Gotta' Shape Up!

Since getting engaged, I've started to think about getting in shape for the big day. I'm not focused on losing a certain number of pounds before the wedding, I just want to tone up and be in the best shape possible. Years after the wedding is over and I'm looking at my wedding pictures, I don't want to think, "I wish I had done a couple more crunches!"

Find ways to make working out fun like playing mud volleyball or working out with your fiance!

My wedding is still over a year away, so my efforts to get into shape thus far, have been pretty minimal. I've always been a fairly active person and I'm what some might consider a selective (ok, picky!) eater, so I've just been sticking with my normal routine and diet.

I try to run five days a week, but I am by no means a marathon runner! On an average day, I'll run 2.5 miles. If I'm having a rough run, sometimes I'll cut it down to two miles, and if I'm feeling great, I'll run up to five miles. I have no set schedule and I haven't been wearing a watch, so I can just go at a comfortable pace. Since we're in the midst of winter in Ohio, I've been sticking to running on the local high school track, or the roads of my neighborhood. On special occasions, my fiance and I have driven a little further to run at city parks. If the weather is too bad to be outside in, I'll settle for running on a treadmill, but that really is a last resort for me (I hate watching the clock as I run!).

You're Invited

Before you schedule any tours to look at potential venues, you and your fiancé should come up with an initial guest list. The list will evolve throughout the wedding planning process, but it's good to have an idea of how many people you will be inviting so you can choose a venue that will comfortably accommodate all of your guests. The average number of guests attending a wedding in 2011 was 138. Your guest list will most likely depend on your budget. Obviously, the more people you invite, the more expensive your wedding will be.

When Matt and I made our initial guest list, we agreed that we wanted to keep it under 200 guests. With that in mind, we each came up with an individual list. As tempting as it may be to tell your fiancé not to invite his friend who constantly tells him he should be single, or his great aunt that you've always suspected doesn't like you, it's important to remember it's his big day too, and he should decide who he wants there. The exception to that rule is exes. Unless your future husband or wife and your ex are the best of friends (not likely), save yourself a lot of arguments and cross your ex off your list. (No, it doesn't matter that the two of you are just friends!)

To insure that I wouldn't forget anyone, I made separate lists of family, friends from high school, friends from college, family friends and church friends. Initially, I only wrote down immediate family. My mom's family is large and I didn't want to invite  relatives who I had only met a couple of times at family reunions. If my cousins were married, I invited their spouse; If they were single, I didn't give them the option of inviting a date. (In a revised list, I allowed my cousins to invite dates.)

When choosing friends from high school and college to invite, I used the guideline that if the last time I saw them they were wearing a cap and gown, they were not making the list. When choosing whether or not to invite an old friend, it's important to think of your individual friendship with that person and how much of an impact that they've had on you. As I tried to whittle down my list, I realized that there were people on my list who hung out in the same group of friends that I did, but I never would have hung out with that person alone. If you're trying to cut down your guest list, that could be someone to cross off.

Choosing the Date

Before selecting vendors and sending out your Save The Dates, you have to pick your wedding date. There are several different factors you should consider when choosing a date for your big day. If you want to have a Winter Wonderland theme, you probably don't want to schedule your wedding for the middle of August! If you have a specific venue in mind, you may want to choose a date based on what they have available. You also might want to consider your bridal party's or guests availability. (You most likely won't be able to find a date that works for everyone, but you also don't want to schedule your wedding for the same day as your cousin's.)

I always envisioned getting married in the fall. I dreamed of fall foliage, pumpkin centerpieces and the crisp fall air. I had it all planned out...then my fiance proposed Dec. 30. When we (I) began planning the wedding, I tried to find some way to make a fall wedding possible. I didn't have an issue with planning a wedding in nine or ten months, but I couldn't sell Matt on this idea. He will be graduating from his Master's program in May of 2013 and didn't believe that we would be financially stable in September or October, so a fall wedding in 2013 was out.