I recently attended a string of weddings in the New England area and observed the various habits of brides during the week before their big day. I noticed several problems that they could have avoided if their heads were on straight during this crazy time, and decided to create a short list to help out. Viola:

1. Stay relaxed. Stress can make or break your big day. Make sure to take the necessary steps during the week before to decrease your wedding day stress levels. Spend a day at a spa to get a massage and facial. Make sure to stay on your regular exercise routine during your wedding week, as working out can often keep your stress to a minimum. Don't forget to breathe. Seriously.

2. Eat. I know that may sound stupid, but I've heard of many women that starve themselves the week before their weddings to look slim in their wedding dresses. It doesn't matter if you look schvelt in the dress if you're too dizzy to stand up straight. A pair of rosy, healthy cheeks beats that malnourished super-model look anyday.

3. Do not try and get a tan the week of your wedding. This can very often lead to a girl who looks more like watermelon than bride. Even if you do successfully pull off the Brazilian Sun Princess: do you really want your kids to be looking back at the wedding photos wondering why mom used to be a different color?

If you have pale skin flaunt it. Try and pick a beautiful setting and decor with colors that makes pale skin look good. One of my paler friends decided to have her New Hampshire Wedding during the fall foliage season, and she simply glowed. This is your wedding after all; you can pick the place that is the perfect environment for you to be beautiful.

4. Do not take dance classes. I've seen a dozen couples who take dance classes a couple months before their wedding day so that they look perfect on the floor. These people often come off as a rehearsed and awkward side-show rather than a tender display between husband and wife. You two have danced together before- do what you do best. Do the funky chicken, the robot, or thriller if that's what you know. Whatever it is, it's sure to be more genuine than some produced moment.

5. Find a wedding photographer that you like, as a person. Obviously their skill level and portfolio are important, but it's just as important that they are affable and fun. Mr. Artsy 'I do it how I like it for my art' will likely be a huge downer for the wedding party. I like to think of everyone as babies on their wedding days- vulnerable, dressed up, and showered with affection. Baby photographers are versed in the skills necessary to make an infant smile and laugh on the drop of a dime. Your wedding photographer should have the same skill set.

A New Hampshire Wedding

My brother just got married. Growing up, the thought of marriage always seemed so far off in the distance. As kids we had bigger fish to fry, like raking up a giant piles of leaves and jumping into them over and over again. We grew up in New Hampshire.

Between my brother and a few of my best friends getting married in recent years, I have had the chance to go home and visit. I couldn’t imagine a better setting to make a commitment to the one you love. After thinking about it for a few weeks, I decided to put together a list of the top 5 things that make New Hampshire the best place to get married. Let me make a case for my home state…

1. Views: I grew up on a mountain in the Belknap range overlooking Lake Winnisquam and Lake Winnipesaukee. There are only a few things in life that we don’t take for granted after a long time. The view of rolling green mountains and the stretching lakes has never ceased to amaze me. Naturally my brother chose to get married in the Lakes Region area. His wedding venue was a resort perched up on a small mountain with a panoramic view for miles around. This area has to be the absolute best location for a scenic New Hampshire Wedding.

2. Unique Venues: New Hampshire is home to a variety of settings and unique locations for weddings. From the seashore and mountains to the small lakeside resort towns like Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, the state has a range of settings to host your dream wedding.

3. Foliage: Anyone who lives in New England already knows that between Vermont and New Hampshire we have the best foliage season in the country. After living on the west coast for a while, I began to appreciate all those blazing reds and bright yellows that seemed to carpet the woodlands through out New Hampshire. If anyone even considers a New Hampshire wedding, I strongly suggest getting married in the fall. Your wedding pictures alone will make your friends jealous.

4. Nature: I have lived in cities for going on 9 years now. When I decide to get married it will be out in the country away from the noise and the smog. Having spent many days out on the lakes and in the mountains, I am thankful for having that foundation. True nature is in it’s own right religious. A background of birds and trees beats horns and sirens any day for me.

5. History: Weddings are ceremonies that date back to the ages. They are a product of history. Historic settings lend themselves well to marriage and New Hampshire is not lacking. If a historic setting is important to you, I recommend checking out a location like the Mount Washington Hotel. This grand old hotel was host to world conferences where presidents like Roosevelt would make international treaties in the latter days of world war two.

If you are going to tie the knot and live in New England, I highly recommend checking out one of the many scenic venues in New Hampshire. With almost certainty I can tell you that you won’t be let down and you will remember the moment for the rest of your life. Like I said, all the pretty pictures won’t hurt either.