Our FitBride Alexa

We love to celebrate our FitBrides - their achievements, their success - but we thought it would be special to celebrate the reason they are "fit brides" in the first place - their relationships!

We thought it would be fun to do a series of FitBride Interviews - we'll ask our brides questions about their wedding, their hubby, and maybe a little about their experience with the program. We hope you'll enjoy!

FitBride Alexa:

How long were you and your [now] husband together before he popped the question? Were you surprised? How old were you two when you first got together vs. got married? 

Nick and I first met our Freshman year of college, but we didn’t officially start dating until our Sophomore year.

Once we graduated from University of Richmond, we made our way to NYC to pursue our dreams of living the fast and furious New York City-lifestyle. While we may have been living life in the fastline, we took our time in the relationship. We really wanted to take advantage of being in our 20s, exploring our careers, the city and everything in between. Then, after 8 years of being together, Nick popped the question. I was totally caught off guard, even though I was 28 years old, and probably should have been expecting it. But at 28, I felt like a child bride, especially as a New Yorker. So we decided to have a longer engagement so that we could take things slow and plan the wedding of our dreams at our own pace. That is until a little pandemic came creepin’ round the corner. Our 2 year engagement turned into 3 long years and 2 even longer months. But the wait was SO worth it. Especially, because I found Coach Lee and FitBride during that time. 


Which did you pick first - the venue or the dress?

The venue! Always pick the venue first because you want to make sure your dress is appropriate for the setting. 


How did you find out about FitBride?

Instagram! I was searching for bride specific fitness programs and came across Coach Lee’s “before and after” transformation photos. What stuck out to me the most was that a lot of the initial “before” photos were of women who were like me, petite and “skinny” but with some stubborn belly fat. Their after photos made me feel like my fitness goals were attainable.


Had you ever followed a program like FitBride before?

I’ve worked with trainers before, and one virtual trainer specifically who would create a monthly meal plan for me. But there wasn’t much accountability or even customization. 

Was it hard to pick bridesmaids? Who was in your bridal party (if you had one)?

Not at all. I didn’t want to have too many bridesmaids, but these were the closest ladies in my life who have stood not only by me, but my husband since day 1. I had my two best friends from childhood, my three best friends and roommates from college, my 2 sister-in-laws, and my aunt who is more like my sister (we’re only 8 years apart). 

Who came with you to pick out your dress?

My mom, my grandma and my two aunts. 

Did you find planning a wedding stressful?

Does a frog have a water tight asshole (IYKYK)?! Absolutely. There were SO many factors going into it including my inlaws, the pandemic, my family who lives overseas and couldn’t make it due to travel restrictions, moving the wedding date, trying to stay within a reasonable budget, my creative vision, starting a new job 3 weeks before the wedding, my sister-in-law also planning a wedding 3 months before ours, did I mention family?! Either way, it was all worth it in the end except for not having my family from Sweden there. Would I do it all over again? HELL NO. but it was one of the most fun nights of my life that I never want to plan again.


How did you pick your first dance song?

Our first song was “Still the One” by Orleans. We both love music from the 70s, and even before we got engaged we knew it would be the song. The lyrics perfectly describe our long-lasting relationship ; “we’ve been together since way back when. Sometimes I never want to see you again. But I want you to know, after all these years, you’re still the one I want whispering in my ear.” 

Describe your husband in 3 words.

Charming, Caring, Hard-working 

What advice would you give to someone planning their wedding now? 

For me, a wedding is all about the guest experience. Don’t come at me! But if your relationship is strong and you’re getting married for the right reasons, you’ll be happy no matter what on your wedding day. So just make sure your guests are fed and liquored up (and transported to wherever they need to be if it’s a destination wedding), and I guarantee you they’ll be happy and dancing the night away. Seeing the drunk smiles on their faces (and the countless stories after the wedding) made all the planning worth it for me and Nick.


What advice would you go back and give yourself if you could?

If you’re planning a destination wedding, make sure your hotel logistics aren’t a nightmare. I don’t regret our venue/location one bit, but we did end up having guests staying at 6 different hotels which became a logistical nightmare when it came to transportation. It all worked out in the end, but we ended up having to spend more $$$ on transportation to accommodate all the different locations. 

What was your favorite part about your wedding?

There were so many! We threw an after party that turned into an all night dance party that was definitely  one for the books. We partied until 4:30am! Brunch was tough the next day…. 


What is the biggest thing you took away from your FitBride Journey?

Oh my gosh, so many! FitBride taught me how to manage a sustainable and healthy lifestyle physically AND emotionally. Everything I learned from Lena, I continue in my daily life after the wedding. Sure, I’m not in the same body as I was on my wedding day, but I’m close to it, and I’ve really learned to love it and treat it with care.


What wedding traditions did you follow? Which ones did you break?

I’ve always thought weddings were kinda cheesy, especially when it comes to decor, so I went with a very untraditional aesthetic. I had disco balls everywhere, and my color palette was pink and red. I made sure this was reflected in everything - from the florals down to the custom stickers on the party favors. Other than that, we stayed true to the typical traditions, EXCEPT the floral bouquet toss and garter toss. That’s just not me at all!