It’s every bride’s dream … to be married in THE PLAZA HOTEL. Dripping in gold, crystal, and an absolute indulgence of detail that we rarely see this side of the Atlantic, this iconic New York City locale is about as elegant as it gets. And it’s for this reason every year scores of celebrities and socialites rush to book the illustrious Grand Ballroom for their pending nuptials.
But even those lucky ladies who are fortunate enough to have their weddings here face the same problems brides everywhere do …. to fit into that dress (that they intentionally bought a size too small because they plan on losing those last 10 lbs before the ceremony!).
In the memorable words of fictional Plaza Bride, Kate Hudson, in the movie Bride Wars:
“YOU DO NOT ALTER A VERA WANG TO FIT YOU, YOU ALTER YOURSELF TO FIT VERA.” 
Therefore the Plaza wedding gurus came up with a fun solution for their upcoming ladies in white, their BRIDAL BOOTCAMP held right smack in all the golden grandeur of the The Grand Ballroom itself. The class is free for Plaza brides and $25 for anyone else in the wedding party, or any other friends or family you want to bring along. All who attend get a personalized workout taught by celebrity fitness instructor and future Plaza Bride herself, AMANDA RUSSELL- leading your way with special exercises to achieve that lean, honeymoon ready body that all brides dream of.
And wheewie … I think I need to schedule some individual sessions with Ms. Russell because she was making me and the other ladies sweat! 
Perhaps the best thing about this event (or at least a very close second to your ever tightening tush) is that a portion of proceeds go to the wonderful charity WISH UPON A WEDDING. The fact of the matter is that most couples can’t really afford a lavish party at The Plaza, especially in this tough economy. But the folks at Wish Upon A Wedding and their friends in the wedding industry are determined to help out in whatever way they can – bringing their goods and services to those couples a little down on their luck and funds, to help make their wedding day just as special as anyone elses. They aim to provide free-of-charge weddings, allowing couples facing serious life-altering circumstances to concentrate on the issues affection their lives. In their own words, “from the venue to the cake, and most everything in between, we take care of all the wedding planning and details.”
After breaking a sufficient sweat care of Ms. Russell, never overlooking an opportunity to bring a splash of Plaza panache to its events, post-workout hors d’oeuvres were created for the guests by The Plaza Ballroom EXECUTIVE CHEF ROBB GARCEAU which included an array of healthy (and not so healthy) goodies such as Carrot-Ginger Juice, Kale Crisps, Pineapple Cannoli, Crudités with Toffutti dip, and Smoked Salmon Napoleons with Herbed Creme Fraiche.
And of course, any charity event isn’t complete without some choice cocktails … even if it is post-workout. (Shhh we won’t tell your trainer!) Ours were brought to us by renowned mixologist – The Cocktail Architect, YUSEF AUSTIN, who was handing out these seriously scintillating cocktails made out of passion fruit juice, vodka, cardamom, sprinkled with pink peppercorns.
Overall it was a wonderful evening and definitely makes your local gym seem positively boring. We @ DIY-NYC will for sure keep you up to date for the next one of these fun ladies-night-out!
The lovely Plaza Brides with trainer Amanda Russell, Plaza event coordinator Emily Reifel, and Christine Paul of Christine Paul Events
Recorded Live from THE PLAZA’S BRIDAL BOOTCAMP, celebrity fitness instructor AMANDA RUSSELL brings you one of her key circuit reps for you to try at home! And be sure to check out her website for more videos and tips at www.amanda-russell.com!
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Or if you were thinking of planning a Plaza Wedding of your own call CPS EVENTS at THE PLAZA at 866.770.8229 or email the Social Events Coordinator and Bridal Bootcamp Creator, EMILY REIFEL, at emily.reifel@cpsevents.com
◊ Post written by KZJ