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	<title>Rock n Roll Bride</title>
	
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	<description>Your Big Day the Rock n Roll Way · Alternative Wedding Inspiration</description>
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		<title>Thursdays Treats: Costco Trips &amp; Nipple Slips</title>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 23 May 2013 13:50:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Thursday Treats]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.rocknrollbride.com/?p=155049</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[OK not really... but it rhymed and made me laugh! Oh Christ, I need to get out more. Actually it's a sad sad state of affairs when the highlight of your week is going to Costco with your Mother. But I've never been before and that kind of stuff generally excites me. Pacing up and down the aisles wondering who on earth would ever need to buy 12 packets of spaghetti or 72 loo rolls... and where do those people store it all?!

This week was just been a bit dull though. Everything I needed to do really just required me to be glued to my computer... writing, rewriting, organising, compiling... all that fun stuff. So I've got nothing too thrilling to report today although I did buy a enough green juice to hydrate an army at Costco and apparently I'm going to be quoted in the Daily Mail's You Magazine on Sunday. I must remember to leave my hovel to go and pick up a copy...

Note to self: Must try harder to keep up the pretence that being a blogger is an exciting and glamorous life. Hum, maybe next week...]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-155052" alt="brooke davis" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/brooke-davis.jpg" width="847" height="591" /></p>
<blockquote>
<p style="text-align: center;">Photography: <a href="http://blushbyb.com/blog/index.php/within-the-collapse" target="_blank">Brooke Davis</a> (amazing!)</p>
</blockquote>
<p style="text-align: left;">OK not really&#8230; but it rhymed and made me laugh! Oh Christ, I need to get out more. Actually it&#8217;s a sad, sad state of affairs when the highlight of your week is going to Costco with your Mother. But I&#8217;ve never been before and that kind of stuff generally excites me. Pacing up and down the aisles wondering who on earth would ever need to buy 12 packets of spaghetti or 72 loo rolls&#8230; and where do those people store it all?!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">This week has just been a bit dull though. Everything I needed to do really just required me to be glued to my computer&#8230; writing, rewriting, organising, compiling&#8230; all that fun stuff. So I&#8217;ve got nothing too thrilling to report today although I did buy enough green juice to hydrate an army at Costco and apparently I&#8217;m going to be quoted in the Daily Mail&#8217;s You Magazine on Sunday. I must remember to leave my hovel to go and pick up a copy&#8230;</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Note to self: Must try harder to keep up the pretence that being a blogger is an exciting and glamorous life. Hum, maybe next week&#8230;</p>
<h2>Weddings &amp; Weddingy Things</h2>
<p>♥ Geometrics are big right now and I <a href="http://ruffledblog.com/geometric-styled-shoot-from-sarah-park-events" target="_blank">totally love this styled shoot</a> based on the concept<br />
♥ (Related) <a href="http://ruffledblog.com/diy-geometric-table-runner-from-sarah-park" target="_blank">make your own geometric table runner</a><br />
♥ <a href="http://www.polkadotbride.com/2013/05/renee-and-leighs-intimate-melbourne-wedding/" target="_blank">Intimate Melbourne wedding</a><br />
♥ <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2013/may/22/ultra-orthodox-jewish-wedding-israel-in-pictures" target="_blank">This orthodox Jewish wedding had 25,000 guests!</a> (and you thought your guest list was getting out of control&#8230;)<br />
♥ This<a href="http://www.boho-weddings.com/2013/05/20/diy-book-table-numbers" target="_blank"> book table numbers tutorial</a> is super rad!<br />
♥ <a href="http://frenchkissthebride.com/weddings/casual-wedding-by-a-lake-with-dogs-aileen-dan" target="_blank">Casual wedding by a pond</a></p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-155050" alt="pond wedding" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/pond-wedding.jpg" width="900" height="600" /></p>
<blockquote>
<p style="text-align: center;">Photography: Yannick Schön for <a title="Paul Liebt Paula" href="http://www.paulliebtpaula.de/" target="_blank">Paul Liebt Paula</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span id="more-155049"></span><br />
♥ <a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/collections/201304/wedding-fever/the-un-simple-reality-the-simple-diy-wedding" target="_blank">The un-simple reality of a &#8216;simple&#8217; DIY wedding</a> - this is definitely food for thought!<br />
♥ Beautiful <a href="http://joannagoddard.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/tokyo-bride.html" target="_blank">Tokyo bride</a><br />
♥ <a href="http://www.polkadotbride.com/2013/05/anna-campbell-clean-simple-wedding-inspiration" target="_blank">Clean and simple wedding inspo</a><br />
♥ <a href="http://ruffledblog.com/protea-filled-south-african-wedding" target="_blank">Modern Pretoria wedding<br />
</a>♥ <a href="http://theweaverhouse.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/kristine-ryan-smugglers-cove.html" target="_blank">Stunning Smuggler&#8217;s Cove wedding</a><br />
<span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;">♥ Adore this </span><a href="http://whimsicalwonderlandweddings.com/2013/05/a-colourful-vietnamese-tea-ceremony-wedding.html" target="_blank">colourful<span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;"> </span>Vietnamese<span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;"> tea ceremony</span></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-155051" alt="tea ceremony wedding" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/tea-ceremony-wedding.jpg" width="600" height="400" /></p>
<blockquote>
<p style="text-align: center;">Photography: <a href="http://www.mikiphotography.info/" target="_blank">Miki Photography</a></p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Best of the Rest</h2>
<p>♥ <a href="http://petapixel.com/2013/05/17/photos-of-the-variety-of-characters-youre-likely-to-run-into-at-mcdonalds/" target="_blank">Photos of the variety of characters you’re likely to run into at McDonald’s</a><br />
♥ <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/food-writers-safety-drinks-170951" target="_blank">What to order at a bad bar</a><br />
♥ <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1484284472/windcatcher-inflates-in-seconds-with-no-power-or-p" target="_blank">This is surprising awesome</a> - get these guys on Dragon&#8217;s Den!<br />
♥ Check out <a href="http://theoriginalunicorncompany.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Original Unicorn Company</a>&#8230; how am I only just hearing about this now?<br />
♥ I really enjoyed reading about <a href="http://www.stylebubble.co.uk/style_bubble/2013/05/ambling-around-.html?" target="_blank">Susie&#8217;s favourite N7 spots</a> and of course fawning over her fabulous wardrobe!<br />
♥ This piece, <a href="http://vagendamag.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/anorexia-was-my-problem-but-its-also.html" target="_blank">Anorexia was my problem but it&#8217;s also yours</a>, totally tugged at my heartstrings. Beautifully written too.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>It’s Good to Cringe</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rocknrollbride/index/~3/dRoddFYCoA0/</link>
		<comments>http://www.rocknrollbride.com/2013/05/its-good-to-cringe/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 23 May 2013 10:50:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lisa Devlin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Green Room]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Guest Posts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Guest Post]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the green room]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.rocknrollbride.com/?p=155054</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Recently, a good friend and photographer showed me some images that he had shot a few years ago. He told me that he was cringing while putting together the couple&#8217;s album because they had waited three years before coming back with their selection and meantime his work had, in his eyes, improved a lot. There was absolutely [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-155161" alt="938vintage" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/938vintage.jpeg" width="858" height="1280" /></p>
<p>Recently, a good friend and photographer showed me some images that he had shot a few years ago. He told me that he was cringing while putting together the couple&#8217;s album because they had waited three years before coming back with their selection and meantime his work had, in his eyes, improved a lot. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the images and the couple were clearly still very happy with them if they were investing in an album. Of course they were not the images he would shoot if he did their wedding today but I told him that I think it&#8217;s good to look back on your old work and cringe a little. It shows that you are progressing, evolving and developing.</p>
<p>When <a href="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/2012/03/the-inspirations-jonas-peterson/" target="_blank">interviewed on Rock n Roll Bride, Jonas Peterson said</a> &#8220;You will never find your style, your style will find you&#8221; and certainly &#8216;finding your style&#8217; is one thing that a lot of photographers, artists and designers seem to struggle with, especially in the early days. However I believe that this constant quest to define and refine your style is one of the things that keeps us in a state of creativity. If we didn&#8217;t, our work would surely become stale and dated and we&#8217;d probably get very bored. I have been earning my living from taking photographs for over twenty years and I have yet to think &#8220;this is it&#8230; this is exactly how I&#8217;m going to shoot every picture from now on&#8221;. I go through phases of being in love with a certain lens, filter or technique but it is never the only way I shoot. By constantly playing and experimenting, learning rules and then breaking them, I&#8217;m forever progressing and changing. Any creative should grow with their craft and I very much see it as a journey. The path may be unknown at times but isn&#8217;t that all part of the adventure?</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-155158" alt="001vintage" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/001vintage.jpeg" width="858" height="1280" /></p>
<p><span id="more-155054"></span>When I look back at my older work, I don&#8217;t feel like I cringe but I do see things that I would do completely differently if were I to take that image today. For example the images illustrating this article are from the first wedding I shot on digital back in 2010 and I look at them now and think the processing could definitely be more subtle… I have never in that twenty years (first as a music photographer and then weddings) ever thought I have taken the perfect photograph. I very rarely leave a job thinking I totally nailed it. I also look at other people&#8217;s work all the time and think &#8220;I wish I had taken that image&#8221;. To me, it is all part of the process of remaining motivated and striving forward.</p>
<p>I think you should regularly cull your blog and website, removing work that is not really what you are about any more. You need to present your latest passions and obsessions as this is a great way of attracting the clients you really connect with and will enjoy working with. Organising your own shoots can be your chance to show these off too. They don&#8217;t have to be huge productions involving lots of other people or even be shot just to get featured somewhere. It could just be a simple idea with a friend modelling where you can practice your skills or try out some new ideas. We always do shoots at the <a href="http://www.photographyfarm.co.uk/" target="_blank">Photography Farm</a> and while they may be quite big productions (I like to get creative too!) the main reason for them is to encourage the attendees to push themselves and experiment. It&#8217;s the ideal time to do so as there is no client to please or brief to fulfil. New styles and genres are nearly always born out of experimentation.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-155159" alt="376vintage" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/376vintage.jpeg" width="859" height="1280" /></p>
<p>So instead of cringing when you look at your earlier work, take the time to reflect on how far you have come and see it for the achievement it is. Be excited to think where you could be in three years from now. Somewhere at the back of my mind, I do often wonder if I&#8217;ll ever feel that I have taken that perfect photograph. If that does happen though, what on earth would I do next?</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR</h2>
<p><a href="http://devlinphotos.co.uk/" target="_blank">Lisa Devlin</a> is a wedding photographer from Brighton and a regular contributor to The Green Room. She hosts the three-day long <a href="http://photographyfarm.co.uk/" target="_blank">Photography Farm</a> on a regular basis. The next Farm will be taking place from the 9th-11th July. Lisa is also currently taking bookings for <a href="http://www.photographyfarm.co.uk/photography-farm-elements/" target="_blank">Farm Elements</a>, one or two day non-residential workshops taking place over the next few months in Cornwall, Bristol and Manchester. For enquiries or bookings email Lisa on <a href="mailto:lisa@devlinphotos.co.uk" target="_blank">lisa@devlinphotos.co.uk</a> or call 01273231047.</p>
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		<title>Reused &amp; Recycled Macedonian Wedding: Marta &amp; Vedran</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rocknrollbride/index/~3/mKBavO0TQQs/</link>
		<comments>http://www.rocknrollbride.com/2013/05/reused-recycled-macedonian-wedding-marta-vedran/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 23 May 2013 07:00:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Wedding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DIY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Outdoors]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.rocknrollbride.com/?p=154988</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Marta &#038; Vedran were married in the garden of Vodenica Mulino, a restaurant and bar in Macedonia. Their reception then took place inside. Their day was casual, laid back but most of all, fun! The bride wore a custom made blush pink dress dress and carried an brightly coloured felt bouquet. "Everyone wants their wedding to be different and memorable", the bride began. "We had lots of time to think about ours as we had a long engagement."]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-155021" alt="marta's recyclable wedding_atelier 22 (143)" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/martas-recyclable-wedding_atelier-22-143.jpg" width="667" height="1000" /></p>
<p>Marta &amp; Vedran were married in the garden of <a href="http://www.vodenicamulino.com.mk/" target="_blank">Vodenica Mulino</a>, a restaurant and bar in Macedonia. Their reception then took place inside. Their day was casual, laid back but most of all, fun! The bride wore a custom made blush pink dress dress and carried an brightly coloured felt bouquet. &#8220;Everyone wants their wedding to be different and memorable&#8221;, the bride began. &#8220;We had lots of time to think about ours as we had a long engagement.&#8221;</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-155009" alt="marta's recyclable wedding_atelier 22 (85)" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/martas-recyclable-wedding_atelier-22-85.jpg" width="1000" height="667" /></p>
<p>&#8220;First and most importantly, we agreed that we don’t want some crazy posh wedding with tons of decorations and fresh flowers that would die in two days. That is why we decided everything had to either be recycled or reusable, and to be personal in design. Instead of crazy flower table decorations, we had tin cans in which small pine trees were planted. All of the flower decorations were potted. Guests at each table were bidding for the pine tree, and we donated the money gathered from to a couple we know with young foster children. Many people still inform us how the trees are progressing in their yards which is lovely to hear about.&#8221;</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-155013" alt="marta's recyclable wedding_atelier 22 (131)" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/martas-recyclable-wedding_atelier-22-131.jpg" width="1000" height="667" /></p>
<p><span id="more-154988"></span>&#8220;The invitations were very personal&#8221;, she continued, &#8220;with words representing our relationship. We designed them and they were printed on recycled paper. In correlation to that, each table had a name which was one word from the invitation. For the rest of the decorations we went bright in colour! The candies, my accessories and bouquet and the origami bird curtain, which was a favourite detail of mine, were all super bright. All in all, it was a beautiful, elegant and romantic atmosphere, one which we couldn&#8217;t have had without help from our friends who set it up &#8211; so thank you to them!&#8221;</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-155020" alt="marta's recyclable wedding_atelier 22 (142)" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/martas-recyclable-wedding_atelier-22-142.jpg" width="1000" height="667" /></p>
<p>&#8220;My favourite part of the whole experience was all the preparations!&#8221; Marta concluded.&#8221;Everything was homemade and handcrafted so we needed<em> a lot</em> of time to do that. Almost every weekend for the last four months my closest family was gathered to work. Mom, grandma, auntie, cousin…even my dad was helping with what he could! All of my best friends (the bridesmaids) were also helping. We tried to make it fun for everyone and we even had a few ‘leisure working weekends’ by the sea with wine and beer. At moments it was very tiring but I would never change how we did it. Those are the most precious and fun moments, full of stories and laughter, and are stories that we’ll be telling for the rest of our life.&#8221;</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-155028" alt="marta's recyclable wedding_atelier 22 (94)" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/martas-recyclable-wedding_atelier-22-94.jpg" width="1000" height="667" /></p>
<p><a href='http://www.rocknrollbride.com/2013/05/reused-recycled-macedonian-wedding-marta-vedran/#gallery'><img src='http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/themes/rnr/img/view_gallery.png' style='border: none;' /></a></p>
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		<item>
		<title>I’ve Found Your Wedding DJ…</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rocknrollbride/index/~3/7dWV18jmpSU/</link>
		<comments>http://www.rocknrollbride.com/2013/05/ive-found-your-wedding-dj/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 May 2013 13:55:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Sponsored Post]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.rocknrollbride.com/?p=154476</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For most Rock n Roll brides, finding the perfect entertainment for their wedding is top of the list of importance. Being a die hard music lover, but still wanting to keep the all your guests happy is no mean feat which I why I was thrilled to meet Paddy of Disco Wed when I was at the Eclectic Wedding Extravaganza in March. He's not only genuinely one of the nicest people I've met in this industry (and he's just as obsessed with his cat and I am with mine!) I think I might have actually just uncovered the answer to all your musical prayers.]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-154795" alt="Disco-Wed-logo" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Disco-Wed-logo.jpg" width="1758" height="1250" /></p>
<p>For most Rock n Roll brides, finding<em> the</em> perfect entertainment for their wedding is top of the list of importance. Being a die hard music lover, but still wanting to keep the all your guests happy is no mean feat which I why I was thrilled to meet Paddy of <a href="http://www.discowed.com/" target="_blank">Disco Wed</a> when I was at the Eclectic Wedding Extravaganza in March. He&#8217;s not only genuinely one of the nicest people I&#8217;ve met in this industry (and he&#8217;s just as obsessed with his cat and I am with mine!) I think I might have actually just uncovered the answer to all your musical prayers.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.discowed.com/" target="_blank">Disco Wed</a> started life as Disco Shed&#8230; and yes, I do mean a DJ in an actual shed. Built in his back garden, late one night Paddy and some friends joked that his new shed would make the perfect DJ booth. &#8220;Well that&#8217;s actually a brilliant idea!&#8221; they concluded, &#8220;lets do it!&#8221; And so the Disco Shed was born. &#8220;We stuck the decks in the shed and got completely smashed in there all night&#8221;, he laughed. &#8220;Apparently at some point I suggested we should take it on the road. The first I knew of it we&#8217;d been booked for two festivals and <em>had</em> to make it happen!&#8221;</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-154797" alt="View More: http://jaymountfordphotography.pass.us/ewe2" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/EWE-0244.jpg" width="600" height="900" /></p>
<blockquote>
<p style="text-align: center;">Photography: <a href="http://www.jaymountfordphotography.co.uk/" target="_blank">Jay Mountford</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>So he plonked his shed on the back of a truck and took it around the country, playing at as many festivals as he could get invited too. Bestival, Latitude, Shambala, the Big Chill, Reading, Thames Festival, and many more have all played host to the Disco Shed and he&#8217;s now even running successful spin-off club nights at various venues around the UK.</p>
<p>Wherever the shed landed music lovers flocked, and so it was only a matter of time until someone asked if he could play at their wedding. Again this was a resounding success with the referrals coming in faster than Paddy could spin those decks. He brought on a bunch of his DJ mates (all with credible music backgrounds &#8211; none of this cheesy wedding DJ crap) to help him out but by the end of 2010, he was getting so busy with wedding gigs that he decided to quit his day job all together and <a href="http://www.discowed.com/" target="_blank">Disco Wed</a> was born!</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-154796" alt="Disco-Wed-10" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Disco-Wed-10.jpg" width="1000" height="1500" /></p>
<p><span id="more-154476"></span>&#8220;A Rock n Roll bride aims to be unique, and we definitely share that aim!&#8221;, Paddy writes. &#8220;For starters, we&#8217;re very different from most people&#8217;s idea of a traditional wedding DJ, which is perhaps partly because we never intended to become wedding DJs in the first place! Instead we all have backgrounds in the music industry and put our skills and experience of putting on great parties to good use at weddings too!&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;We mix everything seamlessly, don&#8217;t spend all night making bad jokes on the mic (<em>at all!)</em> and avoid all the teeth-grindingly obviously bad wedding clichéd tunes. Instead we work with couples to make sure they get exactly the right sort of party tunes they want. To help this, we can provide a play list, or they can give us a play list to work from, or we can just be left and trusted to play a killer wedding set! They&#8217;re welcome to give us as much or as little guidance as they want, we&#8217;re happy either way!&#8221;</p>
<p>If you want to have a listen to some sets, then be sure to <a href="http://www.discowed.com/wedding-music/wedding-dj-mixes/" target="_blank">download their sample mixes</a>. I&#8217;ve been listening to the Indie Disco Belters the whole time I&#8217;ve been writing this post and it&#8217;s pretty damn awesome.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-154793" alt="Disco-Wed-11" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Disco-Wed-11.jpg" width="1000" height="667" /></p>
<p>&#8220;Beyond the music, we offer a friendly, relaxed service, and genuinely put the couple at the heart of everything we do, which might sound glib and cheesy, but it&#8217;s true&#8221;, he continues. &#8220;We&#8217;re creative, resourceful, and work hard to help try and give couples exactly the day they want. We offer our services <em>literally for the whole day</em>, so can play music from the first moment to the last if they want, and we will do whatever we can to accommodate their requests, however bizarre! In the past, this has meant I&#8217;ve set-up multiple sound systems hidden around an enormous garden in order to fill it with music throughout a daytime reception, I&#8217;ve moved our entire set-up from one location to another in order to DJ in both of them, and I&#8217;ve DJed until dawn for people, just because they were having such a good time and didn&#8217;t want the party to stop. Actually that last one has happened a few times&#8230;&#8221;</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-154789" alt="Disco-Wed-02" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Disco-Wed-02.jpg" width="3000" height="1996" /></p>
<h2>Reader Discount</h2>
<p>Need any more convincing that you need to book these guys? Well, hire of Disco Wed usually costs between £600 &#8211; £2000 but because Rock n Roll Bride readers are clearly the coolest (and have the best taste in music!)<strong> Disco Wed would like to offer 10% off all wedding bookings!</strong> To qualify simply quote &#8216;Rock n Roll&#8217; in the promo code box <a href="http://www.discowed.com/contact-and-bookings/" target="_blank">when you enquire</a>. You have until June 30th 2013 to enquire and your wedding must be taking place before December 31st 2014.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;re having an outdoor, backyard or festival style wedding then I can&#8217;t think of anything more perfect to get your party started. I&#8217;m not really sure what else I can really say except <a href="http://www.discowed.com/contact-and-bookings/" target="_blank">BOOK THEM</a>, book them now!</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-154798" alt="Disco-Wed-14" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Disco-Wed-14.jpg" width="1000" height="640" /></p>
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		<title>New Orleans Masquerade Wedding: Leslie &amp; Collin</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rocknrollbride/index/~3/d6AeG1t-Tpk/</link>
		<comments>http://www.rocknrollbride.com/2013/05/new-orleans-masquerade-wedding-leslie-collin/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 May 2013 06:45:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Wedding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[1920s]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DIY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mask]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new orleans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Steampunk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vintage]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.rocknrollbride.com/?p=154625</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I receive upwards of 50 submissions on a daily basis, and needless to say I do see a lot of very similarly styled weddings. So when a wedding like Leslie &#038; Collin's lands in my inbox I'm over the moon, thrilled and super duper excited to feature it because it's just so different. I'm totally losing my cool over this theme and the way the couple executed it. They also planned and styled the entire wedding themselves, making it a million percent more awesome in my book.]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-154830" alt="New Orleans Masquerade Wedding-Select Studios 27" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/New-Orleans-Masquerade-Wedding-Select-Studios-27.jpg" width="1000" height="667" /></p>
<p>I receive upwards of 50 submissions on a daily basis, and needless to say I do see a lot of very similarly styled weddings. So when a wedding like Leslie &amp; Collin&#8217;s lands in my inbox I&#8217;m over the moon, thrilled and super duper excited to feature it because it&#8217;s just <em>so different</em>. I&#8217;m totally losing my cool over this theme and the way the couple executed it. They also planned and styled the entire wedding themselves, making it a million percent more awesome in my book.</p>
<p>The wedding took place in New Orleans at <a href="http://raceandreligious.com/" target="_blank">Race &amp; Religious</a>, a 1830s Louisiana compound full of restored Creole cottages. The bride, <a href="http://www.leslierivas.com/" target="_blank">a fashion stylist</a>, and the groom, <a href="http://collinkelly.4ormat.com/" target="_blank">a photographer,</a> really wanted to put their own stamp on the day but also to have a wedding that worked with the surroundings&#8230; and what could be more perfect for New Orleans than a masquerade ball?!</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-154827" alt="New Orleans Masquerade Wedding-Select Studios 24" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/New-Orleans-Masquerade-Wedding-Select-Studios-24.jpg" width="1000" height="667" /></p>
<p>&#8220;We wanted to create a unique wedding and a fun celebration!&#8221; began Leslie. &#8220;We have been together for 12 years. I met Collin when I moved to Houston from California. Since the day we met, we have not been apart! We currently live in Houston, TX but often travel to New Orleans, and we decided it would be a great city to have our friends and family from all over the states and Mexico to come visit! We love anything vintage, antique, rustic, circus, masquerade, old films, vaudeville&#8230; so that was our theme for the wedding. Our guests were a mix of high school friends, fashion industry friends and both of our families. We did a lot of DIY and involved our families and friends to help us as much as possible.&#8221;</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-154843" alt="New Orleans Masquerade Wedding-Select Studios 41" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/New-Orleans-Masquerade-Wedding-Select-Studios-41.jpg" width="1000" height="667" /></p>
<p><span id="more-154625"></span>&#8220;For the décor we took antique and vintage pieces from our home, lots of candles, stripped wine bottles, and moss. My bridesmaid Tabitha Garcia, put it all together for us. We also had a lot of entertainment - mystery mimes, stilt walkers, a dog and clown act, fire performers and two bands. We had a photo booth and we set up a projector playing old Georges Mellies films that we love. It added great ambience an to the old film theme we had going. Our stationery was made by the amazing <a href="http://royalsteamline.com/" target="_blank">Royal Steamline</a>.&#8221;</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-154806" alt="New Orleans Masquerade Wedding-Select Studios 2" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/New-Orleans-Masquerade-Wedding-Select-Studios-2.jpg" width="1000" height="667" /></p>
<p>In terms of their outfits, the bride wanted something very different. Being a stylist and having worked with a lot of bridal publications she&#8217;d seen a lot of wedding dresses before &#8211; none of which were quite right for her. So instead she went for something vintage Inspired, opulent and unique. She chose some ivory beaded lace, some silk and some chiffon and got it custom made by Jiozei H Reyes. Her beaded purse was from the 1920s, her DIY bouquet made from tissue flowers, antique brooches, dried flowers and feathers. Her mask, which she bought, was customised with ostrich and albino peacock feathers. Collin wore a vintage suit and bowler hat. His mask was made from an antique viewer piece, which was customised with leather by <a href="http://www.cocleather.com" target="_blank">Chad Landry</a> who made the rest of mask with ostrich skin leather and straps.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-154833" alt="New Orleans Masquerade Wedding-Select Studios 30" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/New-Orleans-Masquerade-Wedding-Select-Studios-30.jpg" width="667" height="1000" /></p>
<p><a href='http://www.rocknrollbride.com/2013/05/new-orleans-masquerade-wedding-leslie-collin/#gallery'><img src='http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/themes/rnr/img/view_gallery.png' style='border: none;' /></a></p>
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		<item>
		<title>Step Away from the Press Release</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rocknrollbride/index/~3/WnldSk99sZs/</link>
		<comments>http://www.rocknrollbride.com/2013/05/step-away-from-the-press-release/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2013 13:30:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Green Room]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the green room]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.rocknrollbride.com/?p=153069</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The first press release was written in 1906, created by the Pennsylvania Railroad who had just experienced a major accident in which 50 passengers were killed. They quickly released a statement to the press in order to nip any rumours that might be published in the bud. A sensible idea you might think, and yes, it most definitely was. However fast forward 100 years, and similar statements are being released by companies left right and centre, but without this same vital reasoning. These days every small start up business in the world thinks that PR lesson number one is to nail the perfect press release. I'm here today to tell you why I think this is a wrongful assumption and usually a completely pointless exercise.]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-155047" alt="step away from the press release1" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/step-away-from-the-press-release1.jpg" width="900" height="653" /></p>
<p>The first press release was written in 1906, created by the Pennsylvania Railroad who had just experienced<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1906_Atlantic_City_train_wreck" target="_blank"> a major accident</a> in which 53 passengers were killed. They quickly released a statement to the press in order to nip any rumours that might be published in the bud. A sensible idea you might think, and yes, it most definitely was. However fast forward 100 years, and similar statements are being released by companies left right and centre, but without this same vital reasoning. These days every small start up business in the world thinks that PR lesson number one is to nail the perfect press release. I&#8217;m here today to tell you why I think this is a wrongful assumption and usually a completely pointless exercise.</p>
<p>I <em>hate</em> press releases. With a passion. I&#8217;m now half expecting an angry mob of PR&#8217;s, bloggers, business owners and journalists to turn up at my door baying for my blood, but hold fire on those pitch forks for just a minute and hear me out&#8230;</p>
<p>For a lot of small companies, the press release is believed to be the most important first step in a PR campaign. <span style="line-height: 1.714285714; font-size: 1rem;">The drill is usually a mailshot sent to journalists and bloggers, announcing some</span> thrilling<span style="line-height: 1.714285714; font-size: 1rem;"> piece of company news that they hope the media will get just as excited over and therefore write about. It might be the launch of a range of products, a new appointment or a Summer sale for example. These emails are usually flanked with the imposing phrase &#8220;FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE&#8221; (capitals and bold type are obviously mandatory to demonstrate just how damn important this piece of &#8216;news&#8217; actually is).</span></p>
<p>Forgive me, but YAWN.</p>
<p>&#8220;But wait!&#8221; I hear you cry, &#8220;I&#8217;ve been sending out press releases for years and I&#8217;ve got some great media coverage from them!&#8221; And while this may well be true, let me offer you another idea, one I <em>guarantee </em>will get you even more coverage in the long run <em>and</em> carry a lot more favour with the journalists you&#8217;re trying to impress.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-154778" alt="pdx shoot (179)" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/pdx-shoot-179.jpg" width="900" height="900" /></p>
<p><span id="more-153069"></span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.714285714; font-size: 1rem;">I&#8217;ve never been very good at doing what I&#8217;m told. I&#8217;ve was never purposely naughty or anything, but at school I would often want to put my own unique spin on an assignment, or not do exactly as I was told in order to prove that my way was much better than the obvious route (honestly, what a geek!) This is probably the reason why I dislike press releases so much. They always feel like they&#8217;re telling me what I should be writing about and I <em>hate</em> that. They also, somewhat arrogantly, assume that the journalist or blogger is going to think this piece of company news is just as important as you do. &#8220;Stop the presses!&#8221; we&#8217;ll cry, &#8220;bridal shoe company adds a new line&#8230; and these ones are PEACH!&#8221; </span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.714285714; font-size: 1rem;">These days, and for the most part, journalists and bloggers want to publish exclusive content. We want to be the first to break a piece of news or showcase an amazing story idea. By sending out a press release to everyone, you&#8217;re offering the exact opposite of what we really want. The most likely outcome is not that it&#8217;ll be picked up and written about with enthusiasm, sending thousands of new customers your way, it is more probable that it&#8217;ll be relegated to a spam folder&#8230; because that&#8217;s exactly what a generic pitch sent out to hundreds of media outlets with the vague hope that at least one of them will bite is. Big fat spam.</span></p>
<p>Press releases weren&#8217;t designed for small businesses like you. You are not Apple, Coca Cola or the Pennsylvania Railroad. You do not need to get &#8216;your side of the story&#8217; out there before rumours and mistruths are circulated. These big brands can employ this PR attitude because journalists, bloggers and readers <em>already care</em> about them. They<em> want</em> to hear their latest news, and read their side of the story. These big companies are able to practice this kind of PR because everything they do is already newsworthy.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-154780" alt="pdx shoot (175)" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/pdx-shoot-1751.jpg" width="900" height="1350" /></p>
<p>So what&#8217;s the alternative?</p>
<p>Along with the assumption of importance, the main problem with the press release is that it&#8217;s impersonal, generic and likely to get lost in the tens, hundreds or even thousands of similar emails that the journalist or blogger receives. If you want to get someone’s attention, why would you try to do so by doing exactly the same thing as everyone else? You need to stand out. You need to be memorable, remarkable and engaging. Show your passion, be unforgettable. Instead of telling them what they can do for you, flip it on it&#8217;s head and ask what you can do for them.</p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.714285714; font-size: 1rem;">I have never written a press release. Not once. However I have had a not unsubstantial amount of press over the years. I&#8217;ve been featured in every major UK wedding magazine, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, The British Journal of Photography, The Daily Express, Grazia, Company, Cosmopolitan, Easy Living, Marie Claire&#8230; I&#8217;ve also had columns for Cosmopolitan, Photo Professional, Wedding, Vintage Life and Unique Bride (sheesh what a show off). So how did this happen?</span></p>
<p>Despite my immense lack of business acumen, I knew from pretty early on in my blogging career that getting featured in some wedding magazines would be great PR. Yet instead of sending a blanket and generic mailshot to all of them, I decided to send a personal email to each editor, introducing myself and Rock n Roll Bride but also offering my services as a freelance writer (who would work for free!) who specialised in alternative weddings. I have to be honest and admit that this approach was completely down to the fact that I had no idea what a press release even was back then, rather that purposefully choosing to avoid them. Although seemingly my naivety paid off. The key to this approach was that I addressed each editor by name, I made each email personal and relevant to their publication and, crucially, I offered them some story ideas which would work specifically for their magazine.</p>
<p>I didn&#8217;t get immediate replies from any of them. In fact it took months until I heard back from just one, but I must have made some kind of impact, because when they came to writing a piece on the very topic I&#8217;d pitched, I was the first person they thought to speak to. It was a very slow burning process, but the small snippets of publicity I received from those first few features had a snowball effect. Eventually the interest in Rock n Roll Bride started to pick up pace and attracted the attention of other editors and journalists. I&#8217;m now regularly contacted by journalists working for a variety of publications on stories relating to alternative weddings. In just the past few weeks for example I have been contacted by journalists writing for Grazia, You Magazine, The Express and the BBC. Every time I contribute my name and blog URL gets credited in the piece, which is obviously great publicity.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-154781" alt="PDX rocknrollbride" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/PDX-rocknrollbride.jpg" width="900" height="1350" /></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.714285714; font-size: 1rem;">Journalists and bloggers are busy people, and we&#8217;re constantly looking for new and engaging story ideas. Bloggers especially don&#8217;t want to be</span><em style="line-height: 1.714285714; font-size: 1rem;"> told</em><span style="line-height: 1.714285714; font-size: 1rem;"> what&#8217;s newsworthy. We want to be seen as trend spotters, taste makers, and as people who push boundaries and write about topics that nobody else has thought of.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Pitch ideas and stories that are interesting, engaging and, most importantly, <em>useful</em> to readers of the magazine, newspaper or blog. It should relate to your business, enabling the journalist to promote your product or service alongside it, but the whole point of the story should not be to promote you. For example, if you make vintage-inspired wedding stationery, maybe you&#8217;d pitch a story about why vintage themed weddings are so popular. Send your ideas in a way that is easy for the journalist to use and understand. Include facts, quotes, imagery and sources. Give the story an interesting angle. Basically make their job as easy as possible.</p>
<p>Imagine that you&#8217;re a journalist or blogger. You&#8217;re overworked and underpaid, you&#8217;re constantly under pressure to up the circulation numbers or get more blog traffic. To do this you need to write engaging content that will make people want to click, buy or subscribe. If, while working late one night, you where to receive an email that gave you an idea for your next article, complete with facts and figures, imagery and sources, you&#8217;d be over the moon, right? You&#8217;d rework and publish it and likely be incredibly grateful to the person that gave you the idea. You&#8217;d also hopefully give them a credit and link to their website as a thanks. And that, my friend, is the difference between a press release and a story idea.</p>
<p>So step away from the keyboard, delete &#8220;FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE&#8221; and start to think about how you can become a helpful source for these media outlets that you want to target. Instead of just thinking &#8220;How can I get my name mentioned?&#8221;, think &#8220;What ideas do I have that might make interesting stories?&#8221; and &#8220;How can I become the &#8216;go to&#8217; source for these bloggers or journalists?&#8221; Who knows, in time, you might not even have to pitch anything at all &#8211; because they&#8217;ll be coming straight to you.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>Detoxing, Getting Healthy &amp; The Clean Program</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rocknrollbride/index/~3/2z7v6_gI-fw/</link>
		<comments>http://www.rocknrollbride.com/2013/05/detoxing-getting-healthy-the-clean-program/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2013 07:00:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Competitions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Competition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Contest]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.rocknrollbride.com/?p=154566</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As some of you will know, I spent time in Los Angeles in March, probably the most health-concious and cleanse-obsessed place on the planet. Its no secret that I'm a 'grab what's available' kinda eater, that I have a penchant for wine and gin and that I'm totally allergic to exercise. However while I was in the land of buffed bodies, I did surprise myself by becoming quite the green juice junkie (something I have kept up since returning home!) and I even started to think a little more about how I treat, and what I put into, my body.]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-154569" alt="pdx shoot (265)" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/pdx-shoot-265-576x384.jpg" width="576" height="384" /></p>
<p>As some of you will know, I spent time in Los Angeles in March, probably the most health-concious and cleanse-obsessed place on the planet. Its no secret that I&#8217;m a &#8216;grab what&#8217;s available&#8217; kinda eater, that I have a penchant<span style="line-height: 1.714285714; font-size: 1rem;"> for wine (and gin!) and that I&#8217;m totally </span><span style="line-height: 1.714285714; font-size: 1rem;">allergic to exercise. However while I was in the land of buffed bodies, </span><span style="line-height: 1.714285714; font-size: 1rem;">I did surprise myself by becoming quite the green juice junkie (something I have kept up since returning home!) and I even started to think a little more about how I treat, and what I put into, my body.</span></p>
<p>I&#8217;m no model. I&#8217;m a comfortable(ish) UK size 12 with enormous<span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;"> boobs and wobbly bits</span><span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;"> but, overall,  I&#8217;m pretty happy with how I look. Now it might be something to do with getting </span>scarily<span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;"> close to 30 or </span>spending<span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;"> more time with my much more health-conscious American BFFs, but over the past few months I have started to think more about what I eat and the effect it all has on the way I look and my mood. I&#8217;ve always figured that I ate pretty well. I</span><span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;"> don&#8217;t have a sweet tooth at all and I rarely snack, but my </span>Achilles<span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;"> heel is without a doubt the regular love affair that I have with wine. Just thinking about how many calories and toxins are in the glasses I sink on a nightly basis is actually pretty terrifying.</span></p>
<p><a href="http://galadarling.com/" target="_blank">Gala</a> has been a committed convert to <a href="http://www.cleanprogram.com/" target="_blank">The Clean Program</a> for a while, and although for a long time, I balked at her healthy lifestyle (&#8220;yeah, yeah, you look great but I could<em> never</em> do <em>that</em>&#8230;&#8221;) over the past few months I started to think about it a bit more seriously. I have been feeling a little more self-conscious about my appearance as well as feeling sluggish, tired and totally overworked of late, so I decided to hell with it and to finally give it a go.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-154570" alt="clean refresh" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/clean-refresh-576x372.jpg" width="576" height="372" /></p>
<p>Being a detox virgin I was really pleased to find out about their new <a style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;" href="http://www.cleanprogram.com/clean-refresh.html" target="_blank">Clean Refresh program</a><span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;">, a seven day detox designed to boost energy and give those that might have fallen off the heath wagon a much needed jolt in the right direction. They advise that this isn&#8217;t a full-on </span>cleanse<span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;"> (they have a 21-day program if that&#8217;s more of what you&#8217;re after) but for someone who&#8217;s never so much as tried to cut out chips, I decided that a gentle week long introduction would be the best way to start. Baby steps and all that.</span></p>
<p><span id="more-154566"></span>So how does it work? Well, you have a nutritional shake for breakfast, supplements that you take throughout the day and a refresh &#8216;boost&#8217; drink which you take after lunch. In terms of food, you have to eliminate wheat, dairy, gluten, caffeine, alcohol and processed sugar &#8211; which sounds <em style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;">very</em><span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;"> daunting. However once you get into it it&#8217;s really a lot easier than you think it&#8217;s going to be. Luckily, the Refresh program comes with </span><a href="http://www.cleanprogram.com/files/clean-refresh-manual.pdf" target="_blank">handy manual</a> <span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;">full of tips, tricks, bucket-loads of information and recipes to try. There&#8217;s even an online forum with over 45,000 members and &#8216;wellness coaches&#8217; on hand if you need any help or </span>encouragement<span><span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;"> along the way. Their website is also </span>chock-full<span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;"> of </span>recipe<span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;"> ideas if you&#8217;re lacking inspiration.</span></span></p>
<p>Surprisingly, I found the food part quite easy. I bought myself a smoothie maker and instead of my usual coffee, eggs and toast I was starting my morning with a shake made with rice milk and frozen raspberries and blueberries. For lunch I was having a giant mixed salad with some protein (prawns, chicken or eggs) and for dinner, meat with veg and either brown rice, couscous or quinoa on the side. The manual<span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;"> also has some great dressing ideas which were, pleasingly, </span>mostly<span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;"> made from things I already had in my </span>cupboards<span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;"> and added some much needed </span>variety<span><span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;"> to the dishes. If I was doing it for longer than seven days I might have got a little bored and </span>would<span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;"> </span>definitely<span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;"> have had to expand my </span>repertoire, but<span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;"> for such a short period of time it was perfectly doable. Pretty easy in fact.</span></span></p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-154772" alt="refresh manual" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/refresh-manual.jpg" width="843" height="555" /></p>
<p>For me, the hardest habit to crack was my coffee in the morning and lashings of wine in the evening. On day one I was incredibly<span><span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;"> grumpy and during days two and three I had massive headaches, but by day four I literally felt on top of the world. My energy levels were up, my aches and pains were gone, and although I still craved that mid-afternoon boost that only a lovely cup of tea can provide, I quickly got used to having water, green juice or coconut water instead. You&#8217;re allowed (good) fat and I also </span><span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;">discovered that an avocado with a few olives or an apple with almond butter made for great 4pm pick me ups.</span></span></p>
<p>However, perhaps the most surprising<span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;"> thing of all, was what happened once I </span>finished<span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;"> the seven days. I thought, for sure, that I&#8217;d be desperate for </span>caffeine<span><span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;"> that first morning and for gallons of wine as 6 o&#8217;clock (wine o&#8217;clock) drew near. But, </span>weirdly, <span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;">I really didn&#8217;t&#8230; and believe me, no-one was more surprised about that than I was! I can only put it down to the fact that I&#8217;d put all that hard work in and I didn&#8217;t want to completely waste it by having a massive blow out. </span></span></p>
<p>Of course I&#8217;m not going tee-total or swearing off diary and wheat for life, but coming out of this process I am much more aware of everything I eat and drink and I do honestly feel like I&#8217;m going to continue with a lot of the changes that I&#8217;ve made. I plan to stick with the rice milk, eat much less cheese (which has always my fave &#8211; does anyone have suggestions for dairy free alternatives?) and to cut out bread as much as possible. <span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.714285714;">I&#8217;ve also been drinking <em>much less</em> coffee and tea and (shock horror!) even slurping less wine.</span></p>
<p>If you&#8217;ve never done any kind of cleanse or detox before but you&#8217;d like to make a few positive diet changes, I think the <a href="http://www.cleanprogram.com/clean-refresh.html" target="_blank">Clean Refresh program</a> is the perfect place to start. You&#8217;re not going to come out after seven days two stone lighter or giving Gwyneth a run for her money, but its a brilliant way to give yourself a fighting chance and a great jumping off point to being healthier.</p>
<p>I can&#8217;t recommend it enough, and come on, seven days isn&#8217;t really <em>that long</em> to give it a good old go is it?!</p>
<h2>Reader Giveaway: Win a Clean Refresh Program</h2>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-154773" alt="refresh-large" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/refresh-large.jpg" width="900" height="564" /></p>
<p>When I spoke to the <a href="http://www.cleanprogram.com/" target="_blank">Clean Program</a> guys afterwards to tell them how I&#8217;d got on, I was thrilled when they asked if I&#8217;d like to run a giveaway on my blog and offer a free Refresh Program to one of my readers. So now you have no excuses!</p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.714285714; font-size: 1rem;">For your chance to win the complete Refresh Program, worth $199, simply comment below and let me know your vice and why you&#8217;d like to give it a whirl. This contest is open to all readers of Rock n Roll Bride and you have one week to enter.</span></p>
<p>Good luck and here&#8217;s to getting healthy!</p>
<h2>Ts &amp; Cs</h2>
<p>♥ The winner will receive one Clean Refresh pack worth $199.<br />
♥ Closing date for entries is 29/05/2013. Winner will be selected by Kat Williams and notified via email after that date.<br />
♥ Only 1 entry per email/IP address<br />
♥ Contest is open to all readers of Rock n Roll Bride who are aged 18 or over only and are not employees of The Clean Program. Depending on your home country, you may be liable to pay customs charges to receive your prize.<br />
♥ By entering the draw, you hereby warrant that all information submitted by you is true, current and complete.<br />
♥ The winners will be contacted via their email address within a week of the the competition draw date. Rock n Roll Bride/The Clean Program will not amend contact information provided.<br />
♥ None of the prizes may be exchanged or transferred and no cash alternative will be offered.<br />
♥ Liability cannot be accepted for entries which are lost in transit or not received due to technical difficulties.<br />
♥ Kat Williams’ decision and any decision taken by the promoter is final and no correspondence will be entered into.<br />
♥ The Refresh program is not suitable for anybody who is pregnant or nursing, is under 18, has cancer, liver disease or hepatitis, is on any medication, or has bipolar disorder or type-1 diabetes.<br />
♥ No purchase necessary<em id="__mceDel">.<br />
</em>♥ This is not a paid editorial, although I was gifted a Clean Refresh Program.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-154592" alt="clean-eat" src="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/clean-eat-576x283.jpg" width="576" height="283" /></p>
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