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5 Ways to Include Your Alma Mater in the Wedding

As a Penn State grad (and the daughter, granddaughter and niece of PSU alumni), I’ve been to my fair share of weddings that showcase Penn State pride.

My freshman-year roommate, Kim, married a guy she met at a frat party during our junior year. Since she was originally from New York and he was from Pittsburgh, they opted for a Penn State wedding. After a ceremony at a nearby Catholic church, we traipsed around campus for photos and then went to an inn on campus for the reception. The couple came in to the fight song. And, in addition to cake, they served ice cream from the campus Creamery (Ben and Jerry learned to make ice cream there).

As I plan my own wedding, I’ve been thinking back to Kim’s wedding, as well as a few others, to brainstorm ways to incorporate Gray’s and my alma maters into our wedding day festivities. (For the record, Gray went to University of Central Florida.)

1. Play Your Fight Song(s)
Kim and her now-husband Craig aren’t the only friends I know who came into their reception to the sounds of their fight song. My friends Kelsey and Steve played the Florida State one and walked in doing the FSU chop. But if you aren’t marrying someone who shares your scholastic history, consider playing the fight song at a different moment — you could even work it into a father-daughter or mother-son dance.

Football Fans Gets Married While Tailgating

If you're a die-hard football fan, then you probably can't imagine missing a game — even if it's to do something pretty major like, say, getting married. 

One pair of Tennessee Vols fans confronted the problem head-on this weekend; rather than waiting until after football season ended to tie the knot, they exchanged vows while tailgating! 

tailgating wedding
Photo via @PeddiVOL

tailgating wedding
Photo via @JohnMarxism

tailgating wedding
Photo via @PeddiVOL

Then, they headed into the game with their loved ones and, luckily, celebrated their team's win over the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.

—Kristen O'Gorman Klein

Wedding Weight-Loss: Try "The Hundreds Workout"

Labor Day Weekend went by so quickly! I definitely ate and drank way more than I should have. Saturday, Rene and I went to our friend’s house for a BBQ party. We ate ribs, burgers, hot dogs, and salad, and we drank vodka, fireball shots, Jell-O shots, and beer. We partied like rock stars... but we definitely did not feel like rock stars the next day. We had a great time, but Sunday, we spent most of the day laying around and eating like crap. Not a good weekend to have when you’re trying to lose weight!

Monday, September 2

Thankfully, we had a training session with Bonne Marcus this morning — it was much needed. She had us do a workout today called "The Hundreds Workout." We started with a medicine ball pass 10 times, held a 10 second plank, and then mountain climbed for 10 seconds. We had to get through this 10 times total. Then, we moved on to 25 kettle bell swings and squats, 25 tricep-extensions with the kettle bell, and 25 bicep curls with the band, four times through. After that, we did another set, which consisted of 10 push-ups and 10 more tricep-extensions lying down, but this time, we only had to get through four sets (thank god!).

the hundreds workout

Beach Baubles: Jewelry with a Sentimental Flair

Here’s a genius idea for those of you who had (or will have) a destination, lake or beachside wedding or plan to honeymoon at a beach resort — jewelry designed with sand from those destinations. Dune Jewelry, founded by Holly Daniels Christensen — who is originally from Cape Cod and a bona fide beach lover — features uniquely-designed collections made with sand from just about anywhere in the world. Prices range from $40 to $184, and you can choose from an array of rings, bracelets, charms, necklaces, earrings, cuff links and key chains. I love this idea: It’s sweet, sentimental and very romantic, and whenever you wear the jewelry, you’ll be happily reminded of your wedding day or honeymoon. Here’s a sampling of some of the gorgeous pieces from Dune Jewelry.

The Island Necklace, $140, with sand from Laguna Beach, CA, left, and Siesta Key, FL on the right:

island necklace

The Island Ring, $58, with sand from Jobson Bay, Bermuda:

island ring

The Sandbead Bracelet, $120, featuring sand from Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman:

sand bead bracelet

The Traveler’s Bracelet, $150, featuring sand from Reykjavik, Iceland, can be made with up to seven different sands:

Amazing Entrance! Bride and Groom Play Guitar Down the Aisle

Groom Jordan Strauss and his bride, Andrea, made an unforgettable entrance to their wedding! At the start of the ceremony, Jordan — a guitar teacher  — pulled out an electric guitar and began playing Pachelbel's "Canon in D" with one of his groomsmen.

groom playing guitar during wedding ceremony

When Andrea made her grand entrance, she was also carrying a guitar and joined in!

bride playing guitar down the aisle

Jordan taught Andrea how to play guitar just for the big day, intentionally keeping her part simple. "I wanted to make sure that she could focus on walking and being in the moment and not have to play something super complicated," he told the New York Daily News. "She was an easy student to teach. She's a natural. I told her that from day one," he added.

bride and groom playing guitar

Wedding Bells for Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher?

There might be a happy ending for Jackie and Kelso after all! 

ashton kutcher and mila kunis that 70s show
Kelso's proposal to Jackie on That '70s Show. Let's hope he traded the balloon for a ring in real life!

Mila Kunis was spotted wearing a simple gold band on her left hand earlier today, sparking rumors that she and Ashton Kutcher — who she's been dating since April of last year — may be engaged.

The couple has yet to confirm the news, but a source close to the couple revealed to People that Kutcher had discussed proposing to Kunis around her 30th birthday (August 14). "He knows what they have is amazing and special... he's been thinking about proposing for a long time," said the source.

The pair first found love on screen as Jackie and Kelso in That '70s Show, though they didn't start dating in real life until Kutcher's separation from Demi Moore in 2011 (their divorce has not yet been finalized). 

"They are clearly very much in love, in tune with each other and so comfortable," another source revealed. "In some ways, it's like they're married already."

Crossing our fingers that the news is true! 

Scarlett Johansson is Engaged!

scarlett johansson
Photo via Instagram

Scarlett Johansson is ready for a second trip down the aisle! 

The actress, 28, was spotted wearing a massive diamond ring on her left hand while promoting Under the Skin at the Venice International Film Festival. A source confirmed to People that Johansson's boyfriend, French journalist Romain Dauriac, privately popped the question last month with a vintage Art Deco ring (see the ring here). 

Dating since November of 2012, it's been a "whirlwind romance" for the pair, a source told Us Weekly. "They're engaged and very happy," according to another source

Johansson was previously married to Ryan Reynolds from 2008 to 2011; Reynolds married Blake Lively last year in a surprise wedding.

—Kristen O'Gorman Klein

Tips for Picking a First Dance Song

Choosing a first dance song seems like it should be one of the easiest wedding-planning decisions. But once couples realize how many great options are out there, the pressure can start to mount. After all, whichever song you pick will be the one that you define as "yours" for the rest of your lives together. 

But don't worry! With the help of real brides, we've compiled a few guidelines to ensure that your tune is worth replaying in 50 years. 

1. Find A Common Musical Interest

Sometimes, opposites really do attract, so it's possible that you and your fiancé don't share the same taste in music. Narrow down the selection by focusing on one genre you both do like.

Jenna Guarneri began her search for the perfect wedding song by identifying a shared interest with her then-fiancé — country music. After listening to various country albums, she heard a Lady Antebellum duet ("When You Got a Good Thing") on the radio that encompassed everything she had been searching for. 

"I played it for my husband afterward, and he had never heard of it either," says Guarneri. "He loved it just as much as I did and said that it was definitely 'the one!'"

Wedding Weight-Loss: New Exercises and More Weight-Loss Success

Saturday morning, Rene and I had an early morning session with our trainer, Bonne Marcus. Before we began the workout, we got on the scale, and I’m proud to say I am down another five pounds, and Rene is down four! I guess after the bad week we had of the party, last week’s intense training and diet really helped! The workout was really hard this week. I should have known that after not doing any strength training for three weeks, it was going to be tough. She had us doing a lot of old moves combined with some new ones.

bicep curls

There was one new one called the “Prisoner Get-ups,” and they killed me! You put your hands behind your ears with your arms to the side, go down on one knee, bring the other knee down, come up with one knee, and then stand with the other. I had to do 20 starting on each leg. It’s an amazing exercise because it’s working your arms, your core, and your legs, but it was not easy!

prisioners exerise

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