WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

WEDWEDWED The Magazine

SashaSasha SouzaSouza PlusPlusPlus

Planning Advice, Planning Advice, Planning Advice,

techWED, techWED, techWED,

Real Weddings Real Weddings Real Weddings

that inspire, that inspire, that inspire,

Pin it to win it Pin it to win it Pin it to win it

and more!and more!and more!

and her and her

Magnificent Magnificent

DesignsDesigns

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

From the Editor’s Desk Welcome to WED Volume 2! We are excited to start out our second

volume with a new cover design AND an amazing event designer

gracing it — Sasha Souza!

I was lucky enough to hear Sasha speak at Wedding MBA last year

and not only was she informative about her design process, but

has a sarcastic wit to boot! You’ll really enjoy our interview with

her and photos of her magnificent designs!

And in honor of the first edition of Volume 2, we bring you a

“Pin it to Win it” contest inspired by Sasha Souza. Create a pin board on Pinterest using

a pin by Sasha Souza Events as your centerpiece and you could win a signed copy of her

book and be featured on our WEDpinning blog! You can follow us and learn more about

the contest at: Pinterest.com/WedBiz

Our trainer Chante Pemberton and our “Get Ready for the Gown” section is back, as well

as Bridal Show Betty, our Something Borrowed real weddings and more!

Be sure to get our App and enjoy WED on your iPad or iPhone for FREE. Just search

WedBiz Media in the App Store. You’ll also find us listed under weddings. It is truly the

way this magazine should be enjoyed! And you can take your inspiration and our

Preferred Vendor listings with you on the go!

We hope you enjoy our magazine – it continues to be infused with love! I’d love to hear

what you think, or if you have

ideas for articles you’d like to

see, write to me at

editor@wedbizmedia.com.

Happy Reading!

Kelly

Kelly Werder

Editor-in-Chief

WED - The Magazine

WED The Magazine is published by WedBiz Media.

Copyright © 2011, All Rights Reserved.

www.WedBizMedia.com 888-588-1698

Contact Information:

Advertising Sales: sales@wedbizmedia.com

Editorial Information: editor@wedbizmedia.com

General Information: info@wedbizmedia.com

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

Wish Upon a Wedding is the world’s first nonprofit organization, dedicated to providing weddings for individuals facing a life-threatening illness. They cur-rently have 16 chapters available to grant wishes, all across the United States, with more opening throughout 2011. Wish Upon a Wedding celebrates the courage, determination and spirit of these cou-ples by granting their dream wedding wishes. Their hope is that chosen recipients can inspire other cou-ples facing similar situations to find hope and strength. For more information or to Apply for a Wish, visit www.wishuponawedding.org.

WedBiz Media is committed to promoting wedding related charitable organizations and

providing you with ideas on how you can help. Doing Good!

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

Pop-up Giveaways!

How to Enter:

1. View our Pop-up Giveaway Page for entry info

2. Subscribe to WED’s Weekly Inspiration for updates or follow us on Twitter

3. Tell your friends!

We have new giveaways popping up all the time! Be sure to follow us on Twitter and

Facebook for pop-up giveaway announcements, view our Pop-up Giveaway Page OR

subscribe to WED’s Weekly Inspiration and we’ll send our giveaway announcements

right to your Inbox.

to Win it! Pinterest Contest And this month, look for our. . .

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

to Win it!

“Inspired by Sasha” Pinterest Contest

Create a pin board on Pinterest inspired by the amazing designs of our

cover interview subject Sasha Souza and you could win a signed copy of

Sasha’s book: Signature Sasha: Magnificent Weddings by Design

How to Enter:

1. Visit the WED the Magazine Pinterest page and follow

us on Pinterest (Pinterest.com/wedbiz)

2. Click on the “Pin it to Win it” pin board for some of

the amazing pins by Sasha Souza. Look at Sasha’s

Pinterest page for even more inspiration.

3. Select at least one of Sasha’s pins to inspire your

board.

4. Get Pinning! Create a board with at least 20 pins with

your own dream wedding design.

5. Fill out the Entry form on WEDtheMagazine.com by

August 10, 2012 and include a link to your pin board.

6. All entries will be reviewed and the winner will be

sent a signed copy of Sasha’s book AND will be featured on WEDpinning.com.

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

WED talks with

From theater arts to luxe event

designer, Sasha Souza’s flair for

the dramatic has suited her well.

Event design trendsetter, Sasha

Souza grew up in San Francisco

as the daughter of a flower-child.

After cultivating a background in

the theater, Sasha combined this

approach to event design with

her business acumen in her first

event business, The Whole

SheBang! which she opened in

1995. She is now the award

winning CEO of Sasha Souza

Events and is nationally

recognized as one of the top

event designers and educators.

She shares her journey in this

interview with WED.

WED: How did you get into the event industry?

What inspired you?

I actually fell into the events industry by accident. I

had always wanted to be a stage performer but

because I wasn’t very good at it, I was always in the

back of the house doing the sets, lighting, stage

management, etc. After I realized I would not be

able to be paid regularly for working in theater, I

decided to go back to school and I got a job working

for the University of California in their Internal Audit

Department. Not a very exciting or creative field.

One day I was at a book store looking at books on

home based businesses and while I was reading the

jobs, I came across Wedding Consultant. I felt like I

could do that job very successfully so I took the

advice of the book and joined the Association of

Bridal Consultants, received their training and

literally started my own business about 6 months

later. It’s been 16 years now that I’ve been in the

industry

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

WED: What was your first high profile/celebrity

event?

My first high profile event was for Amy Acker who

was formerly on TV shows (“Buffy the Vampire

Slayer,” “Angel,” “Alias,” “Doll House” and in movies

like “Catch Me If You Can” and “The Cabin in the

Woods”) and her husband James Carpinello, who is a

successful Broadway actor and has also made many

films.

WED: What mistakes did you make early on and

how did you learn from them?

What mistakes didn’t I make would probably be a

shorter list. I feel like I have made every single

mistake in the books, and because I learn best by

doing, those mistakes have all been valuable lessons.

But even though some things didn’t go exactly as I

had wanted or envisioned, and it was “technically” a

mistake, many of those are more like opportunities.

They have almost always turned out to be the right

thing in one way or another and better in the long

run.

WED: Tell us about your team – how do you choose

your vendor partners? How about your staff?

My office team is just me and my long time assistant,

Mellysa. She’s been with me for about 11 years. My

floral design team consists of the lead designer,

Leah, and her staff of about 8 assistants/designers.

Everybody else that works for me is a vendor for the

event; however, I have a very short referral list. I

refer one or two catering companies depending on

the clients’ taste, one cake baker, one or two

invitation companies based on clients’ needs and

budget, a few officiates, a few photographers and

videographers based on budget/style, a single linen

vendor, a single lighting & AV company and one

music/entertainment broker. This keeps a team of

the same vendors together at all events and they all

do the job they were paid to do and know the

expectations I have and that the client has. There

isn’t a huge learning curve and I know that I can trust

them to make decisions that are right for the event

and I don’t have to micromanage them – something

no business owner/human being enjoys. The events

are mostly smooth, aside from a few small hiccups,

but rarely do we have any emergencies and if we do,

they often fix it before I even know about it. It’s

been this way for me since 1999 and I would never

go back.

WED: Let’s talk about your planning and design

process – where do you start when a couple first

comes to you? Where do you find inspiration?

We start with a contract and portfolio review. Once

the contract is signed and the retainer for our

services is paid, we send them an 8-page design

questionnaire. Once we have that back we start the

planning and design process. We manage everything

Photo by Sherman Chu

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

from site visits to the closing wrap up at the event

for our clients. But we have to start with finding out

what they want and where they are, from a design

perspective. Our events are not over the top or

ostentatious. They are events that are designed

specifically to their personalities. Because of this,

the inspiration we get always comes from the client.

Either by adjectives they use when describing their

event or the design of their house. We’ve used the

color in a variety of items to design events around—

favorite scarves, rugs or wall color in a couple’s

home. Realistically, anything that moves my client to

feel good and happy, I need to know about.

WED: Where are some of your favorite venues and

locations for weddings? What do you look for?

My favorite venues are dependent on the couple but

I think any event designer would prefer a “big black

box” – a space that is raw of design and décor or pre-

conceived notions of how it must be done. This

allows for the best design – they are also the more

expensive spaces in that you must bring in every

single stick of furniture, draping, lighting, décor, etc.

But we can make the space whatever we want it to

be for that moment of the couple’s wedding. I also

prefer venues with large setup time as most of our

events take a day or two of load in, a day of event

setup, event day and a day or two of strike.

WED: What have been some of your favorite

weddings that you’ve done?

With 16 years in the business, I have a ton of

favorite weddings so it’s incredibly hard to choose.

And I like so many of them for different reasons. For

example:

Kristen & Todd’s photo wall (above). It’s been

duplicated all over the internet but I still think ours

was the best iteration – it gave us a way to display

family photos and have the guests interact within the

Photo by Elizabeth Messina

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

wall. I also loved her herb toss. Instead of tossing

flower petals or bird seed we used organic herbs

such as lavender, chamomile and rosemary.

Candice & Erich’s wine cave dinner (below).

Gorgeous mirror top table with a custom built

structure overhead to make the cave feel like a

garden. We custom poured tons of candles,

thousands of roses and carnations. It was romantic

and opulent.

The Mexico Fire Table (next page): 64’ long flaming

fire table on a beach on mainland Mexico. It was a

little bit dangerous and had never been done before

— completely awe-inspiring. It’s what happens

when you have too many margaritas before you

design a wedding.

The bridesmaids

bouquet from Kate &

Dave’s wedding was

a stunning contrast to

their ocean blue

gowns. I love the

orange and yellow

combination.

Annette & Brian’s

wedding reception

open structure

was one of the most

famous events we’ve done. The low hanging

Japanese lanterns were perfect and appeared to be

floating low over the pool. Every single pole or post

was covered in hand sewn moss sleeves.

I also love the escort card display & ceremony

structure of Caroline & Chris’ wedding. It was rustic

but elegant and whimsical at the same time.

What I love most about our events is that although

there is a prevailing style and you can tell who did

the event in comparison to other designers, they are

still so completely the couple’s style as well.

WED: You’ve been featured on numerous television

shows, including the popular “Whose Wedding is it

Anyway?”. What was this experience like? How

did it help your business?

The experience of doing TV is always exciting. But

you have to know that it can be a double-edged

sword. Unless you’re the executive producer on the

show, your words can be used out of context and

your drama produced. For Whose Wedding, the

show worked very well for me. I think that’s because

I didn’t try to be who I am not just for the camera. If

I was exasperated with the client, it showed. If I was

having a great event, it showed. Being who I have

always been has served me very well and TV can

bring out the best or worst of your personality. I Photo by Sherman Chu

Photo by Sherman Chu

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

have learned when to turn down a TV spot because

it will not benefit the company or the client, and I

have learned how to do a shoot in one or two takes.

Because of my background in theater, the producers

love me since I’m efficient with their time and can be

concise when answering their interview questions

and know how to use my personality for the camera.

As far as it helping my business, it’s definitely given

me more name recognition amongst my peers and

more name recognition with potential clients. But

people have to like your personality before they are

willing to interview you. If you come across like a

nitwit on TV, it would decimate your career more

than help it.

WED: You’re the Founding President of Wish Upon

a Wedding. Tell us about Wish Upon a Wedding.

How can wedding professionals become involved?

Liz Guthrie, who was a wedding planner in San Jose,

CA, started Wish Upon a Wedding 2 ½ years ago.

She came to me with the idea of a non-profit

organization that allows the events industry to give

back to couples who are facing terminal illness & life

altering circumstances and

allows them to utilize the

money they spend to grant the

wish as a tax deduction. I took

the role of Founding President

and I’m now in my second 2-

year term. Thus far, we have

granted over 30 wishes

nationwide with 20 chapters

across the US. Each of our boards consists of 11

board members and they report to the National

Board but they are responsible for planning and

implementing all of the wishes for the couples. Each

of the wishes submitted comes to me for review

before going on to the chapter for approval. Each

wish is checked for accuracy by a Wish Grant Chair to

determine if the information in the application is

Photo by Kurt Ackerman

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

truthful and correct. Couples who are facing less

than five years survivability on a terminal illness are

granted their wishes and we also do a limited

number of non-terminal, special circumstance wishes

for couples that have faced other challenges. We do

not grant wishes for couples that are facing

monetary hardship or military deployment unless

that deployment results in an injury or illness upon

return. It’s been such an honor to see this grow

from less than 5 chapters to over 20 in just two short

years and to see all the happy couples that have

been helped to live their dream to have a wedding.

One of our wishes that passed said, “You never know

how many people’s lives you touch throughout your

own life” and that has been a quote I’ve hung on to

because it speaks volumes about each of our lives

and the opportunities we have every day to be

gracious, caring and loving. We are blessed to have

jobs that we love, to make money planning pretty

parties and giving back should be something we all

do – whether it’s time, talent or money. Everybody

has something that they can give to help others in

need. People who wish to get involved with Wish

Upon a Wedding can fill out an application to be a

wish granter on our website

WishUponaWedding.org or if they would like to sit

on a board, or start a chapter or even make a

donation, there are links there to get information for

anything they would like to do to support our

organization. We consider ourselves to be the

Wedding Industry’s charity of choice.

WED: You’re also a Master Bridal Consultant with

the Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC). How

did you become involved with this organization?

How has this helped your business?

When I started my business, I began with the

education of the Association of Bridal Consultants

and through the years, I continued their training

until I received their highest honor: Master Bridal

Photo by Alisha & Brook

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

Consultant in 2004. This helped me get a firm

foundation by which to start and grow my business.

I started going to their conference in 1999 and

learned so much from other planners. We didn’t

have the wealth of information we have now in the

many workshops, conferences, classes, etc. back

then, so we relied on a one time per year conference

to network and share ideas. It was a pretty magical

time for me. I learned to compete against myself

and nobody else.

WED: Wedding conferences and organizations

around the world seek you out for speaking

engagements, not only for your experience but also

for your sarcastic wit. What wisdom do you try to

impart during speaking engagements?

“Be Yourself. Everybody Else is Already Taken,” is a

quote by Oscar Wilde. I’ve never tried to be

anybody other than who I am. When I hear people

in the wedding industry say “I’m going to be the next

so & so” I always wonder why they would want that.

When I speak to my industry peers and to brides, I

am exactly the same person as when I speak to my

clients. They hire me for my personality and are

willing to pay more money for somebody who has an

opinion and who will freely give it to them. I’m the

personality that will laugh with my client — of course

knowing what parts of my personality my clients can

take. For example, recently we replied to a client

who sent an email full of typos. But we responded

to them fully in Pig Latin.

I don’t believe that we can’t have fun with our

clients or that it’s unprofessional. I honestly believe

that it helps build a rapport with the clients when

they’re comfortable with us. When I’m not being

fake, we have a better experience with the event and

I know that my niche client can take a little ribbing,

enjoy the process and has a great personality. We

have fun with them and they have fun with us.

We have a few rules in our corporate culture:

Have a personality

Be brutally honest

Trust & respect your vendors, pay them on

time

Don’t guess because chances are good

you’ll probably be wrong

Shut your mouth and listen to your client

Humor {& Sarcasm} is totally appropriate

WED: Any advice for newer industry

speakers?

When standing in front of people imparting

your knowledge on them, try to bring a little

personality to the party. How boring is it to listen to

a speaker behind a podium drone on about how

fabulous they are? Brag about how much money

they make? Tell you they’ve never had any

problems with their weddings and they always tell

their clients “YES”…and best of all… their business is

AMAZING!

If you’ve been in this business long enough, you have

had the opportunity to learn so much. People who

come to hear you speak are looking for something

that they can take back and implement TODAY to

make their business better than it was before they

paid to see you. So don’t stand up there and lie to

people. Be honest and tell people what you do right

Photo by Sherman Chu

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

and what you do wrong. People can learn just as

easily from your mistakes as than they can learn

from your accomplishments. They aren’t there to

hear about what you think about yourself. They are

there to learn from you. Give them the goods that

you were paid to give…and they paid to hear.

WED: Your Sparkliatti blog has amazing inspiration

for couples planning their wedding. First, where did

you come up with the name? And what have been

some of your recent favorite posts?

When I was trying to come up with a name, I wanted

something that wasn’t just “Sasha Souza’s Blog” or

“Blog of Sasha Souza Events” – because I wanted to

feature things that weren’t just my work but

showcased a lot of different talent and voices.

Sparkliatti came from the term Glitterati, actually. It

was an available URL and I’ve had it for about 4 years

now. My daughter, Hilary, now does most of the

posts and editing and I admit that we’re a little

behind in posting new articles — but it’s wedding

season and she works as an event planner in New

York City so she’s very busy as well.

Some of my favorite recent posts are all from Hilary

and they are:

Steven Tyler’s Rock Weddinspiration board

Bridal Skirts

A three part post on Plaid

An older post I love that I did is titled: Feed Your

Vendors. {Editor’s Note: this is a MUST read for

every bride and groom. And vendors could learn a

thing or two in this article too.}

WED: How are you incorporating social media into

your business? Has any platform changed how you

work?

I have used all types of social media almost from the

inception. I have been on twitter for four years, had

a Pinterest account very early on, use Facebook’s

Pages for our business page, Linked In and more. I

think that each have their own set of benefits and

Photo by Sherman Chu

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

drawbacks. The biggest one is the need for time to

invest in social media. It’s an interesting dichotomy.

You want to use it to gain “popularity” by way of

likes, followers, etc. but you also have to use your

time for the clients who have hired you and are

paying you to plan their events. It’s difficult to multi-

task the amount of time it takes to dedicate to

having real conversations with people on Twitter,

Facebook, etc. I can’t design a person’s layout of

their event while reading tweets of other people in

the industry and having 15 ongoing conversations. I

can’t believe that anybody can be busy in their

business and tweet 150 tweets in a day. For that

reason, I’ve stepped back significantly from Twitter

and use it only to announce things and thank/

acknowledge people. I feel that I need to give my

attention to my clients and potential clients and not

worry about gaining popularity by way of that

platform.

The one social media that has served me very well, is

online inspiration boards. Sites like Pinterest and

Indulgy are great for me because it plays directly into

what I do. It is still a vortex of time to build boards,

but we have used it in such a way as to exchange

client ideas so that we can design their event with

them visually before putting in time to put it on

paper only to have them change it down the road

because they didn’t give us the proper visuals in the

first place.

WED: Tell me about your book “Signature Sasha” –

how did this come about?

Signature Sasha: Magnificent Weddings by Design

is the first book I have produced so it was a learning

experience. It is a hard cover wedding design book

featuring beautiful photography of all aspects of

wedding design, including never before seen

weddings. The book was initially conceived when I

was approached by a publisher about showcasing

our unique work and at first, I didn’t know if I really

wanted to do it — only because of the amount of

work that goes into writing and choosing the images,

etc. and I wanted the book to have my voice, so I

didn’t want to rely on a ghost writer or anybody to

design it for me. I am so glad that I did it the way

that I did – over 5 months. It was an intense schedule

writing, editing, sorting, uploading and refining

images but I’m extremely proud of the final product.

I worked with a layout artist and editor to refine my

vision once it was on paper and they gave me good

input on how a book normally would layout. It was

honored as the Gold Medal winner of the 2011 IPPY

(Independent Publishers Award) in the Home &

Garden Category.

WED: What can couples and wedding professionals

learn from your book?

This book is a culmination of my many years

experience and Signature Sasha: Magnificent

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

Weddings by Design provides brides & grooms,

event planners, caterers, designers and florists with

unique design inspiration. It is the first book of its

kind to offer details on event design from inspiration

to execution.

Signature Sasha: Magnificent Weddings by Design

not only provides stunning images to use for

inspiration, but is also chock full of guidance on how

to go about creating events that are one of a kind. It

contains comprehensive advice ranging from color

couture, to floral, to creating inspiration boards and

allows the reader to dream about their ideal

wedding design. You can also follow along my own

memory lane as I showcase how other couples have

chosen their own personal signature style by reading

the background on eight "love story" real weddings.

WED: What advice would like to leave for our

engaged couples reading this article?

The best advice I have for couples is to not worry

about what they didn’t have at their wedding.

Realize that nobody is going to miss it if you don’t

have hard liquor but serve really delicious wine and

craft beers, they won’t miss the ice sculpture you

couldn’t afford or the groom’s cake. As long as you

are providing them with great timing that evening,

wonderful food {buffet, station, passed or sit-down

dinner}, a place to sit and a fun bit of entertainment,

you will hit the event out of the park. Also

remember that the groom’s opinions on everything

from décor to food to booze or music are valid. I ask

brides to give the groom “his way” on things that

don’t matter as much to her and to pick her battles.

The wedding isn’t the bride’s day and it’s not the

most important day of your life. It’s ONE of the most

important days and it’s about the couple and their

guests. ~ WED ~

Be sure to check out Sasha’s Inspiration Boards on her website.

Be sure to check out

Sasha Souza Events’ website

and the Sparkliatti Blog

for more magnificent

design inspiration.

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

Get Ready

for the

Gown!

Our Get Ready for the Gown section will

help you get in shape and healthy for your

wedding day and beyond. Our fitness and

nutrition experts will provide you with a plan

to get you gown ready!

Personal Trainer Chante Pemberton dispels the myth

of bulking up with weights.

Summer Weddings mean strapless gowns and many brides wanting the perfect arms. The biggest mistake we women make is we do too many repetitions and not enough weight. I don't know how many times I've had female clients say, "I don't want to do too much weight and get bulky." Please know that challenging your arm muscles with more than a five pound dumbbell won't bulk you up. Women and men develop muscle differently due to hormonal differences. As women, we are a bit too low in testosterone to seriously bulk up.

Biceps, Triceps and shoulders can be targeted by several different exercises. I suggest two or three different exercises for each muscle. One of the best exercises that will work all these muscles as well as work your chest, back and core muscles is the push up. The Push up is a great way to warm up before your arm routine. {Visit the WED YouTube Channel for Chante’s Pushup video.}

Bicep curls with dumbbells or elastics in different directions is important so you work both parts of this "two headed" muscle. Try using at least five pound dumbbells and if you

can easily do two sets of 15 repetitions take it up a notch and go for eight pound dumbbells. Triceps are one area of the woman's body that is a high fat area. This is the area I hear the most complaints about. So get busy dipping, not chips. You can do tricep dips anywhere there is a chair or a bench. Grab those dumb-bells and add kickbacks to your arm routine. Five pound dumbbells can work well on this move.

The shoulder is a three headed muscle—front, medial, and posterior deltoid. We need to do several moves to get a well rounded shoulder. Working the rear shoulder is what most people are missing in their workout routine. A bent over fly can target this muscle and I suggest starting with light weight on this move. The front raise, upright row and overhead press will target your medial and front deltoid. Start with 3-5 pound dumbbells and remember two sets of 15 should be challenging. Remember, marriage is hard work and challenging and so should the arm workout that will help you Get Ready For The Gown.

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

View Chante’s Latest Video on WED’s YouTube Channel.

Be sure to consult a doctor before starting any kind of exercise routine.

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

Get Ready

for the

Gown!

Our Get Ready for the Gown section will

help you get in shape and healthy for your

wedding day and beyond. Our fitness and

nutrition experts will provide you with a plan

to get you gown ready!

Meal Planning Maven Linda Shapiro creates meal

plans that can help you Get Ready for your gown. Consult with your physician before starting any

new meal plan or making a change in your diet.

One key to changing your diet is planning your meals. Our friend, the Meal Planning Maven Linda Shapiro, is phenomenal at this task. Here’s a sample meal plan from her website, MealPlanningMaven.com. Contact Linda directly for a custom designed meal plan to meet your needs.

Pudge-Buster Sample Meal Plan

Want to blast–off that annoying “pudge” that mysteriously found its way to your tummy and hips? Then start out by trying MPM’s Sample Pudge-Buster Menu. Simple and satisfying, this menu is designed for busy cooks like you who have limited food shopping and prep time.

Check out MPM’s tantalizing array of Personalized Meal Planning Services that will help you create a healthy eating lifestyle and say goodbye to pesky “Scale Creep.”

MPM will also teach you strategies for making healthy restaurant choices, coping with food temptations at parties, as well as con-quering stress-induced snack attacks. So get ready to clean out your fridge, freezer and pantry. Don’t think Meal Planning Maven doesn’t know you have a pint of Ben and Jerry’s Phish Food ice cream lurking in your freezer!

Intrigued? Then why not take the next step and find out what MPM can do for you.

Here is a sample of a Pudge-Busting meal plan MPM offers to her clients.

To make your meal plans truly personalized, MPM will do a de-tailed interview with you to identify your food likes and dislikes as well as find out how she can create menus that will work well with your lifestyle and budget.

Pudge-Buster Sample Meal Plan Click links for recipes

Breakfast Two Eggs Over Baby Spinach 1 cup berries 1 slice sprouted grain toast

Power Snack Fresh veggies with salsa

Lunch Farmer’s Market Salad topped with chicken, beef, turkey or fish

Power Snack Cherries 'n Berries Smoothie

Dinner Chicken Cacciatore served over spaghetti squash Steamed broccoli with lemon and garlic

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

CALLING ALL BRIDES and MEMBERS of the WEDDING PARTY!

NEED to BLAST OFF SOME PUDGE BEFORE YOUR NEXT FITTING?

Well, you’re in luck! The Meal Planning Maven (MPM)—our own Get Ready for the Gown’s Linda Shapiro— is closely

associated with the blockbuster, results-driven Smoothie Shakedown, created by Ann Louise Gittleman Ph.D. C.N.S.

Find out why this EASY 14- day plan based on 2 delicious smoothies, 1 healthy meal plus snacks daily is sweeping the

nation! If you need to drop “just a few or a whole bunch,” before the BIG DAY, the Smoothie Shakedown may be the

perfect solution for you.

And… MPM would be delighted to coach you through the program from start to finish!

MPM can also help you personally by sharing her healthy eating secrets you can use, today, tomor-row and always. Her specialties include creating customized meal planner packages and one- on- one food coaching, utilizing the highly successful book, The Fat Flush Plan, also by Dr. Gittleman.

The skills you will learn with Meal Planning Maven will help you achieve your goals and hopefully

avoid the telltale newlywed “pudge” all too common for many new brides (and grooms!)

MPM’s Golden Pudge-Busters

1. Don’t be fooled by the latest crash diet…they almost never work. Any weight lost often comes right back after normal eating is resumed.

2. Create reasonable goals. You didn’t put the weight on overnight, so don’t expect it will magically disappear just as fast.

3. Record your goals and progress. Get yourself a journal and use it. It has been proven people who are successful at losing weight and keeping it off record their journey every step of the way.

4. Get rid of the junk. Give your fridge, freezer and pantry a makeover, getting rid of the holiday excess. Fill your shelves with fresh fruits and veggies, lean proteins and healthy snacks.

5. No skipping breakfast, please. Cutting out the first meal of the day not only may make you feel crabby, but also feeling so hungry by the afternoon that you will wind up scarfing down many more calories than if you had eaten breakfast.

6. Water is a huge appetite buster. Before you binge on sugary snacks, ask yourself if you are truly hungry. Chances are you’re just thirsty, so drink up! Not to mention, your skin will thank you too.

7. Beware of diet saboteurs. We all have them in our lives-family, friends and co-workers always urging you to eat “just one cookie.” Just say…“I have food allergies and this food makes me sick.” Works every time!

8. Find another best friend besides your scale. Unlike a true best friend, the scale may let you down, especially if it won’t budge. Take your measurements regularly or judge success by how you look and feel.

9. Get out there and move. Find a balance between aerobic and resistance training that works for you. This is not rocket science, but it works. Plus, exercise is fun and a real stress-buster.

10. Mini-indulgences are great rewards. Get in the habit of treating yourself. Not with chocolate cake mind you, but what about a nice massage, or a new pair of skinny jeans?

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

Bridal Show Betty is here to share her views

and review of everything bridal on TV. And

maybe even find a lesson or two.

In this issue, Bridal Show Betty looks at casting

notices for some of the latest reality wedding

shows and Randy to the Rescue.

Hi – I’m Betty – and I’m a bridalshow-aholic. It all

started innocently enough – watching Bridezillas and

Whose Wedding is it Anyway while I was planning my

wedding. But I just can’t get enough! I’ve even sat

through all the episodes of Bridalplasty – evidence of

my problem. So, I finally found a way to justify my

viewing habits. I’m writing this column for WED

and rating shows for you with mini-tv’s (1-5 TV’s).

But I prefer to stay anonymous – known only by my

nom de plume, Bridal Show Betty.

In our column in this edition, we wanted to share a

few upcoming casting calls for Wedding TV shows.

Yes, real brides actually make it onto these shows!

Below we share the casting calls for some of our

favorite shows. If you’re looking to be on Bridezillas,

we’ll let you figure that one out on your own.

WE tv's hit series My Fair Wedding is now seeking

brides who are getting married in the LA area in JULY,

AUGUST or SEPTEMBER, 2012 and need a little help

making their dream weddings a reality.

This season, they're looking for brides with UNIQUE

wedding ideas -- ideas so unique that the groom,

family, friends or bridal party may not be completely

convinced that it's a good idea. If you are that bride

(or that groom, family member or friend), then they

want to hear from YOU! David Tutera can take any

unique idea and turn it into the perfect wedding

event for EVERYONE. Visit WeTV’s Casting Page for

more info.

And for TLC, the producers of Say Yes to the Dress want to help you find your ultimate wedding dress! If you're a bride with a HUGE personality and smaller budget, then a new TLC wedding show, I Found the Gown, could be your answer to scoring a designer dress for less!

If you or someone you know is on the hunt for a

discounted designer wedding dress, the experts at

Vows bridal outlet in Boston can find you your very

own dream gown. Whether you're a fashionista on a

budget, someone who loves the art of the deal, or a

bride-to-be running out of shopping time, they can

solve your dress dilemma. Visit the TLC Casting Page

for more information.

And for those brides who prefer a more extravagant

experience, world renowned bridal stylist Renée

Strauss and her colorful team of consultants are back

for a sophomore season of Brides of Beverly Hills.

Vowing to deliver even more glitz, glamour and

drama, season two will continue to follow Strauss and

her team as they navigate the unique personalities

and demands of the Beverly Hills bride. Produced by

Planetworks Inc., this 15-episode half hour season is

scheduled to premiere October 2012.

The series is currently casting for brides looking to

share their story. For more information visit the TLC

Casting Page at: tlc.discovery.com/casting

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

Randy to the Rescue {Behind the

Scenes Video} Watch on TLC

Randy to the Rescue

TLC, Fridays 10 p.m.

Must See!!

a

Well it’s about time Randy Fenoli got his own show!! Randy to the Rescue, TLC’s newest bridal install-ment, features bridal style guru Randy Fenoli (of Say Yes to the Dress fame) as he hits the road to bring his favorite gowns, unsurpassed dress knowledge and

signature styling approach to lucky brides around the country. Across eight cities, Randy provides a “head to hem” makeover for brides-to-be along the way. From dresses and accessories to hair and makeup, Randy creates a bridal blueprint for each bride, with a full look that can be replicated on their actual wedding day.

Straight off the runway and transported via big rig, Randy rolls into town with a bridal salon on wheels to dish out his top tips on bridal style, do’s and don’ts and the hottest trends for the season. Along the way, viewers are introduced to the emotional stories of deserving brides wishing for dramatic makeovers for their big day. City stops include: San Diego, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Nashville, Cincinnati, Boston, Minneapolis. Never fear: it’s RANDY TO THE RESCUE!

I love this new take on the bridal gown show. If you missed any of the first run shows, be on the look out as they re-run on TLC.

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

Our wedding planning experts teach you how to organize for your

wedding day. In this issue, Paige Simpson and Kelly Werder of No Worries

Weddings and Events talk about how linens can make a room.

From the Connie Duglin

Linen website—Example of

a design tool that allows

you to choose the various

linens options and try them

on your table. Many linen

rental sites offer this. We

recommend viewing the

linens in person as well via

a sample or swatch.

When creating your wedding design, consider

all five senses, including touch, particularly in

regards to table linens.

Most venues, such as hotels and country

clubs, will supply a poly-blend standard linen,

usually in white or other neutral color, for

your wedding. By upgrading your linen to a

more elegant fabric, it can dramatically

change the look and feel of your event.

Many brides either do not think to upgrade

the linen or do not have it in the budget.

When planning for your centerpieces (and

the whole tablescape), consider allotting a

portion of your per table budget toward

linens. Even an overlay with a bit of color or

shimmer can make a dramatic difference. An

organza overlay for example, may run less

than $10 per table but add an easy touch of

shimmer and sophistication.

If you are holding your wedding in a

restaurant or country club, they often will

only supply a linen that does not go full to

the floor. To give your wedding a more

elegant look, be sure that you have full-

length linens. This is vital if you are using

rental tables with metal legs—you will want

to cover these up!

If your budget is truly limited, consider a

table runner to add a pop color or style to the

table. Many linen companies now offer a

variety of fabrics in a runner style. And be

sure to consider an upgrade in the napkin as

well. Your guests will appreciate that.

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

WED is on Pinterest! Follow our

boards: Pinterest.com/wedbiz/

Pinterest is by invitation only.

Need an invite? Send your

request to:

editor@wedbizmedia.com

with the subject line:

Pinterest Invite

Have you checked out . . .

With the growing popularity

of Pinterest among brides,

WED launched the

WEDpinning.com blog to

feature some of the best

wedding pin boards and

share “pinteresting” news, such as Pinterest

Apps and add-ons. You’ll also find featured

Pinterest contests including our “Pin it to

Win it” Inspired by Sasha contest.

Happy Pinning! Example of WEDpinning.com Pin Board of the Week (above).

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

tech

WED

TouchNote– It’s the marrying of digital and print—and we love it!

TouchNote allows you to create a postcard from your photos — either

online, or using their App (iPhone/iPad/Android) and then have it printed

and shipped for you. We love this idea for Honeymoon postcards OR

Save-the-Dates. Another great wedding use — send postcards to friends

and family who were unable to attend your Destination Wedding! You

could even use these for your Thank You cards. Use your own photos or

ask your photographer for a fab engagement photo or wedding photo. Cost: $1.49 per

postcard including postage Recommendation: A fabulous technology for those looking for

an easy way to print and share photo postcards. Do a test run and see what you think!

We’ve changed “There’s an App for That” to techWED to encompass even more technology

available to help you with your wedding. We’ll share not only iPhone/iPad and Android

Apps, but any technology that may be helpful.

And, as always, be sure to check out the WedBiz Media App!! Yes our own iPad/iPhone App

is now FREE! Designed for the iPad it can also be used on the iPhone. You can download it

in your App Store today.

How it works

Upload your photo for

the front of the postcard.

Then add your message

on the back.

Add in the address you

want to mail it to.

Make the payment and

you’re done!

Can be done online via

their website or using

the TouchNote App via

iPhone, iPad or Android.

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

tech

WED

WedBiz Media – our App is live!! And we are so excited to bring it to

you. Our digital magazines WED and WedBiz Journal are both housed

in the WedBiz Media App. Take your inspiration on the go! Cost: Now

it’s FREE!!! Recommendation: Go get it!

We tested out a sample Save the Date using an engagement photo by Aimee

Rossi Photography and added some sample text on the back. It was easy to do

although some of the options (colors, fonts) are limited. It’s especially great for

the one-off honeymoon postcard, especially to close family and friends. Try it

out and let us know what you think!

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

For the

Groom

She said yes,

now what?

Ideas & Advice

for Grooms

Don’t Fear the Bridal Show!

Your first thought when asked by your bride if you want to go

to the latest bridal show is probably, “why would I want to do

that?” OR “I’d rather be anywhere else.”

But there are quite a few reasons you should consider

attending. Check out our Top 5 below:

Does your guy need

some groom advice?

Check out these

Groomy blogs:

The Man Registry—

with a Groom 101

section

Groom’s Advice from

the Man Registry is a

great blog to follow

covering all kinds of

groomy topics.

The Grooms Says—an

irreverent view from the

Groom’s side of the aisle

1. Your opinion matters! This is a great chance to be efficient and meet a whole

bunch of vendors you need for your wedding in one spot. If you’re there to

meet them, you can put in your two cents when making a decision.

2. Many shows now offer a “Man Cave” or “Groom’s Lounge” to get away during

the fashion show or if it just gets unbearable. Find out if the show near you

offers this.

3. You can check out all the cool free stuff/

giveaways and help to enter the raffles.

4. Two words: Free Cake

5. Your bride will appreciate it and it won’t

kill you to spend 3 hours at a bridal show.

And the next time you want to (golf/fish/

go to a monster truck rally/insert your 3-4

hour activity that you like to do that your

bride does not like), you can remind her

that you went with her to the bridal

show. : - )

Bottom line — it’s your wedding too and this

is a great way to help with the planning.

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

For the

Groom

She said yes,

now what?

Ideas & Advice

for Grooms

Groom Style: KnotTheory.com

We love these ties from Knot Theory. Each

tie set can be worn multiple ways offer

great options for all the groomsmen. The

fashion forward colors are vibrant. Learn

more on KnotTheory.com.

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

With so many great wedding blogs, we went in search this issue for those that help with creating

your design vision and offer advice. Here are a few that offer great inspiration. Be sure to check

WED’s Blog for vendor profiles, giveaways and Weekly Inspiration!

Blogs for Brides Our review of the Best Blogs to help you with your wedding planning

Sparkliatti Blog— We’ve featured her blog

before but since Sasha Souza graces our

cover for this edition, we mention it again.

Planner and Designer extraordinaire Sasha

Souza’s blog—Sparkliatti—always has lots of

gorgeous ideas for your wedding. We love

when she creates inspiration boards and

shares them. Even better when she shares

her real wedding stories! You can subscribe

to her blog and receive updates by email so

you don’t miss any of the sparkly

fabulousness!

www.sparkliatti.com

The Boho Wedding Blog — Are you looking

for alternative wedding ideas for your

bohemian wedding? Then this is the blog for

you! This fun UK based blog offers

inspiration, trends, DIY Tutorials and real

weddings with an alternative feel in mind.

www.boho-weddings.com

Staggered—Another blog from across the

pond, Staggered is geared toward the groom

and his guys to help him through the planning

process. As they say, “We’ve got stag-do

ideas to make you the best best man and

enough wedding competitions, free offers

and discounts to keep you going for life.”

www.iamstaggered.com

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

In this edition’s Something Borrowed, we share weddings with

amazing locations and a nod to vintage style. Each Wedding in this

issue shows that a fabulous location can make for fabulous photos.

Plus, we love a touch of vintage! Want even more Real Wedding

inspiration and bonus photos? Sign-up for WED’s Weekly Inspiration

for Real Wedding and other inspiration delivered right to your Inbox!

Real Weddings, Real Inspiration

Vendors may submit their weddings on Two Bright Lights.

Photographer: Brochman Photography

Photographer: Diane Askew Photography

Photographer: Mark Hayes Photography

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

Kayleigh & Mike

What an interesting location

for a ceremony? On the tarmac in front of a

vintage airplane—we love it! And we love the

other touches like paper airplanes to throw

during the recessional, parachute backgrounds,

and telegraph invitations.

Featured Vendors:

Photographer: Brochman Photography

Floral Designer: Simply Stated Elegance

Venue: Fleming Field

All Photos by Brochman Photography

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

Hilary & Eli A vintage wedding in wine country—

what could be more beautiful! This gorgeous Sonoma, California

vineyard provides an amazing backdrop for the ceremony, with a dinner held

inside the winery. We love the vintage style gown and styling as well as the details.

Featured Vendors:

Photographer: Diane Askew Photography Venue: Gundlach Bundschu Winery Caterer: the girl

& the fig CATERS! Floral Designer: Lavendar,Lavender Musicians: Hot Club of San Francisco

Rentals: Wine Country Party & Events

All Photos by: Diane Askew Photography

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

Kelle & Mark

A Castle setting, vintage style and a horse

& carriage — how can you lose with this

wedding! We love the feathers in the hair

and the fedora for the groom. Vintage

done elegantly!

Featured Vendors:

Photographer: Mark Hayes Photography

Venue: The Dunafon Castle

Hair Stylist: Keri Winters Bridal

Band: Swing Essence

All photos by: Mark Hayes Photography

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

Lily & Charlie The Keystone Ranch in Colorado provided the

setting for this fun wedding. The rustic feel was great for photos. You

can tell from the photos that the guests had a great time.

Featured Vendors:

Photographer: Timothy Faust Photography Venue: Keystone Ranch

Event Planner: Bliss Elevated

All Photos by: Timothy Faust Photography

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

Featured

Bridal Shows

WED The Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1

No Worries Weddings

Your Destination Wedding Specialists

Full Service Wedding Planning

Day-of Coordination

Officiating

Serving Southwest Florida

239-821-9381

info@noworriesevents.com

MyNoWorriesWedding.com