How We Chose Our Engagement Photography Style

We chose Paul as our wedding photographer because he came highly recommended by a close friend of mine. I loved her wedding and engagement photos. In our early discussions, Paul sent me his portfolio, and I saw a Central Park engagement photoshoot that was my “dream” engagement shoot. Our wedding photography package included engagement photos and we quickly scheduled our own Central Park photoshoot. I sent Paul an engagement photoshoot Pinterest board to share the overall feeling I liked. Putting the board together helped us choose our outfits and decide that we wanted a mix of candid and posed photos. I love that most of the photos feel like a date night, not a photoshoot.

How We Chose Our Engagement Shoot Location

As a native New Yorker, Central Park has always been my “happy place.” Josh and I usually take walks in the park every weekend, and it’s my favorite place to run. Since we are getting married in New York, I wanted our engagement photos to have a classic New York feel.

We took our Central Park engagement photos at some of my favorite spots: Conservatory Water, Bethesda Terrace, Bow Bridge, and the Lake, with a great view of the San Remo. If you’re deciding where to take your engagement photos, consider places where you enjoy spending time together.

How We Decided What to Wear for Engagement Photos

I tried on about a dozen white dresses for various wedding-related events and strongly considered wearing one for our engagement photos. I sent our photographer pictures of the top contenders, and he recommended my white Staud Wells dress. I almost wore it but ended up switching at the last minute to my pink Staud Wells dress. (My motto: If you like something, buy it in multiple colors.)

I think pink is better for my skin tone, and I knew we would have lots of photos of me in white dresses throughout our wedding weekend. I wanted to frame a few beautiful photos of us together with me wearing something that truly made me feel confident.

If you’re choosing an engagement photo outfit, I’d start with the colors and styles you already enjoy wearing. You can wear white, but you don’t have to limit your search to white dresses. Our photographer recommended avoiding dark colors, large prints, and busy patterns so our outfits wouldn’t distract from us.

Take a few photos in your outfit and move around so you can see how it looks from different angles and feels when you’re sitting and walking. I showed a few dress options to a friend who had beautiful engagement photos, and she recommended one of the A-line dresses because they move well for walking and dancing shots.

I suggest trying everything on ahead of time, including your shoes and jewelry. I like the look of sleek stiletto heels, but I knew we would be walking around Central Park and wanted to be comfortable. I wore white Stuart Weitzman Nearlynude block-heel sandals. I kept my jewelry simple, wearing my go-to bezel-set diamond earrings, a solitaire diamond necklace, and just my engagement ring instead of pairing it with other rings.

Josh looked handsome in a navy suit jacket, light blue Oxford shirt, and khakis. When you’re planning what to wear for engagement photos, look at both outfits side by side. The colors don’t have to match, but they should work together. You’ll probably want a similar level of formality, too.

Sharing the options with your photographer can also help. They can suggest what makes sense for the location, season, and time of day and offer another perspective on what will photograph well.

Why I’m Glad We Took Engagement Photos

First of all, we have so many beautiful photos together in one of our favorite places. We had never taken professional photos together, and the engagement session helped us practice posing and being photographed before the wedding.

We like candid photos that feel like private moments. I thought spending time getting to know Paul would help us feel more comfortable, especially because he’ll be photographing such intimate moments as our first look and ceremony. There are sure to be some happy tears!

I’m so glad we have these photos from our engagement, and I’m excited to have Paul photograph our wedding in November.

The post How to Plan Engagement Photos: Tips From Our Experience appeared first on Elana Lyn Gross.

Wedding Venue

Your venue will likely be one of the first wedding vendors you book because it determines your wedding date and impacts many other decisions. In addition to finding out whether your preferred date is available, ask exactly what’s included in the price. Some venues provide tables, chairs, linens, catering, staffing, and other services, while others only provide the space. Our venue includes many of those elements, which meant we didn’t need to hire as many separate vendors. It also made it important to understand the per-person price, fees, and minimums.

Five questions to ask your wedding venue:

• Do you have an approved or preferred vendor list, and are we required to use it?
• What is included in the venue fee and per-person price, such as catering, tables, chairs, linens, place settings, and staffing?
• What is the maximum guest capacity for the ceremony and reception?
• Are there food and beverage minimums, service charges, gratuities, or other fees?
• How many hours are included for setup, the wedding, and breakdown?

Wedding Planner or Coordinator

Depending on how much of the wedding planning process you want to handle yourself, you may want to hire a full-service wedding planner, partial planner, or a month-of or day-of coordinator. Before hiring someone, clarify their responsibilities. A venue coordinator generally focuses on the venue and its staff, while a wedding planner or outside coordinator may oversee your full vendor team and the wedding-day logistics.

Five questions to ask a wedding planner or coordinator:

• What is included in your package, and when will we start working together?
• Have you worked with our venue or similar venues before?
• Will you help find vendors, review contracts, and communicate with vendors?
• Will you create and manage the wedding-day timeline?
• Will you be there for setup and breakdown?

Wedding Photographer

Photography was one of the decisions I cared about most, and I found it helpful to ask friends for referrals and look at photographers’ full galleries to get a feel for their style. A complete gallery shows how a photographer captures the entire day, including family portraits, candid moments, the ceremony, and an indoor reception.

Five questions to ask a wedding photographer:

• How would you describe your photography style?
• Have you photographed weddings at our venue or similar venues?
• What is included in your wedding photography package?
• How do you handle requests for specific photos, including family portraits?
• Will you help us create a photography timeline for the day?

Wedding Florist

The initial wedding florist calls were tricky because vendors kept asking me for my floral budget, but I didn’t know what different elements, like bouquets and centerpieces, cost. The calls became more productive when I created a Pinterest board with examples and discussed the price of each element. We were able to work together to figure out how to get a similar look at a cost that worked for us.

Five questions to ask a wedding florist:

• Based on these inspiration photos, what would you estimate for each floral element?
• What flowers will be in season around our wedding date?
• Which arrangements can be repurposed from the ceremony to the reception, and who will move them?
• Are delivery, setup, breakdown, vases, candles, and other décor included?
• Can we see a sample centerpiece or bouquet before the wedding, and is there an additional fee?

Wedding Caterer

You may not need to hire a separate caterer if your venue provides food and bar service. If catering is not included, ask your venue whether you can choose any caterer or need to hire one from an approved list.

The menu matters, but staffing, rentals, bar service, and dietary accommodations matter, too. As someone who is gluten-free and vegetarian, I would also want to know that a caterer can provide a thoughtful meal for guests with dietary restrictions—not simply remove part of the standard entrée.

Five questions to ask a wedding caterer:

• What is included in the per-person price, such as staffing, rentals, cocktail hour, and bar service?
• Can you accommodate allergies and dietary restrictions?
• Is a tasting included, and when will it take place?
• Are there service charges, gratuities, minimums, cake-cutting fees, or other additional costs?
• When are the final menu and guest count due?

Wedding Hair and Makeup

When you’re comparing wedding hair and makeup vendors, look beyond the price of the bride’s services. Minimums, travel fees, trials, services for additional people, early start times, and touch-ups can significantly change the total. If you’re working with an agency, I recommend confirming who will actually be assigned to you so you can review their portfolio and schedule a trial with them.

Five questions to ask wedding hair and makeup artists:

• Is a trial included, and will the same artists do my hair and makeup on the wedding day?
• Is there a minimum number of services or a minimum spend?
• Will you help create a beauty timeline for the day?
• How many artists will be there, and how much time should we allow for everyone’s services?
• Are travel, early-start, touch-up, assistant, and gratuity fees included?

Wedding Band or DJ

Your band or DJ will have a huge impact on the vibe of your reception, so make sure their style fits what you envision. In addition to listening to their recordings, ask who will actually perform at your wedding and how they handle the timeline, announcements, and song requests.

Five questions to ask a wedding band or DJ:

• Who will perform at our wedding, and can we see recent videos or recordings?
• How many hours of music are included, and can you also provide music for the ceremony, cocktail hour, and dinner?
• Can we provide must-play and do-not-play lists?
• Who will act as the emcee, and how will you coordinate the reception timeline?
• Are sound equipment and setup included, and what are the overtime fees?

Wedding Cake

Your venue or caterer may provide your wedding cake, or you may need to find a bakery yourself. We chose one of our favorite gluten-free bakeries and had a good time trying different cake and frosting combinations to find the one.

Five questions to ask a wedding cake baker:

• Do you offer a tasting, and is there a fee?
• Can you accommodate dietary restrictions?
• How much cake do we need for our guest count?
• Are delivery, setup, and a cake stand included?
• Do you have cake designs we can choose from or customize?

Questions to Ask Every Wedding Vendor

There are also a few questions worth asking almost every vendor before signing a contract.

Make sure you understand exactly what’s included in the quoted price and what could cost extra. Ask about deposits and payment schedules, overtime or travel fees, and insurance. You should also ask about cancellation and rescheduling policies and what happens if the vendor is unable to provide the agreed-upon services.

Read the entire contract before signing it, even after you’ve had a great consultation. You want everything you’ve agreed to—from hours of coverage to specific services—to be reflected in writing.

I’ve also found it helpful to compare proposals line by line instead of looking only at the total. One florist may include vases, candles, setup, and breakdown while another lists them separately. One photographer may include a second photographer or engagement session while another charges extra. The lower quote isn’t always the less expensive option once you compare what’s actually included.

Keep Track of Your Wedding Vendors

Every wedding is different, so you may not need every vendor on this list. You might also need additional vendors, such as a videographer, tent rental company, transportation company, or wedding stationery designer.

I found it helpful to keep a spreadsheet with everyone we needed to hire, who we’d contacted, pricing, and whether we’d signed the contract and paid the deposit. Once you start booking vendors, also keep track of final payment deadlines and anything each vendor needs from you before the wedding.

There are a lot of decisions involved in planning a wedding, but you don’t need to figure everything out at once. Start with the vendors who will have the biggest impact on your date and wedding, then work your way through the smaller details.

The post Top Questions to Ask Wedding Vendors appeared first on Elana Lyn Gross.

Just Engaged:

It’s early in the journey and you’re just starting to get a handle on what you want to plan.

Do: AI to synthesize your vision
Sit down with your partner and use the voice dictation function on your favorite AI chat. Describe your vision and the overall vibe you see for your wedding and let AI put it together as a vision statement. Continue refining this between the two of you, and bring it to vendors to help easily convey your vision.

• The prompt: “I’m going to describe how I want my wedding to feel, like the atmosphere, the emotions, the experience I want for myself and my guests. I want you to listen and then reflect back a clear, specific vision statement I can use to guide my decisions and share with vendors. Ready? [then voice dictate or type freely]”

Do: Use AI to Check your priorities
List out your top priorities for the wedding together as a couple, then ask AI to break down or flag where priorities are likely to conflict. This will help surface any tradeoffs you likely have to make and questions to ask yourselves before you start putting money down.

• The prompt: “Here are the things my partner and I both want for our wedding: [full dance floor all night, food people rave about a year later, conversations with every guest, etc.]. We haven’t set a budget yet. Can you identify where these priorities are likely to conflict with each other, what tradeoffs we’ll probably have to make, and what questions we should be asking ourselves before we start making decisions or spending money?”

Don’t: Use AI to research and recommend specific local vendors
This is the most dangerous early mistake. AI will confidently name vendors, describe their style, and even quote approximate pricing. Some of that information may be outdated, hallucinated, or simply wrong. Vendor businesses close, change ownership, and shift in quality. Always make sure to verify any specific vendor recommendation independently and never shortlist someone based solely on what AI told you about them.

Actively Wedding Planning:

Things are heating up! You’re in talks with vendors, signing contracts and tasting cakes:

Do: Identify your blind spots
Now that you have a sense of your vision, you need a team to help you bring it to life. Hiring professional and well-vetted vendors is one of the most important aspects of this entire journey. Use AI to help you suss out what questions to ask as you determine the right fit within each vendor category.

• The prompt: “What are the most important questions first-time couples forget to ask when meeting with a [photographer / florist / caterer / venue / DJ] for the first time, especially the ones that lead to regret, surprise costs, or problems on the wedding day? Please focus on the non-obvious ones that a first-timer wouldn’t think to ask but an experienced planner would always cover.”

Do: Compare key vendor terms
You’re in talks with a strong list of vendors and now you need to read and understand the fine print. Use AI to help you identify and compare key contract terms so there are no surprises.

• The prompt: “Here are my wedding vendor contracts: [upload contracts]. For each one, pull out the following: cancellation policy (mine and theirs), payment schedule and due dates, overtime or additional fee clauses, and anything unusual or worth flagging. Then compile everything into a comparison table so I can see all the key terms side by side.”
  Note: you may need to do this in batches, depending on the number of vendors. Check the summary against the original contracts and ask the vendor to clarify anything unclear.

Don’t: Use AI to tell you what things should cost in your market
AI can estimate national averages or general ranges but it may not have reliable, current information about what a florist in your specific city charges right now, what the going rate for a DJ in your area is this season, or whether catering costs have shifted since its training data was collected. Use AI to understand the categories of cost and what elements might affect pricing, rather than a source of actual numbers you take into a negotiation.

Wedding Week:

It’s the week of your wedding and the end is in sight! Keep your sanity as you watch all the details come together:

Do: Create contingency plans for last-minute changes: Even the most organized couple might themselves rearranging seating cards the morning of the wedding when a guest cancels at the last minute. Use AI to help you make a list of all the things that need adjusting when someone changes their RSVP at the final hour.

• The prompt: “I’m getting married soon and a guest has just canceled last minute. I need to figure out everything that’s affected by this change. Please ask me questions about my wedding setup so you can build me a complete checklist of everything I need to update or notify.”

Do: Build your wedding morning schedule: The challenge of organizing an efficient yet realistic morning timetable shouldn’t be underestimated. When you’re juggling a lot of moving parts the morning of your wedding, use AI to help develop a plan to get everyone beautified and out the door on time.

• The prompt: “Help me build a getting-ready schedule for my wedding morning. Here are my details: [number of people getting ready, number of hair stylists and makeup artists, time per person for each, photographer arrives at X, we need to leave for the venue by X, first look yes/no]. Build a realistic minute-by-minute schedule that works backwards from our departure time and flags anywhere we’re likely to run behind.”

Don’t: Use AI to draft communications to vendors on your behalf without careful review: AI doesn’t know the relationship you’ve built with your florist over six months, the informal agreements you made verbally, or the tone that fits that specific person. A message that sounds perfectly professional in isolation can land wrong with someone who knows you. Always revise the message in your own voice before sending, or at least read it carefully before hitting Send.

Hannah Roze is the founder and CEO of Plannerd, a modern wedding-planning platform she created after realizing there was no true project-management tool designed for today’s brides. A Seattle native with an MBA in Technology Management from the University of Washington, Hannah previously helped scale high-growth tech companies, including equity-management unicorn Carta. She lives in Seattle with her husband and young daughter. 

The post The Right and Wrong Ways to Use AI to Plan Your Wedding appeared first on Elana Lyn Gross.

What Is the GGStudio Build and Balance Program?

Build and Balance is a month-long program designed to help you build strength progressively. There are several ways to make a workout more challenging over time, including increasing your weights or repetitions. In these classes, you do an initial set with lighter weights and repeat the exercises with heavier weights. The classes also get longer and more challenging as the weeks go on.

Each week includes two upper-body strength classes, two lower-body strength classes, two active recovery days, and one rest day. The active recovery classes mix gentle yoga flows with short, gentle core exercises. The program also pairs each workout with a 30- to 45-minute walk.

What Equipment Do You Need?

You’ll need an exercise mat, a resistance band, and medium and heavier weights. Some classes incorporate a bench, but Gabby shows you how to modify the exercises using a chair or mat.

I used 8- and 10-pound weights for the upper-body classes and 10- and 15-pound weights for lower body. Those are the heaviest weights I currently have at home, and they feel effective for me right now. If I’m ready for more of a challenge later, I’ll buy heavier weights.

What I Loved

I enjoyed Build and Balance so much that I’m doing it again. I’d never followed a progressive overload program before, and I liked having a clear plan for how to challenge myself. I felt stronger as I worked through the month.

The weekly schedule took the guesswork out of deciding what to do each day. I liked having upper- and lower-body workouts planned for me, with recovery time built in.

Gabby demonstrates the exercises, explains form, and offers modifications, which helped me feel more comfortable doing strength workouts at home. I felt like I had a personal trainer!

What I Didn’t Love

I’ve been working out regularly for a long time so some of the strength classes felt short for me, particularly at the beginning of the program. I wanted more core work than the active recovery and ab classes provided. Those weren’t deal breakers—I finished the program and immediately wanted to repeat it—but they shaped how I’m approaching round two.

How I’m Doing It the Second Time

For shorter strength days, I’m adding a GGStudio Strength class for the same muscle group so I can work out for about 30 minutes. I’m also swapping the active recovery and ab classes for a dedicated 30-minute ab class. When I have time and am up for the challenge, I’m replacing the 30-minute walk with a 30-minute spin class or run.

These are just some changes I’m making to strengthen my core and add more cardio. You can also follow the program to a T, like I did originally.

What Does GGStudio Cost?

You can join GGStudio monthly for $12 a month or pay $108 for an annual membership that works out to about $9 a month. I started with the free 7-day trial and liked it so much that I became an annual GGStudio member.

Are GGStudio’s Strength Classes Effective?

I feel stronger since starting Build and Balance, and I’ve noticed more muscle definition. I’ve enjoyed GGStudio’s other programs because they make it easy to choose a workout and stay consistent, but this one has been my favorite so far.

I’d been craving a more traditional strength routine that focuses on different muscle groups throughout the week. Build and Balance delivered. It gave me a plan I could follow at home, room to adapt it to my fitness level, and clear exercise cues. I love Gabby’s positive, bubbly, and energetic workout style and find her classes fun and effective.

I’ve taken a lot of Peloton Strength classes and used to take Callie’s almost exclusively. She and Gabby have a similar encouraging vibe, but Gabby takes fewer breaks, so her classes feel more efficient to me. I love Peloton’s playlists more, yet when I’m choosing a strength workout, I usually pick Gabby’s.

Thinking about trying GGStudio? You can get 10% off an annual membership using my referral link. Full disclosure: I’ll receive a referral credit if you sign up, but I paid for my own membership and this review is not sponsored.

The post My Review of the GGStudio Build and Balance Program appeared first on Elana Lyn Gross.

I’m making a list of everything I want to save so we don’t miss anything. When in doubt, I’d save something and decide what to do with it later. You can always throw away a menu or cork a few weeks after the wedding. You can’t get it back once the reception has been cleaned up. If you’re also wondering what to save from your wedding, here are some sentimental wedding keepsakes I hope you’ll be glad you saved.

Save Your Wedding Flowers

I love flowers and knew I’d want to save my wedding bouquet, but I didn’t realize just how many wedding flower keepsake ideas there are now. You can have your wedding bouquet professionally pressed and framed, dried and displayed, or preserved in resin. I’ve seen companies turn wedding flowers into jewelry boxes, jewelry dishes, vases, trays, bookends, and other home decor. If you’re crafty, you can find great DIY tutorials. Also consider preserving other flowers like your partner’s boutonniere, a corsage, or flowers from your chuppah, ceremony arch, or sweetheart table.

If you know you want to preserve your wedding flowers, research your options before the wedding. Depending on the preservation method, you may need to ship or drop off your bouquet shortly after the wedding.

Save Your Wedding Invitation and Other Paper Goods

Set aside at least one pristine copy of your entire invitation suite before you send out your invitations. I registered for a double frame so we can frame a wedding photo on one side and our invitation on the other, but I’ve also found more unique ideas. For example, you can frame your entire invitation suite together, frame your invitation and pressed flowers, have an artist create a custom art piece, or make an invitation tray.

Don’t forget about other paper goods. I want to save our menu and place cards, but you can also save extras like customized napkins or coasters. These are the kinds of little things that could get cleared away before you think to grab them.

Save Your Wedding Cards

I want to save all of our wedding cards and use CardKive to turn them into a book. Instead of having dozens of individual cards sitting in a box, you’ll have one book you can easily pull out and flip through. This way, you can keep everyone’s original handwriting and messages without having loose cards in a drawer or shoebox.

Save Fabric From Your Wedding Dress Alterations

This is one of the sentimental wedding keepsake ideas I never would have thought of on my own. Ask your seamstress to give you any usable fabric, lace, or appliqués removed during your wedding dress alterations.

You can repurpose the leftover material. I’ve seen people add wedding dress fabric or appliqués to personalized sweatshirts, but you could also eventually use the material to create a handkerchief, tie, clutch, framed artwork, or another family keepsake. I love the idea of getting a piece of my dress sewn onto my fiancé’s wedding tie or suit.

Save the Shattered Glass From a Jewish Wedding Ceremony

One of the wedding keepsakes we’re already planning for is the shattered glass from our Jewish wedding ceremony. We’re planning to have the glass made into a mezuzah for our home. I love the idea of turning something from the actual wedding ceremony into something that will become part of our life together afterward.

Broken wedding glass can also be incorporated into other Judaica, artwork, jewelry, or decorative pieces. If you want to repurpose yours, make sure someone is responsible for collecting the pieces and keeping them safe after the ceremony.

Save a Slice of Your Wedding Cake

It’s a tradition to save the top tier or a slice of your wedding cake and eat it on your first anniversary. If you want to do this, make sure your wedding planner, caterer, or venue knows ahead of time so the cake gets packed up rather than thrown away at the end of the night. Wrap and freeze it properly when you get home so you can enjoy it a year later.

Save Your Vows and Speeches

If you write your own vows, save your vow books. I also love the idea of getting wedding vow art that you can display somewhere private like your bedroom.

I wouldn’t have thought of this before doing some research, but ask family members or friends who give a toast to send you a copy. You’ll cherish it forever.

Save the Little Personalized Details

You spend months choosing little details for your wedding. Save one personalized cocktail napkin, favor, coaster, menu, kippot, or other custom item you particularly love. You don’t need to take home a lifetime supply—just set aside one or two before the wedding so you’re not searching for them at the end of the reception.

Don’t forget to make sure someone brings home your guest book, too, especially if you’re doing an alternative guest book with individual notes, Polaroids, or other pieces that could easily get left behind.

Save Digital Mementos

Not all wedding memory keepsakes have to be physical.

Before you take down your wedding website, save screenshots or PDFs of the pages you want to remember. After the wedding, you can also create a shared album where friends and family can upload their pictures and videos. Your photographer will capture the important moments, but guests may have funny, candid photos and videos that you’ll want to keep too.

At my cousin’s wedding in the ’90s, she had a Polaroid camera on every table so guests could take photos. I think we’ll print a few QR codes at the wedding and invite guests to upload their photos to a shared album.

Save Your Wedding Signage

You probably don’t need a giant welcome sign or seating chart sitting in your house or apartment forever, but you may want to save smaller signs, especially if they include your names, wedding date, monogram, crest, venue illustration, or another custom design. You may be able to repurpose a sign into artwork for your home. At the very least, take good photos of larger custom pieces before you get rid of them.

The post Sentimental Wedding Keepsakes: Things I’m Saving From Our Wedding appeared first on Elana Lyn Gross.

What Is Silver Mirror Facial Bar?

Silver Mirror Facial Bar offers customized skincare treatments based on your skin needs and goals. They have different 30-, 50-, and 90-minute facials, including treatments geared toward acne, anti-aging, brightening, hydration, and sensitive skin. They also offer add-ons, including treatments I keep seeing all over TikTok, like hydradermabrasion, lymphatic drainage, and dermaplaning.

My Silver Mirror Facial Experience

I booked an Esthetician’s Choice Facial with the esthetician who had answered my laundry list of questions. When I got to the appointment, I filled out detailed paperwork about my goals, allergens, and current skincare routine, and then the esthetician greeted me at the front desk. I was flattered that she remembered me and my skincare goals and had already made sure none of the skincare products contained my allergens.

I chose the Esthetician’s Choice Facial so she could look at my skin and decide what would be the best course of action. The treatment included steam, extractions, LED light therapy, microcurrent, a lymphatic drainage massage, and an oxygen treatment all in just 50 minutes.

Talea also explained each step and all the skincare products she used and answered more of my questions about the products she’d recommend for my skin, like azelaic acid and sulfur for clogged pores and acne. I liked getting another perspective on my skincare routine. There are so many products and treatments marketed as things we need that it can be helpful to have someone actually look at your skin and make personalized recommendations.

What Is a Silver Mirror Facial Membership?

I was so impressed with my facial that I left as a Silver Mirror member. There are three membership tiers. You can get a 30-minute facial, 50-minute facial, or 90-minute facial once a month. You get 20% off facials, add-ons, and Silver Mirror products, along with other perks.

The monthly membership cost is $99 a month, $139 a month, and $199 a month, respectively. It’s definitely an investment, but the monthly price is less than many higher-end facials and significantly less than some more advanced treatments like HydraFacials or microneedling. I decided to treat myself during my “Bridal Era,” and I wouldn’t be surprised if I decide to continue long after the wedding day.

Is Silver Mirror Worth It?

Silver Mirror is worth it for my current skincare goals. I want my skin to look clear and glowy for the wedding. One facial isn’t going to completely transform your skin, but I left the treatment already looking more hydrated and glowy. I had some clogged pores and acne before the facial and a few breakouts afterward, which cleared within the week. Now my skin feels and looks good.

I’m also more confident about my “Bridal Skin Prep” routine. I’m excited to try other services like the Hyperpigmentation Facial and Anti-Aging Facial, but I love having the option to book the Esthetician’s Choice Facial so an expert can look at my skin and decide what would be best. I’d also like to explore add-ons like hydradermabrasion, the Eye Puff Minimizer, and a Custom Jelly Mask.

This isn’t a typical spa experience where you lounge all day in a fluffy robe and slippers, but it’s efficient, customized, and, for the treatments included, relatively affordable compared with many traditional spa or dermatology treatments. I’m excited to go back.

Thinking about trying Silver Mirror? Full disclosure: I’ll receive a referral credit if you sign up using my referral code, but I paid for my own membership and this review is not sponsored. You can get $30 off your first facial when you book using the code.

The post Silver Mirror Facial Bar Review: My Honest Experience appeared first on Elana Lyn Gross.

Before you know it, weeks—or even months—have passed, and it’s difficult to remember your biggest accomplishments, the projects you enjoyed most, or even the positive feedback you’ve received.

That’s where a work journal comes in.

Whether you’re hoping to earn a promotion, prepare for a performance review, feel more fulfilled at work, or simply become more intentional about your career, keeping a work journal can help you recognize patterns, celebrate wins, and make thoughtful decisions about your professional growth.

How to Keep a Work Journal

Think of a work journal the same way you think of a personal journal or diary. Instead of reflecting on your personal life, you’ll focus on your professional life.

Your journal doesn’t need to be polished or perfectly written. Simply open a notebook, document, or note-taking app and write about your day or week. Some people prefer journaling for a few minutes every afternoon, while others schedule time every Friday to reflect on the week.

You might write about an exciting new project, a challenge you’re trying to solve, a conversation with your manager, or something you’re proud to have accomplished.

If you’re not sure where to begin, consider reflecting on topics such as:

• Your short-term goals for the day or week
• Your accomplishments
• Challenges or frustrations you experienced
• Lessons you learned
• Your long-term goals for the month, quarter, or year
• Your overall job satisfaction and ways you can improve it
• Skills you’d like to develop
• Feedback you received from your manager or coworkers

Remember, your work journal is for you. There’s no right or wrong way to do it. The goal is simply to create a consistent habit of reflecting on your career.

Benefits of Keeping a Work Journal

Taking a few minutes to reflect on your work can have a surprisingly big impact over time. Instead of rushing from one task to the next, you’ll create space to recognize your accomplishments, identify opportunities for growth, and make more intentional career decisions.

Keeping a work journal can help you:

• Track accomplishments for performance reviews and promotions
• Remember positive feedback from your manager and coworkers
• Build stronger resume bullet points and interview examples when you’re job searching
• Recognize which projects energize you—and which leave you feeling drained
• Spot recurring challenges before they become bigger problems
• Reflect on your professional growth over time
• Set meaningful short-term and long-term career goals
• Celebrate small wins that are easy to overlook during busy weeks

Over time, your journal becomes a record of your career journey. When it’s time to update your resume, prepare for an interview, or write a self-evaluation, you’ll have examples of your accomplishments instead of trying to remember everything months later.

How Often Should You Keep a Work Journal?

One of the best things about keeping a work journal is that there’s no perfect schedule.

Some people enjoy spending five minutes reflecting at the end of each workday, while others prefer setting aside a little more time once a week. The key isn’t how often you write—it’s consistency.

Even one thoughtful journal entry every Friday can help you document accomplishments, identify patterns, and stay focused on your long-term career goals.

Choose a routine that works for your schedule and stick with it.

Daily Work Journal Template

If staring at a blank page feels overwhelming, use these questions as a starting point.

At the end of each workday, spend five minutes answering:

• What did I accomplish today?
• What challenged me today?
• What did I learn?
• What positive feedback did I receive?
• What should I focus on tomorrow?

Weekly Work Journal Template

At the end of the week, reflect on:

• My biggest accomplishment
• My biggest challenge
• The biggest lesson I learned
• Skills I strengthened
• Goals for next week

30 Work Journal Prompts

If you’re looking for more inspiration, here are 30 work journal prompts to help you reflect on your professional growth.

1. What is the biggest lesson I learned today?
2. What positive feedback did I receive this week?
3. What accomplishment am I most proud of?
4. How did I go above and beyond?
5. How did I help a coworker or my team?
6. What are my goals for this week, month, and quarter?
7. What resources or support do I need to reach my goals?
8. What new skill would I like to learn, and how can I learn it?
9. Which skill should I continue strengthening?
10. How satisfied am I with my job right now?
11. What can I do to improve my job satisfaction?
12. What changes from my manager or company would help me do my best work?
13. Which tasks give me the most energy?
14. Which tasks drain my energy?
15. What mistake taught me something valuable?
16. What compliment or positive feedback surprised me?
17. What am I avoiding, and why?
18. What opportunities are available for me to take on more responsibility?
19. What are three things I’m grateful for today?
20. How would my manager describe my strengths?
21. How would my coworkers describe me?
22. What can I do to feel more engaged in my day-to-day work?
23. Who inspires me professionally, and why?
24. What is the best career advice I’ve received recently?
25. Where do I see myself professionally in the next five years?
26. What can I do to strengthen my personal brand?
27. How did I demonstrate leadership today?
28. What professional relationship should I invest more time in?
29. If I had to summarize this week in one sentence, what would it be?
30. What would make next week even more successful?

Final Thoughts

A work journal doesn’t have to be lengthy or perfectly written to be effective. Spending just five or ten minutes reflecting on your day or week can help you recognize your progress, stay focused on your long-term goals, and become more intentional about your career.

Over time, you’ll create a valuable record of your accomplishments, professional growth, and lessons learned. Whether you’re preparing for your next performance review, interviewing for a new job, or simply trying to become more thoughtful about your career, you’ll be glad you took the time to document your journey.

The most important step is simply getting started. Pick a notebook or open a blank document, answer one prompt, and build the habit from there.

The post How to Keep a Work Journal (Plus 30 Work Journal Prompts) appeared first on Elana Lyn Gross.

What is GGStudio? 

After Gabby’s Bridal Arms series went viral on TikTok, she built a fitness app with hundreds of classes. When I was taking her TikTok classes, I kept wishing she had workouts that targeted other areas like abs, legs, and glutes. The app makes it easy to find classes that focus on those areas. I like that I can sort workouts by time, mood, difficulty level, and class category. Her signature classes are Barre Flow (20-25 minute low-impact barre and mat Pilates classes using light weights and props), Sculpt (30-40 minute full body classes using props and light weights), and Power Sculpt (under 50-minute strength classes using heavy 8-15 pound weights). Gabby has also recently introduced some dance cardio classes that are great to do if you’re traveling and don’t have equipment.  

What Does GGStudio Cost?

You can join GGStudio monthly for $12 a month or pay $108 for an annual membership that works out to about $9 a month. I started with the free 7-day trial and liked it so much that I became an annual GGStudio member. 

What Do You Need?

Some GGStudio classes include props like a Pilates ball, sliders, light weights, optional wrist weights, and heavier dumbbells. I bought this kit. I already had different sized weights at home.

What Are Some Perks?

I used to watch the free Bridal Arms classes on TikTok but it was harder to follow along and track my workouts. Now I can use the GGStudio app to browse classes, cast workouts onto my TV, track my progress in various programs, schedule classes, and view my class history. You can also chime in on the GGBrides and GGSquad communities and leave comments on workouts.

GGStudio Programs

My favorite thing about the GGStudio app is the structure. There are a variety of two- to four-week programs and Gabby releases new classes and a weekly workout schedule each week. You can choose between a Quickie Plan with shorter workouts or a Full Stack Plan that combines multiple classes. I like that the programs and schedule remove the guesswork from deciding what workout to do and make it easy to stay consistent. The exercises vary from day to day, increase in difficulty, and include rest days. 

So far I’ve completed:

• Bridal Arms: The Bridal Arms Program is a 14-day series of short, high-repetition upper-body workouts designed to strengthen your arms, shoulders, and back while improving posture. The most advanced version, Bridal Arms 3.0 is only available on the app and includes longer classes, heavier weights, and more props.
• Strong Under 40 Program: This two-week program has barre, Pilates, sculpt and strength classes that are all under 40 minutes. Strong Under 40 was the first program I did after Bridal Arms and it was an excellent way for me to get introduced to all of the GGStudio signature classes. While the Bridal Arms classes are short and spicy, these classes are longer, target different body groups, and are more like a traditional strength class.
• The Deskside Program: If you’re short on time and want to get in an effective and efficient workout, this is the program for you. There are standing arm, leg, ab, and glute workouts that are all under 14 minutes. They are all designed so you can fit them in during a short work break. You don’t need to change out of your regular clothes.
• Deep Core: I have scoliosis and my doctor has emphasized the importance of core and back strength. I’ve been enjoying this short, under-12-minute classes. I appreciate that Gabby provides modifications and I make small changes if anything hurts my back.
• Advanced Program: I got used to Gabby’s classes from doing the Strong Under 40 Program. I felt confident in skipping the Beginner and Intermediate Programs and jumping straight to advanced. This 4-week program includes a mix of her signature Barre, Strength, Power Sculpt, and Recovery classes. There are dedicated classes targeting specific muscles and full body classes. Every day is different and there is a good mix of long and short classes and I can fit the shorter classes in on cardio days. I love that it takes the guesswork out of choosing classes.

What I Don’t Love

Some of the advanced classes like Sculpt and Power Sculpt move quickly and can be a bit hard to follow at first. I jumped straight into Strong Under 40, but you can also start with the Beginner Program to get the fundamentals down. I found the faster-paced workouts easier to follow once I started casting them to my TV instead of watching on my phone. The app has royalty free music in the background, which makes sense licensing music is expensive. It would be great to have an option to listen to the class without music so I could play music on another device. 

Is GGStudio Worth It?

For me, 100%.

If you want enjoyable workouts that help you build consistency and strength at home, I think it’s a win. I love the GGStudio app because I’ve seen results and I love Gabby’s teaching style. She’s positive, encouraging, and bubbly. I haven’t gotten bored and look forward to trying something new. 

I’ll continue updating this review as I take more classes and complete additional programs.

Thinking about trying GGStudio? You can get 10% off an annual membership using my referral link. Full disclosure: I’ll receive a referral credit if you sign up, but I paid for my own membership and this review is not sponsored.  

The post My Gabby George GGStudio App Review appeared first on Elana Lyn Gross.

What Is the Gabby George Bridal Arms Program?

The Bridal Arms Program is a 14-day series of short, high-repetition upper-body workouts designed to strengthen your arms, shoulders, and back while improving posture. I’m here to say on the record: It works.

The workouts range from roughly 6-12 minutes and use a combination of light 2-3 pound hand weights and optional wrist weights. If you don’t have small weights, Gabby emphasizes that you can use other props like cans or even just your body weight. The latest iteration of the program uses the same weights plus heavier weights up to 10 pounds and a band. 

Gabby George Bridal Arms 2.0 vs. 3.0

Gabby has three versions of her viral Bridal Arms workout and has improved the program with each iteration. Bridal Arms 1.0 and 2.0 are only on TikTok. Her new-and-improved version is exclusively on the GGStudio app. I skipped the first version and started with 2.0. After doing two rounds of 2.0, I was hooked and knew I wanted to try Bridal Arms 3.0 and the other GGStudio classes. The main differences are that some classes are longer, there are standing and kneeling workouts, and some incorporate heavier weights.

I prefer Bridal Arms 3.0 because it is an even harder workout, there is more variety, and it’s a better user experience. I cast the classes on my TV instead of watching the videos on TikTok. It’s also easier to find the classes and keep track of your progress. I went from having a checklist on my phone to having a checkmark by each class I had completed.

My Bridal Arms Results

I feel stronger, more toned, and my posture has improved. The class is called Bridal Arms, but it also targets your back and core which is important for me because I have scoliosis. I’ve noticed that I slouch less when I’m walking or working at my desk. While the classes are short and the weights are small, they make a big impact. I’ve actually seen more results than I did from taking a 30-minute upper-body class once a week for three months.

It has been easy for me to stay consistent with the workouts because they are short. I can always fit in a quick under 12 minute workout. I’ve even done them without changing into workout clothes and on-the-go. I did a few workouts in a hotel room using filled up water bottles because I didn’t have equipment. I look forward to the classes because I’ve seen results and I love Gabby’s teaching style. She’s positive, encouraging, and bubbly. There is enough variety from day to day so I haven’t gotten bored. 

To stay motivated, Gabby recommends doing the classes 6-7 days a week and taking a break after each cycle. I take one to two days off.

Is the Bridal Arms Program Worth It?

The Bridal Arms workout has absolutely been worth it for me! Before getting engaged, I trained for half marathons and did the occasional strength class. After saying “yes,” I wanted to get into a regular routine that incorporated both strength and cardio. If you want enjoyable workouts that help you build consistency and strength at home, I think the Bridal Arms Program is a total win. 

Thinking about trying GGStudio? You can get 10% off an annual membership using my referral link. Full disclosure: I’ll receive a referral credit if you sign up, but I paid for my own membership and this review is not sponsored. I’m just a big fan! 

The post My Honest Gabby George Bridal Arms Review appeared first on Elana Lyn Gross.