Mid South Wedding Guide 2017 by Mid South Wedding Guide

Dear Fans,

Table of Contents Virgina & Kyle

Spa Spotlight

Joanna’s Healthy Recipe

Couples Workout

Style Shoot 20 Ashley & Dustin 25

Valentine’s Day is a time when people show feelings of love, affection and friendship. Many couple get engaged around the holidays and Valentine’s Day. If you are one of the lucky couples congratulations on your recent engagement. At Mid South Wedding Guide, you’ll find inspiration for your unique and memorable wedding. An engagement is a once and a life-time experience. Don’t spend it stressing over wedding details. We have some great news for your wedding planner, vendors, and yourself. Now sit back, sample the cake, taste the champagne, and truly smell the roses at MidSouthWeddingGuide.com

Allison Brooke Brigance allison@midsouthweddingguide.com 901.652.1969 For more information about MSWG or Wedding Guide Box email info@midsouthweddingguide.com

Virginia Barnette Driftmier & Kyle Logan Pido

How did he propose? Kyle surprised me by taking me up in a small privately flown airplane in New Orleans during the day on New Years Eve 2015. As we flew over the city we had champagne and chocolate ready for us in the back of the aircraft. After we landed he took me to a beautiful secluded park in the Garden District of New Orleans. We walked together for a little while and then sat on a bench that had a plaque on it that said “Dedicated to lovers everywhere.” I looked away at something in the park and when I turned back around he had gotten down on one knee and was holding my great grandmother’s engagement ring. As I started crying he asked me to marry him!

Mr. Thomas & Mrs. Joanna

One of the most infamous exercise excuses across the board Virginia’s favorite part of the Wedding Day:is “I just don’t have the time.” Then you have coaches, trainers, and other health professionals constantly rebutting that phrase, because we

can’t imagine not having the time for something that we practically eat, sleep, and breathe daily. But if I’m candid with you, there are days when I also feel like I don’t have time. Or maybe I do have time, but I’m so exhausted and/or ravenously hungry that exercising is the last thing I feel like doing. I have a few clients who, after telling me about their days and schedules, I applaud for even showing up to our sessions. I got extremely nervous all of a sudden while my Dad and I were waiting behind closed doors to walk down the

aisle. Right the doors opened up schedules and Kyle I sawareeach other the first time, every worry and Life gets busy.when Especially in our culture, where packed and and full agendas glorified. Yes, I for do believe we make time for thingssingle that are important. However, as much as we might not like to admit it, exercise is not always at the top of our priority lists. other person in the sanctuary somehow magically melted away. I couldn’t even tell you how many people were in One theofchurch because the only thing I was focused onsome wasis aKyle. my favorite sayings is “some is always better than none. ” Even if that mere 5-10 minutes, it is much better than no minutes at all. Will you burn 600 calories? No, but your body will still experience positive responses to the quick bout of exercise (hello, serotonin)! This will not only help you feel better physically, but also mentally, giving you momentum to continue making healthy choices. Kyle's favorite part of the Wedding Day:

So for those of you who don’t have a lot of time, I wanted to share one of my quick, go-to workouts that helps me stay on track without taking up a large portion of my day. There’s no equipment required so you can do this anytime and anywhere! My favorite part was when our minister told me I could "now kiss the bride." First

because finally breathe andjust secondly because wasPerform our first act as an Spend a couple of minutes warming up (jumping jacks, body weight squats, walk/jog, etc.). ISetcould your timer for 10 minutes (or easy, 8, or 5, really however much time youithave). 10 repetitions of each exercise and go through all 6 exercises as many times as you can in 10 minutes. intensity of this workout to you. to your body. If you need to rest in-between exercises,in take a actualThe married couple andisIuphad to Listen kiss her because she looked really pretty white. quick breather. If you want high intensity, don’t stop and rest until the timer goes off. The goal is to work through these as quickly as possible with proper form! One of the most infamous exercise excuses across the board is “I just don’t have the time.” Then you have coaches, trainers, and other health professionals constantly rebutting that phrase, because we can’t imagine not having the time for something that we practically eat, sleep, and breathe daily. But if I’m candid with you, there are days when I also feel like I don’t have time. Or maybe I do have time, but I’m so exhausted and/or ravenously hungry that exercising is the last thing I feel like doing. I have a few clients who, after telling me about their days and schedules, I applaud for even showing up to our sessions. Life gets busy. Especially in our culture, where packed schedules and full agendas are glorified. Yes, I do believe we make time for things that are important. However, as much as we might not like to admit it, exercise is not always at the top of our priority lists. One of my favorite sayings is “some is always better than none.” Even if that some is a mere 5-10 minutes, it is much better than no minutes at all. Will you burn 600 calories? No, but your body will still experience positive responses to the quick bout of exercise (hello, serotonin)! This will not only help you feel better physically, but also mentally, giving you momentum to continue making healthy choices. So for those of you who don’t have a lot of time, I wanted to share one of my quick, go-to workouts that helps me stay on track without taking up a large portion of my day. There’s no equipment required so you can do this anytime and anywhere! Spend a couple of minutes warming up (jumping jacks, body weight squats, walk/jog, etc.). Set your timer for 10 minutes (or 8, or 5, really just however much time you have). Perform 10 repetitions of each exercise and go through all 6 exercises as many times as you can in 10 minutes. The intensity of this workout is up to you. Listen to your body. If you need to rest in-between exercises, take a quick breather. If you want high intensity, don’t stop and rest until the timer goes off. The goal is to work through these as quickly as possible with proper form!

The Details: Caterer | The Club Catering Bakery | Dreamcakes, Birmingham, AL Ceremony location | Southminster Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, AL Reception location |The Club, Birmingham, AL Decorations | Continental Florists, Birmingham, AL Music at ceremony | Pianist- Amy Fisher (Processional song- Homecoming by Hagood Hardy. Bridal Procession Song- Hallelujah by Rufus Wainwright. Special Vocal Soloist Music- Mary Ann Fisher (How Beautiful by Twila Paris). Music at reception | Danny Brewster, Feel the Beat Entertainment Wedding Favors | Photo booth take home photos and individual candy bags from our candy bar Flowers | Continental Florists, Birmingham, AL Hair | Hair: Angie from Fringe Salon (Birmingham, AL) Makeup |Makeup: Tess from Rawwbeauty Salon (Birmingham, AL) Locations of honeymoon |Renaissance Resort and Spa at Ross Bridge (Birmingham, AL). Our real honeymoon will be taken next year when Kyle graduates flight school. We plan on going to the Greek Isles. Invitations | Hallmark Jewelry | Sea Magic Pearls from Kay Jewlers, heriloom pendant (attached to perals), Kate Spade earrings Transportation | Diamond Limo and Sedan Service (Birmingham, AL) Tux | Marlow and White (Army Dress Uniforms) Men’s Wearhouse (Usher’s Tuxes) Wedding Dress | Mary’s Bridal Boutique (Annapolis, Maryland) Bridesmaid dresses | Nordstrom Videographer | Nekio Lane Photographer | Ashley Delatour, owner of One Thousand Words Photography

Keeping Up With The Pido’s My advice to other engaged couples would be: On the day of, don’t forget to take a couple moments by yourself or with each other and really realize what’s happening! It all goes by so fast the day becomes a blur. Once you’re married don’t automatically assume everything will be blissful because you’re newlyweds. Marriage is hard from the start, but if you appreciate the little things everyday that you do for each other it’s a lot easier!

Poppy & Monroe What are your favorite accounts to follow on social media right now? We have many we follow that are partners especially moving the direction of natural beauty so positively in general but we love ElsieLarson, RuthieLindsey, Athertable & Itsdougthepug! What is the coolest thing you have done so far as a business owner?

What made you start your business? Like many busy women, Karen Kops (my business partner) and I found ourselves with very little time for self-care after work, family, friends and life in general. Our executive careers came with extensive travel and left us both both feeling out of balance. There was very little room for taking care of our health, much less pampering. After meeting at an hotel design show in NYC, we just started meeting in Nashville where we were both live and fortunately soon recognized we could seize the opportunity to turn our collective passion for all things natural, beauty, and design into a new beauty brand & business model that was missing here. What wedding trends do you see coming for this season? We’re seeing gold embellishments such as gold foil, accent lines, and reverse french, especially. Pink is prevalent these days too.

We’ve had some amazing collaborations, so much press that we’re grateful for but the coolest thing is being able to offer Nashville some really unique services like sugaring (most natural hair removal option out there) and Indie/green beauty brands that were not carried here before. Anything else you would like for us to know about booking bachelorette parties? We are a boutique salon so booking in advance is key so we can ensure we have proper staffing to accommodate and make it a great and fun experience for groups overall. We will do all we can to ensure they enjoy themselves and have a pampering experience unlike anything they’ve had before! We also now offer facials, sugaring/waxing, and bridal makeup including trials, day of and application with or without lesson.

What Do You Do? Mix Greek yogurt and honey together in a medium sized bowl. Add Craisins and whatever your heart desires to the yogurt mix. Lay down aluminum foil on a baking sheet of your choice (the one I used GREEK YOGURT BARK BITES was an 9 x 13 in) and spread the mix on top, speading it all the way out to Recipes from the edges (unless you want it a little I love finding healthy and light des- thicker). serts to quench my need for something sweet and these Greek Yogurt Sprinkle strawberries, blueberries, Bark Bites do just that. They are seri- and dark chocolate chips on top of ously amazing, light, protein packed, mix and place in freezer until comand are so simple (which is always pletely frozen all the way through. what I go for in preparing food). Meet Jo: Remove from freezer when completeWhat Do You Need? ly done (I did it at night so it could be Owner of Balance in Practice. 1 3/4 cup of plain greek yogurt my treat for the next day), use a sharp www.balanceinpratice.com 1 tbsp honey knife and cut into pieces and ENJOY instagram| balanceinpratice 1 tbsp Craisins your frozen treats. pinterest | Joanna Crawford 1 1/2 tbsp dark chocolate chips facebook | balanceinpratice 7 strawberries, chopped 1/4 cup blueberries

Pre-wedding Couples Work Out

those around us love on a daily basis, Valentine’s Day can serve as a great reminder to slow down and do something a little extra thoughtful for the people we care about in our lives. So on this Valentine’s Day, Eric and I have decided to celebrate by meshing our “perfect days” together!

Some of my favorite ways for Eric and I to spend quality time time together involve being active! Even if that simply means just working out on our own at the same time, it’s motivating to see each other working hard and taking care of ourselves. I especially love coming up with tandem moves that require different strengths and trust when we do exercise together. In my opinion, one of the best ways to stay motivated with your workouts is to have a workout buddy who encourages and challenges you! When we work out together, I always leave feeling more challenged than I do on my own. Not to mention, I have way more fun and am usually laughing throughout the workout, which I defiNot long ago, my husband Eric and I were talking about nitely consider an added bonus for my abdominal muscles. what our “perfect” days would look like (if you haven’t had that conversation with someone, I highly recommend it!). Below are 10 of my favorite partner exercisIt was really fun to discover each other’s idea of a perfect es. Grab a buddy, warm up well for 5-10 minday and it gave us so many fun future date ideas. I can’t utes with light-moderate cardio, and have some fun! stress enough the importance of making time for yourself, as well as quality time with those we love! It definitely takes intentional planning on our part if we want those aspects Photos by Kelsey Cherry of our lives to be healthy. While I think we should show 14

Nashville, TN Kyle and Katie

1. SINGLE ARM DOWN DOG HIGH-FIVE This is a great move to work on shoulder and core stabilization! Start in the down dog position and reach your left hand back to touch your right foot. Next, move forward into a full plank position and slap hands. Perform 15 and then switch sides!

2. PARTNER PISTOL SQUATS Pistol squats are one of my favorite lower body moves. These are great for strengthening and toning your legs and glutes. Stand on your right leg with your toes facing each other. Lift your left leg straight out in front and sit back and down, making sure your knee stays behind your toes. Lower down as far as you can Using each other for stability, press through your heel and stand all the way back up. Perform 10 and then switch legs!

3. PUSH PRESS PIKE This move works shoulders, triceps, and abs for both people! Start with one person lying on their back with their feet hip to shoulder-width apart. The top person is in a full plank position and each person is holding onto their partner's ankles. Lower down into a pushup, press all the way back up. Then, the person on the bottom sits all the way up keeping their hands straight up towards the ceiling, as the person on top engages their abs and lifts their hips. *The wider your hand placement, the easier the push up. If the push-up is too difficult, forego it completely and focus on the sit-up/pike instead. Perform 12 repetitions.

4. TRUST SQUAT + MEDICINE BALL TWISTS This move works the lower body (quads especially), as well as the core! Standing back to back, slowly walk your feet out until you are both in a squat position. Use each other for leverage and stability by keeping your backs together. Slowly twist and pass the ball to each other. Perform 15 repetitions and then switch directions! 5. DOUBLE PLANK PUSH-UP This is such a fun move that works your shoulders, triceps, and core like crazy! Start with both people in the push-up position and the bottom person's feet shoulder-width apart. The top person's feet should be hip-width apart and placed over the shoulder blades of the person on bottom. Lower down together, slowly, and then push back up to the starting position. Perform 10 Repetitions.

6. MEDICINE BALL THROW SIT-UPS This move works your abs and lats! Start by locking your feet together and lifting them off of the ground. Then, keeping your abs contracted, lower all the way back onto the ground. The person who has the medicine ball, keep your arms straight and take it overhead, lowering it down to the ground. Then, both of you sit up and throw the ball to the other person. *To modify this keep your feet on the ground the entire time. Perform 20 repetitions each.

7. RENEGADE ROW + FOOT TAPS I love renegade rows! They are so fun to play around with and this move is no exception. This works your upper back, shoulders, and total core (especially the obliques)! Both people start out in a full plank position with your feet shoulder-width apart, a weight in one hand, and the other hand directly under the shoulder. In unison, lift the weight as high as you can, keeping your hips facing the ground. Then, place the weight back on the ground and take your outside leg under as you twist, straighten it, and tap feet. *To make this move more difficult, add a push-up before the row. Perform 15 repetitions on each side.

8. ISO SQUAT + CHEST PASS This is a great move for improving muscle endurance in the lower body, as well as working your chest and shoulders! Both people lower down into a squat position Stay in that position the entire time as you pass the medicine ball back and forth with both arms. Perform at a quick pace for 60 seconds.

9. REVERSE CRUNCH + BALL TAP One of my favorite ab exercises is the reverse crunch. It does a killer job at working the lower abs, especially when you lift your hips straight up, off of the ground! This is also fun because it works the standing person’s shoulders as they hold the ball straight out in front of them. Start with your partner standing, feet hip width apart and knees slightly bent, holding the weight straight out in front of them. Lie on your back and grab your partner’s ankles. Keeping your legs straight, lower them down until they’re about 6 inches off of the ground. Then bring your legs back up and lift your hips straight up as high as your can to touch the stability ball. *To make this move easier, bend your knees slightly or only take your legs half way to the ground. Perform 20 repetitions and switch places.

10. PLANK PUSH-UPS This move is a fun variation of a push-up that makes it challenging for both people. It works your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core! Start in a push-up position with one person completely on the ground. The other person gets in an inverted push-up position by placing their hands a little wider than shoulder width apart and carefully placing one foot across the shoulder blades and the other across the hips (below the lower back). Slowly lower down into a push-up and then together, press back up to the starting position. Perform 10 repetitions.

Photography : Frozen Exposure Photography Florist: Memory of Elegance Gown: White Dresses Hair and Make-up: Morgan Weyer

134 N. FRONT STREET Senatobia, Mississippi WE PROVIDE EVENT SPACE FOR WEDDINGS, BABY SHOWERS, FASHION SHOWS, REUNIONS, ANNIVERSART PARTIES, AND BIRTHDAY PARTIES.

Dustin & Ashely Location: Mint Spring Farm Photography: Frozen Exposure Photography