Big News: I Have a New Name!
I was hesitant to post this on my website at first but then I thought "who made the rules that I can't put my life events on my own blog?" No one did. It's my own overthinking lol.
So here I go writing a quick blog about one of the best days of my life!
Goodbye, Nicole Biletski,
Hello, Nicole Bird.
Soooo, I married my best friend on February 15th and I am so pumped to be a wife! With this, I have decided to change my last name to his. Changing my name is bittersweet! For anyone who has gotten married and assumed their partner's last name, maybe you can relate to how I feel about my name changing... I feel so grateful and fulfilled but I also feel a piece of me is leaving. I am saying goodbye to the name I have gone by my entire life which I am sad about but on the other hand, I am so excited for this new chapter as Mrs. Bird.
Growing up, I was never a big "omg, I can't wait for my wedding" kind of girl but everything from getting engaged to finding my dress, and being showered with all the love as a bride was freaking awesome. It's an experience that I will remember and cherish for the rest of my life!
Cody & I both knew we didn't want to get married locally in Alberta. It was going to be a destination somewhere. Actually, at first, we just wanted to elope then we figured it would be nice to have our immediate family and some close friends with us so then we started looking at destination locations. Cody mentioned somewhere hot like Mexico and it was an easy decision! As for when to get married, we chose February because in our opinion that's the perfect time to get away from the freezing weather in Alberta.
For the type of person, I am (go-with-the-flow, easygoing kinda gal) a wedding at a resort was perfect! They have all the things we needed and it was basically plug-and-play. I chose from the ceremony and reception options they had available and then just brought a few decorations from home.
Overall the hardest part of wedding planning was finding the right resort. I had a list of wants that the resort needed to have including:
Good beach (I originally pictured us getting married on the beach)
Good food (I'm a nutritionist - should this request come as a surprise to anyone?)
Good service (no one likes traveling and experiencing problem after problem)
Adults only (we love kids but wanted to party without them)
Of course, with these wants in mind and the resorts I was looking at, they all came up quite pricey so it took us some time to choose a resort. I would be lying if I said it wasn't stressful at all finding somewhere we both agreed on. But at last, our travel agent suggested the Majestic Elegance Costa Mujeres and we are so happy we went with it! It checked all our boxes except the adults-only request. The resort is family-friendly but while we were there we rarely saw any kids so it felt like an adults-only resort. The resort is really nice and aesthetically pleasing (very modern with lots of greenery which I love), and the service is excellent! The food is great and the kitchen staff was very accommodating of any allergies (I avoided gluten & dairy as much as possible).
Our group was small enough (40 peeps) that it felt very intimate and we had lots of opportunities to spend time with each of them.
Aside from the must-haves list for the resort, there were some other things I knew going into our wedding that I had to have. One of those was our photographer Carissa, who has captured us in the past! Cody & I knew right from the beginning that we needed to find a way to bring her with us. Thankfully she was able to join us for our wedding week and capture so many beautiful moments. I also had my eyes on Zoe Elizabeth Makeup artist for quite some time even before we chose our resort. I rarely get my makeup professionally done and in the past when I have got it done, I didn't love it so I wanted to make sure I found someone that could help me feel really pretty while not giving me an "overdone" look. Zoe and her team were so nice and worked their magic to give me exactly what I pictured for my wedding day!
I found my dress at Bailando Boutique in Edmonton just under one year before our wedding. It is the complete opposite of what I initially thought I wanted. I first thought I wanted something not form-fitting. Something that was easy to move in so that I could dance and eat and not be bothered by how my stomach looked. BUT then I put this Mila Nova dress on and felt so good in it. On the plus side, it was cheaper than the other contenders. I saved my alterations to a month before the wedding as there was not much that needed to be done. Of course, when I went to the seamstress for my final fitting, I was SO nervous as my dress JUST fit, and when the seamstress said "oh dear, you cannot gain a pound"(bless her heart as she was the sweetest lady ever) I became very aware of my habits that can contribute to weight gain. Luckily, my work helping women with weight loss came in handy! I knew what to watch for when it came to my habits, including my eating, my exercise, and sleep but the biggest one I was most aware of was my stress! We can feel like we are doing all the right things but if we are under stress and not managing it, we can experience weight gain. So, I made sure leading up to the wedding I maintained my good habits and a positive mindset which helped me reduce my stress.
Overall, we really enjoyed our time in Mexico and would recommend to anyone considering a destination wedding to DO IT. It's such a great time and your guests get a trip out of it that they look forward to!
My advice for future brides:
Yes, your wedding is a big, unique event that is so friggen exciting but just know that it's not necessary for you to go on a crazy diet or hardcore training program prior just so you can fit into a dress. I know you are already under stress planning an event, and thinking of all the things, while still maintaining your reality (whether that is working or being a parent). As a holistic health coach, I suggest building up daily habits that leave you feeling good with the intention to keep these habits up after your wedding.
Get good sleep,
Eat real food,
Move your body,
Stay hydrated,
Create good emotions,
Manage your stress
And make sure to enjoy every moment leading up to the wedding that you can! Remember, you're marrying the love of your life - Yay! HOW EXCITING IS THAT?
As I mentioned at the beginning of this, I am changing my last name so bear with me as over the next few weeks, you will see my name change from Nicole Biletski to Nicole Bird on all my profiles and such.
With lots of love and a big thanks for reading this!
Yours truly,
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