Weddingbee

It’s very easy to get bored with your workout and I found the easiest way for me to stay motivated has always been classes. I received this list of creative workouts in my MUG newsletter today for those of you looking for something different than the plain old gym. You’ll have fun and be a buff bride in no time too!

Masala Bhangra
A high-energy, high-spirited workout created by Sarina Jain that incorporates Indian dance and music. You can find classes at some Crunch locations, Body Sculpt, and NY Sports, detailed here.

Punk Rope
Tim Haft’s raucous blend of punk-rock music, rope jumping, calisthenics, relay races, and conditioning drills. He gives the class on Mondays, 7-7:50pm, at the 14th Street Y and at 7:35pm on Wednesdays at the Greenpoint Y.

Gyrotonics
A special piece of equipment is used in Gyro so that you make fluid, circular motions for stretching and strengthening. Think of it as yoga in motion. Locations include Circular Power, Volar, Mind Your Body, Stretch, Sal Anthony’s, and Pilates on 5th.

Yamuna Body Rolling
Named for its creator Yamuna Zake, the workout uses different size balls for rolling different parts of the body. It’s designed to strengthen, tone, and align. The studio is at 132 Perry [Wash/Greenwich St.] 212.633.2143.

Cardio XSCAPE
Jiu Jitsu is combined with a cardio workout at NY Jiu Jitsu, 577 Bway [Houston/Prince] 212.343.8310. One class is co-ed, the other is women-only.

SharQui
SharQui is also known as the bellydance workout. It was created by Oreet and you can take a class with her or other instructors at Mon-Qi Fitness, Steps, a couple of NY Health & Racquet Clubs, and other locations. Class schedule.

NYC Ballet Workout
Who better to reduce the mass of the masses and increase flexibility than ballet dancers? The workout was created by Peter Martins and is available as a book and on DVD.

Nia
A holistic fitness program developed by Caroline Kohles that combines martial arts, yoga, and dancing - cross-training through movement. Find classes here.

Martha Stewart is releasing 2 dvd sets of wedding segments from her television show on February 14, 2006.

Martha’s Complete Weddings is a 4 disc set for $47.95 and includes Episode(s):

• FLOWERS: Bouquets, Centerpieces, Table Settings and Special Features
• WEDDING CAKES: Cake Ideas and Special Features
• GOWNS AND ATTIRE: Bridal Gowns, Accessories, Bridal Party Attire, Jewelry and Special Features
• DESTINCTIVE DETAILS: Personlized Details, Wedding Stationery, Favors, Weddings, and Special Features

Martha’s Wedding Ideas is $14.95 and includes Episode(s):

• Bouquets & Centerpieces, Table Settings, Cakes, Bridal Gowns, Personalized Details & Favors, Weddings, Special Features

Mr. Bee and I went to a friend’s wedding last August and stayed in the quaint seaside town of Rockport, MA. These were the centerpieces the groom’s sister made for the rehearsal dinner. I loved them - they were a big hit!

A great alternative to flower centerpieces for beach themed weddings.

This weekend I went to look at Twenty Four Fifth and the Drake Hotel with a friend of mine who’s planning a wedding for the end of this year.

I’ve always been a fan of Twenty Four Fifth and it was actually the first venue I looked at when I was planning my own wedding. Although it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for at the time (a loft type space), I did love the venue. I remember being very impressed with how knowledgeable, professional, and helpful the coordinator was. This second visit was no exception.

Twenty-Four Fifth is a beautiful 6000 square foot event space. When you walk in the entryway there’s a doorman, coat check, gift table, and place card table. Walk down some stairs and there’s an area for the cocktail hour. A little further is the area where the dinner tables will be set up. Walk down a couple more steps to the dance floor where the ceremony will be held (not like it’s pictured above).

After the ceremony, guests go back up to the cocktail area and curtains close off the area where the ceremony was held to set up the tables for the reception. Guest tables are wrapped around the dance floor.

Details:

• Capacity: 200 people
• Minimum required: 125 (flexible for non Saturday and off season dates)
• Dinner: $165-$215 pp including premium bar
• 20% gratuity & NY state tax additional
• Menu: 6 hor d’oeurves, 1 appetizer, Choice of 2 entrees, Cake, Coffee & Tea Service
  Optional - 2 carving stations during cocktail hour
• $750 Ceremony Fee
• $150 per bartender
• $150 per bathroom attendant
• $2-$7 tip per person for maitre’d
• Sparkling water served before ceremony
• Bridal Room
• Bridal Attendant
• Elegant Bathrooms (one of my favorite details)

My friend loved the space. A little bit pricey, but it’s definitely a contender.

The Drake Hotel (pictured above) utilizes their entire second floor for meeting and events. The ceremony is held in a room like this with a capacity of 85.

The reception is held in this room and the cocktail hour in the foyer/hallway in between.

It’s obvious that these spaces are most often used for business meetings and events. The curved windows in the reception room were nice, but all the rooms overall had too much of a business function feel to it.

The events coordinator my friend spoke with told her to stop by any time on Saturday. When we arrived we were given a tour by someone who didn’t know the space at all and kept calling the cocktail area the reception area and confusing us.

Details:

• Ceremony Capacity - 85
• Reception Capacity - 125
• No minimum guest requirement
• Ceremony Fee - $4000
• Dinner - $149-$159 pp
• Menu - 6 hors d’oeuvres, choice of 2 entrees, appetizer
• 20% Gratuity and NY State tax additional
• Wedding Cake - Additional $7 pp
• Bartender - $150

Drake Hotel - not a contender.

Can’t decide between digital and film photography?

Here’s an interesting article that might help.

Did you know there’s a Wedding Photojournalist Association?

“The Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA), an International, membership-based organization, represents professional photographers skilled in the documentation of weddings and events in a candid, unobtrusive style.”

The directory - organized by state - lists photographers, prices, travelling options, negative availability, CD/DVD availability, and format (film or digital). The prices are very reasonable and they have some great talents on the site. There are so many beautiful photos I got totally sucked into surfing for a couple of hours! (My excuse it that I’m trying to help a friend pick a photographer).

The WPJA gives out awards to its members for various categories every quarter. These are some New York winners:

Summer 2004, 2nd Place: Kids. Olivier Lalin

Fall 2005, 4th Place: Ceremony. Ben Chrisman

Winter 2004, 3rd Place: Architecture. Kathi Littwin

Winter 2004, 2nd Place: Getting Ready. Fadi Kheir

Winter 2004, 10th Place: Portrait of Bride & Groom. Marie Labbancz

Winter 2004, 1st Place: Portrait of Bride & Groom. Marie Labbancz

Summer 2004, 6th Place: Musicians. Marie Labbancz

Spring 2004, 1st place: Humor. Marie Labbancz

I love this last picture! It’s hilarious! Marie Labbancz has some amazing work.

I was also recently recommended photographer/videographer Dagzag who’s a member of the WPJA. I like their work and they have reasonable rates. Plus if you can’t decide between digital and film - they shoot in both.

I love romantic hairstyles! They’re so vintage and feminine.

Check out more pictures here. He has a pretty extensive gallery of updo pictures where you can get ideas.

Instead of using flowers as centerpieces, what about grouping together a bunch of lanterns? Candles can really transform a venue and can you ever really have too many? Illuminations has lots of candles, lanterns, and vases for wedding decor.

Gazebo Lanterns - for a shabby chic look.

Ghost Leaf Lanterns

Beveled Glass Lantern

Vintage Tea Light Lanterns and Glass Cups

Onyx Hurricane Lanterns

Tribecca Collection

Summerville Copper Lantern

Or vases with floating flowers and/or candles.

Newport Hurricane

Glass Cylinders

Blossom Floater Bowl

Small Infinity Bowl

Cone Floater Bowl. You can fill the bowl with rosebuds or any flower to match your color scheme.

Luna Collection

I didn’t have a videographer for my wedding because I’m horribly unphotogenic or rather unvideogenic. Seriously you should see my skydiving video - I look like a FON (freak of nature).

So I didn’t even bother to research videographers but when reader pc1004rn recommended Iriscinema videography, I checked out their site. I loved the Love Story Sample so much I kinda want to have one made for me and Mr. Bee! It costs around $1000-$3000.

Their rates for shooting weddings are from - $650-$850/hour depending on the length of video you get. Pricey, but love their work.

I love edible favors but they can get pretty pricey especially when they’re customized. Sometimes you can really find great deals on ebay so I went surfing and found 2 stores that sell affordable cookie and chocolate favors.

This ebay vendor sells these adorable cookies that come in lots of a dozen for $24. I’ve seen similar cookies sell for up to $9 each!

The cookies measure 4 1/2 by 4 1/2″. You can order one of the styles you see here or customize a design of your own. They come individually wrapped in cellophane bags tied with a ribbon color of your choosing.

Emma’s Edible Images offers these 1 3/4 square inch chocolates favors at $49.99 for 50. They’re fully customizable with your choice of any monogram, photo, logo, text, image or design and come individually wrapped in cellophane bags with your choice of ribbon color and type (sheer organza, satin, and tulle)

These larger 3 x 2 1/2 chocolates go for $1.25 a piece. The site has more customizable edibles.

I’ve ordered each of these so I’ll let you how they turn out!