Wedding: Choosing Your Photographer

One of the most important aspects of organising my wedding was definitely making sure we had as many memories as possible of our big day! I am the kind of person who gets nervous and anxious easily; my mind starts to race and I become super self conscious. I know that when this happens I find it very difficult to recall what is going on around me and don't tend to remember a great deal. The wedding day is certainly one that triggers anxiety in even the most relaxed bride and it just goes by in a whirl! I therefore wanted to make sure that we documented our wedding thoroughly to look back on and remember the happiest day of our lives. I really wanted every moment to be captured and to have a variety of couple, family and general/reportage style photos, as well as a record of all the little details I had worked so hard on to make our day special!

I was determined to find the right photographer who would be versatile and who could capture all our special moments without being intrusive! After months of extensive searching and looking through numerous websites and portfolios nothing felt quite right. Most photographers had a style that was either very soft, where the photos looked overly casual or very posed and impactful, but lacking the general ambience and emotion of the day. That is until we came across Balance Photography at a wedding show. The photographs in their booth were breath-taking! Many of them had a lot of drama, while others perfectly captured raw emotion. There was a great mix of staged and posed photographs, as well as more natural behind the scenes observations. Another thing that stood out was their really inventive ways of organising group shots to make them fun and interesting. The fact that Balance Photography were a lovely married couple themselves immediately put them at the top of our list.

We met them a month later to discuss the style of our wedding, the photos we wanted, our venue and to generally get to know each other. We then had a little engagement shoot about 3 months before our wedding, which was part of the package. I would very much recommend doing this as it not only gives you some fun photos (that you can maybe use for invites or save the dates), but also allows you to practice a few poses in front of the camera and for your photographer to understand how you interact as a couple and what you feel comfortable with. My husband definitely benefited from this as he built confidence in front of the camera and felt much more natural after getting to know Oliver.

On the day I think having two photographers was a huge advantage and I would really recommend having more than one if you are able to fit it into your budget. On the morning of the wedding Rachel came to my house, where I was getting ready, to take some bridal party photos, while Oliver was at the church snapping away the groomsmen and guests arriving. As we had different venues for the church ceremony, drinks and the reception it was great to have them be able to cover everything so we didn't miss a minute! However, even in a small wedding or with one location having two photographers gives you a much better range of images. For example, as I was walking down the aisle Rachel took all the photos of my bridesmaids and myself with my mother from the back - capturing the back of our dresses, veil and the decorations leading into the church. Oliver was at the front of the church, capturing Luke's reactions as he saw me coming down the aisle, the church scenery from the front and my mother giving my hand to Luke and lifting my veil etc. One photographer would not have been able to capture these special moments and I am so grateful to Oliver and Rachel for working as such a seamless team!

 (Just to illustrate this is the same moment taken by Rachel from the back and Oliver from the front)

Oliver and Rachel are the loveliest couple. They are super friendly, warm and fun to be around and all our guests absolutely adored them! They fitted in so well and made everyone feel really comfortable, which you can definitely tell from the images as there are no awkward poses. As well as knowing what aspects of the wedding day to capture they also have great vision and skill when it came to editing the photographs. Rachel worked so hard in making sure that each image was cleaned up perfectly. We didn't want any heavy airbrushing, but the simplest little touches, such as removing a bridesmaids' scattered shoes in the corner of a photo or even editing out a videographer in the background makes everything look just that little bit more polished!

(In this photo the videographer was standing in front of me, but has been airbrushed out!)

If you are looking for photographers for your wedding, or indeed any special occasion, I would urge you to check out the Balance Photography website. Rachel and Oliver are so lovely, fun to work with, talented and enthusiastic. We really can't say enough good things about them!!

Wedding: Precious Petals - Preserving Your Bouquet!

Planning your wedding is a huge task that can feel totally overwhelming! However, I think that the more effort you put in the more amazing it feels to know that you have created a beautiful event that all your friends and family can enjoy. I would encourage everyone to make sure they pick the best photographers and videographers as the day goes by far too quickly and it is so important to be able to have those memories to look back on. Many brides can feel a little lost following their wedding, but I am super sentimental so I made sure I would still have a few wedding related projects to look forward to after the big day. One of them was my beautiful bouquet, which I had preserved and framed so it could have pride of place in our living room.

Personally, I loved organising my wedding as I am a complete perfectionist so I wanted to create all the unique aspects of our day to reflect us as a couple, as well as my personal style. Although our wedding was pretty traditional all the elements were unique as I made sure to research everything thoroughly and then very specifically design details to fit together. This may sound rather ‘Bridezilla’ to some, but as I worked with a lot of small, independent suppliers it was very much a collaborative creative process. I know lots of people wouldn’t want the stress and would rather pick a cake or set menu from a directory, but that just wasn’t for me. All our suppliers were amazing and as they were genuinely passionate about their art they were enthusiastic about creating new pieces for their portfolios. One of the aspects I loved learning about the most was the flowers! I had seen so many beautiful arrangements, but as we had a number of tricky spaces to fill (our church was very large and we had different rooms for our champagne reception, dinner/dancing and bar/ cake/ coffee areas) I had to design arrangements that would look impressive and fill the space, without being garish... and all within our budget. The flowers looked beautiful on the day and I was very sad to leave them behind at the venue so instead we gave away most of the smaller arrangements to our guests and donated the rest to a nearby children’s hospital. 

I was so happy to have arranged for my bouquet to be preserved so I could keep it as a memento! After doing some research about freeze drying flowers I came across Precious Petals. There were different options available on their website including keeping the bouquet in a cube, having the flowers pressed, or preserving a select few flowers in a paperweight. I chose a 3D method that would let my whole bouquet be preserved in a frame that I could hang on the wall. Precious Petals did an amazing job! After keeping my bouquet in water overnight I sent it to them on the Sunday following my wedding. The process does take 12-16 weeks as they have to disassemble the bouquet and preserve each flower individually before rearranging and framing it, but this just means you have something to look forward to long after all the photos are seen and the thank you cards sent!

If you are getting married I would highly recommend getting your bouquet preserved as a special memory from the day! I was so pleased with the service from Precious Petals and would definitely recommend check them out!

Home Improvements: Making a House a Home!

Over the last year I have updated our home to make it a little more modern and a lot more reflective of my current tastes. After five years I felt like my living room definitely needed an upgrade!

Here is a little before photo (taken on the night hubby proposed, but it gives a good feel of the room - very brown and a lot of leather).

 And the after...

The first thing I decided to change was the colour scheme and feel of the room. I have become obsessed with grey furnishings and wanted to balance out the muted grey tones with warm blush pinks and a touch of cream.

 

I purchased two Chesterfield sofas in a rich grey and added a little texture and colour contrast with velvet cushions and a grey faux fur throw. I kept the rest of the furnishings, including the side tables and coffee table, in ivory.

I also added an ivory sideboard that worked perfectly with our new Vera Wang photo frame, cacti and the bonbon holders that we had left over from the dessert table at our wedding.

The last part was our dining table and chairs. Both were purchased from Made.com.

I love the lacquer table as it not only looks simple, modern and stylish, but is also extendable and super easy to clean.

For the table settings I used our old plain black glass settings and covered them in marble contact paper to make grey marble placemats and coasters. The napkin and napkin rings were purchased from Zara Home.

Let me know what you guys think! The photos aren't quite Instagram worthy, but I have really enjoyed researching and putting different pieces together!

Supplicity: Supplements Made Simple

With an increasing number of us being more conscientious when it comes to our health nutrition has definitely been on the front pages recently. However, the advice is confusing at best and all too often completely conflicting. We are constantly being told what to eat, and even more so what not to eat! Coupled with the heightened prevalence of allergies and intolerances this can lead to a somewhat restricted diet, even when disregarding the research that tells us our food is actually getting less nutritious by the decade (you can read more about it here) due to soil depletion, pesticide use and (dare I say it) GM! I personally have tried to decrease processed foods in my diet and eat organic produce, but my intolerances to dairy, gluten and eggs can make some meals repetitive and I always worry that I may be missing vital nutrients by cutting down on certain food groups (such as grains).

In an ideal world I know the optimal way to get nutrients is through a balanced and varied diet, but who lives in an ideal world? I certainly am guilty of burning the candle at both ends – working too much, not getting enough sleep, having too many glasses of wine… therefore I am very grateful to get a little help along the way!

Good quality supplements can be a great help as they ensure you get a top up of vital nutrients that your body needs. I always think that even if I am eating well it never hurts to make sure! However, the supplement market is so big that, just like nutrition, it can be very confusing to pick out what you need. I have bought many bottles of vitamins over the years that either stay at home, or on my desk at work, but as I am always on the go I find it hard to keep a routine and make sure I am being consistent.

Therefore, I was really excited when Supplicity contacted me to try out some of their supplements. The range is created by London-based brothers-in-law - a doctor and a health and fitness professional. They have designed Supplicity to make supplements super easy to use and fit into a busy lifestyle with little commitment required by splitting your bespoke supplements into labelled daily strips, which you can easily travel with!

I chose the Mojo* daily essential energy box, which contains B Vitamins, Vitamin C, Zinc, Omega-3 and Korean Ginseng (used for thousands of years to enhance cognition and stamina). The carefully selected vitamins and micronutrients have been blended to create a daily supplement that aims to leave you feeling energized, stronger and recharged. I felt that in these cold months my energy was definitely lacking and rather than rely on caffeine I wanted a more healthy alternative.

The Mojo box arrived through my letter box and has been the easiest thing to add to my daily routine. As the 3 supplements for each day are labelled in individual strips I can easily pop them in my bag in the morning or take a couple of strips with me when I go away without having to lug multiple bottles from work to home or fuss about with plastic containers. It also helps me to keep on track if I miss a day! I take mine after breakfast as recommended and have definitely felt the difference.


Each Supplicity box contains a 28 day plan with plans starting from £18 a month and your first month is free! Let me know what you think of this plan and if you are interested in trying them out for yourself!

Fitness: 1Rebel Review

After hearing a lot of buzz around the opening of 1Rebel I was not one to shy away from the challenge. I was compelled to try out the new fitness revolution for the modern age, especially with one of the studios so close to my office. I was excited to see that when you sign up online 1Rebel offers you a complimentary 1st session to try their service. As I already pay a hefty gym membership I really appreciate offers like this as it lets me review the experience before having to commit, which is perfect as the whole thought process behind 1Rebel is a modern approach with no subscription or membership fees. All you do is choose a package (a number of sessions) and use these up as you wish (though of course the more sessions you purchase the more cost effective it is).

I opted for a 30 minutes lunchtime full body Reshape session. Although these sessions are short (given all the classes are the same price) they do come with an added benefit of a Roots and Bulbs lunch or juice, which is ideal for me when popping out of the office!

I attended the 1Rebel studio on St Mary Axe (almost opposite the Gherkin) and after being given a large towel and chilled bottle of water on arrival descended to the changing rooms and studios underground. The changing rooms are among the best I have seen – smart, roomy lockers with no keys needed (and definitely no £1 coins in sight), modern brass accents, plenty of mirrors, GhD appliances and clean showers with a good range of complimentary products. I was impressed!

The Reshape class studio is split into work benches (with weights underneath) and treadmills (these were fantastic and so easy to use). We only had 4 people in our class so we had one each, but the idea is when classes are full people alternate between benches and treadmills. I understand that space in the City is at a premium, but even with so few people I could imagine the studio getting pretty full. For me personally the mat space between the benches was a little small. I wouldn’t like to be doing inchworms face to face with anyone so I would have preferred a little more room (though I appreciate I have been somewhat spoiled by my home gym where I usually have a whole area to myself). 

With one instructor keeping an eye on people using various equipment (and in club style darkness) I think it may be easy to get lost in a full class, so I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for complete beginners. If you are just starting your fitness journey and need to learn basic exercises with good form I think this class may be confusing as it is very fast paced. However, as I had done all the exercises before I felt pretty confident – it was still a challenge, but having learned the correct way to do them my main test was to repeat or hold for the right amount of time. As we had a small class we had plenty of attention and encouragement from the super energetic Melissa, but I guess it just depends on the popularity of your session!

Throughout the class we switched from various programmes on the treadmill (warm up jog, run, sprint, incline sprint and dynamic mode of pushing the treadmill yourself to pick up speed) to plyo work such as squat jumps, weights such as bench press and lunges with dumbbells, cardio building burpees and core strengthening dynamic planks and leg raises. The class was mainly HIIT with short rest periods so my heart rate was up throughout the full 30 minutes - burning 350 calories. Melissa was fantastic at giving us tips or encouraging us to run that bit faster or hold that plank a few seconds longer and the loud music and club atmosphere kept it fun!

After a quick shower and change I grabbed my complimentary Roots and Bulbs lunch and was back in the office with a nutritious meal, a rush of endorphins and more than a slight flush to my cheeks!

As someone who works out regularly I think these classes are great fun and a fantastic way to get a quick workout in during the day, especially if I have evening plans. I find that exercise is absolutely the best stress relief and even after 30 minutes you feel the difference. 1Rebel has fabulous facilities and a super convenient location if you work in the City and I would definitely recommend checking it out whether you are looking to shape and tone up for the summer, or fit in some exercise around your busy day without giving up your evenings or having to get up at the crack of dawn. There is also a Rebel Ride class if you are a fan of spinning. There’s nothing to lose as the first session is free!

There are various offers available at this introductory stage if you want to purchase sessions…

If you mention my name you can get a 20% discount off either a 10, 25 or 50 pack on the website using the code IWANTMORE. Alternatively there is a special offer where you can get 20% off 50 sessions and £200 worth of Charli Cohen sports-luxe range with the code 50shades.


Let me know if you try it and what you think of 1Rebel. You never know... I may be on the treadmill next to you next lunchtime!

Review: Barrecore and Reformer Pilates

As many of you know over the last year (or two) I have really found my love and motivation for fitness and exercise. Going from not even owning a pair of trainers to working out 5 times a week I am now trying to settle into a manageable routine that I can enjoy without feeling time deprived, while keeping my new found level of fitness and shape. With working long hours alongside a host of other commitments I do sometimes struggle to find balance. I know many people say they feel guilty if they do not exercise, but since I have learned to enjoy it I genuinely miss it if I don’t and have to confess that I have turned down social invitations in favour of a gym class… honestly I find Zumba on a Thursday night a much better stress reliever than a glass of wine (or 3) in a cramped City bar and it definitely leaves me with a much clearer head on Friday morning.

So with this in mind I have tried to expand the type of exercise I do, especially now we are in the depths of winter and going outside is just not an option for me (although I have signed up for my first 10k in Feb... madness). Often if you do a particular exercise repetitively your body does adapt so you may no longer feel the benefits. I definitely noticed this when going to the same weekly gym classes so I am trying to change up my routine to keep it effective, challenging and fun. In the last week I have tried both Reformer Pilates at Klinik  (Liverpool street) and a barrecore class at their new Chiswick/ Turnham Green studio.

Barrecore – Having heard so many fantastic things about barrecore (if it’s good enough for VS models!) I was super excited to be invited to their new Chiswick studio to try out one of their classes with Niki the founder. Barrecore is an innovative type of class that integrates the fat-burning format of interval training with static stretches after each major muscle is worked. The changes seen through barrecore are the results of working and exhausting all muscle groups and subsequently stretching the muscles for relief. I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect as my ballet training finished pre teen (being 5’10 definitely didn’t help), but I knew that it wouldn’t be easy as I am extremely inflexible and often struggle with touching my toes, let alone anything more acrobatic!

Before I share my experience I have to confess that this class was more challenging than I had envisaged, but I absolutely loved it as it was such a different way of exercising and a huge eye opener! The class concentrated on very small, repetitive movements to try and exhaust specific muscles. It is a sheer case of determination in those last few minutes, and definitely as much of a mental exercise as a physical one, as your muscles start to burn while you have to carry on ‘pulsing’. A lot of the exercises are done with a small rubber ball to help you really squeeze and tone. One of my particular favourites was what I would call a reverse sit up where you use your core to push back into a ball placed midway under your back, rather than curling and pulling yourself up. It felt quite strange, but I could definitely feel my stomach muscles working in a completely different way to regular crunches. Some of the exercises done at the bar were fun, but also very challenging, such as attempting a standing split while balancing one hand on the ball on the floor and pulsing your raised leg outwards. I have no shame in admitting this was not one that I came even close to achieving, but it was fun trying and I imagine it would be extremely rewarding to see how quickly you can progress after a couple of classes!

(Niki and me after our class)

Niki was a fantastic instructor and to my amazement did all the exercises with us while also correcting us if we got a little tangled along the way. She looks absolutely incredible, toned yet very feminine, which is exactly what barrecore hopes to achieve. I definitely felt the burn throughout many of the exercises, but though I was a little sore the next day it was not at all debilitating and I felt that I had worked areas that many regular gym visits don’t target (such as the inner thighs). I will definitely be returning to barrecore in the future as it is such an effective exercise that perfectly compliments my existing routine.

Reformer Pilates – I had tried reformer before many years ago at Bootcamp Pilates in Fulham. However, this was before I had any fitness capability and to say that I struggled was a major understatement. As I have a variety of back problems keeping alignment and balance is a real challenge for me. I therefore decided to concentrate on my stability and having now done mat based Pilates once a week for the last year and a half I felt I was ready for the challenge. Plus the first class at Klinik is free so there was nothing to lose! 

I found the beginner class at Klinik really fun as it had quite a slow pace, but still let you work specific muscles well. Many of the exercises were similar to those in regular Pilates, but of course with movement on the machine, which used the muscles in different ways. I also loved the fact that some exercises that I wasn’t able to do well because of my back were doable on the reformer due to the counterbalance of the springs. It was a good way for me to practice without having to hold my whole weight (eg. while lowering your legs straight down and keeping back flat in the supine position).  It was also a great way to stretch and I particularly felt it in my hamstrings, which are always super tight.

While I enjoyed the reformer class and will definitely try to progress to the more advanced classes in future I would stress that the best way is to start with Pilates on the mat, work on your core and stability, before moving on to the reformer. I discussed this with the teacher and he was very clear about his views following the many beginner classes he had taught. If it is your first time trying this kind of exercise you may find it near impossible to get the correct alignment while moving using the pulleys and therefore may not get the intended benefits. He said that it wasn’t about strength or fitness, but mostly core stability and just knowing how to keep your back in certain positions, which takes some practice. However, if you are familiar with Pilates and have a good base to work from I think Reformer is a fantastic addition to your routine. It’s such a fun and dynamic class and I can’t wait to try it again! Frankly I always feel that if I can do a class with my lack of coordination and horrendous back problems anyone can!

 

What are your favourite ways of keeping fit and healthy? Have you ever tried barrecore or Reformer Pilates? I would love to hear your recommendations of new classes to try!

Our Honeymoon - Sri Lanka - Part 1

The first stop on our honeymoon was beautiful Sri Lanka! I had spent months planning our whirlwind trip to make sure we could see as many sights and sample as much culture as could comfortably fit in one week.

However, flying on the Sunday following our wedding we were both utterly exhausted so spent the first two nights in Negombo. We stayed at the Jetwing Beach which was absolutely perfect for relaxation. Great service, a chilled atmosphere, an olympic sized pool, spa, gym, beach and very affordable room service. In fact we were so lazy that other than buffet breakfast we only ate out once! If you are prone to jet lag or are going straight from work I would really recommend staying in Negombo for at least a night as it is a little paradise just 30 minutes up the coast from Colombo airport. A perfect way to start your trip!

After attempting to book all our hotels and logistics myself I soon realised that it was very difficult given the long distances we had to travel. There is very little public transport and many places are not set up on the internet. I therefore put my pride aside and after speaking to about 15 different tour operators managed to negotiate the itinerary I had already planned with Kuoni. I honestly hate using tour operators as I often feel that I could do better (lol) and don't want to pay commission, but Kuoni were absolutely fantastic! Our tour included a private driver who acted as our tour guide for 4 days. In retrospect I would say a local presence is definitely a huge advantage as many places do not let you in without a local guide anyway!

Our first transfer was a 5 hour drive to Dambulla in the centre of the country. We had a quick stop midway and met some local wildlife... if you are scared of snakes look away now!

In Dambulla we visited the beautiful Cave/ Golden temple filled with ancient sculptures and paintings dedicated to Buddha, dating back to the 1st century BC.

The caves were spectacular, but after the long climb the views over the surrounding landscape were also stunning!

 

We also met the oldest, wisest soul reincarnated as a monkey who lived in the temple. You can see a whole other life in his eyes. I love animals so to spend a little time with him in such close proximity was amazing!

We then took a little detour and visited an elephant sanctuary where we got to ride an elephant around a small lake and even have a little elephant shower. When I was first researching places to see elephants I came across Pinnawala, which I believe is the largest, but after speaking to a few agents I was told that the elephants didn't have the best treatment there, so we decided to go with a much smaller, family run sanctuary. Our elephant Raannie was an absolute sweetie, though so hungry for bananas we ran out of them in minutes, despite purchasing two huge bunches for the short trip! 

The last stop was an amazing Jeep safari through Minneriya National Park. This was a once in a lifetime experience as we came across 2 families of elephants and were able to spend as much time with them as we wished!

The views in the wildlife park were just stunning! 

After a long day we made our way to the most special and unique boutique hotel I have ever seen! I was beyond excited to stay in one of their amazing paddy field dwellings, even if it was only for one night. Vil Uyana has been named as the best eco luxury hotel in Sri Lanka and it is not difficult to see why. Jetwing Hotels created a private nature reserve consisting of a wetland system with lakes and reed beds. Jetwing Vil Uyana was built within these environs with rooms which have been placed within the paddy fields itself. Our hut was incredible! We had our own little plunge pool, two terraces and some very romantic decoration, as well as a bowl of fruit and chocolate cake! They made such an effort to make us feel special on our honeymoon!

Vil Uyana is one of the most magical and tranquil places I have ever visited. I really wish we had been able to spend more time there!

As well as our amazing 'dwelling' the main areas of this hotel were also stunning. As we arrived quite late when it was already dark we went straight to dinner. The food was delicious and we had the most romantic evening.

The next morning we got up extra early to explore the hotel as we had to leave at 8am to climb Sigiriya. We found a little open air library/ chill space next to the restaurant which was perfectly serene and took a few minutes to take in our beautiful surroundings.

I hope you enjoyed coming along on our honeymoon in Sri Lanka! Please stay tuned for the next instalment! xxx