There hasn’t been a wedding dress I met that I didn’t love. From beaded to lacy, from an Empire Silhouette to A-line and from sleeveless to backless. I could photograph a dress for hours and be happy! I love them all and don’t even get me started on how absolutely stunning my brides look once they put them on!

Chances are, part of your upper body will be in on display once you put on your wedding dress. You deserve to feel like a queen! Build up you confidence with with this 20 minute YPP approved bridal work out! This workout will target your arms, shoulders and back, some of the most exposed wedding dress areas.

Although most men haven’t been dreaming up their wedding day since they were five years old, might not know what an Arbor is or have any idea how to pin his boutonniere on correctly, your groom still wants to be involved. It is their special day too. They want the planning to be as easy as possible for their bride. They want to help but may not even know where to begin! Here are the Yael’s top 10 ways your groom can assist and contribute to make things a whole lot better for you!

1. The Guest-list and keeping track:

   He is going to know his side of the party way better than you! It is up to him to figure out his side (and parents side) of the guest list, find the addresses, follow up and make sure he knows who wants chicken or salmon!

2. Guest Accommodations:

   This one is something he can totally do and it will make you the happiest of brides! Give him the responsibility of reserving the rooms for the out of town guests and making sure they have all the details. Even if your venue has rooms as part of the package, some guest might need different price points. Your future-hubby will totally be able to handle these logistics!

3. Pick the Wedding Music:

   The music you request for your wedding can really set the tone. The process can be long, overwhelming and very time consuming. Giving your groom this task will make him feel like the king of the party! When he sees his friends and family having a great time on the dance floor, he will feel amazing! But between you and me, I would write down your favs too!

4. His side of the family:

   Wedding planning can make things a little tense and uncomfortable with your future-in-laws. To navigate through all the chaos as smoothly as possible, make sure he is the one communicating with his family. He knows how to best talk to his parents, so let him handle it!

5. Learning how to dance:

   Enough said…

6. Groomsmen Gifts:

   Boys will be boys which means one thing, let him pick the gifts for his friends. They have inside jokes and interests that you and no one else will ever understand so let him take this one for the team. Just smile and nod with whatever great idea he comes up with!

7. Vows/ Letter to the Bride:

   No matter what you do, let him be in control of what he says, how he shares and what he promises to you on your wedding day. This is for both of you! You will thank me!

8. Planning the Honeymoon:

   No matter when the honeymoon is, right after your wedding, six months into your marriage or even a few years down the road, let your man plan the details! He will have such a great time imagining you laying on the beach in Mexico or hiking up the mountains in Colorado, it will make him feel like a hero!

9. Don’t forget to say ” I love you”

   Make sure he knows to up the cheese-factor! With your busy schedules, everyones opinions and advice about your marriage and the insane amount of decisions you two will have to make during this season of your life, make sure he knows to say “I love you” in every way he can. On post-it notes, grocery lists, even on a top of a cake or using those HUGE letter balloons. Keep the love alive and strong!

10. Make your engagement as fun as possible

    If you are anything like me, you stress and over-analyze everything! Let your fiance know that you are going to need his help making this engagement as fun and as easy as possible. You are a team, you are going to need him to help you blow off steam by practicing your first dance in your kitchen or by turning center-piece decorating into a drinking game. He will know exactly how to calm you down and make things fun again!

There you have it ladies, the ultimate guide to making both of you happy! Now go on, hand over some of the responsibility to your eager and amazing fiance! You both will be so happy and so excited to be able to contribute to your big day in a big way!

You are what you eat. Between putting together your emergency kit, practicing your vows and running from your manicure appointment to the hotel, the last thing on your mind will be what am I going to eat. But seriously, do not forget to plan for a healthy day! From bloating to skin glow all the way to your energy level, what you eat the day (or a few days before) your wedding can have a lasting affect ! Make sure you are being mindful and cognitive of what foods you choose to nourish your body with!  The last thing you are going to want to on your special day is a breakout, feel lethargic and bloated!

Full disclosure, I believe this is important every day, not just the day before you say I do.

Before your mind starts racing, just breathe! I have done the heavy lifting for you! I consulted my dear friend and incredible Nutrition and Health Coach, Alissa Higgins, to design the Ideal-Day-of-The-Wedding- Meal-Plan and here is what she suggests:

Breakfast of beauty: 2 Eggs, Veggies, Whole Grain Toast. Snack: Apple & Almonds (200 calorie pack)

Lunch: Chicken or Tofu Salad. Add lots of veggies, and make this delicious!

Snack: Veggies & Hummus (Carrots, Celery, Peppers, Cucumbers)

Dinner: Salmon & Veggies Snack: Rice Cakes

A few tips for wedding week! 

1. Try to avoid adding salt to foods or consuming high sodium foods the week before your wedding. Salt helps you retain water, which doesn’t help when going for the flat tummy!
2. Drink at least half of your body weight in ounces of water each day. Hydrating will keep your body working at it’s best and keep you feeling your best!
3.  Don’t skip meals. The final week before your wedding can be stressful.
4. My absolute BEST advice to you is DON’T skip your meals. You want to be feeling your best on the big day not run day and out of energy!

And there you have it ladies! Your Ideal-Day-of-The-Wedding- Meal-Plan by the owner and creator of Fit4Mom Philadelphia! 

Want more helpful Nutrition and Health tips?! Great! Contact Alissa here! Trust me, you will not regret it! I have never felt more energized and healthier!

Hello my beautiful bride!

I have a serious question for you… How is your wedding shoe shopping going? Do you find a new pair of shoes that you absolutely love every three weeks? Are you going back in forth between a subtle, strappy nude, the classic, fun pump or that pair of Mexican embroidered wedges that you have been obsessing over since before you got engaged?! Do you change your mind five times a day? Have about 100 pinned photos and still can’t decide what will go best with your dress?

Trust me on this when I say, I understand completely! I personally love shoes. All shoes. I don’t discriminate. There hasn’t been a shoe I have seen and not loved. So, I get it, how do you decide?

Shoe shopping for your wedding can be insanely overwhelming, that is why, I have created a list of my YP Sharp shoe shopping rules to live by!

1. Research right away! Do not wait!

   So this is what you should do… even before you go wedding dress shopping, even before you pick out the flowers, jewelry and your something blue, create your Wedding Shoe Pinterest Inspiration Board. Look to see what is out there. Find the shoes and styles that speak to you the most and THEN go shopping for your dress. With all your favorite options pinned, it will be a heck of a lot easier to make a shoe-dress combo that is your match made in heaven!

2. Keep it Consistent

   Don’t get too adventurous for your big day!  I know sometimes are imaginations can run wild, especially when it comes toyour wedding plans, but keep your shoe choice consistent with who you are and what you are comfortable with on a normal bases. If you are a normally a 5-inch stiletto kinda gal, go for it. If you are never caught in anything besides sneakers or sandals, keep it simple and find a pair of gorgeous flats that will keep you moving and dancing all night long!

   

3. Your venue matters

   Always ensure that your shoe choice works well with the venue. Is your ceremony in a garden? on a beach? On a cobblestone pathway? Indoors? Outdoors? Is your reception taking place in the dead of winter or under the blazing sun? Keeping the place and time of year in mind will make you that much happier on your big day.

   

4. Wear them in

   Seriously though, your feet will thank you!

5. Make sure they make you feel like the princess that you are.

   It is your wedding day for crying out loud! You should feel like the beautiful, special princess that you are! Even though your wedding dress will probably hang all the way to the floor and therefore, hide your feet, your shoes will still be seen. Between the dancing, walking and the bustling your shoes will definitely grab your guests attention. So don’t just settle for a boring pair that you are fine with… make sure they make you feel like the incredible person that you are all day long!

   

6. The Sky is your Limit!

   This one is my favorite! Who says you need just one pair of wedding shoes!? For all those shoe lovers out there, I feel you. Choosing just one is like choosing just one chocolate out of the assortment box! How can you choose!  If you find two shoes that you absolutely adore, bring them both! One for the ceremony and one for the reception. It will make you that much happier : )

And there you have it ladies! Now go on, get on Pinterest, get inspired and find yourself the perfect style for your wedding!

xo,

Yael

There is a lot to do for your wedding day, so many big decisions and small details. It can get super overwhelming. You are going to want to procrastinate. I hear a lot of couples say things like “I’ll just get this done the week before the wedding” or “this can be put off for a few months.”

Get that to- do list done early: The small details that seem easy now, will not be so stress-free a few weeks before your wedding day. You don’t want to be using a glue-gun at 2am four days before your big day in an attempt to finish your centerpieces. You don’t want to be praying that Amazon Prime will arrive on time before your wedding because you JUST ordered your bridesmaids gifts. And you definitely don’t want to be running around trying to put together your Wedding Welcome Bag for all of your out of town guests.

What you will want to do the week before your wedding is relax. You will want to have time to enjoy your mani-pedi appointment. You will want to take a breath as you go and get your engagement ring cleaned and shined.  And you are going to want to spend some quality time with your beloved grandma who is in from out of town.

In other words, get that to-do list done early! Make sure you don’t just run around like a chicken without it’s head the last week of your single life. Make sure all the small details that can wait until the last minute, don’t actually wait until the last minute. Let’s be honest, of course some small things will pop up, but it will all be ok, because you got the rest of your to-do list done already!

I don’t know if you guys know this about me, but I have two old sisters, Becca and Shana.

They have always been my biggest role models and my strongest advocates. They have always showed me the way by achieving greatness in their studies, their personal lives and even killing it on the basketball court. Now, more than ever, I admire them. I admire them for the strong, beautiful relationships they have with their husbands. I admire them for the incredible bond they have nurtured and created with each of their children. And I admire them for the courageous and independent women who they continue to be each and every day.

Basically, they are super women and I am lucky to be their little sister.

Simcha and Moshe (aka brother-in-laws) are both a close 3rd when it comes to role models. I can talk to them about anything and they will give me honest and loving responses and I am lucky to be their sister too.

When it comes to advice, these four awesome humans are always the ones I turn to, and never once have they steered me wrong. That’s why, I am excited to share with you”3 things you should do before you tie the knot!” Three things my sisters and brother-in-laws advice me to do before I get married. Five pieces of advice to make sure you start your marriage off on the right foot.

1. Constantly ask yourself what can I do for my fiance

Focus on each other instead of yourselves. Think about what you can give to your SO instead of what you can get from them. You can no longer just think about your needs and your desires.  Remember you two are a pair which means, if you put them first and they put you first, everyone will be happy! I am not saying you need to surprise them with a trip to Hawaii every weekend, or you need to just drop whatever you are doing at all times when they call, but if you know your partner is having a rough day, maybe pick up their favorite chocolate on the way home from work or make sure all the dishes are done before they get back… it’s the little things that matter. Start putting them first today, and you will have a very successful marriage tomorrow.

Exercise: Every morning while you are in the shower, sipping your first coffee or the day or walking your puppy, instead of stressing over the tasks of your day, ask yourself this “What does [Insert Fiances Name] have going on today, what can I do to make it easier? What will make them smile today?  If you start doing this today, it will become easier and easier, until it is just second nature.

2. Talk about Finances

I know, this one isn’t anything new, but it is so important to reiterate. Being on the same page concerning your finances before you get married, will be a game changer! Be open about the student loans you owe, the credit card debt you have built up and the credit score you have earned. Financial surprises are going to arise no matter what, be a united front instead of two independent contributors.

So where do you even start? Once you and your fiance have it all out on the table (remember, no surprises!),  begin with discussing what your financial goals are. How was money discussed and dealt with during your upbringing, and if you are going to have separate accounts or joint banking? With these big questions answered, understood and agreed upon, it will help shape your financial relationship moving forward.

Exercise A: Sometimes, it is better to see it than talk about it. That is why I love spreadsheets! Pick one month out of your engagement to write down all of your expenses. Every night before you go to sleep, open up your spreadsheet and write down what money you have spent that day, your fiance should follow suite. Divide it into three categories, (A) Parter One, (B) Partner Two and (C) Both. This way, at the end of the month, when all expenses are accounted for, you both can see exactly who is spending what and what you need to work on to reach the financial goals you desire as a couple.

Exercise B: Swap credit cards for just a month. That’s right, you heard me, that means your partner will have your credit card and you will have theirs. This exercise will help open the financial conversation. This will aid you two to really start thinking about it as “our money” instead of “my money.”

3. Make sure spending time together doesn’t become a choir

As the years go on, your work schedules get crazier, you’ll throw in a dog, two cats and 3 kids. The bills and the duties pile up and a night out with your husband or wife might start feeling like just another responsibility. Don’t let it. Make sure you look forward to that time alone together. Make sure you still get excited to go out with the one person you see every day, the one person you have chosen to built a life together, a family together. Dating doesn’t stop just because you say ” I do”

Exercise: Date night! You don’t need synced Google Calendars to schedule date night, but you do need to put it in! (To be honest though,  synced calendars are always super helpful when two people are co-existing). At the beginning of every week, take a look at your calendars together and choose a day that works best for both of you. Pick a day that you and your partner will not be stressed out trying to make it on time. Choose a night where you can calmly get ready and head out together. Once you are on the date, leave your phones in the car or on airplane mode in your bag. You do not need them! This will keep you and your partner focused on one another during this precious weekly date night. It will help you connect and bond that you and your partner will look forward to your weekly date nights more and more each week.

Marriage isn’t easy, but it can be a beautiful and powerful thing when you want it to be. Take the time to cherish your relationship, grow in your partnership and thrive in your unity. I am lucky to be surrounded by incredible marriages and I wish nothing but the best for yours!

All I can say is, WOW and thank you!!

What a year it has been! From the bottom of my heart, I could not be more touched and honored, so thank you!

I am excited to announce that Yael Pachino Photography won “The Knot Best of Weddings 2019” and I could not have done it without you guys. This is all because of you. Because of your support. Because of your encouragement. And because you were kind enough to share your YP experience with The Knot, so thank you.

Not only do your reviews earn YPP fun awards, but your words also help future brides! Testimonials speak louder than radio ads, Facebook boosts and even magazine spreads. 84% of people trust online reviews just as much as they trust their friends. That means that you have an impact on others. You have the chance to help future brides who are just like you find the perfect wedding vendors for them. So, thank you.

I am overwhelmed by the love I get on a daily bases. I could not be where I am today without all of you. I cherish every moment I spend with my amazing clients and my loving support system. So, thank you.

Cheers to all the amazing Ypbrides and Ypgrooms of 2018 and here’s to all my 2019 Ypweddings! I cannot wait for what is yet to come!

Thank you to each and every one of you!