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Bridal Boot Camp
Toning down and shaping up in time for the big day is a major concern for brides, and gyms across the state are responding. Personal trainers and boot camps designed especially for the walk down the aisle are popping up faster than new guests on your in-laws’ invite list.
Considering how much time and money get invested in planning a wedding, it’s no surprise that a bride also wants to have toned arms, a slimmer waistline and an overall healthier appearance, says Al Russell, manager of FIT, a Wilmington personal fitness studio that offers a bridal boot camp.
Now in its third year, FIT’s bridal boot camp is a comprehensive, personalized program intended to help brides reach their physical goals for their weddings.
After an initial physical evaluation, nutritionists and trainers offer advice while trainees work out. Yoga classes, which help a bride relax during a hectic time, are also an integral part of the program.
Owner Charlotte Maher says brides are typically focused on having a more sculpted upper body since wedding dresses tend to accentuate shoulders and arms more than other areas. She recommends doing lots of push-ups and pull-ups, but urges brides not to forget about the rest of the body.
“There’s still the honeymoon, so you want to look good in that bikini, too,” she says.
The program, which typically runs four months and costs between $60 and $120 per week, has done just that for brides who have gone through the boot camp.
“A bride always looks beautiful on her wedding day,” she says. “We’re working with them to make sure that they have that healthy glow that makes them look really amazing,” she says. “We’re always getting calls about how happy the brides were with the results and how that gave them another reason to smile on their wedding day.”
by Emily Picillo
A Safe Bet
When planning their big day, few brides think about what would happen if disaster struck.
But the unforeseeable can occur. And when it does, wedding insurance can help ease the financial pain by recouping costs, which can be high.
Wedding insurance is a form of special event insurance designed to provide financial protection for cancellation or postponement of a wedding.
Policies and protection levels vary, but generally, they cover: reimbursement of non-refundable deposits due to circumstances beyond control (death in the immediate family, natural disasters); damage to the wedding dress or other special attire; gift theft; expenses incurred to reassemble the wedding party to retake photographs because of damaged, lost, or destroyed film or videotape; and professional counseling (with a doctor’s note) if the cancellation causes emotional stress.
Couples should be sure to look into what is and isn’t taken care of by a new policy and what coverage they already have through credit cards, warrantees and other policies. Some vendors have their own coverage, so couples should find out details to avoid overlap.
The major providers for wedding insurance are the Fireman’s Fund at www.firemansfund.com and WedSafe at www.wedsafe.com.
WedSafe.com suggests that couples buy insurance when they submit the first, and often non-refundable, deposit. The policy offers some peace of mind to brides who know that sometimes vendors don’t show up, custom-designed gowns can get lost at airports and reception venues do occassionally go out of business. The one thing the insurance doesn’t cover is cold feet.
But for those who are certain they’ll walk down the aisle, protecting their time, deposits, attire and pictures in the event of an emergency could be worth the investment.
by Tara Lynn Johnson