg completely straight, your butt down, and your shoulders relaxed, extend the tucked leg up, keeping your glutes tight and your back flat. Return to the start position. Do two sets of 15 reps on each side.
Photograph by: Alex Beauchesne/BRIDESFOR SMOKIN'-HOT HIPS: ONE-LEGGED BRIDGE WITH OVERHEAD PRESS Lie with your back slightly arched, holding a four-pound medicine ball an inch above your chest. Bend your right leg, and lift your left leg three inches. Raise your lower body three inches, using your glutes, as you extend your arms up. Return to the start position. Do two sets of 12 reps.
—Marina Khidekel, BRIDES magazine
BRIDES magazine • Brides Daily • Fitness
Get In Shape for Your Wedding
Beauty • Brides Daily • Fashion • Fitness • Food • Gift Registry • Jewelry • Travel
10 White Hot Wedding Trends
Photo by Adrienne PageOctober is the new "it" month for weddings. The weather is cooler, prices for venues begin to dip, and bright fall foliage provides gorgeous photo ops galore. It's estimated that 31,050 couples were married this Sunday, 10/10/10. That's 10 times more than the typical Sunday! In honor of October's rise to fame, the editors of BRIDES offer up the top 10 trends for weddings that will take you from 10/10/10 and beyond.—Jackie Lebowitz, BRIDES magazine
Engagement
Chic, fashion shoots aren't just for the pages of magazines anymore. Stylish couples are having fun propping and dressing up for professional engagement photos that incorporate their fashion style, quirky personalities, hobbies, and favorite activities. It's also a great way to try out a photographer to see if you like his shooting style.
Photo by Halley GangesRegistry
Canapé or hors d'oeuvre plates are all the rage. Usually used for small bites, they're a great opportunity to register for tabletop that's bold and maybe a little out there (compared to your formal dinnerware). They are great for casual gatherings and cocktail parties.
Photo by Amira MorFitness
Is your daily appointment with the treadmill making you feel like a hamster? We hear you. A fun—yes, you heard us—way of keeping that wedding-worthy shape without dreading a trip to the gym is to enroll in a belly-dancing or Zumba class. Not only will the instructor keep you focused and motivated, but once you've mastered the moves, you can even practice at home.
Photo by Thomas IannaconneFashion
From 3-D glasses to 3-D dresses, the more in your face, the better. This year, it's about big dresses that really pop. Our favorite pattern? Giant floral appliqué skirts.
Photo by Matt Lever for RedkenHair
You can thank the TV show Mad Men for an increased interest in the structured dresses and polished tresses of '60s style. The hottest hairstyle trend right now is the updo. From the pony and the knot to the twist and the bun, and whether it's structured and formal or loose and flirty, the updo is back!
Photo by Condé Nast Digital StudioMakeup
Any makeup artist will tell you that foundation really is the key to a flawless complexion. After that, keep it simple. Layer on bright red lips or a bit of bronzer on top and that's all you need.
Photo Courtesy of Kirk KaraJewelry
For engagement rings, floral designs with colored gemstones are huge right now, as are black diamonds. On the wedding-band front, rose gold, a warm metal that works on all skin tones, is heating up as an alternative to platinum and gold.
Photo Courtesy of A Bryan PhotoReception
More brides and grooms are totally obsessed with props and games at their receptions. Whether it's fake mustaches to wear in the photo booth, a bangle bar where guests can choose their own favors to wear, or croquet and horseshoes, it's all about having fun and not being stuffy. A wedding reception is just one huge party, after all!
Photo Courtesy of RosannaDessert
Cupcakes continue their dessert dominance. Whether they're quarter-size morsels from Baked by Melissa or giant-cupcake cakes from Crumbs that can feed an entire table, they're a fun way to end any meal.
Photo Courtesy of Greater Miami Convention & Visitors BureauTravel
There's one way to make the honeymoon last—take two of them! Short weekend trips close to home to places like Newport, Rhode Island, and Miami (for East Coast dwellers) or Scottsdale, Arizona, and San Francisco (for the West Coasters) is the perfect warm-up or "mini-moon" before the blowout honeymoon.
BRIDES magazine • Fitness
How to Learn to Love the Gym
Photo by Bruno Gaget/BRIDES
Joining a fitness club can be intimidating: the crowds, the chiseled bodies, the complicated machines. Equinox fitness manager and personal trainer Keith Irace offers strategies to put you in the comfort zone:
- Use the buddy system: It's always easier to try something new when you've got support. "You won't feel so conspicuous if you have company," says Irace. Bonus: A workout partner will help motivate you.
- Time it right: Ask about the gym's slowest hours, and try to schedule your visits then. Navigating a not-so-crowded gym is less stressful.
- Be proactive: "Most clubs offer a free orientation with a trainer when you join--take advantage of it," advises Irace. "This person will show you how to use the machines and the correct form."
- It's all about you: Serious gym-goers tune everyone out. Put on your iPod, stop checking out the "competition," and focus on yourself.
BRIDES magazine • Brides Daily • Celebrity Gossip • Fitness
23 Easy Ways to Jump Start Your Diet
WWD/Steve Eichner
By now you've probably seen pictures of a svelte Hilary Duff in her custom strapless Vera Wang dress as she wed hockey player Mike Comrie. Hilary worked with celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak to eat right (lots of veggies) and get in shape (step up that cardio!) for the big day. The fast-food junkie did include some guilty pleasures at the wedding—like ice cream sandwiches—as a reward for all of her dedication!
For the rest of us who don't have the budget for a personal trainer, getting in shape isn't as hard as it looks. Follow these healthy habits from BRIDES magazine and you have 23 great ways to jump-start any diet.
1. Ask a friend to join a gym with you; it's harder to slack off when a pal is on board.
2. Stuff your sandwiches with extra veggies—fiber equals full.
3. Trade your daily caramel macchiato for a skim-milk latte.
4. Make it a rule to take the stairs instead of the elevator.
5. Limit alcohol to one glass of wine at dinner.
6. Have an apple a day—it's portable, fat-free, and filling.
7. Zap a bag of air-popped popcorn in place of greasy chips.
8. Increase your workouts by five-minute increments.
9. Steer clear of the vending machine by keeping a zipper bag of "safe" snacks (almonds, fruit) on hand.
10. Buy workout clothes you love—even if you don't love your shape—to motivate you to get to the gym.
11. Peruse restaurant menus online so you can plan your meal ahead of time.
12. Park in the far end of the lot or a few blocks from your destination, so you're forced to walk.
13. Include lean protein with every meal—it'll rev up your metabolism and help build muscle mass.
14. Hop on the scale each morning; studies have shown that daily weigh-ins help to keep us in check.
15. Keep a photo of your wedding gown in your wallet for inspiration.
16. Eat low-fat, vegetable-based soups; they'll fill you up with minimal calories.
17. Swap that candy bar for baby carrots and salsa when you need a 3 p.m. energy boost.
18. Start the day with high-fiber, low-sugar cereal with fat-free milk and a banana.
19. Reach for hard candies or gum when you need a sugar fix.
20. Ask for dressing on the side; restaurants tend to saturate salads.
21. Trade white foods (pasta, rice, bread) for their brown, high-fiber counterparts.
22. Bring your lunch to work to avoid fast-food purchases.
23. Switch the TV channel from cooking shows to Access Hollywood.
—Hillary Quinn, BRIDES magazine
