You can find personalized canvas totes at the Wedding Channel Store, AmericanBridal.com, Beau-coup. You can find welcome bags at The Knot wedding shop and Bliss! Weddings Market You could also splurge a little and get gourmet food baskets at winebasket.com or you can do-it-yourself! I’ve seen small reusable bags from Whole Foods or just plain canvas bags, either way personalize the bag to match your wedding colors and style.

A quick DIY canvas bag project requires just a few iron-on appliques from the craft store. If you want to do something a little more crafty all you need is a reusable stencil, fabric paint, or a custom iron-on for your bag.

Check out this fabric painted stencil welcome bag from oh-lovely-day.com.

I love this custom iron-on canvas bag from The Daily Distraction.

If your wondering what to put in the bag here is a great list to start from via Ruffled (photo also courtesy of Ruffled).

• A Thank You card.
• A Welcome note.
• Water bottle.
• A map (they’re often free). Also, a card with directions from the hotel to the venue.
• Mints, snacks and treats.
• Decent coffee (or tea).
• Sunscreen if you’re having a beach wedding.
• A weekend timeline if guests are invited to rehearsal dinner and other wedding events.
•  Advil or Tylenol.

 You can find a great tutorial for DIY welcome bags at Ruffled or by CLICKING HERE!

Happy Crafting!

Did you happen to see the April issue of Glamour magazine? If not, you are in for a treat today! Glamour chatted with Lady Gaga’s personal trainer, Harley Pasternak, who helped her get that ridiculous body and he gave away all kinds of tips on how to get that body in 4 weeks!

For full disclosure, Pasternak is the creator of the 5 Factor diet, so you have to take into consideration Gaga most likely follows his diet of 5 small meals a day.

Like most of us, Gaga hates working out and wanted to find a workout that was efficient and can be done in 30 minutes or less. Pasternak suggests starting with 30 minutes of cardio two days a week, then do the following circuit on three days. It only takes 25 minutes and then you can get on with your day, after all you do have a wedding to plan!

The First Week

1. Start with five minutes of cardio like jogging or jumping jacks. Then, without resting…
2. Do 30 reps of a lower-body strength move like squats or lunges.
3. 30 reps of an upper-body strength move like push-up, bicep curls or shoulder presses.
4. And 30 reps of an ads move like crunches (STILL NO REST)
5. Then do a 15-second cardio burst of “phantom” jump rope.

Repeat steps 2 through 5 two more times (so you’re doing a total of three sets), swapping in a different upper and lower body move and ads exercise for each step. Finish with another five minutes of cardio.

Then amp it up!

Week 2: Do four sets of 25 reps of each move, and a 30-second cardio burst.

Week 3: Do five sets of 20 reps and a 45-second burst.

Week 4: Do six sets of 16 reps and 60 seconds of cardio.

After your done with this workout you’ll need to take in your dress one more time. Good luck!

You can check out more of this Glamour workout HERE.

Photo courtesy of elle.com.

You get to go shopping! You can shop Journelle.com, H&M, Victoria’s Secret and all your other favorite lingerie stores for your session. You also get to sneak into his closet and steal his favorite sweatshirt or jersey. In the end he will love your photos and forget all about the lingerie bill.

Its a day to get pampered! Treat your session like a spa day and get a mani/pedi, make-up and hair done. Wondering how to justify the expense to your groom? Treat your boudoir session as your trial run for the wedding.

Its not just for him! You might be giving the album and prints to the groom, but the session is a great way to empower yourself. You will be able to enjoy the photos for years to come and remember how sexy you really are!

Find the perfect location! You don’t have to do your session in-studio, you can do it at a hotel, your home, or even outside at a secluded location. Think outside of the box and find something that will be perfect to bring out your personality.

Boudoir sessions are all about having fun. The more fun you have the better your photos will turn out. There are a few things that you should keep in mind before you book your session. You should always hire a professional make-up and hair person. They will know the exact look that you need for your session and will make you look picture perfect. If you don’t have money in the budget to hire a professional artist you can always go to MAC and have them do it for you as well. Don’t be embarrassed to tell them what you are doing because they do make-up for photo sessions all the time.

Just like wedding photography you get what you pay for. Find the perfect professional boudoir photographer for your session, even if that means hiring someone other than your wedding photographer. You might find a great deal or a coupon, but that doesn’t mean its the perfect fit for you and your session. This isn’t the type of session you need to help someone build a portfolio with. You will want someone who has done this many times and will be able coach you in to perfect sexy poses.

And finally, practice in the mirror! I know it might sound funny, but you will get a sense of what your photos will look like if you practice in the mirror. When it comes time for your session you will feel less awkward and more comfortable in your own skin.

Photos courtesy of Jennifer Bagwell Photography! You can check out more of her work by visiting her website!

Since I began searching for the perfect cupcake I thought it was best to start looking for easy and healthy recipes that will be delicious. The great thing about this recipe is the frosting can be made 3 days ahead and the cupcakes can be stored one day ahead. This is the perfect recipe for someone looking to make their own cupcakes for a bridal shower or wedding.

Raspberry Swirl Cupcakes

12 cupcakes, Recipe courtesy of Eating Well.

Active Time: 40 minutes, Total Time: 3 hours (including cooling and chilling time)

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen (thawed and drained), plus 12 fresh berries for garnish (about 12 ounces total)
• 1 tablespoon plus 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 cup cake flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk

Frosting

• 8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup packed confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

Directions

1. To prepare cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups with paper liners; coat the liners with cooking spray.
2. Puree 2 cups raspberries and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in a blender or food processor until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing with a rubber spatula to extract all the puree; discard seeds. Reserve 4 teaspoons of the puree for the frosting.
3. Whisk whole-wheat flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
4. Beat 3/4 cup granulated sugar and oil in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Beat in eggs, vanilla and 1 teaspoon lemon zest until well combined. With the mixer on low, alternately mix in the dry ingredients and buttermilk, starting and ending with dry ingredients and scraping the sides of the bowl as needed, until just combined.
5. Fill the prepared cups half full of batter. Place a scant tablespoon of raspberry puree on each cup (you may have some left over). Divide the remaining batter evenly among the cups. Use a wooden skewer or toothpick to swirl and fold the puree into the batter.
6. Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 22 to 24 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
7. To prepare frosting: Meanwhile, beat cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest and the reserved 4 teaspoons raspberry puree with an electric mixer until smooth. Refrigerate the frosting until very cold, at least 2 hours. Spread the frosting on the cooled cupcakes and decorate with a raspberry on top, if desired.

Photo courtesy of glutenfreecanteen.com.

Enjoy your Wednesday!

You can check out more of Calculated Style Photography’s work by visiting Aron’s website and blog.

Photography: Elisa B Photography

Clothing: J.Crew

Location: University of Virginia

We started the session at a historic home in the Sun Valley area and then headed out into the open country in south central Idaho. The spot where we took the outside images held special significance to Liesl and Nowel, as it was one of the first places they went together when they started dating.

Photography: Dev Khalsa Photography

Hannah tore her ACL two weeks before the wedding. Not only did she manage to walk down the aisle, but Hannah and Brian also had the perfect dip during their first dance. Doesn’t she look fabulous?

Photography: Kara Pearson Photography

Venue: Kevin Taylor’s at The Opera House

Hair: Lisa Raymond

Makeup: Sarah Brandow

Dress: Dina’s Bridal

Tux: Al’s formal wear

Flowers: Jennifer Kreinbrick

Photography: ZoomWorks

Venue: Ashford Manor Bed & Breakfast

So, without further ado here’s Dev Khalsa Photography!

Name: Dev Khalsa

Location: Sun Valley, Idaho

Company Name: Dev Khalsa Photography

Tell us a little about what you do:

I am a photographer, a mother of two amazing girls, and a wife to my high-school sweetheart. I am happy when I have a camera in my hand; in awe as I photograph a newborn just becoming aware of his surroundings; choking up when capturing a couple madly in love; and excited for a high school senior as she closes one chapter of her life to begin another.

I have been a photographer for 15 years, running my own photography business for 7 years.

Although I loved the work of a photojournalist, what I truly loved was working with people. Having a wedding and portrait studio allows me to have wonderful experiences, making incredibly important images for people, while being able to have the lifestyle I want and spend quality time with my family.

I am so grateful for the journey that photography has taken me on. From my formal training in photojournalism, teaching with some of the world’s best photographers at the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops, and international exposure through my published work– photography continues to enrich my life. I am so fortunate to be constantly invited into the most intimate moments in people’s lives, to have the opportunity to make authentic and enduring images that become part of a family’s most cherished possessions.

In college, I attended a documentary photo program in Maine called SALT, where we spent months with each of our subjects, learning about and documenting their lives. Spending long mornings in Pete Reny’s shop, watching him restore antique Fords and capturing images over the long winter, I knew that I always wanted to have a camera in my hand.

I love all types of different styles, and use them all, but do it subtlety, because I like to keep my images timeless. The most crucial consideration for me is that an image captures a moment or a real emotion.

I am a documentary photographer at heart, but photographing people is more than simply capturing the moments before me. Providing truly great images goes beyond technical expertise. It requires insight, intuition and the ability to connect on an emotional level. I truly believe that developing friendships with my clients is what leads to great images.

Everywhere! Although I love magazines and blogs and read lots of them, I also find inspiration in teaching photography, in travel and in nature.

I’m not after contrived snapshots. I’m looking to capture a more intangible and crucial element: authentic experience, and I love what I do!

You can check out more of Dev’s work by visiting her website and blog!

Happy Thursday!