Planning & Parties Blog

4 Tips for Staying Healthy During the Holiday Season

I love the holiday season. It's fun getting caught up in buying the tree, shopping for holiday parties, buying presents, and spending time with friends and family, and of course trying to stay on track with loving the weight we are at for our wedding day! With all of the things you need to manage during the holidays wouldn't it be nice if your weight wasn't one of them? Around the holidays, sticking to our exercise program or eating healthy sometimes gets pushed to the bottom of our holiday list. I used to get distracted by sampling all the treats and browsing the perfect gifts instead of going on a hike or prepping my healthy meals for the week. I have learned from experience that with a little bit of planning, you can engage in some simple healthy behaviors that will make you feel confident and vibrant all throughout the holidays to the new year.

Romantic Sea-Inspired Style Shoot

With a desire to capture the romantic-yet-untamed beauty of the ocean, Ashley of Ashley Slater Photography and Shelby of The Day's Design planned a "Sand and the Sea" stylized wedding using the shores of Lake Michigan.

Our Favorite Instagram Posts 11.04.16

Around here, we get completely lost in our Instagram feed, admiring all the beauty and talent. All we can say is, we're glad we're not making any decisions about who to hire for our wedding! But in case you are, we've provided a few suggestions below.

And don't forget to follow @weddingdaymagazine for planning inspiration all week long! 

A Watercolor Style Shoot in Detroit

Inspired by Detroit’s local landmark the Illuminated Mural, the team behind this styled session gave a contemporary spin to Detroit’s most romantic and ornate landmarks.

How Social Media Can Help Plan Your Wedding

In an effort to better connect brides with vendors, we provide guest posts written by acclaimed wedding professionals. These posts are intended to provide a useful and insightful perspective on the wedding industry to Midwest brides planning a wedding.

"Until Death Do Us Part": An Intriguing, Moody Style Shoot

The timeless verse “Until death do us part” was a natural title and theme for this beautifully intriguing fall themed photo shoot for all those moody themed brides out there.

Our Favorite Instagram Posts 10.28.16

Ah, Friday, we meet again! Not only does this wonderful day signify the start of the weekend, but one of our absolute favorite times of the week–Instagram Friday!

The Wedding Story of Karlee & Kerry Renz

Karlee and Kerry Renz first met back in February of 2008, during Karlee’s sophomore year at Saint Mary’s College and Kerry’s senior year at Notre Dame, when their paths crossed at an off-campus get-together at the house of a mutual friend. By the end of the night they had exchanged phone numbers, and the rest is history. Following graduation they both moved to Morristown, New Jersey where Kerry is from, but it was a trip back to South Bend in the fall of 2013 that set their journey toward “I do” in motion…

Advice from a Successful Couple: Never Stop Dating

Unbeknownst to their two kids who were at school, Terri and Ron each took half a day off from work and snuck away to the beach.  While their children were learning state capitals and multiplication tables, Terri and Ron laughed as they walked along the lake holding hands.

The Wedding Story of Patricia & Duane Gillenwater

Like our favorite 90s romantic comedies, a homecoming dance sealed the deal for Duane and Patty Gillenwater. They first met in high school and after growing up together, they each attended their own colleges and pursued their own career paths. As high school sweethearts, Duane and Patty overcame the odds and got engaged after eight years of dating.