Friday Flowers: Nancy Liu Chin

Everyone knows I love everything fancy and frilly. Surprisingly, cleaner contemporary designs have been catching my eye lately.

Check out this clean yet classic feasting table design created by Nancy Liu Chin.


The phalaenopsis orchids add just the right amount of softness to this sleek tabletop.

Have a wonderful weekend!

The Incredible Shrinking Bride (Not!)

Continuing on with last Thursday's blog post, today's post comes to you from our fabulous guest blogger, Sheri Lynn.

FAST WEIGHT LOSS NOW!

There are two popular routes to ‘fast’ weight loss. The first one is fasting and the second is diet pills. Both can turn you into Bridezilla!

First some factual background that you want to understand:

1) The human liver can only burn 1 to 1.5 lbs of fat per week in a female. Any ‘weight’ loss over that is valuable muscle tissue and water. Further, if you are losing muscle tissue and water, your body will not process fat as readily.
2) ‘Weight’ loss at any cost, wastes muscle tissue (see above) and that lowers your metabolism drastically. That’s why the weight comes back on so fast – and with a vengeance! Further, you’ll gain back more fat – not the muscle that you lost. That means you’re fatter than when you started. Ouch.

Okay. That understood, many brides panic a month before the wedding and go with diet pills or fasting:

FASTING: It makes brides irritable and less able to deal with stress because the blood sugar is so unstable, hormones go crazy…essentially it’s like constant PMS. This won’t make a bride popular with anyone and make life generally difficult at a time when you want to be having fun. Wedding planning is already stressful. Don’t make it worse.

DIET PILLS: Diet pills work by teasing your metabolism through unnatural means – which basically means they are full of caffeine and potential problems include racing heart, anxiety disorders, irritable bowels and acid reflux. Again, wedding planning is already stressful…and NONE of these side effects is remotely attractive.

By the way, along with all these unsavory side effects you may not lose any weight. That’s a lot of risk.

THE SANE PATH: start a sensible weight loss program a year before your wedding. This will give you time to let your body work naturally, you’ll stand a better chance of not putting it all back on the first 6 months you’re married, and you’ll be able to enjoy not only your wedding planning, but the big day as well!

Photo Credit: A Medley Photography

Sheri owns a one of a kind company called Genesis Transformation, which creates fat loss/fitness systems custom tailored for each of their clients. They offer a proven approach that combines clean eating, accountability, sound science and emotional support to get fantastic results...all done using their award-winning online food journaling tool (called Genesis) along with affordable weekly phone coaching.
For more information or real before and after pictures, click here.
If you like Sheri's simple, real world tips, you can sign up for Genesis Transformation's free monthly fat loss/fitness newsletter, click here.

Ariel Yve Design Wedding Planning Giveaway

I LOVE love...don't you?

In honor of Valentine's Day, I am going to be doing a Day-of Wedding Coordination Giveaway (approx. value, $3,500).

To enter, simply email me (Info@ArielYve.com) a real life love story or real love letter (no attachments please). It can be your own, your parent's, a friend's, etc. It just has to be real (not from a movie, a song, etc.).

Here are the details:

Entry Form

1)Your Contact Information (name, number email, etc.)*

2)A Real Life Love Letter or Real Love Story*

(no more than 500 words and we kindly request that you refrain from explicit language).

3)Your Wedding Date*

4)The website(s) of your ceremony and reception venue(s)*

5)Wedding Theme and Design Description*

*denotes required information

Terms:

All eligible entries must be sent to Info@ArielYve.com.

This contest is open to couples getting married in the NYC/NJ area between March 26th and April 3th, 2010. Bride and groom must be at least 18 years of age or older.

Contest entries will close midnight 2/15/10. The winning entry will be selected no later than 2/20/10. The winner will be notified via email no later than 2/25/10. If Ariel Yve Design, LLC doesn't hear from the winner within 24 hours, we will move on to the runner up (and so on) until a winner has been confirmed.

Due to the volume of expected entries, we apologize if we don't respond to your emailed entry, but we will carefully review all valid entries received. Many will enter, one will win.

Ariel Yve Design, LLC reserves the right to amend theses terms or cancel this giveaway for any reason, at anytime.

Friday Flowers: Tea Tin Centerpieces

I'm working with a lovely couple who want an eclectic, beautiful, yet uncomplicated wedding.

When I first met with this easygoing pair, an image of this tea tin centerpiece popped into my mind:

Image source: Martha Stewart via Frozen Music Studios Photography

Eclectic, beautiful, yet uncomplicated....perfect!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Ariel Yve Design, Napa Wedding Planner

Remember this Inspiration board that I posted a few months ago?


Well, I'd mentioned that it was inspired by a big announcement that I was going to make. Last chance for any guesses. Any guesses? Here's a hint is has to do with wine country. Give up?

OK, my announcement.........I've just officially signed on (my dear friend and all around amazing wedding planner) Sara Holley to be the regional consultant for Ariel Yve Design's clients wanting get get married in the gorgeous Napa/Sonoma area. She's worked with the area's top wedding professional years, and has the experience to pull off the most dream-worthy, wine country weddings imaginable. Welcome to the team Sara!

If you're interested in getting married in the Napa/Sonoma area, you can either contact myself or Sara for more info. We can be reached at info@arielyve.com.

Happy Planning! : )