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

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

Catherine + Neal wanted their Royal Mayfair Golf Club Edmonton wedding to be contemporary yet timeless. To achieve this look we paired geometric patterns with a chic palette of black, cream and gold – we just love how it turned out! The inspiration:

Photo Credits (clockwise from top left): Black and Gold Tablescape – Wedding Obsession; White Peony Centerpiece – Martha Stewart Weddings; Tartan Menu Wrap – The Knot; White and Green Wedding Bouquet – Jennifer Bergman Weddings; Ceremony Canopy – Kehoe Designs; Black Gold and Ivory Wedding Cake – Sweet & Saucy Shop; Black and Gold Table Design – Style Me Pretty.

…and the reality!

Photo Credit: Carey Nash Photography.

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You can see more of this stylish wedding in the current issue of Bridal Fantasy Magazine, and stay tuned to the blog for Part 2…coming soon!

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Edmonton Wedding Planner + Designer

Jenny + Hon’s gorgeous Oasis Centre Edmonton wedding is featured in the Spring/Summer 2014 issue of Blush Magazine. From a sumptuous Vera Wang gown to a custom DIY chalkboard photo booth backdrop, every detail pointed to romance.

The reception featured a traditional Chinese Lion Dance, an expansive sweet table by LOVEInc. Dessert Styling, and a very special signature drink: DougieDog Root Beer brewed by one of Jenny’s family members in Vancouver. The phenomenal family style menu was designed by Culina Catering and featured three types of appetizers, coconut poppy seed salad with berries, edam cheese and candied walnuts, pork con leche and chipotle roasted garlic braised bison short ribs. 

Sharon Litchfield was the perfect photographer to capture their day – check out more of this beautiful wedding on Sharon’s blog and be sure to pickup your copy of Blush to read about Jenny + Hon’s love story!

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

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Credits:

• Wedding Design: Jennifer Bergman Weddings
• Photography: Sharon Litchfield
  
• Videographer: Ceremony Film Service
• Officiant: Bob Wyatt
• Stationery: Pinkpolka Wedding Design
• Florals: FaBLOOMosity
• Rentals: Special Event Rentals
• Lighting: Production Lighting
  
• Cake: The Art of Cake
  
• Catering: Culina Catering
• Dessert Styling: LOVEinc
• Music: Premiere DJs – Urban Metropolis
• Transportation: Baseline Limousine
• Hair: Sonia Ho
• Makeup: Anita Gill
  
• Gown: Vera Wang from Blush Bridal (Vancouver)

The latest issue of Bridal Fantasy Magazine features an article we wrote outlining some Edmonton wedding planning tips, titled Top 10 Big Day Blunders. In other words, problems or hiccups experienced by many couples who plan their weddings without professional help. If you are in the midst of planning your wedding, have a read and avoid these common planning pitfalls!

1. Not hiring professionals. From photography to flowers and everything in between, if you try to cut costs by hiring hobbyists or inexperienced wedding vendors you may end up with more headaches than you bargained for. Prices tend to reflect quality and experience, so if you think you’re getting a really good, cheap deal — there might be a reason for that!
2. Guest list regrets. If you really want someone or a group of people at your wedding, then make sure you invite them. The extra cost per head will seem inconsequential after the wedding, and you may end up regretting that they missed your special day.
3. Being inconsiderate. Be mindful of the demands (time, financial) that your wedding will place on guests and your bridal party. For instance, if many of your guests are travelling from out-of-town it is thoughtful to arrange transportation for them to get to your ceremony and reception locations. Likewise, if your attendants are paying for their attire you may want to cover their hair and makeup costs on the wedding day.
4. Technical troubles. We’ve all been to a wedding where the slideshow doesn’t work! This creates an awkward pause in your reception program. If you absolutely must have a slideshow, ensure you have the right equipment and cords rented well in advance and that someone is responsible for testing it before the reception.
5. Not having a contingency plan. Of course your wedding day will be warm and sunny with a gentle breeze…but what if it’s not!? So many couples forget to plan for things going wrong. If you’re having an outdoor wedding, make sure that you have an alternate location in case of inclement weather – especially here in Alberta!
6. Running out of alcohol. If you’re supplying your own liquor for the bar it’s always better to overbuy and return the unopened leftovers than to run out before the party is over. There are lots of helpful resources online for estimating quantities required. (Note: The same rule applies to candy or sweet tables!)
7. Reception program runs too long. After approximately 2.5 hours sitting at their dinner tables guests will get antsy, so you want to ensure that your dinner service and speeches are completed within this time period.
8. Family or friends had to “work.” Paying a little extra for décor setup and teardown services through your decorator, coordinator or venue could save your sanity and be a real gift to your loved ones. They’ll appreciate being able to enjoy the wedding weekend without the added stress of cleaning up after the party.
9. Forgetting to thank people. You may think you can “wing” your speech, but it can be difficult to think clearly on such an emotionally charged day. Too often couples don’t take the time to prepare their thank-you speech in advance and they miss thanking very important people (in some cases their parents who have footed the entire bill for the day)!
10. Not enjoying the planning process. Most couples spend 12-15 months planning their wedding day…that’s a lot of time to be stressed out about wedding details! Don’t let the planning consume you. Take breaks, delegate tasks to those who offer, and if you know you just don’t have the time or energy to put into the process, hire a planner or coordinator to take some or all of the planning off your plate.

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