Wedding Entrance: Traditional vs. A Little Crazy

Most brides dream of making long-lasting wedding memories.

At the time of this post, Jill and Kevin's video of their less-than-traditional march down the aisle generated over 32 million YouTube hits. While they ran into some copyright infringement over the use of Chris Brown's bubble gum pop tune, Forever, the couple focused on the bright side and used the publicity to solicit donations to their favorite charity.

According to their website...

Jill and Kevin met when Kevin's childhood friend, Jeff, married Jill's college friend, Ann, in 2005. They were both in the wedding party. Jill could not resist Kevin’s wit and charm. Kevin could not resist Jill's intellect, nor her remarkable dance moves.

We have been through a lot in life, but have come through each experience stronger and more in love with each other. Our experience since we posted the video has been incredible. We would never have expected this response to our wedding entrance in a million years.

We hope to direct this positivity to a good cause. Due to the circumstances surrounding the song in our wedding video, we have chosen the Sheila Wellstone Institute.

Sheila Wellstone was an advocate, organizer, and national champion in the effort to end domestic violence in our communities.

We are so grateful for all the love, kind words, and joy that have been shared with us from around the world. It has moved us deeply and filled our hearts.


Never stop dancing.

With so much love,

Jill and Kevin

  ----------

And the evidence.

"A Little Crazy" Wedding Entrance



Unless you're making an "insanely awesome" audition tape for a bridal reality television series, the old-fashioned wedding entrance may be a better choice.

"Traditional" Wedding Entrance



Winner: Traditional. At least you'll still have your pride if the reality tv gig falls through.

Beach Slim Down for Your Wedding Day
Do this total-body slimming move to burn fat, boost energy and look fabulous.



You don't need a gym membership to get a world-class workout. In fact, all you need is a set of dumbbells and a good attitude to get in shape now.

The dumbbell squat-to-shoulder-press is an effective combination exercise guaranteed to rev up your metabolism so you burn more calories all day long.

Try this 20-minute fat burning circuit next time you need to get a quick workout. Grab a set of dumbbells and perform as many reps as possible in 2 minutes. Jog in place for 2 minutes. This is one set. Perform 5 sets total.

Super-Fast Meals That Burn Fat
No time to cook? Your prayers have been answered



Watch this video to learn the foolproof method to prepare a week's worth of delicious, body-sculpting meals in less than two hours.

I'm not kidding. Seeing is believing.

Check out this done-for-you meal plan to get fabulous for your wedding.

Watch Kristi Melt Fat
She went from a size 10 to size 2... naturally



After losing 30 pounds, Kristi looks fabulous in her wedding gown and feels like a million bucks too. She's got 12 months until her big day.

WeddingShape is the fun, easy-to-follow workout plan that can be performed just about anywhere. Kristi burns fat, tones, and gets fabulous with WeddingShape.

Why You Should Be a Bridezilla
Say "no" to parties, dinners... everything

As strange as it might sound, learning to be negative may be the most positive thing you can do to stave off stress. Just say no to parties you’d rather not attend, to people you don’t want to be with, to the constantly ringing cell phone, or to activities that zap your energy.

By doing this, you’re saying yes to yourself and making time for things you want to do.

Like making time for the gym.

Along those same lines, announce your fitness plans to your fiancé, family, and friends. It may help you lose weight, tone trouble spots and feel great as you achieve your goals.

Not only that, but by broadcasting your goals and resolutions, you’re accountable to someone other than yourself, making you more likely to stick to your plan and less likely to skip a workout.

Another tactic to guarantee you get to the gym--use the buddy system.

Do you have a friend or bridesmaid who’s also made a commitment to getting in shape and feeling great? Recruit them to go to the gym with you, or, if that’s not possible, do a daily check-in with him or her to tell each other how it’s going.

To step up the commitment factor just a notch, consider working with a personal trainer. Or, you can get the same results you’d get by working with a fitness coach by checking out WeddingShape.

You'll learn body-sculpting workouts that are designed to get you in the best shape of your life for the biggest day of your life.

Mood Music
The right tunes help you kick arse in the gym or unwind before bed

What’s in your iPod or mp3 player?

Turns out that the music you listen to during a workout can impact how you feel about your fitness routine.

Studies show that people who listen to fast-tempo music exercise longer before tiring. And, they feel as though the exercise is easier even when the intensity stays the same.

Some gym-jamming tunes to try? Artists like Beyoncé, Black Eyed Peas, Bon Jovi, the Rolling Stones, and AC/DC are perfect for keeping up your stamina during your sessions.

On the other hand, music also plays a role in de-stressing. Quiet, calming tunes with slower rhythms have a relaxing effect on the brain.

After a super-hectic day, find a comfortable place to sit or lie down and listen to your favorite mood music. Try to pay close attention to the physical sensation of breathing out and breathing in for a totally relaxing and transporting effect.

Some artists to check out to help you unwind are Enigma, John Legend, Earth, Wind & Fire, or Maxwell. Anything classical may also work for you.

Bonus play? You can also turn on the calming mood music during your workout cool down.

If you’re ready to get in the best shape of your life for the biggest day of your life, check out my step-by-step body-sculpting blueprint.

Can Junk Food Burn Fat?
How once-a-week splurges keep you lean and focused

Hot dogs, hamburgers, nachos, onion dip, cake. Go ahead… indulge!

Of course, there is a catch.

And that’s to save these forbidden foods for special occasions like the 4th of July, birthdays and big game days.

Unless, that is, it’s your weekly free day.

Once a week, give yourself a food free-for-all day where you allow yourself to splurge on things you’ve avoided all week. Order a pizza, have a soda or finish dinner with a dessert.

Just make sure you get back on track the next day or you’ll be on a diet downward spiral that’ll be hard to bounce back from.

Here are some more stay-on-track nutrition tips to keep in mind:

1. Keep a food journal or log. Spending lots of time thinking about food, calories, the scale, your butt or gut can be stressful. And that raises cortisol hormone levels, which makes you fat. To break the food freak-out cycle, keep a log of everything that goes down the hatch. That’ll make you more aware. And awareness puts you in control.

2. Fuel your body before workouts. Make sure that you’ve eaten enough to get through your daily workout or you’ll run out of gas and be unproductive. What to eat? Try a portion each of protein and carbs, like chicken breast and an orange, an hour before gym time and you’ll be golden.

3. Shun fast food. Ensure you maintain your shape-up goals by never being caught unprepared. Stock your kitchen cabinets and freezer with quick, healthy meal-worthy foods like chicken noodle soup, frozen veggies and low fat dinners. If you’ve got quick-to-prepare food at home, you’ll be less likely to stop at a forbidden
and fatty drive-throughs.

4. Dine in. Whenever possible, eat a healthy dinner at home. If a hectic schedule has you dining out more than usual, don’t snack on the before-entrée bread, don’t have a pre-dinner cocktail and don’t order dessert.

5. Just say no to drinks. Alcohol is fat-free, but loaded with calories. What’s more, it interferes with sleep, which has negative health implications all its own. Instead, go for the water. And, if you’re a juice-drinker, mix half a glass of juice with half a glass of still or sparkling water, which will save you about 85 calories per glass.

Now that you’ve got that under control and you’ve decided on your weekly cheat day, make sure your healthy eating habits are reinforced with a regular workout schedule.

No gym? No problem!
Body-shaping moves that require no equipment at all

You don’t need a fancy gym or expensive equipment to lose inches, boost energy and get in top shape for your wedding day.

Check out these fat-melting moves that require nothing but your own body weight.

If you want fitness tips and nutrition tricks to get you in the best shape of your life (on the biggest day of your life) click here.