Even though there was more than a year before my wedding when I got engaged, one of my first orders of business was to try to get in the best shape that I could for my wedding day.  After all, I was spending tons of time and money on a gown, hair style, jewelry and shoes.  Who wouldn’t want to look their very best?

Living in San Diego at the time, there were plenty of options to choose from to get the buff bod I desired; running on the beach, biking, hiking, surfing and swimming were just a few of my many choices.  But, you have to be fairly disciplined to stick to a self-motivated plan, which I am not.  After doing some online research, I found an outdoor bridal bootcamp that took place on the shores of Mission Bay in San Diego.

What a great idea–a group of girls, all with a common goal, working out in ways we never imagined!  I saw amazing results from my bridal bootcamp, and built some great friendships, including with a girl that shared my wedding day.  Don’t let the title bootcamp scare you away from these amazing classes…everything is adjusted to your fitness and activity level, and everyone is respected no matter their size, shape, athleticism, age or marital status!

Find a bootcamp in your area with these links or through a search of your own:

-Nationwide:  Adventure Bootcamp

-Atlanta: Operation Bootcamp

-Boston:  Fit Boot

-Chicago:  Bulldog Bootcamp

-Las Vegas: Fitness Training for Life

-Los Angeles:  LA’s Bridalicious Bootcamp

-New York:  Boot Camp Fitness NYC

-San Francisco Bay Area:  A La Vie Fitness

-San Diego Area: Wired Fitness

Today’s brides have a lot more options to look gorgeous on their wedding day. Take your hair for example.  Do you want long voluptuous locks like Jessica Simpson or Beyonce, but don’t have the length to do it? Well, some brides are wearing hair extensions to achieve the look they want.  One bride on Weddingbee recently used extensions and her hair looked gorgeous.Would you do these faux hairdos for your big day?

Check out a couple of examples that impressed us:

1. Looking cute on Jessica Simpson, these hair clips from HairUwear go from day to night. Perfect for that wedding day switcheroo I recently blogged about, they are created by Jessica Simpson and her famous hairstylist Ken Paves.

2. It’s hard to believe, but these bridal up-dos are actually extensions. Extensions.com has a variety of bridal hairstyles with info on ways to do it for your big day!

Finding the perfect hairstyle for your wedding day can be just as daunting as finding your dream dress.  Up-dos, waves, braids, curls–it’s hard to keep track of all the possibilities.  That’s why we’ve gathered together some great resources to help you find your ideal do:

-Find hair to fit any style, from bohemian to romantic, beach casual to glamorous with Brides.com.

-Follow these guidelines from Wedding Bells to make sure your hair is ready for the big day.  Among the many tips, the site advises that you make sure your hair compliments your dress and that you make any drastic changes to cut or color well before the wedding so you have time to repair any mistakes!

-See a hairstyle you love but can’t quite envision it on yourself?  No problem!  Visit The Hairstyler, upload an image of yourself, select your hair color, and try on any of 8,000+ available hair styles!

-If you’re feeling star struck, take the advice of celebrity hairstylist Ken Paves.  Oprah.com has his tips for gorgeous wedding hair and celebrity bridal secrets.

-If you’re looking to add some sparkle to your already glowing hair, look no further than Hair Comes the Bride.  With everything from hair pins to hair extensions, you’re bound to find what you’re looking for.

A popular 2008 trend according to the Knot is changing things up (your hairstyle and dress) from your ceremony to the reception. Think long formal gown and elegant upsweep then a quick switch to a short dress and your hair in romantic waves. Here are some styles that get you from ceremony to reception in a fashion flash.

For the ceremony combine modern elegance and formal style to get simply gorgeous. (Photos from left: Amsale ball gown, the Knot, St. Pucchi Silk Charmeuse dress from Elegant Bride and Reverie by Melissa Sweet from the Knot.)

Perfect party dresses: from left (White kava blouson dress by Kate Spade and Romona Keveza dress both from Modern Bride. BCBG Maxazaria Strapless Applique dress from Nordstrom.)

We’ve rounded up five great sites offering tips, tricks and advice to make sure you have picture perfect skin for the big day!

• Find the best facial to suit your skincare needs at Brides.com.
• Makeup artist Ruth Lawlor offers her tips for glowing skin and flawless makeup on your wedding day.
• The Knot knows how to get the perfect faux tan to compliment that stunning white dress.
• Find best kiss-proof lipstick on Allure’s master list to make sure your photos come out picture perfect!
• Grooms Online offers skincare advice to help your future hubby make sure he looks as confident and cute as ever!