Today I wanted to express a little bit of my thankfulness. Hill City Bride has been up and running for two months, and the response to a small city blog started my “lil ol’ me” has so far exceeded my expectations. If you have read my bio, you know that I am a wife and mom who writes for local magazines along with loving all things wedding. The idea was churning in my head about a bridal blog for over a year before a dear photographer friend of mine said “go for it!” So, I did, and here is Hill City Bride. The photo below was taken by that dear friend of mine.

Photo by Sincerely, Liz: Photography

As I reflect back over the past two months, I am so thankful. From readers and vendors to making connections with bloggers and event planners, I have so many people to thank (and above all thanking God!!). This has been so much fun for me, and I am glad that you are all a part of a dream of mine. My goal is to provide brides with great information for planning their wedding along with presenting them with the vendors that can help them make their dream wedding a reality!

Speaking of vendors, I want you to check out the great ones we have on the right … photographers, caterers, venues … the list goes on and on, and these are the people that can take your thoughts and translate them into reality for your wedding. If you are getting married, I also wanted to encourage you to mark your calendars for two big bridal events that are coming up soon, so check out the local events below.

We have the Lynchburg Bridal Expo coming up from 12-5 on October 24th, and if you go (which I think you should!!) be sure to stop by our booth and say “hello”. I would love to meet you!!

Also in the fall is the Lynchburg Bridal Showcase from 12-4 on November 14th at the Kirkley Hotel in Lynchburg. I will have more information about this as the time gets closer, but be sure to put it on your calendar.

Both of these events are top notch, and they serve to connection the bride with quality vendors all in one location. Personally, I enjoy the cake and catering samples, but that’s just me!! One of my favorite booths to visit is Liberty Catering … they always have yummy flavored water (complete with floating orchids) along with perfectly cooked chicken and delectable desserts. I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend as the summer is drawing nearer to a close. See you Monday!!

What do you get when you combine paint, canvas and an adorable couple? Well, you definitely get something unique and creative! This engagement shoot from S Carter Studios looks like it was SO incredibly fun, and Gavin and Kelsey seem to be the perfect couple to carry it out. Sabrena Deal gave Gavin and Kelsey the tools to paint with, and as you will see … not all of the paint ended up on the canvas! Sabrena captured some priceless facial expressions, and I hope that you enjoy this fun session.

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

See how cute that was? To view more of their photo session (along with some non-paint photos), be sure to visit the blog of S Carter Studios. Sabrena even put together a cute slide show of their painting session, which is so much fun! Gavin and Kelsey, I wish you the best in your life together.

Ok, I simply must admit it. I am TIRED!! I am hosting a “girly” baby shower (yay!) at my house tomorrow coupled with getting the kids ready for school to start on Monday. We have been trying to have as much fun as possible during the last week of their freedom before we are put on a set schedule.

Oh, yes this is about weddings, I know, but after weddings come babies and those babies grow up and go to school eventually, right? That is one thing about Hill City Bride that I love. I want you to have the best wedding EVER … have fun planning and making your day a celebration of you and your love while also having your tastes and style completely reflected. I also enjoy giving you some tidbits for after the wedding day, hence columns like Newly Wed and posts like first time home buying tips.

I have had a great week (which is probably why I am so worn out!!), and I will be posting some new vendors along with hosting some very fun giveaways over the next few weeks … I can NOT wait to share some of the things with you. Have a wonderful weekend, and I am leaving you with a beautiful bouquet photographed by Sabrena Deal of S Carter Studios. Enjoy!

Carnival rides, a bicycle, swimming in the ocean and a wedding dress … which is the odd one in the group? Well, none of them if you are at VA Beach doing a Trash the Dress session with Stone Blue Productions.

What exactly is Trash the Dress? It is a fun session that takes place after the wedding, which gives a new purpose for a dress that is not needed anymore … mess it up, get it wet and be creative all while documenting it with beautiful photographs. Jeffrey and Amanda’s photo session was so amazingly different … I adore the ones on the carnival ride!

I hope that this session, which was filmed and photographed by the three Guelzo brothers, brings a smile to your face and helps you to linger on to the fun of summer days at the beach. Enjoy!

If you are in the mood for some unique photos after your wedding, you may want to consider a lively Trash the Dress session, too! To view the full gallery of these photos, be sure to visit the blog of Stone Blue Productions. Jeffrey and Amanda … I wish you the best in your lifetime together!

Also, for our giveaway that ended this week … congrats goes out to Kelly L as our winner. Again, she scored a beautiful double initial necklace from Lala Design Studio on Etsy. I will be hosting another giveaway soon, so be on the lookout!

Weddings are a big motivation for brides and grooms (and others!) to get into shape and be fit, but many spouses-to-be do not even know where to begin. Fad diets? Starvation? Exercising like crazy? We all know these are not solutions to being healthy, but where do you begin?

Eating sensibly is a great place to start, so we are introducing our new monthly column, For Better, which will teach all of us (and by “us” I mean everyone … we can all use tips on eating!) how to prepare not only for one day but also how to have an overall healthy eating style.

I would like to introduce you to a long time friend of mine, Tonya Price, who is a Registered Dietitian and the owner of TCP Nutrition Management. She will be writing For Better, and Tonya has been working in the nutrition field for 14 years, before branching out on her own to start TCP Nutrition.

Here are a few things that Tonya has to say about TCP Nutrition Management …

I love to assist my clients become more health-conscious, and I provide many services related to nutrition including services for brides to feel radiant and look back on their wedding day with fond memories, not regret, based on how they looked.

I also enjoy showing my clients that they can reach their fitness and health goals. It is easy to look at the proverbial “mountain” and think losing weight or getting fit is impossible. I believe that changing one health-related behavior at a time, dealing with setbacks, and planning for future success can get my clients the results they want … a beautiful, healthy figure for their dream wedding day.

TCP Nutrition has an experienced staff that is ready to meet your needs, and they are great at putting together a program that is based on your specific needs. I am thrilled to have someone as qualified as Tonya writing a monthly column for Hill City Bride! For Better makes its debut on September 15th and will continue on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. I am looking forward to hearing Tonya’s ideas for healthy living both before AND after the wedding.