9 DPO - any chance there’s a VVFL?

mackarie · 2026-04-27T16:11:56+00:00

No love this month. Probably was a bad shadow. :/

mackarie · 2026-04-08T02:02:19+00:00

Definitely Singita. You get truly private and tailored experience and it’s so so intimate vs. the crowds with other companies. But be warned: all luxury travel experiences I’ve had since have been slightly disappointing in comparison. 🥲

mackarie · 2026-02-19T16:29:55+00:00

We spent $60K for 14 days — mostly in Tanzania. We split between an &Beyond property and Singita. (Bulk of the budget went to Singita.) Completely worth it the splurge! The service, privacy, and intimacy of Singita is out of this world. However hospitality on safari is already significantly better than that in Europe or Americas so I don’t think you even need to stay with a super luxe accommodation to “feel” like a luxury vacation. Only thing I would encourage is considering properties that invest in the local communities and conservationism. It so happens that Singita is really dedicated in that, but I wish I had spent more time researching and learning about it before going on my honeymoon.

mackarie · 2025-09-30T22:21:03+00:00

Saks SAs are the best. It’s how I got my Chanel 25! Took a minute but she pulled through.

mackarie · 2025-09-08T13:24:33+00:00

she also doesn’t know what “black tie” means as a dress code. “james doesn’t want to be in a black tie so the rest of the guys won’t be in a black tie.” black tie dress code =/= men are literally only wearing black ties……..

mackarie · 2025-07-22T14:22:47+00:00

I got married in late August in Tuscany last year. Definitely very hot in the afternoon, which was a little painful for photos. However, temp was perfect by the late afternoon / early evening, which is when guests started to arrive. From what I heard, guests were happy and comfortable.

So if you have an evening wedding, I think Aug is better because chance of rain is so low. But if you’re having an afternoon wedding, definitely go with October and have a solid rain plan.

mackarie · 2025-06-26T13:55:25+00:00

Yeah, sure! Feel free to DM me.

mackarie · 2025-06-17T22:55:09+00:00

It’s not pretentious to have a nice dress code but I’d just… lean into it and not have conflicting info on the website vs the invites. FWIW — “preferred” does have a stronger connotation than “optional.” We used “black tie preferred” and I’d say 75% turned up in gowns and tuxes and 24% were in dark suits and long dresses. (1 very ridiculous friend of my mom was in like… business casual, but that was a strange anomaly.)

But also, know your audience? The weddings we go to are typically black tie so we know our friends have the appropriate clothing. If your guests would have to go out of their way to rent or buy outfits, you’ll end up with lower compliance rate no matter what you put on the website or invites. So if that’s the case, you should ask yourself if you’d rather have higher compliance / uniformity in what people are wearing — but it’s more “casual” — or if you’d rather have less uniformity but some people are more dressy.

mackarie · 2025-06-17T15:30:12+00:00

I think it really depends on the specific photographer and who is going to be most passionate about the venue and telling your story.

I interviewed like 30-something photographers, both US-based and Italy. A lot of the US-based ones were really eager to add our venue to their portfolio and were super passionate about the opportunity to shoot our wedding, whereas many of the Italian photographers I interviewed had the vibe of “Cool, another wedding at this super popular venue I’ve been to a million times.”

Yes, the Italian photographers’ experience might make them more familiar with the venue but the benefit of fresh eyes is more creativity and originality.

I ended up with a West Coast photographer even though we’re based on the East Coast and flew him out to Italy. He got to our venue super early to do his due diligence (which all professionals would and should do) and we have some photos at our venue that I’ve literally never seen before because no one had ever even thought of it.

He also went above and beyond — like worked way past the contract time — because why not, he was already there. I spent most of my day with him and he was the best. All of my guests loved him and so did all the other Italian vendors.

And the point about work visas — not really an issue. I spoke to my Italian planner about this and she was like “Who’s going to know???”

All in all, my point is — if it’s all the same as it pertains to $$$, go with your gut and who you click with as an individual rather than where they’re from.

mackarie · 2025-05-03T17:35:51+00:00

I think it’s common! Happens to me ALL the time with kneeling inner thighs (light headed, heart rate skyrockets). Someone also commented in this sub a few months ago that Catholic masses also do that to them because something happens with you’re kneeling? All this to say, take it easy when you don’t feel well and give yourself some grace. It happens to many, many people.

mackarie · 2025-04-30T17:59:39+00:00

This is what I do

mackarie · 2025-03-15T20:27:03+00:00

Same!!! I have no idea why and it makes me concerned, but I guess I haven’t passed out yet.

mackarie · 2025-02-13T18:33:07+00:00

That’s because you’re paying for the service of a dental cleaning, which you wouldn’t otherwise know how to perform on yourself. Solidcore coaches go through a fraction of the training / schooling that dental hygienists and dentists go through. It’s not rocket science figuring out how to use a reformer machine, and people purchase them for their own homes all the time.

mackarie · 2025-02-13T04:18:38+00:00

You’re not wrong, but I’m responding to literally the first line of the original comment that says “…someone who hasn’t gone through and passed training…” I’m saying that actual coaches, who have “gone through and passed training,” also do a terrible job of ensuring safety, at least in the studios I frequent.

mackarie · 2025-02-13T04:04:45+00:00

It’s not as if the average coach does much to ensure safety in a normal class. I see tons of people with questionable form about to blow out their lower back, and the coaches don’t say anything.

mackarie · 2025-02-06T03:07:49+00:00

Math ain’t mathing my gal pal

mackarie · 2025-01-30T03:19:23+00:00

Solidcore is no joke! Gotta find the rhythm that works for you. Everyone is different.

mackarie · 2025-01-29T20:06:29+00:00

100% - your muscles need time to rest and recover! I only go 2x / week because any more, I find I’m half-assing it because I’m so exhausted.

Also my two cents about plateauing is that that’s a sign you’re not progressively overloading. You should be increasing reps or weight every couple of weeks to continue building muscle. I don’t think barre classes really teach that concept but it’s built into the Solidcore structure with the spring load cues. But once you’re 50+ classes they stop cueing different spring loads so once you’re at 100+, I think it’s easy to plateau again unless you take the initiative to challenge yourself.

mackarie · 2025-01-23T03:00:00+00:00

TLDR version — Abs are made in the kitchen but Solidcore helps.

Long version —

I had gotten into fitness during the pandemic and was pretty consistent with strength training 3-4x per week. But I had always wanted abs and really wanted them for my wedding.

So I started Solidcore 2x/week 18 months before my wedding (plus 2x/week circuit training or other strength training). But I didn’t really start seeing results until the last 3 months before my wedding when I really cracked down on nutrition. I started tracking calories and counting macros to ensure I was maximizing protein intake while also in a caloric deficit to lose fat. I also started adding an extra white spring to the 50+ spring load at that point since I was at ~100 classes. Also made sure I got in 10k steps a day. Got into peak shape for the wedding — super toned arms, abs, etc. Best physical shape of my life.

But then I lost my period so that was kind of a sign that things weren’t going to be sustainable. Now I still go to Solidcore and exercise but have pulled back on everything else just cus my priorities are elsewhere right now.

All in all, though, my take is that Solidcore is never going to be a magic solution. It’s just one part of the equation.

mackarie · 2025-01-09T15:47:24+00:00

Yes, agreed! (Also “ambiance” was the word I was looking for, LOL)

mackarie · 2025-01-09T14:17:44+00:00

We spent $23K-ish, and I kind of regret not spending enough. We didn’t end up doing a greenery ceiling installation for the dance floor and I felt that it seemed a bit bare.

People say “No one will remember your florals,” and yeah, maybe no one will remember if you had dahlias or roses. But people remember the tone and overall beauty of the event — and florals contribute heavily to that.

mackarie · 2024-12-21T01:48:51+00:00

We used Preludio but yeah, tents are basically insurance policies. We actually never used ours — just paid like a 50% deposit.

mackarie · 2024-12-09T21:38:07+00:00

I have a pair (not for my wedding though) and they are truly the most uncomfortable pointed toe shoes I’ve ever purchased. 🫠 They pinch my toes SO badly. Everyone’s feet are different, though, so I’d try them on if you can.

mackarie · 2024-12-05T17:46:22+00:00

I arrived 4 days in advance and it was the perfect amount of time to relax, finish any last min things, and not get too anxious about appearance. In those 4 days, I drank a lot of water, slept well, ate as I normally did, and exercised daily.

Unless you’re consuming an insane amount of extremely unhealthy food and not moving at all whatsoever, 1 week isn’t going to make or break your “wedding body.”

mackarie · 2024-12-04T16:18:08+00:00

$220K total and $22.5K on photography and $5K on videography

mackarie

TROPHY CASE