The last month has been quite the ride. For the last year I have been working at a therapeutic treatment center for emotionally and behaviorally troubled girls. The job was intense, and required me to work long shifts, which included staying over night a few times a week. While it was an extremely rewarding job, the overnight schedule began to take its toll on our marriage. After taking several days to think it over, my husband and I decided the wise choice would be for me to find a job with a schedule similar to his.

I was blessed enough to find a new job, however I had to finish working the remainder of the month at the treatment center. In addition to being a newlywed, for three weeks I was working two full time jobs. Needless to say I have been a little stressed, so here are a few lessons I have learned this month…

Crazy Life, Crazy Girl. You may or may not be like me, but as I watched my calendar fill and my workload double, it was very easy to let myself get stressed. I noticed very quickly that my stress also had an effect on my husband. Stress makes me feel and act a little different than usual. Little things that normally wouldn’t have affected me turned into really big issues. This clearly put some tension on our relationship. I realized that it was necessary for me to take some time to think through the issues to make sure I wasn’t making them worse than they really were.

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For Richer, For Poorer. Every job comes with different benefits. Although my new job has a great schedule, the pay was a little less than I was making before. Actually, it was a lot less than I was making before. We have had to cut back in a few areas. A few of our habits that didn’t make it out alive were eating out, any movie that cost more than a dollar, Bliss’s daily Starbucks run and sadly, my shoe habit. While it has been difficult to make some lifestyle changes, it has been more than worth it to sit googlie eyed across the table from my husband for dinner every night. At the end of the day, no matter what sacrifices need to be made, you can’t put a price on a wonderful friendship and a healthy marriage.

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The greatest lesson I learned was not allowing the circumstances around us to dictate the quality of marriage Bliss and I have. Because marriage is a lifelong commitment, I think wisdom would say it is more beneficial to focus on our relationship instead of the stressful situations around us.

I’m looking forward to sharing with you next month!

Shelby

It is always fun to reminisce about the beach, and what a perfectly romantic place for Bethany to have her Trash the Dress session with Kimberly Burke of KD Burke Photography. Even her new husband got in on the fun, and here is what Kimberly had to say about the day …

I am not a morning person (I hate to get up early), but my hubby has always told me the best light is in the morning at sunrise … he was right! These where taken in Hilton Head ,SC. I am sure you remember Bethany’s wedding submission as well, too. What a fun couple these two are ! I am over floored by this shoot, and it is my favorite of all time!!! I do not think that any other TTD shoot that I do will ever top these.

Enjoy a glimpse into Kimberly’s time with Bethany at the beach …

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What a great, dreamy session. Thank you so much, Kimberly for sharing this with the readers of Hill City Bride.

Wedding ceremonies are all about the couple getting married. That focus doesn’t change much during the wedding reception. However, since all the guests are also actively involved in the reception, plan your wedding reception to include them in the enjoyment and just plain fun.

Know Your Guest List Personalities

To offer your guests maximum opportunities to enjoy themselves at your reception, know their preferences in food and music. Canapes can be great as formal dinner appetizers, but if your crowd likes a more relaxed atmosphere, tailor your menu to things at least most will enjoy.

Music

Vary your music to all age groups within their tastes. Including a few classic rock and roll tunes may make a few happy, but if your guests like country music, make it country rock instead. Polkas usually won’t be well received unless polka is a tradition in your area and with your guests.

If you aren’t sure of their preferences, include the option of telling you when they send the RSVP notes back to you. Keep a master list of them to present to potential disk jockeys you might hire to ensure everyone gets a fair chance of dancing to their preferred type of music.

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Mix slow and faster songs that allow your guests to dance as much or as little as they would like. Just be sure to mix them reasonably.

Your younger and older guests will probably leave the earliest, so schedule most of the dance tunes they like earlier in the evening. Children will enjoy dancing to almost anything, but they will eventually run out of energy, and the seniors on your guest list probably won’t stay all night.

Themes

People love a party, and that’s precisely what a wedding reception is. They love costume parties, and if you can meld a costume-type reception along a recognized theme, so much the better.

If you can design your theme around your honeymoon location, that grants your guests a peripheral involvement while maintaining the actual privacy of the honeymoon.

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Even if your reception is held indoors, you can still present a terrific tropical environment if your honeymoon is in, for example, Hawaii or the Bahamas. You don’t need to cart in lots of sand, but dress the hall for the occasion and have your guests dress to match.

If you opt for a traditional dress code for your reception, you can still incorporate a theme: Use the couple’s preferences in the décor and table decorations.

Entertainment

Include lots of group games and activities. Don’t forget those for the younger children and those for the older guests. If you can’t think of many group activities for specific age groups or all age groups, don’t hesitate to enlist the thinking caps of friends and family. You can even designate points-of-contact for ideas for specific age groups to ensure everyone who will attend has something to entertain them.

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Include door prizes as a surprise. Everyone expects the bride and groom to receive wedding presents. Most couples present party favors during receptions, but you can go one step further and not spend a fortune. Silly prizes, thoughtful prizes and fun surprises are always an unexpected hit.

This post was contributed by Holly Miller of Coupon Croc, where brides and grooms-to-be can find money saving discount codes for every aspect of their wedding; from the engagement ring, to their Travelodge honeymoon plans.

Images from top to bottom: Stitely Entertainment, nicknbecka, and chadmagic all from Flickr.

Aaahhh, summer is here, and in an attempt to sit back and enjoy summer, I am introducing Throwback Thursday, which is a collection of oldies but goodies that need to be revisited since Hill City Bride’s humble beginnings.

Again, I am pleased to present to you the column “For Better”, which is written by Tonya Price, a Registered Dietician. We all want to learn how to be healthy, and the goal of being at your best on your wedding day is a great way to jumpstart an overall healthy lifestyle.

Beauty is Only Skin Deep

Beauty is only skin deep, but every bride wants that radiant glow on her special day.  Our skin is a “fingerprint” of our nutritional health, and many nutritional deficiencies have their symptoms written on our faces.  A healthy diet nourishes the body but also rejuvenates the skin!  We know from all the topical creams loaded with antioxidants that vitamins play an important role in skin health.  However, research also extols the benefits of a diet loaded with whole foods and limited processed items to obtain a naturally beautiful complexion that really IS skin deep.

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Keep these nutrition tips in mind to have a gleaming countenance even in the midst of all the stressful wedding planning:

1. Consuming foods high in Vitamins C and E can reverse signs of wrinkles and sun-damage and replenish vitamins lost through the skin.  These include foods like citrus fruits, avocados, olive oil, berries, broccoli, cauliflower, leafy greens, nuts, seeds, spinach, asparagus, and red, green, yellow, and orange peppers.

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2. A lack of Vitamin A in your diet can be noted in the presence of dry skin. Research has shown a link between a lack of beta-carotene (a form of Vitamin A) and psoriasis. Foods rich in Vitamin A and beta-carotene include turkey, pork, fish, apricots, peaches, carrots, cantaloupe, apples, spinach, and broccoli.

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3. Adequate mineral intake, such as selenium, zinc, and biotin, are important to control oil production and heal blemishes.  Stress can exacerbate both oil production and blemishes.  Suggested foods include whole-grain cereals, eggs, lean meats and poultry.

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4. Drinking AT LEAST 80 ounces of water daily keeps skin well hydrated and “rosy”.  Caffeinated beverages, although tempting when you are up late finishing those last thank you notes from your bridal showers, are a bad idea for a clear complexion.

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5. While it can be tempting to skip on eating healthy foods and just pop vitamin and mineral supplements, the fact remains that fiber, phyto-chemicals, and other nutrients in our food cannot be adequately replicated in a lab.  Real food is the best source of the vitamins and minerals you need.  If you absolutely cannot give up the idea of taking a nutrition supplement, a basic multivitamin with minerals is your best bet.  Single dose vitamins and minerals must be very carefully considered with the advice of your physician or Registered Dietitian to avoid potential over-consumption of these supplements.

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Thank you again, Tonya, for your sage advice. Being healthy is important, and we owe it not only to ourselves but also to our loved ones to take care of our bodies … inside and out!  Also, special thanks goes to Tonya for her fruit and veggie photos, which she captured herself at the Lynchburg Community Market.

What a sweet little wedding by Christopher Breedlove Photography. I always will have a fondness for Liberty University’s Prayer Chapel as I myself attended there (longer ago than I would like to admit!) and frequented the chapel, which is the setting for the ceremony of Rachel and Chris. Enjoy a peek into this wedding full of pink, love and kisses!

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Thank you again, Christopher, and many congratulations to Chris and Rachel on their wedding. I wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

If you are getting married, wouldn’t you love to have a FREE wedding? Well, that is exactly what is in store for one deserving Central VA couple … click here to find out more about I Dream of a Wedding.