Planning a wedding can add extra stress to your life, but your well-being shouldn’t take a backseat to checklists and Pinterest boards. Throughout the month of May we are partnering with local health & wellness businesses to give away custom wellness experiences to help you be the best version of yourself during this exciting time! Catch up on previous posts:

1. Introduction: Wedding Wellness Giveaways
2. Wedding Wellness Experience #1: Fit session + complimentary outfits for two from lululemon athletica Southgate Centre (Winner – Melanie C.!)
   
3. Wedding Wellness Experience #2: Complimentary Glow Juicery Cleanse for the Bride and half off a Cleanse for a friend – PLUS – a group grocery shopping tour and health coaching session for two from food.fitness.function (Winner – Christa C.!)
4. Wedding Wellness Experience #3: Unlimited Barre classes for one month -PLUS – a Barre Bachelorette class / party (Winner – Jessica T.!)
5.  4th giveaway : best sexy bandage dresses from BlushWish

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With locations in both north and south Edmonton, Yogalife Studios offers a variety of drop-in yoga classes, workshops and registered courses in both heated and regular temperatures. Yoga is a great way to gain strength and flexibility, and it is a wonderful complement to other sports and activities, such as running and weight lifting. Hot yoga can also be great for the skin which is another plus for a soon-to-be bride!

Instructor Lindsey Park offers these tips to make the most of your yoga practice:

• Hydrate well throughout the day or the hours before practice.
• Eat clean and light, and not too close to the time you are planning to practice. Waiting 2-3 hours after eating is suggested.
• Choose light, comfortable clothing that moves well with your body.
• Give yourself plenty of time to get changed and settled at the studio (arriving 15-30 minutes before class is advised). You don’t want to feel frazzled or rushed coming into your practice.
• Bring a yoga mat, a towel and a water bottle. 

Yogalife Studios offers new clients a four-week pass for only $40! Visit their website for a list of class types and more information on how to get started. Namaste.

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Enter to win this week’s Wedding Wellness Experience {May 28-June 3, 2014}:
One month unlimited yoga pass for Yogalife Studios Edmonton
-PLUS-
A wedding day yoga class for your bridal party

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You don’t have to be walking down the aisle in order to participate – bridesmaids, family and friends of brides are all welcome to enter the giveaways! A lucky winner will be chosen at random on June 3, 2014 at 8:00 AM MDT. Good luck!

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Edmonton Wedding Planning + Design

Planning a wedding can add extra stress to your life, but your well-being shouldn’t take a backseat to checklists and Pinterest boards. Throughout the month of May we are partnering with local health & wellness businesses to give away custom wellness experiences to help you be the best version of yourself during this exciting time! Catch up on previous posts:

1. Introduction: Wedding Wellness Giveaways
2. Wedding Wellness Experience #1: Fit session + complimentary outfits for two from lululemon athletica Southgate Centre (Winner – Melanie C.!)
   
3. Wedding Wellness Experience #2: Complimentary Glow Juicery Cleanse for the Bride and half off a Cleanse for a friend – PLUS – a group grocery shopping tour and health coaching session for two from food.fitness.function (Winner – Christa C.!)

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Photo Credit: Sean Williams Photography

You’ve probably heard the buzz around Edmonton’s Barre Body Studio. A blend of ballet, Pilates and yoga, Barre fitness is the hottest new workout trend since Zumba! Low impact movements and isometric holds create long, lean muscles giving you a toned look without causing injuries. Barre will improve your posture, making you stand prouder and taller on your big day.

All you need is water and a pair of grip socks, which can be purchased at the Barre Studio. Weights, resistance bands, mats and exercise balls are all supplied as needed in your class. We asked owner Megan Clark about what to expect when trying Barre for the first time:

“Watch and listen carefully to the instructor and follow along as best you can. Everyone works at their own level – if necessary, take a break and rest for a few reps. The movements are very small and controlled so no one has to worry about looking silly and out of place. Be prepared to rock out to awesome tunes and to feel muscles that you’ve never felt before!”

Check out Barre’s website for more information and to sign-up for your first class. All new clients can take advantage of a 2-week unlimited special for only $40!

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Enter to win this week’s Wedding Wellness Experience {May 21 – 27, 2014}:
Unlimited Barre classes for one month
-PLUS-
A Barre Bachelorette class / party

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You don’t have to be walking down the aisle in order to participate – bridesmaids, family and friends of brides are all welcome to enter the giveaways! A lucky winner will be chosen at random on May 27, 2014 at 8:00 AM MDT. Good luck!

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Edmonton Wedding Planning + Design

Planning a wedding can add extra stress to your life, but your well-being shouldn’t take a backseat to checklists and Pinterest boards. Throughout the month of May we are partnering with local health & wellness businesses to give away custom wellness experiences to help you be the best version of yourself during this exciting time! Catch up on previous posts:

1. Introduction: Wedding Wellness Giveaways
2. Wedding Wellness Experience #1: Fit session + complimentary outfits for two from lululemon athletica Southgate Centre

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Photo Credit: Jenn Crebas

The old adage ‘you are what you eat’ couldn’t be more true. What you put into your body plays a significant role in how you feel physically, mentally and emotionally. For our second Wedding Wellness giveaway we’ve enlisted Edmonton’s very own Glow Juicery and food.fitness.function to help you reach your nutritional goals.

Located in two fitness studios (Barre Body and Soul Spin), Glow Juicery has been brightening the Edmonton community with their fresh raw juices, smoothies and snacks for almost a year now. Cleansing guru and owner, Marnie Ashcroft, believes that juice cleansing is a great start to a healthy path of making excellent food choices everyday, especially when coupled with clear fitness goals: “The result is a balance of wellness that truly becomes an integral part of your life.”

Glow Juice Cleanses are a natural, plant-based reset for your body. A cleanse will temporarily rid processed foods, dairy, gluten and animal-based protein from your diet allowing your body to focus on absorbing the phyto-nutrients and enzymes in the juices, resulting in a naturally lighter and detoxified you! There are three levels to choose from: Beginner (1-3 days), Intermediate (3-5 days) and Advanced (3-7 days). Glow’s neatly packaged bottles are easy to bring with you to work or busy wedding appointments. You can find Glow at a number of cafés and studios in the Edmonton Area.

Elissa Jamieson, Health Coach & Personal Trainer at food.fitness.function, shares her number one tip for staying on track with your nutritional goals:

“Plan your meals in advance so that you always have something healthy to throw together or snack on – no more cheap quick fixes!”

This is especially important when you have a busy schedule and may not have time to cook every day. food.fitness.function offers personalized 3- and 6-month Health Coaching Programs, as well as Grocery Shopping Tours for individuals and groups. For fun health tips and delicious recipes follow Elissa on Twitter and Facebook.

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Enter to win our second Wedding Wellness Experience {May 14 – 20, 2014}: A complimentary Glow Juicery Cleanse for the Bride and half off a Cleanse for a friend
– PLUS –
A group grocery shopping tour and a health coaching session for two from food.fitness.function

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You don’t have to be walking down the aisle in order to participate – bridesmaids, family and friends of brides are all welcome to enter the giveaways! A lucky winner will be chosen at random on May 20, 2014 at 8:00 AM MDT. Good luck!

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Edmonton Wedding Planning + Design

Planning a wedding can add extra stress to your life, but your well-being shouldn’t take a backseat to checklists and Pinterest boards. Throughout the month of May we are partnering with local health & wellness businesses to give away custom wellness experiences to help you be the best version of yourself during this exciting time!

Starting a new fitness regime or continuing one that already works for you requires the appropriate attire with excellent fit and functionality. One of the leading designers of athletic apparel is Vancouver-based lululemon athletica. lululemon was founded on the premise of gathering feedback from athletes in the community to design high-quality gear that is functional and fashionable.

Natasha Genoud, Assistant Store Manager at lululemon’s Edmonton Southgate Centre location, shares what to look for when searching for the perfect outfit to get your sweat on:

“The Silverescent fabric is a must-have in terms of a lightweight top. Silverescent garments are woven with silver which inhibits the growth of odour-causing bacteria so you can wear the garment multiple times before having to wash it. The 105F Singlet Silver (below left) or a Swiftly Tech (below right) short sleeve shirt have those properties and are perfect for a high intensity boot camp or interval training class.”

For bottoms, Natasha recommends the Luxtreme fabric as it fits like a second skin: “It is compressive, sweat-wicking and has four-way stretch so it moves freely with you when you do squats and lunges. Items like the Inspire Crop II (below left) and Wunder Under Crop (below right) pants are great choices for your fitness wardrobe.”

Enter to win our first Wedding Wellness Experience {May 7-13, 2014}:
Fit session + complimentary outfits for the Bride and Maid of Honour
from lululemon athletica Southgate Centre

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You don’t have to be walking down the aisle in order to participate – bridesmaids, family and friends of brides are all welcome to enter the giveaways! A lucky winner will be chosen at random on May 13, 2014 at 8:00 AM MDT. Good luck!

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Edmonton Wedding Planning + Design

Preparing for your wedding day can be stressful! Between dress shopping, menu tastings, finalizing the guest list and mastering wedding etiquette, brides often feel overwhelmed during what should be one of the happiest times of their lives. Exercising, eating right and taking time to unwind often take a backseat to pre-wedding checklists, which can result in weight gain, mood swings and difficulty sleeping.

To help you feel healthy and balanced as you gear up for your big day, Jennifer Bergman Weddings is partnering with a few of our favourite local health and wellness businesses. Every Wednesday for the month of May, local experts will share best practices to keep you motivated, refreshed and on track with your goals. Plus, we’re giving away 4 weeks of custom wellness experiences!

You don’t have to be walking down the aisle in order to participate – bridesmaids, family and friends of brides are all welcome to enter the giveaways! Simply fill out the form at the end of each post and a lucky winner will be chosen at random.

Check back on the blog and follow us on Facebook to find out which experience you could indulge in each week!

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Edmonton Wedding Planning + Design

Chock full of personal details and unique touches, it’s no surprise that Alexis + Tom’s charming summer wedding was featured in the latest issue of Blush Magazine.

The entire celebration was held at Christ Church – a beautiful 1920s church in the heart of downtown Edmonton that looks like it belongs in Europe! An intimate late afternoon ceremony flowed right into an outdoor cocktail hour complete with delicious appetizers, lawn games and an assortment of refreshing drinks such as cucumber water and strawberry lemonade. 

At the reception guests were treated to a decadent family style dinner catered by Culina and an illustrious dessert table full of cakes and pies made with love by family members.

Her keen eye and love for bicycles made Blake Loates the perfect fit to photograph this wedding! Enjoy a glimpse of Alexis + Tom’s big day below.

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Edmonton Wedding Planning + Design

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Credits:

• Wedding Coordination + Design: Jennifer Bergman Weddings
• Photography: Blake Loates
• Catering: Culina Catering
• Stationery: Pinkpolka Wedding Design
• Florals: faBLOOMosity
• Rentals: Special Event Rentals
• Cake: Cake Couture
• Reception Music: Mr. Entertainment
  
• Hair: Headlines
• Makeup: Suzanne Dargis
  
• Gown: Paloma Blanca from jojobride

The Canadian Event Industry Awards (Star Awards) is a national award program that recognizes outstanding achievements in Canadian special events, meeting management, conference planning and exhibition management.

Last month we were honoured to attend the awards gala in Toronto and take home a Star Award for Best Wedding Under $75K! The award-winning wedding was Paula + Sheldon’s Scottsdale, Arizona soirée. This family-friendly destination wedding entertained guests over an entire weekend and provided them with the quintessential southwestern experience.

Jennifer Bergman accepting the 2014 Canadian Event Industry Star Award for Best Wedding Under $75K

Photo Credit: prombee

Photo Credit: foxbackdrop

We are thankful to work with truly amazing clients who entrust us with such important milestones in their lives, and talented industry professionals who continue to push the envelope. Congratulations to the fellow winners and nominees across all categories!

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Edmonton Wedding Planning + Design

Catherine + Neal’s Royal Mayfair Golf Club wedding was recently featured in Edmonton’s own Bridal Fantasy Magazine. 

They chose to incorporate traditions from both of their backgrounds. Neal and his groomsmen wore Scottish kilts and his grandmother gave a blessing in Gaelic before dinner. To represent Catherine’s Polish side, perogies and cabbage rolls were served at the rehearsal dinner and the marriage commissioner said a few words in Polish before the ceremony began. A very unique element of the ceremony was a Celtic handfasting using the official tartans of Alberta and Nova Scotia, representing the bride and groom’s places of birth.

Their favourite moment of the day? “Seeing each other for the first time was both awesome and hilarious. The anticipation and excitement is so evident in the photos. Our other favourite part was listening to everyone’s speeches. Each of them was so heartfelt and funny – we felt very special.”

Enjoy a sneak peek into this wedding through Carey Nash‘s talented eyes…

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Edmonton Wedding Planning + Design

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Credits:

• Coordination + Design: Jennifer Bergman Weddings
• Photography: Carey Nash Photography
  
• Officiant: Todzia Aird
• Backdrop: katebackdrop
• Florals: FaBLOOMosity
• Rentals: Special Event Rentals
  
• Drapery Canopy: Site 6 Events
• Cupcakes: Cake Couture
  
• Ceremony Music: McDades Celtic Trio 
• Reception Music: Premiere DJs / Urban Metropolis 
• Transportation: Eternity Limousine
• Hair Stylist: Bailey Gartner
• Makeup Artist: N2 Makeup Artistry
  
• Gown: Pure Bridal
  
• Groom/Groomsmen: Scottish Imports