How I Prepped For My Wedding
It’s almost here and honestly the wedding weekend really starts today…at least that what it feels like to me! People are starting to come to town. I am starting to move things to the cottage where I will be getting ready for the rehearsal dinner and wedding. I feel it is the kick off day to really buckle up and get ready for a whirlwind of ALL THE THINGS!
I want to be real and honest with y’all and say that preparing for this wedding has been a whirlwind of emotions. It is a lot. I have had good days and bad days. I have laughed, cried, screamed, and have felt just about everything. It wasn’t until this past Saturday, that I woke up early and journaled a LONG piece, when I felt a huge release of peace, happiness, joy, love, and readiness that it is time.
My energy is pretty wild right now. I am not sleeping that much, because I am thinking about my dresses, the vows, the music, not falling on my face as I walk down the aisle, my family, Shannon…it’s a constant hamster wheel that keeps turning and turning. I have been pretty calm about everything up until the past two weeks, which is okay. I have the support system. I have my TOOLS. I am also writing out my own itinerary list of my schedule starting Thursday, so that I can hold myself accountable, but also feel a little bit in control, because there are going to be a lot things this week that I can’t control and that is OKAY! (Shannon is constantly checking the weather…For the first time, I have thrown my hands up and said, this is definitely something I cannot control and will NOT worry about. What’s meant to be is meant to be!)
So much to say…Not enough time or space, so I figured I would give a little breakdown of how I prepped for my wedding, which basically started almost 10 days ago after we got back from a quick trip to Destin. I did NOTHING extreme or drastic, I just made some little tweaks, checked in with myself, kept doing the things that I love, and just tried to remain calm, positive, happy, and grateful. And as we come down to the last few days, it is all coming together and it is truly magical. It’s going to be a time!
HAIR WAX NAILS
Lots of girly things happening, but honestly I do these all on the regular, because as much as I sweat…as much as I live in workout clothes…Hair…Wax…Nails…are part of my self-care regimen.
HAIR: I get my highlights and hair cuts done with Aarika. I have been going to her for years. She’s one of my soul sisters. We talk about everything and anything. We’ve cried, laughed, and had raging moments together. She’s a beautiful human inside and out and I am so glad she’s my stylist, but also my friend!
WAX: Since moving to Charleston, I have been going to Waxing The City in Mount Pleasant. It’s close, clean, and even though I have been through a slew of estheticians (because they have left or moved on), the service has been great and they do an AMAZING job! I currently see Heather and she’s professional, funny, talkative, thorough, and gets the job done. I know this is weird, but when I get waxed, I literally almost fall asleep. I find it really relaxing!!! LOL!
NAILS: For the past three months I have been seeing Ricky at Amazing Nails Spa. I also recently started doing dip, because the gel was making my nails really weak and it was way too easy for me to pick it off. I know…it’s a really bad habit. I also knew for the wedding that I wanted my nails to be longer and stronger. This is honestly the BEST my nails have ever looked. It is expensive to upkeep, so I may take a couple week break to let my nails breath, but damn they look so good right now!
Detox and Sculpt MASSAGE
Had to do this, because the results are AMAZING…I feel AMAZING…I look AMAZING! What better way to treat myself a day before the shenanigans really start? It is the perfect way to clear my head, clear my gut, and be ready for whatever comes my way. Not sure what a “Detox Sculpt Massage” is?!?! Don’t worry, I wrote a post about it HERE. Treat yourself to this delicious experience and reach out with any questions that you may have! And you can learn more about Jenn HERE and why this massage is important for your body and you can check out some client testimonials as well. Geek out and book it NOW!
WORKOUTS
When I got back from Destin with 10 days away from the wedding, I had a plan and I was ready to take it up a notch, because that is who I am. I want to look my best. I want to look strong. I want to be glowing from the inside out. When I move my body…When I sweat…It is when I feel my best, so I am just doing what I love. And then come Sunday, it will be a couple days off of just coming down from the high of it all.
Plus, I always love a good challenge and I tackled these 10 days like I was getting ready for the best race of my life! Nothing really changed, except that I actually did a lot more strength training than expected. I was at The Works…I was at Gold’s Gym…and then obviously you could find me walking on Sullivan’s Island with Lucy in the late afternoons.
FOOD
I honestly just cleaned things up! I didn’t RESTRICT…I ate…I fed my body real food…Kept myself extremely hydrated, listened to my body, but also had some fun with eliminating certain things and trying new things. I made it FUN, because food should be FUN! Social media is also great, because you can find lots of food inspiration on there. Two of my current favorites are: Kelsey Romano and Lily Ross. Both badass women, with lots of knowledge and inspiration, and REAL, so check them out!
I really focused on PROTEIN, HEALTHY FATS, and lots of colorful fruits and vegetables that I love and make me feel good from the inside out. I kept it real simple.
Here are a few things that I eliminated over the 10 days of prepping before the wedding:
Skim Milk
Protein Bars
Bread
Alcohol
Processed Foods
I feel really good…Less bloated…And it was kind of the perfect time for a reset! I didn’t feel triggered with old eating habits, instead I felt in control, energized, happy, and grateful to have done so much damn hard work and to see powerful and positive results. But don’t worry, come wedding weekend, I am just going to enjoy the food, the drinks, and live in the moment, with NO FOOD RULES! The food and the CAKE are going to be amazing and I cannot wait to enjoy it all. I have already asked the wedding planner to make sure she saves a couple corner slices of the carrot cake for me to freeze, because the corners have the extra icing…Always thinking ahead!
JOURNALING
I have been doing a lot of writing, reflecting, breathing, and using all the tools that I have established over the past couple of years in my healing journey to help with the anxiety, stress, nerves, and ALL THE THINGS! I love to write…obviously…but taking that extra time in the morning, while watching the sun rise, sipping on my coffee, and having Lucy by my side, is the perfect way to not only start my day, but to release whatever I need to release and feel. It’s magical and beautiful.
READING
Always reading, but right now reading a good book just brings me peace and a sense of calmness. It allows me to escape the “to do list”, the noise of the TV and social media, and it is the perfect way to unwind after a long day. I love to curl up on the couch or in bed and just flip the pages.
I was in a book rut again, which is beyond frustrating for me, but I found one that is really speaking to me and I am truly enjoying! This is my first Jodi Picoult book I have ever read. I had no idea what it was about, just that a friend recommended it. Shockingly it is about elephants (which I find truly fascinating), but also a group of people coming together to help find a missing mother. It is VERY good and the perfect read right now!
That is it in a nutshell...It’s go time friends…I hope that you will follow along over the next few days! If you are that interested, you will see it all HERE! And then after the wedding, I will be doing a #WeddingWednesday post to share ALL THE THINGS that made this day come together and I cannot wait to share that with you…It’s going to be a time.
xoxo
