Beach Wedding | Destinations | Locations | Ideas

Destination Wedding: A Wisconsin Wedding Reunites Family

noreply@blogger.com (CourtneyCox) — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Words by: Kelly Ryan

Photos Courtesy of: Lace Hanky Photography

A tiny island sits modestly in the enormous Lake Superior off the shores of Wisconsin. Here, on Madeline Island, Susan and Matt booked their destination wedding. The couple found comfort in the quaint backdrop Madeline had to offer and started planning right away. The cozy destination was well suited for both respective families to sit, have a drink and enjoy each other.

“We both have very large immediate families,” Susan says. “None of which live in Minneapolis (where we currently live) so we figured if people were traveling we wanted them to be able to come to a vacation spot, stay a while, and be able to relax, have a good time and get to know each other.” The couple had sifted through prospects in California and Mexico, but after much deliberation, they sided with an environment more fit for a family reunion.

With activities to keep the rugrats occupied, Madeline Island was fun for the kids and a relaxing environment for adults too. Since the island is a tad on the small side, Susan and Matt had difficulty finding alternate venues for the rehearsal dinner and the actual wedding reception. But with a little creativity the couple was able to charter a magical rehearsal dinner on a boat which tooled around Lake Superior providing excellent views for the entire party.

“I am a very detail oriented person so having a destination [wedding] forced me to loosen up a little and put my trust in all of the vendors,” Susan says. Months of emails and phone calls left the couple with very minimum amounts of stress and the finishing touches were put into place when they were able to visit. When it came to the reception decorations Susan was very hands-on, “I envisioned one long table overlooking the lake. I was going for a very shabby chic, organic, antique feel,” she says. She put together the flower arrangements and followed her “organic” feel with a burlap table cloth as the epic table kept the conversation close.

Susan and Matt exchanged vows on a sandy beach surrounded by loved ones. The couple says the best part was being able to get married all while providing the aura of a mini-vacation for their family. Having the wedding in Minneapolis would not have provided the same vacation feel as Madeline Island did, Susan says. By maintaining a low head count, the couple was able to invest in a few extra embellishments which created memories the family will not soon forget.

“Do what makes you as a couple happy and family and friends will follow.”

Vendors:
Photographer: Lace Hanky Photography
Ceremony/Reception Venue: St. Josephs Catholic Church/The Inn on Madeline Island
Florist: Island Thyme Designs
Stationary: Atheneum Graphics
Gown Designer: Melissa Sweet, "Felice"

Groom's Clothing Designer: Savvi
Bridesmaids/Groomsmens' Designer: J. Crew/Savvi

Destination Wedding Etiquette: Combining Cultures

noreply@blogger.com (CourtneyCox) — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:44:00 +0000

Words and photos courtesy of Evette Rios

Intro by Courtney Cox

Evette Rios, TV correspondent on ABC’s The Chew, has been hailed as a Latina Martha Stewart and is having a destination wedding. Because planning her wedding in Puerto Rico has had a unique set of challenges, she set out to let the world know how best to combine two very different families into one beautiful, sanctimonious event. Her family originally hails from Puerto Rico and, based on her admission, Latinos can be a rowdy bunch. Thus, Evette was concerned her fiancé’s Midwestern family might encounter a bit of a culture shock. Read on to see how she and her fiancé did all they could to ensure their destination wedding would be all they dreamed of while incorporating both unique families.

Meeting the Family: Welcoming my Anglo in-laws to our Latino Family

For me it was never a tough decision. I knew I wanted to get married in Puerto Rico. Growing up in New York City with parents born and raised there I had heard all of the stories: how life used to be there, how they came from families which were poor, but proud and hardworking. I have always tried to keep a strong tie to Puerto Rico. As a kid I would go every summer with my parents, then as I got older I started going by myself and staying the whole summer with family and friends. In college I did a semester in a Puerto Rican University so I could get to know my PR peers. So it only seemed natural Puerto Rico would be the place where I would make my love for my main squeeze, Stephen, official.

But what I didn't realize about my daydreaming for this super Latin wedding I was going to have in idyllic Viejo San Juan, was that the love of my life, Stephen, was going to be a nice, white, Midwestern boy.

Race doesn't matter, for me it never has. (You could have filled the seats in the United Nations with all of the different people I have dated.) But, it still kind of does – especially when it comes to a wedding. Puerto Ricans are a rare breed, my family included. They will jokingly refer to people's short comings, "ven aqua gorda" or in English, "come here fat one," is something totally OK to say to your little chunky cousin, or the fat lady on the corner. This is meant with all due respect, but is something that I have never, ever, encountered in Michigan, where Stephen's family is from.

Stephen’s family, the Davies/Davidson are incredibly smart and well read, but also incredibly polite and in some ways, not so upfront. They will go to great lengths not to make anyone feel different, weird or out of place. They are just those people. Salt-of-the-earth types.

My family is the complete opposite. We point out the obvious, we yell, we argue, we cry, we scream, we make fun of each other, we dance, we cook, we eat, we yell some more. In his family, they talk, they debate, they read, they write, they research, they cook, they eat and they nap. So making these seemingly different branches of family comfortable at our wedding has been a worthy challenge. Here are some of the things which I am incorporating to make our wedding as comfortable for our families, old and new, as possible!

Keep it bilingual.

We are doing everything, for the most part, bilingually. This is so important when you are blending two cultures, even if most of the family speaks perfectly good English, like mine does, I feel it is important to give a nod to where you came from through language. It sets the tone for the event and says we are merging here, blending if you will. But no one culture is going to be more important than the other. Here are our invites. We tried to include Spanish wherever possible!

Choose a location where you don't have to be a local to get around.

There is a reason tourists love Viejo San Juan. For example, it is insanely beautiful and incredibly historic. Don't let an area being a tourist hot-spot dissuade you from choosing a wedding location. Remember, your new family is essentially tourists, there only for your wedding. (They are not real Puerto Ricans until they have passed out after drinking too many rum coconuts at my Abuela Flor's coercion).

Include both families as much as possible.

My family is going to feel snug as a bug being back in PR and family which lives there is basically going to roll out of bed and make it over to the wedding, so the focus has to be on how to make your visiting family feel included. It is for this reason we asked Stephen's aunt, who is an Episcopal priest, to marry us. My mom wasn't too thrilled that I wasn't getting married Catholic, and in a church, but the ceremony is going to mean so much more to have her marry us. She is like Stephen's second mom and he loves her dearly (we will have one of my family translate too).

Make it a buffet!

Nothing is more impressive than having a huge spread of ethnic eats. It is one sure-fire way to introduce your new family to your culture. Having a buffet also ensures that people can eat what they want to eat, a sit down dinner means you’re forced to eat what you've got, even if it is too spicy.

Make sure everyone has something to eat!

When you are dealing with so many different types of people, with very different dietary restrictions, it is important to make sure everyone has something to chew on! We are taking into account Aunt Bev's peanut allergy, my Prima, Wanda's, gluten free diet, my Tio's lactose intolerance and my own vegetarian-ness. Keep the food typical, but with the spicy stuff on the side. In Puerto Rico we like our food hot, both in temperature and in spice, but some people may not want to have their heads explode from so much heat. So we are putting additional mojo, pique (the garlic and olive oil sauce) and hot sauce on the side so people can make things as spicy as they would like them to be.

Remember your families are getting married too so make sure that each side feels safe, comfortable and equal. Wish me luck on the big day!

Destination Wedding Maui: A Guest's Dream Come True

noreply@blogger.com (CourtneyCox) — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:15:00 +0000

Words by Courtney Cox

Photos courtesy of Blueberry Photography

Luke and Mandy hail from California, but wanted a truly intimate and magical destination for their wedding. Their choice – Maui, Hawaii. Thankfully, their families were fully on board and most were looking forward to a Hawaiian vacation. The couple chose the Sheraton Maui for its “old Hawaiian feel” and the island of Maui was the perfect host with tons of activities and sites to explore for the guests.

The couple embraced the destination wedding planning process from the beginning and knew it wouldn’t be without some sacrifices. “Planning a wedding from far away can be understandably stressful,” says Mandy. “However, if you do your research and have a good contact person at your destination, many issues can be resolved. You will likely have to give up certain luxuries such as doing a food tasting or meeting with you officiant in advance, but I read many reviews, communicated closely with the site’s wedding coordinator and trusted they would do a great job – which they did.”

This bride and groom were smart to do their research as they ended up saving their guests quite a bit of money in travel costs. The couple ensured a discount code for flights with two different airlines since they were a part of a wedding group. They also got a discount through Budget for their guests’ car rentals. The Sheraton Maui didn’t let them down either with a block of rooms for their 50 guests, all at a discounted rate. Another convenience of their chosen hotel was that it ran a free shuttle service to the local restaurant and shopping areas – including the rehearsal dinner site. Who says a destination wedding doesn’t have its perks?

Once Mandy and Luke arrived in Maui, they set to putting together welcome bags for their guests. It was important to the couple that their guests have as good a time as possible. “[The welcome bags] included underwater cameras, Hawaiian lotions and soaps, sunscreen, aloe vera gel, a deck of playing cards with our names and wedding date on them, bottled water and other Hawaiian treats.” The couple also wrote personalized welcome notes for each guest and included a schedule of events for the weekend.

In the end, the couple doesn’t feel they had to compromise much in having their dream destination wedding in Maui. Granted, they had far fewer people in attendance than they would have had at home in California. “What we spent to have 50 guests in Hawaii would have probably covered 100 people in California,” recalls the Mandy. “We felt that since our guests were traveling so far to share our special day with us, we wanted to include everyone as much as possible by inviting all our guests to our rehearsal dinner, a catamaran excusion, golf day and other fun activities during the week. This added to our overall cost of having a destination wedding, but we got to maximize our time spent with all those who traveled so far to be with us. There is just nothing better than being on vacation with your 50 closest friends and family in celebration of your marriage.”

Vendors:
Photographer: Blueberry Photography
Ceremony/Reception Venue: Sheraton Resort and Spa, Maui
Florist: Terri Fukushimo
DJ: DJ Dan
Gown Designer: La Sposa
Groom’s Clothing Designer: Hugo Boss
Bridesmaids/Groomsmens’ Clothing Designer: J. Crew/Kenneth Cole

Five Top Destinations to Honeymoon as Mr. & Mrs!

noreply@blogger.com (CourtneyCox) — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Words by Lauren Rubino
Advice courtesy of CheapOair
Photos courtesy of NationalGeographic.com: Richard Klune – Portugal and Wong Heng Meng – Thailand

The other day I heard a story about how a couple was getting married and decided to honeymoon at the Grand Canyon. I thought, "Sure, that's ok. There are some nice places they could stay..." Hotels, let alone motels, I later found out, were not options. The two newlyweds were supposedly roughing it; a trip complete with tents, campfires and wildlife.

To be honest, that is not my idea of a romantic destination honeymoon. For some, this rugged trip may be a dream come true, but ladies, if you are with me (which I’m sure most of you are) and prefer something a little more luxurious, keep reading!

CheapOair, a top online booking website, compiled a list of their top honeymoon destinations for the year. Their choices are full of rich culture, romantic scenery, great weather and best of all, no tents.

So, if you and your fiancé are having a tough time pinpointing a honeymoon destination, these five hot-spots should surely inspire you and get you excited about your first trip together as Mr. And Mrs..

-Portugal – This country has it all, from a rich cultural aspect to amazing beaches and delectable cuisine. Take a cruise up the River Duoro, which takes about two days, where couples will experience the country’s most romantic country estates and manor houses while enjoying the local food and wines. Another recommended stop is the Vila de Regua, an 18th century castle with beautiful gardens. The weather in Portugal is warm year-round with the best times to visit between July and September.

-Curacao – We are letting the secret out; Curacao is one of the Caribbean’ most beautiful islands. Romance flows throughout the island with its secluded coves, white sand beaches, upscale resorts and international restaurants. Honeymooners don’t have to worry about wet weather; the island has virtually no rainy days, and an average temperature of 80 degrees.

-Thailand – Couple can cross items off their bucket lists with a honeymoon to Thailand. Zip line over rain forests, watch an elephant paint at the Patara Elephant Farm, get a world famous Thai massage or have dinner in bed at Bed Supperclub. The best time to visit is between November and February when couples will miss most of the rainy season and the temperatures are mild.

-St. Lucia – The Caribbean island has been a leading honeymoon destination for years. Beyond its natural beauty, St. Lucia is off the beaten path compared to other Caribbean islands, making it that much more special and alluring for those seeking a special getaway. The best time for a secret rendezvous is between December and May, when highs are in the 80’s and not yet into rainy season.

-Seychelles – A secluded paradise in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the Seychelles is the perfect place to unwind after a wedding. There are a number of romantic reasons to honeymoon here; the island of Mahe, the collection of 188 archipelagos that make a heart, the overall collection of Seychelles islands are known as the islands of love and it is rumored that this area is the original site of the Garden of Eden. The islands have year-round beautiful weather but depending on a couple’s interest, different parts of the year may be better for visiting.

Destination Wedding Stationary: Tips & Tricks for What's Trendy!

noreply@blogger.com (CourtneyCox) — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:56:00 +0000

Words by Courtney Cox
Photos courtesy of Wedding Paper Divas

Stationary is an aspect of your destination wedding which is often looked over, but can be an instrumental part in ensuring your wedding vision is implemented from start to finish. In the past few years, creative individuals and artists have really stepped up and there are more inspiring options than ever for couples. One such example is the fabulous folks over at Wedding Paper Divas. Today, we’ve brought you Laura Ching, Co-Founder of Wedding Paper Divas, to weigh-in on her picks for summer and how to pick the perfect stationary for you!

LAURA’S PICKS – Five of her favorite designs for Summer

1. Wildest Dream: “I love the vibrant pops of color and fresh watercolor technique in this new Stina Persson invitation."

2.Soft Bougainvillea: “This floral design is dreamy and romantic with just the right artistic flair.”

3. All the Roads: “Such a unique sentiment deserves a distinct treatment like this ornate script with vintage flourishes.”

4. Photo Future: “Photo cards are a truly modern trend. The bold color and minimalistic type details in this design frame the couple perfectly.”

5. Two Together: “With an unexpected circle format, standout typography and super crisp color combination…what’s not to love?”

Tips from Laura for the perfect stationery, etiquette advice and style inspiration

1. Choose one element that you’ll want to include throughout all your wedding stationery. It can be an emblem, font style, color or motif. This can carry through on everything from your save the date cards to your thank you notes to even your wedding day so there’s a cohesive look and feel.

2. Stay on top of trends. For today’s modern marriages, get advice from Wedding Paper Divas for etiquette and inspiration for the bride, groom and the entire wedding party as well as non-traditional and same-sex weddings.

3. Love comes in all shapes and sizes. Infuse the perfect mix of tradition and avant-garde touches in your design, wording, layout, size and color to complement your personality.

4. Order a sample of whatever stationery you’re interested in to confirm the quality of the paper and printing.

5. Make it personal. Add a special quote or phrase to the bottom of your invitation that is meaningful to you as a couple.

What is on a destination wedding response card?

Kelly McWilliams — Sat, 12 May 2012 11:17:00 +0000

This is the number 1 question I get from our destination wedding clients when it comes time to plan their wedding invitations and stationery suites. Of course, there are so many options when it comes to how you request your responses both in the style and wording that you choose. However the one thing that you'll want to do is to collect as much information as possible. Trust me on this - you don't want to have to get (or guess) these answers a week or days before your wedding.

Full names of each guest. There's nothing worse than having to guess the name of someone's date. Well, maybe just knowing her 1st name. How ridiculous does this look (see right)?:
Arrival date. You'll need to know this so that you can have a good list to give the front desk with the welcome bags.
Accommodations: Knowing where everyone is staying is important for several reasons. You'll know where to deliver welcome bags and you'll know where you'll need to provide transportation. Also, if at all possible, clarify what name the reservation is made under. Friends rooming together can get tricky for deliveries.
Which events they'll be attending. Ask for each event individually! Its fine to have separate invitations or separate cards for each event, but collect all the responses on one card if possible.
Dietary needs and meal selections (if applicable): Ask for your guests to initial which entrees they are selecting. Why? Tell me this. If one person places a mark next to the chicken and one person marks the beef, who gets what? With initials, you'll know exactly who is having what.

Ready to see some fantastic destination wedding save the dates invitations? Check out Ceci, A Deux, and Minted

Destination Wedding St. Thomas: A Wise Bride has the Wedding of her Dreams!

noreply@blogger.com (CourtneyCox) — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Words by Courtney Cox
Photos courtesy of Reichman Photography

Here at Destination I Do, we decided roughly six months ago to expand beyond our "Real Wedding Wednesday’s" here on the blog to bring even more inspiration and information to our readers. We think we’ve succeeded with our "Destination Couples Dish," real wedding posts every Friday. Today’s bride is a perfect example. It’s always interesting to see how brides overcome obstacles and what advice they pass on to other women planning their dream destination wedding.

Alexis is a self-professed Type-A personality and a former wedding planner, so needless to say, she not only knew what she wanted for her destination wedding, but how to get it. Their first step was to find a wedding planner they could trust to be their eyes and ears on the island. The California couple never really considered a hometown affair, but opted for St. Thomas, USVI instead, thanks to their world-wide family and friends.

“In our situation, my husband’s family is from England, my family is from Chicago and we have friends from all over the world; which meant that no matter where we got married, the large majority of our guest list was going to have to travel,” recalls Alexis. “We were lucky that we could take advantage of that situation and go somewhere warm, beautiful and far enough away that everyone could make a long weekend out of it and be able to truly enjoy the whole experience.”

Even though the couple dreamed of a far flung destination wedding, for them it wouldn’t have been worth it without their family and friends in tow. “Before we made a final decision we called our family and bridal party to run the idea by them and let them know we would have a longer engagement to allow for people to save up money and vacation time,” says Alexis. “We are very lucky to be surrounded by such supportive people because everyone’s reaction was the same, ‘It’s your wedding and you should do whatever you want, we will be there no matter what and are excited to go somewhere tropical!’”

This couple really did go to great lengths to make sure their destination wedding was as enjoyable and easy for their guests as possible. “Any singles I introduced through email/Facebook a year ahead of time and recommended they should room together at the wedding to help save money (many of them did and it worked out great) and I kept an eye on flight prices and sent out email blasts when prices seemed to be down,” says the bride.

When it came to accommodations at the Wyndham Sugar Bay and what would be best for their guests, Buster and Alexis went above and beyond and got a little creative to make sure everyone would be happy. “Between our guests, we were dealing with an entire spectrum of different budgets,” recalls the couple. “[The hotel] needed to be nice enough to please the ‘money is no problem’ guests, but cost-effective enough so everyone could make it. I was able to work out deals for two different room-block packages to suit different budgets. I had a great all-inclusive rate for those who didn’t want to spend another penny once they got to the island and I also had a room-only rate for people who knew they were going to explore the many amazing restaurants on the island.”

Knowing she couldn’t control everything, despite how much she wanted to, Alexis and her planner prioritized her wedding and focused on what was most important. “When I started the planning process I knew that the atmosphere and memories were most important to me for the day, so I knew I would be happy to splurge on location, photographers and a great band – the rest I was willing to compromise on.”

Another reason we believe this destination wedding couple will be such a help for our readers, is not only their cunning, but determination. If this couple can pull off their dream wedding, than you can too! “To add another spin on my planning experience, my husband and I spent the year before our wedding working away: six months in Canada and the next six months in northern Ireland and Malta, so I was dealing with a moving home base and crazy time differences,” recalls Alexis. “Thank goodness for the Internet and email!”

The couple stresses the importance of sticking to what you truly want despite obstacles. In the end, everything will be worth it and you’ll have your new husband/wife by your side. “With our work travel schedule and a Caribbean wedding on top of it, I knew I was in for an adventure from the beginning,” says Alexis. “So I took it in stride, gave myself plenty of time and was determined to not let that stop me from having the wedding I’d always dreamed of. I enjoyed the challenge to make it all work and got an amazing product in the end. Patience and persistence is key!”

Vendors:
Photographer: Reichman Photography
Venue: Ritz Carlton, St. Thomas
Wedding Planner: Jennifer Johnson with Jen Events
Florist: East End Flower Shop
Videographer: HiDefinition Videography
Band: Greg Kinslow Band
Hair & Makeup: Hilary Marquart with La Luna Salon
Gown Designer: Pronovias
Groom’s Clothing Designer: Hugo Boss
Bridesmaids/Groomsmen’s Clothing Designer: Allure/Jos. A. Bank

Inspired: A New York City Engagement Shoot

noreply@blogger.com (CourtneyCox) — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:34:00 +0000

Words by Courtney Cox

Photos courtesy of Keith Cephus Photography

If you’ve never planned a wedding of your own, there are a lot of aspects and occasions which you might not think of right off the bat. For example, while Monica and Shail were planning their Jamaican destination wedding, there was one thing which was equally as important as the wedding: their engagement shoot. This may sound unusual, but while the couple had their hearts set on a Caribbean wedding, they didn’t want to neglect the city in which they currently live: New York City.

After all, NYC is where they met, fell in love and decided to get married. With so many treasured memories spread throughout the city, it was important to the couple that they take the time to commemorate that part of their relationship. Thankfully, the couple and their wonderful photographer, Keith Cephus, have been kind enough to share those pictures with all of our Destination I Do readers. So, without further ado, here are Monica and Shail’s striking NYC engagement pictures.

Hopefully these images have inspired you to get creative and really treasure your own engagement photos. Let them symbolize a major stepping stone toward the process of becoming man and wife. It’s also an opportunity, perhaps even more than the wedding, to really share your personalities and an insight into your relationship. Happy engagement!

Destination Wedding Antigua: This Couple's Homecoming!

noreply@blogger.com (CourtneyCox) — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:12:00 +0000

Words by Courtney Cox

Photos courtesy of N’Sight Photography

Leslie and Summer are an NYC couple who knew a destination weddingwas in their future. Between having family from all over the United States and a groom dead-set on a particular destination – their St. Johns, Antigua wedding was a sure thing. “Antigua was the natural choice for us because Leslie’s family is from there and I knew if I was going to marry him, Antigua would be the only way,” recalls Summer.

Thankfully, the groom chose well and the lovely beachside location was a perfect fit for the couple and their guests. Their host – Sandals Grande Antigua. It was a one-stop-shop for Leslie and Summer and was the perfect way to have a somewhat “hands off” planning experience. “We love nice things and that goes for accommodations too, so luxury was a must for our guests,” says the bride. “Sandals also had many activities to keep our guests busy when they weren’t with us.”

The couple also had the help of a wedding planner from AnEvent to Remember who ensured that not only did their wedding vision come to life, but that their guests arrived safe and sound. Leslie and Summer chose bright, tropical colors for their décor and maintained a beachy theme throughout. For example, their tables were each names after a beach on the island of Antigua. Thankfully, the couple had 365 to choose from! Another unique aspect was a “blessing stone ceremony.” Each guest was given a small stone and then asked to say a prayer for the newlyweds and cast the stone into the sea.

These newlyweds have no regrets about their destinationwedding and insist a wedding in one of their hometowns would have meant over 300 guests and a far less relaxing atmosphere. Summer has some other words of advice for brides planning their own destination wedding, “Have fun and laugh about things. Weddings can be stressful and mistakes are bound to happen. Keep in mind the important thing is the union of husband and wife and a wedding is only a celebration of that love.”

Vendors:
Photographer: N’Sight Photography
Ceremony/Reception Venue: Sandals Grande Antigua
Wedding Planner: An Event to Remember, LLC
Stationary: Little Magic Cards
Hair Stylist: Ricky Banks
Gown: Rivini
Groom’s Clothing Designer: Banana Republic

Dreamy and Intimate Destination Wedding Venues

noreply@blogger.com (CourtneyCox) — Tue, 08 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Words by Lauren Rubino
Information provided by BNBfinder.com
Photos Courtesy of Churchill Manor, Brewster by the Sea, The Inn Above Onion Creek, and The Fairbanks House

If you’re a destination bride to be, you know that planning a wedding is no simple task. One of the first things you need to decide is the venue. Where do you want to tie the knot and what kind of tone do you want to set for the big day? Maybe you are a bride who wants to have a huge celebration at a resort, a traditional ceremony at a church or maybe something quainter and more intimate at a manor.

If a quaint and intimate wedding sounds appealing to you, we have got some ideal options thanks to BNBfinder.com. Bed and Breakfast locations are more than just a little house and some yummy breakfast in the morning, so don’t let that fool you.

The options provided range from classic or rustic, to nautical and chic. If you and your fiancé are looking to elope, there is something for you too. Any of the locations would be a perfect venue for your dream wedding and help you create memories that will last a lifetime.

Classic: Churchill Manor Bed & Breakfast – Napa, CA.

Listing link: http://www.bnbfinder.com/California/Napa/Bed-and-Breakfast/Listing/18829/Churchill_Manor_Bed_and_Breakfast

The Simply Elegant Package: If you’re looking for classic elegance and timeless beauty, look no further than the Churchill Manor. On your special day, you’ll receive exclusive use of the mansion. An intimate ceremony can be held in a variety of locations on the grounds including the intimate rotunda of the veranda overlooking the gardens or within one of the mansion’s ornate parlors. The cake cutting and a champagne toast will follow the ceremony.

Package Includes:
-Two-night stay for bride and groom
-Exclusive use of your ceremony location -- within the grand parlors, on the rotunda of the sweeping verandas, or amid the gardens of Churchill Manor's lush estate grounds
-Ministry
-Wedding bouquet and boutonnière
-Wedding cake, including cutting and service
-Champagne toast with Napa Valley bubbly
-Wedding Coordination
-Use of grand piano or house sound system

A number of add-ons, including photography, spa treatments and winery tours are available.

By The Sea: Brewster By The Sea Inn & Spa – Brewster, MA.

Listing link: http://www.bnbfinder.com/Massachusetts/Brewster/Bed-and-Breakfast/Listing/18606/Brewster_By_The_Sea_Inn_and_Spa

Sweetheart Package:
This package offers you that intimate, personalized wedding ceremony set with a perfect ocean backdrop. Here’s a list of what is included in their package:
· For the bride - A manicure and pedicure the day before the ceremony; hair and makeup service will be supplied on the wedding day.
· The bridal bouquet and groom boutonniere
· An interfaith minister will
· A photography package which includes photos of your stay, ceremony and romantic pictures on the beach afterward
· A toast with champagne or sparkling water paired with chocolate covered strawberries
· A celebration dinner at a romantic Italian restaurant (if you decide to have a reception with guests after the ceremony you can use the dinner during another night of your stay)
· Long stem roses, and rose petals in your suite
· A gourmet breakfast and afternoon tea.
· A 60 minute couples massage
· Up to ten guests can be added at an extra cost.

Rustic: The Inn Above Onion Creek – Kyle, TX.

Listing link: http://www.bnbfinder.com/Texas/Kyle/Bed-and-Breakfast/Listing/9668/The_Inn_Above_Onion_Creek

Renting The Whole Inn For Wedding Special:
If you’re looking for the perfect rustic retreat to tie the knot you can rent the entire inn so the our perfect 88 acres will be all yours. You can find the perfect place to say “I do,” with a backdrop of the majestic Texas Hill Country. For two weekend nights you can celebrate in style and enjoy your own secluded wedding weekend at the inn. A home-style country breakfast is served to guests every morning. Your can create the perfect menu with the inn’s chef and pick out a one-of-a-kind buffet style or multi-course meal. The reception will be held outside with breathtaking views that will be the beautiful end to your special day.

Elope: The Fairbanks House – Amelia Island, FL.

Listing link: http://www.bnbfinder.com/Florida/Amelia-Island/Bed-and-Breakfast/Listing/21690/Fairbanks_House

Elopement Package:
Sometimes you want to keep it to yourself. If you’re looking to make the commitment to each other in a quiet, romantic setting with just the two of you the Fairbanks House offers everything you need for a secluded elopement. You’ll be escorted away on a carriage to a secret location where you’ll exchange your vows with an officiant to seal the deal. The innkeeper will be there to document the wondrous occasion before and during the service with a camera provided by you. Enjoy a dinner for two at the Beech Street Grill, but don’t worry about ordering dessert. When you return to your room you’ll be treated with a small elegant wedding cake along with champagne, chocolate strawberries and a relaxing night in the privacy of your own room or cottage.

To learn more about these dreamy bed and breakfasts, visit BnBFinder's Pinterest page!

For more wedding packages visit: http://www.BnBFinder.com/WeddingSpecials

ATL Designer Creates Bohemian-Chic Collection

noreply@blogger.com (CourtneyCox) — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Words by Lauren Rubino
Photos courtesy of Taryn Reed

Are you a destination bride that has been searching for that perfect piece of jewelry, but you just can’t find what you’re looking for? Well ladies, your search may end here. Jewelry designer and Atlanta native Taryn Reed is following her dream by creating necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings inspired by her own style as well as nature.

“Different stones speak to me and from there I will build a necklace or a pair of earrings,” says Taryn. “I also love the juxtaposition of modern metals with softer, more feminine stones.”

Items in her collections range in price from $45-$400, and everything is worth the price. The quality is there, and her items are unique. They are not something every other bride will be wearing, helping make your look even more personalized.

By relying on an organic creative process, Taryn’s collection gives off a Bohemian yet chic feel. From dainty to chunky, the collection is full of earthy tones, beautiful metals and semi-precious stones.

This collection is bound to compliment your style, especially if you are having a rustic styled wedding. Visit tarynreed.com to check out more of her collection as well as to order from it!

Have you ever seen a pretty tent? Look at these Sperry Tents!

Kelly McWilliams — Fri, 04 May 2012 17:23:00 +0000

Tented weddings are pretty much on the top of my list of favorites to design. I love that you get to start with a blank slate underneath but that you have all the natural beauty of the surrounding environment. There's just something so enticing about celebrating alfresco, don't you think? Oh, and hands down, I think outdoor lighting options are magnificent.

I honestly never thought the day would come when Sperry tents would arrive in Florida. I am excited. Being that I love a good tent wedding, its wonderful to have another option, and these tents are just stunning. Here are a few images of their lovelies.

I confess, I kind of adore the Blue Star Tents. Perfect for a nautical wedding.

But what about great dance songs from a wedding band?

Kelly McWilliams — Fri, 04 May 2012 16:48:00 +0000

What about when you have a band rather than a DJ? Are the "fill the dance floor" songs different? Apparently a little of both! I asked Clint what the response is for his band, None Other and here is what he had to say:

Top live band songs that fill the dance floor are...

1. Journey - Don't Stop Believing

2. Gaga - Just Dance

3. LMFAO - Sexy and I Know It

4. Tina Turner - Proud Mary

5. Michael Jackson - Billie Jean

Song requested by brides that (surprisingly) packed the dance floor a few times...

James - Laid

Song That Clears The Dance floor...

1. Madonna - Vogue

I will admit, I didn't even know what song or who James was, so Clint sent me this video. I can see myself dancing to this one now:

And I 100% agree to the Vogue clearing the dance floor. That one I have unfortunately seen a few times. Some songs are great for a car ride (or watching on Glee), but aren't great for weddings.

Destination Wedding Hawaii: A Honolulu Dream Come True!

noreply@blogger.com (CourtneyCox) — Fri, 04 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Words by Courtney Cox
Photos courtesy of Nightingale Photography

It’s each couple’s backstory and history which help to make these Real Wedding posts interesting. Ironically, it’s often the same story which determines where the couple says “I do.” Such is the case with Mei and Jesse, who had a very specific reason for picking Honolulu, Hawaii for their destination wedding locale.

“We chose Hawaii as the location for two reasons: First and foremost, Mei grew up in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands,” says the couple. “The island way of life, gentle ocean breeze and warm sands is a special part of her life and will always be near and dear to her heart. The second reason was for logistics since Mei’s parents traveled from Hong Kong.”

Speaking of travel logistics, the couple did run into a few speed bumps along the way. “We had relatives that wanted to fly together or sit next to each other on the plane,” recalls the couple. “To make it more interesting, they wanted rooms which were next to each other and on particular floors. We resolved this by acting as the broker for all of the family. We coordinated their flights and seats, specials flight accommodations and the hotel rooms by creating a spreadsheet to help us manage everything. We also created vacation itineraries for them so they could maximize their experience based on their various lengths of stay.”

While Mei and Jesse clearly went above and beyond to satisfy their guests, it doesn’t always have to be the case. Priorities vary between every destination wedding. In order to stay on track, most couples recommend a wedding coordinator. Mei and Jesse say they couldn’t have pulled off their dream wedding without the help of their coordinator. “For a more exotic location, be sure the wedding planner is familiar, if not well versed, in the culture and language of the wedding location,” say Mei and Jesse.

There’s no doubt this couple’s wedding would have been drastically different if held in their hometown. Luckily, they have no reservations about their decision to host a destination wedding. “Our guest list would have swelled by a factor of five or six,” says the couple. “This would have taken our guest list to about 250 or 300. Consequently, we would have had to make more compromises because of the size of the guest list. Also, we feel that the wedding could not have been as memorable as it could be since there are only so many local venues, most of which friends and family have already used.”

An interesting point as this couple stuck to their vision in order to have an original and special wedding. When it comes to advice, the couple has just one more piece to give. It may not be an obvious idea, but it’s certainly sound! “It’s important to not only have your primary options for vendors, but to also have alternatives!”

Vendor:
Photographer: Nightingale Photography
Wedding Coordinator: Aileen Styczyski of Prestigious Planning
Ceremony/Reception Site: Hilton Hawaiian Village Resort
Florist: Estonami Floral Design
Stationary: Marizette Paperie
Makeup/Hair: Makeup by Beverly
DJ: DownLow DJs
Gown Designer: David’s Bridal
Groom’s Clothing Designer: Celebrity Tuxedos
Bridesmaids/Groomsmen’s Clothing Designer: David’s Bridal/Celebrity Tuxedos

Destination Wedding Guide: LUXE City Insiders!

noreply@blogger.com (CourtneyCox) — Thu, 03 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Words by Courtney Cox
Photos courtesy of LUXE City Guides

Here at Destination I Do, we’re always on the lookout for beautiful, helpful ways to personalize your destination wedding. When LUXE City Guides crossed our desk we jumped on the opportunity to introduce these chic and – most importantly – informative guides to destinations around the world. The guides are a sleek and slim accordion-style, perfect for a welcome basket or tossing in the pocket of a travel bag.

A LUXE guide specific to your destination city is the quick and easy way to give each of your guests the inside scoop on what to do, where to eat and the best places to stay. Each guide is created by a resident editor who has seen and done all that’s suggested in the guide, truly giving you and insider’s look on your destination. If you don’t wish to have lots of planned wedding activities for your guests, a LUXE city guide will certainly keep them busy.

As of now, there are guides for 30 cities world-wide and more in the works. Need an interesting save-the-date? LUXE can create a custom sleeve for their city guides which can be designed to your specifications with you and your future hubby’s names and wedding date. The line also includes LUXE box sets for the adventurous honeymooner. They’re perfect registry gifts and can be custom created to include the cities you’ll be visiting on your honeymoon.

Pre-made Box Sets include World Grand Tour, Asia Grand Tour or Europe Grand Tour. Each guide not only includes places to stay and restaurants, but key phrases, spas, important information like hospitals and even “LUXE Loathes,” places to avoid during your stay. Make these chic guides even more beautiful with your custom monogram, wedding date and color scheme. For more information and to see if your chosen destination for your destination wedding or honeymoon is included, visit LUXEcityguides.com.

9 fill the dance floor fast songs and 2 that will clear it

Kelly McWilliams — Thu, 03 May 2012 10:27:00 +0000

Last night I was in my car listening to the radio and I had a flashback to our last wedding...
I was in the dinner tent and I looked over to the afterglow tent and saw what looked like every single wedding guest going crazy on the dance floor. Hands were in the air, I could hear them all singing along, DJ Gable was above the crowd - it was such an amazing view. What brought it all back to my mind was that Pitbull was playing on the radio.
Later that evening I was chatting with Clint Wiley who owns Stereophonic DJs and I asked him, "Clint what songs do your DJs find fills the dance floor the fastest these days?" Clint called DJ Gable (on left) and DJ Burdier (on right) and these were their answers:

DJ Gable says,

Top 5:

LMFAO - Sexy and I Know It

Kenny Loggins - Footloose

Cupid - Cupid Shuffle

Micheal Jackson -Thriller

Maroon 5 - Moves Like Jagger

Cleared the dancefloor last event:

Nicki Minaj - Super Bass

DJ Burdier says...

Top 5:

Michael Jackson - Don't Stop Till You Get Enough

Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feelin

FloRida - Low

Cupid - Cupid Shuffle

Usher ft Pitbull - DJs Got Us Falling in Love

Cleared the dancefloor last event:

Pitbull/Chris Brown - International Love

Destination Wedding Sunshine: A Yellow Florida Fete!

noreply@blogger.com (CourtneyCox) — Wed, 02 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Words by Courtney Cox

Photos courtesy of Stephanie A. Smith Photography

Meghan and Charles chose a destination wedding for much the same reason as a lot of couples: to avoid a costly and extravagant hometown wedding. The Washington, D.C. couple knew it would be too expensive to get married near home, so they figured why not get away to somewhere warm? Needless to say, their plethora of Midwest relatives were more than happy to make the trek to sunny Sarasota, Florida.

In the end, the couple got much more bang-for-their-buck by heading out of the big city and down to the coast of Florida. What they also gained was a fun-filled wedding spread out over the course of a couple days. The only hiccup the couple encountered was in their search for the dream venue. “It’s never too early to start scouting locations – that was our biggest hurdle,” recalls Meghan. “We discovered through the process of searching that we didn’t, in fact, want a beach wedding. Because we had the time to search, we found the most perfect spot either of us could have imagined.”

Charles and Meghan’s lemon theme provided a fresh take on a warm-weather wedding. While the details were kept simple and the atmosphere casual, the splashes of bright color added some serious interest! One way the couple incorporated their theme was by hanging pictures of them with their loved ones on miniature lemon trees lining the venue’s entryway.

Since the couple was able to achieve their dream wedding away, they have some words of advice for other couples wishing to do the same. “Enjoy every moment of the planning and of the big day,” says the couple. “We both look back with such joy and happiness – the only thing we wish is that we could do it all again in exactly the same way. It was just that amazing.”

Vendors:
Photographer: Stephanie A. Smith Photography
Ceremony/Reception Site: Crosley Estate, Sarasota, Florida
Catering: Nellie's
Florist: Elegant Designs
Groom’s Clothing Designer: Brooks Brothers
Bridesmaids/Groomsmens’ Clothing Designer: J. Crew

Destination Honeymoons for the Adventurous Newlyweds

noreply@blogger.com (CourtneyCox) — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Words by Lauren Rubino

Suggestions courtesy of Adventure Media

Photos courtesy of Pont-d'Avignon- Cyclomundo, Lost Valley Ranch, Morrison's Rogue River Lodge, Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce, Sheridan Travel and Tourism, Olympic Peninsula Visitor Bureau, Estancia El Condor- Myths and Mountains, Kosrae Village, and Hamanasi Adventure and Dive Resort

There is a chance you and your fiancé have everything for your destination wedding planned down to a "T" but one thing – the honeymoon. You just can’t decide where to go or what to do, and both know you want to do more than just be tourists in some foreign country/state. You know you both want to share the experience of a lifetime together and start your marriage off with a bang.

Adventure Media has provided us with some ideas ideal for newlyweds wanting to do just that! So, break out the sunscreen, the camera, the sunglasses and the mindset ready for an adventure - filled honeymoon.

From the rough and tough Wild West and the serene tropical South Pacific, to the sultry Latin land of Argentina, your wildest honeymoon dreams can come true.

Adventurous Wanderers

Cycle the south of France: Imagine cycling with your sweetie through the villages of Provence.

Be a Cowboy Couple: Newlyweds can ride, rope, sip wine, even go glamping on a modern dude ranch.

*Glamping is "Glamorous camping"

Raft through Oregon: Experience Oregon’s wild and scenic Rogue River customizable rafting trips with gourmet meals and luxury riverside accommodations.

American Classics

Bar Harbor, Maine: Romantic destination favored by artists and aristocrats since the 1800s.

Sheridan, Wyoming: An authentic cowboy escape to experience the Wild West.

Olympic Peninsula, Washington: Showcases the diverse beauty of the U.S. - from rainforests and snow capped - peaks, to fields of lavender and stunning coasts.

Culturally Inspired

Latin Love: Ride and dine with gauchos on a luxurious Argentine estancia.

Tropical Paradise: Disappear on a South Pacific island. For couples looking to experience a tropical island in an authentic environment- no chain hotels, crowded beaches or other marks of corporate tourism takeover.

Mayan Mysteries: Share Mayan passion. In Belize, 2012 is a big year in Mayan culture (hopefully not the end of the world). Here’s an opportunity to explore Mayan culture - ancient and modern, on land and at sea.

Add Some Sparkle to your Look with Melinda Maria

noreply@blogger.com (CourtneyCox) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Words by Lauren Rubino
Photos courtesy of Melinda Maria

Whether you are a bride looking to accessorize your look or give some unique gifts to your bridemaids, or, a bridesmaid looking to give some sparkle to your ensemble, Melinda Maria has got you covered. Melinda Maria has a passion for designing and creating jewelry, and if you are looking for something with quality, style and a reasonable price, her line is for you.

“The purpose of my designs is to make you feel beautiful, bring people together and to inspire compliments,” says Melinda. Not only can a pair of her earrings or one of her stunning necklaces make you look like a princess, you can also know that you acted like one too. Sales of Melinda’s jewelry have aided global charities like, The Name Campaign for Ugandan Children, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation and The Cura Orphanage, just to name a few.

The overall design of her jewelry is elegant and fashionable, perfect if you are a trend setting bride wanting to add a splash of color or a touch of sparkle to your look. Many celebrities like Megan Fox, Carrie Underwood, Eva Longoria and Julia Roberts have donned Melinda’s jewelry too.

“Melinda’s jewelry is amazing for the simple reason that it is made out of a joy for life,” says Julia Roberts. “She manages to put her loving energy into each piece she makes.”

So, if you want to accessorize like the stars and look like one too at your Destination Wedding, visit Melinda Maria’s website, melindamaria.com, for more styles.

Destination Wedding: Fiesta in Puerto Vallarta

noreply@blogger.com (CourtneyCox) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Words by Lauren Rubino
Photos Courtesy of Christina Dely Photography

For some couples, their wedding consists of one day, and the focus is primarily on them. For Christina and Ezra, they naturally, wanted their wedding to be a symbol of their love, but they also wanted their guests to have a weekend filled with activities.

What better place to have a celebration than Puerto Vallarta, Mexico?

“After our engagement we went on vacation together and fell in love with the people and city," says the couple. "We both felt this would be the perfect setting for our wedding."

With the bride being from Texas and the groom from Miami, their guests were bound to travel, so why not to the sandy beaches of Mexico?

“The majority of family members and friends were extremely excited about this destination although some a little scared to travel in Mexico,” recall the two.

Safety concerns were put to rest after the two made sure travel plans were made accordingly: shuttle services were secured and a detailed weekend itinerary was included (complete with handy Spanish phrases).

Overall, the wedding planning went smoothly thanks to a lot of online research and planning ahead of time for the ceremony, reception and free-time activities.

“We would describe the planning as both challenging and rewarding,” say the newlyweds. “So many people were coming to the wedding we wanted to make the entire weekend filled with activities for our guests. The events were kicked off with a night of salsa dancing and mojitos for a meet up when guests arrived. The following day the ladies soaked up the sun on a boat while the men went zip-lining. All of these planned events made the wedding weekend extra special.”

After seven suitcases full of wedding goodies they couldn’t get in Mexico, like their “do-it-yourself” favors, and six months of research planning for their destination wedding, Ezra and Christina were finally able to enjoy their big day.

“We added some special touches to the ceremony which made it truly special, our guests really enjoyed the unique ways we expressed our love,” says the couple. “Also, enjoy this special time with friends and family. It is the one time in life where all of your loved ones will be on vacation together, soak up every minute of it!”

Vendors:
Photographer: Christina Dely
Wedding Planner: Blaire Osborne of Plush Events
Ceremony/Reception Site: La Mansion, Puerto Vallarta
Gown Designer: Maggie Sottero
Florist: Iris Design

Destination Wedding Dresses: The Perfect Shapewear!

noreply@blogger.com (CourtneyCox) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:20:00 +0000

Words by Courtney Cox & Marianne Gimble

Photos courtesy of Va Bien Lingerie

Women spend countless hours searching for the perfect destination wedding dress, seeking out the best alterations and fine-tuning their W-day look. However, you can’t overlook what you’re wearing under your dream dress. After all, without the correct support and coverage, all that hard work could be hidden by a bad bra. For help, we had Marianne Gimble, Va Bien Co-Founder & Fit Expert, weigh-in on what to wear with which dress. No matter what style of gown you’ve selected, there’s a piece of lingerie which will be the perfect support to help you make it down the aisle in style.

Strapless:

Our primary concern here is bust support; a bride should not have to spend her wedding day tugging up her dress because her bust is not supported properly. The most traditional problem-solver is the bustier. Not only will it cinch the waist, but the boning in the bodice will also help to hold up the bust. However, with the technology that exists today, it is also possible to wear a bandeau-style strapless bra, rather than a bustier and experience the same level of support – even for a very full-busted woman. Va Bien’s patented Ultra-Lift technology seals three thin stays inside the foam of each bra cup to provide strapless bras with the strength necessary to support the bust properly without straps – all the way up to an I cup.

VB SUGGESTION:

ultra-Lift™ Perfect Strapless #1506 - $58

Mermaid:

Mermaid dresses, like trumpet and sheath silhouettes, can pose challenging innerwear issues. These dresses don’t flare out around the waist, hips or thighs; and therefore often call for shapewear underneath in order to achieve a smooth and shapely look. One option is a seamless bustier, which will support the bust, slim the waist, and if long enough, even shape the hips. Another option is a high waist control short or tights paired with a strapless bra, which will achieve the effects of a bustier – with just a bit less waist slimming – combined with derriere and thigh smoothing.

VB SUGGESTIONS:

Ultra-Lift™ Seamless Bustier#1503 - $79

Smooth Couture High Waist Short #632 -$55

Smooth Couture High Waist Tights #633 - $65

ultra-Lift™ Perfect Strapless #1506 - $58

Backless:

Supporting the bust when wearing a backless dress can be challenging. While paste-on bras are an option, I recommend shopping for a convertible bra which comes with a “backless band:” a band that connects to the bra’s hooks, wraps down around the lower back and around the tummy, then comes back up the lower back to attach to the other end of the bra. Just make sure that the band the bra comes with is wide and soft. If it’s narrow and has a sharp edge it will cut and leave an indentation, especially around the tummy.

VB SUGGESTION:

Ultra-Lift™ Low Plunge Convertible Bra#1502 - $64

With Straps/Sleeves for Full Figured Women:

Dresses with straps widen options for undergarments significantly. It makes bust support easy and can open the door for full figure women to wear firm control bodysuits, which tend to have wide comfort straps and will do great job trimming the torso.

VB SUGGESTION:

Smooth Underwire Bodysuit #1191 - $58.50

For more information please visit Va Bien Lingerie's website, Facebook or Twitter. Also, if you're looking for something a bit more romantic for the wedding night, check out Va Bien's bridal lingerie.

Destination Wedding Mexico: A Cabo Confection!

noreply@blogger.com (CourtneyCox) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:18:00 +0000

Words by Courtney Cox
Photos courtesy of Jillian Rose Photography

When Christina and Paul got engaged, the bride knew exactly where she wanted to tie the knot: San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. Having vacationed throughout Mexico growing up, she and her family were tremendous fans of the area and thought it the perfect place for her and Paul to hold their destination wedding. Their chosen venue – Cabo Azul Resort.

It was the resort’s open-air chapel which sold the couple on their chosen venue. Luckily, the planning process went smoothly and the couple didn’t run into any hiccups. The couple also helped to ensure the travel process went smoothly for their guests. “We were very explicit on our website so there was little room for error,” recalls the bride. “Listing what to bring, travel docs, what to expect upon arrival, shuttles to the hotel and all the events…we made ourselves very available for any questions in advance…”

Come W-day, everything went off without a hitch. Christina and Paul chose to keep their decorations relatively simple in order to accent, but not take away, from Mexico’s natural beauty. It was these surroundings which the couple and their guests enjoyed for four days leading up to the wedding. There’s no question Christina and Paul feel they made the right decision in having a destination wedding in Mexico, “[We] live in expensive LA, so it was actually a little less expensive in Mexico, allowing us to have more events like a BBQ, bridal lunch, brunch and more.”

For other couples considering a destination wedding, Christina has some wise words of advice, “Remember, it’s about you! So go where you want to have your wedding, but be kind to those people who may not be able to come. Think about what is more important to you – having it where you want or having it more convenient for others. Both are valid points, but whatever you choose, be thrilled with your choice and make sure you have no regrets!”

Vendors:
Photographer: Jillian Rose Photography
Ceremony/Reception Site: Cabo Azul Resort
Wedding Planner: Christina Logan Design
Florist: Arete Flores
Gown Designer: Paloma Blanca
Groom’s Clothing Designer: Alfani
Bridesmaids’ Clothing Designer: Jim Hjelm, Occasions

Pop the Question Perfectly

noreply@blogger.com (CourtneyCox) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:58:00 +0000

Words by Lauren Rubino
Photos courtesy of Grace Bay Resort at Somerset

Are you getting ready to pop the question to your special someone, but just don’t know how and where to do it? Quit biting your nails and banish those butterflies by getting some assistance from Proposal Concierge, Lachelle Handfield, at The Somerset on Grace Bay.

This new proposal concierge service is offered at the gorgeous resort, The Somerset on Grace Bay in Turks and Caicos and is the perfect place for that fairytale proposal.

Lachelle will cater to your needs and work with you one-on-one, making sure the proposal fits you, your history and style.

“I’m very excited for this new role and helping couples with one of the happiest moments in their lives,” says Lachelle. “The Somerset has such a romantic ambience and we can really do absolutely anything for couples. We always say, happily ever after starts with “yes” at The Somerset!”

Maybe you want to hear the word “Yes” while scuba diving at a secluded location, or while laying on the beach while the sun sinks below the horizon or simply just by eating dinner surrounded by tiki torches on the beach. Regardless of how you picture the special moment happening, Lachelle will help you make sure it is an unforgettable moment.

So when you are asked by friends and family, “How did he propose?,” you will have a story which will blow their minds, thanks to your spouse and the help of Lachelle.

If you are reading this and have already been proposed to, but are looking for a little getaway before your wedding, or you are interested in getting married or honeymooning in Turks and Caicos, the resort can certainly cater to those needs as well.

Somerset offers seven different wedding venues and offers a variety of packages. They also have their very own wedding planner, Rosalind McKensie, who will help you plan your destination wedding.

Visit thesomerset.com to book your perfect proposal or learn more about what the Somerset has to offer for you.

Destination Wedding Shoes: Something New, Something Blue

noreply@blogger.com (CourtneyCox) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Words by Lauren Rubino
Photos courtesy of Gwyneth Shoes

When it comes down to finalizing your look for your wedding day, shoes are a big deal. Are you wearing heels, flats, sandals or cowgirl boots? The options seem endless. You want to wear something which is comfortable yet still stylish – and heck, you may even want to wear them again.

Well ladies, here is an option which will leave you and your feet satisfied. Gwyneth Shoes is a new line of elegant and fashionable heels, perfect for your special day. Better yet, their Blue by Gwyneth line is also comfortable!

Gwyneth Shoes also takes pride in the fact they have sizes ranging from 5 1/2 to 14. They know brides come in all shapes and sizes, and so do their feet. Prices range from $139-$250, but remember, these are not just heels, their your wedding heels!

Now, I know you are looking at these shoes thinking, “There is no way heels this cute will feel good after a ceremony, photos and reception.”

The brand can’t guarantee your toes will still feel 100 percent, but with their Blue by Gwyneth line, they have a beautiful blue pearlized lining and with their signature heart shaped cushion, you will be pleasantly surprised.

Who knows, you may be dancing the night away without even worrying about switching to flats or going barefoot, thanks to your Blue by Gwyneth heels.

Even if you don't go with their "Blue" line, their other styles are comfy too and will surly complete your bridal look.

Visit gwynethshoes.com for more information and looks.

Destination Wedding: An Intimate Trip to Prague

noreply@blogger.com (CourtneyCox) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Words by Lauren Rubino
Photography courtesy of Sherri Barber/Kurt Vinion

For Roni and Tom, their wedding day was more intimate and unique than most destination weddings. The two decided to elope, but not to the courthouse or to Vegas. They decided to elope to Prague, Czech Republic - alone.

“It just fit us,” says Roni. “[There was] so much pressure coming from the parents that we decided to do our own thing, and keep it romantic.”

When it came to picking the location, they had heard it was one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and with the help of their wedding coordinator, Andrea, they were reassured everything would go smoothly.

The couple felt some heat from their family and friends with their decision to run away to the European city, but eventually their loved ones came around.

“They finally saw it as our day, and our day alone, and we should enjoy it,” recalls the bride. “We made sure there were plenty of great pictures to bring home to friends and family.”

The couple kept their wedding simple. It was truly about them and their love with no one else interfering. With no guest lists to worry about they didn’t have to go through the stresses of planning a reception or a dinner, or making any sort of travel arrangements for out of town-ers.

Money wise, they spent much less on their destination wedding than if they had said, "I do" in their hometown. They were also able to splurge on other things for themselves, versus guests.

“[If we would have had the wedding at home] everyone would have been there and I think I would have been much more stressed out,” said Roni.

The main things the two had to do was work with their coordinator and send money to the appropriate places in Prague.

“It was scary at first,” says Roni. “Sending all this money out into the unknown and hoping that there will be a wedding when you show up. We worked with true professionals and they kept us completely at ease.”

The wedding day was perfect and completely about the two becoming husband and wife.

“More people should do a destination wedding," recalls the bride. "It’s a great experience. Your wedding day is so much more than a day. It last several days and it’s more like a wedding trip. I felt our elopement was, in a way, so much more meaningful and romantic because we ran off and did it. The whole trip was just superb.”

Vendors:
Photographers: Sherri Barber/Kurt Vinion
Wedding Planner: Andrea of exclusive weddings in Prague
Ceremony/Reception Site: Vrtbovska Gardens

Anthropologie Lovers, Visit BHLDN to Deepen your Love

noreply@blogger.com (CourtneyCox) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:39:00 +0000

Words by Lauren Rubino
Photos courtesy of BHLDN

So many women love to shop and more specifically, many of us love to shop at Anthropologie. The brand’s colors, patterns, fabrics and classy styles are all what make us keep returning to the store for more. Can you imagine them having a wedding line with clothing perfect for bridesmaids, brides and guests?

Well, you’re in luck, they do. BHLDN.

The goal at BHLDN is to start a conversation with you, whether you’re a bride, a bridesmaid or a partygoer. They want to inspire you. The company is fairly new, but there is no doubt they have a strong passion and love for what they do.

At BHLDN, they move beyond the material and into the realm of inspiration with their moodboards as well. If you are addicted to Pinterest like the rest of us are, this can satisfy your fix with their own take on the popular website. Create your own board, visit fellow creators and look at BHLDN’s boards for ideas. Scroll through their images and post what you love, what you want and what you need.

Not only can you find dresses and accessories, but you can buy lingerie and décor (like decorations, signs, stationary, lights etc). Really, this website could be one-stop-shopping for a lot of your wedding needs.

To me, most of the décor has a rustic feel, almost giving off that country-chic vibe we have been seeing so much of lately.

When it comes to the wedding gowns, they are absolutely gorgeous and honestly, I think more and more women are going to be choosing their dresses from BHLDN. There are numerous styles to choose from, all emulating different personalities. Whether you are a vintage bride, a modern bride or a traditional bride, they have something for you.

From the top of your veil to the bottom of your heels, you can find it here.

When it comes to the girls in your wedding party, they are going to be thrilled when they see all of their dress options. Expense wise, they are slightly pricey, but competitive with other wedding shops, so that shouldn’t be a big shock. Dresses are long and short, plain and pattered. Whatever you as a bride have envisioned for your closest girlfriends, BHLDN will hopefully meet and exceed those expectations.

No matter what your destination wedding vision is if style is your desire, visit BHLDN for more inspiration and looks.

Destination Wedding Advice: Barton G. Weighs-In on Weddings Away!

noreply@blogger.com (CourtneyCox) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 17:17:00 +0000

Words by Courtney Cox & Barton G.
Photos courtesy of Barton G.

For those of our readers which are unfamiliar, Barton G. is a world-renowned concept designer here in the U.S. His roles as an event designer, restaurateur and creative director make him the perfect person to design a dream wedding away. In 2009, Barton G. bought and rebranded Miami’s infamous Versace Mansion. It now serves as one of the chicest places to say “I do” in South Beach and has fabulous food to boot. We asked Barton G. to weigh in on destination weddings and share is event planning knowledge with all of you.

Where does the jet-set crowd head for destination weddings and honeymoons these days?

• Miami remains a hot destination, as well as private islands in the Caribbean. Those who are truly in the know — fashionistas in particular — are heading for Tulum, Mexico.

What is the proper protocol for asking your guests to pay for their flight/accommodations?

• There is no protocol — it depends upon your own financial resources. In many cases, people are traveling to your wedding no matter where it is. A destination wedding simply means that they’ll likely be in more interesting surroundings. The key, no matter what, is to make your guests feel at home — offer welcome baskets at the hotel, a list of things to do and places to go, hot night spots and hidden jewels in whatever destination you choose.

How long before the actual date do you recommend heading to the destination with your fiancée?

• A minimum of six months. Ideally, you’re able to visit the location during the time of year you’ll be marrying there and revisit it a month out from the wedding to do your final planning.

How far in advance should you secure a block of rooms, DJ, catering, etc. at the destination?

• As far in advance as possible.

Any suggestions for incorporating the regional fare of the destination with family classics?

• It’s always delightful to bring regional fare into your menu for the day — food and beverage wise, as well as with entertainment and florals. Ideally, there’s a mix of home and the destination, familiar and unfamiliar, for an unforgettable day for you and your guests.

Do you recommend using the resort event planner or hiring an outside planner? Why?

• The best advice here is to hire the person with whom you feel most comfortable. A resort event planner will be most familiar with the destination, but you run the risk of a cookie-cutter approach to your special day. An outside planner is much more likely to customize your wedding day to your particular needs and likes.

Destination Wedding Florida: A Black & White Confection!

noreply@blogger.com (CourtneyCox) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:15:00 +0000

Words by Courtney Cox
Photos courtesy of Vue Photography

Having friends and family all over the country, combined with a current home neither really felt attached to, made a destination wedding the perfect fit for Cristen and Tom. Their destination requirements consisted of somewhere along the coast to which most of their family would be able to drive. In the end, Carillon Beach, Florida had the seaside backdrop the couple was looking for, the convenience for their guests and the couple’s dream wedding planners.

Cristen and Tom began planning early and sent out their “Save the Dates” a year in advance in order to give their guests plenty of time to plan themselves. Luckily, the bride’s sister is a graphic designer and they worked together to create the perfect stationary suite. What resulted was an ocean-inspired black and white confection. There’s no doubt the couple had a strong team of people on their side.

Victoria and Avis with Carillon Weddings were instrumental in helping the couple’s dream wedding come to life. Cristen and Tom visited their destination and, with the help of their planners, selected all of their vendors in a day-and-a-half! “Keep an open mind when planning, our first choice [of venue] online, wasn’t our first choice in person,” recalls the bride.

The couple only had one major hiccup during the planning process – the hotel where many of their guests had booked rooms changed owners and, alas, a lot of their reservations were lost in the shuffle. The couple recommends checking in periodically with all of your vendors etc. to ensure a smooth experience for your guests. Speaking of guest experience, the couple figures they spent the same amount on their destination wedding as if they had held their wedding in their hometown. While they had fewer guests, they were able to splurge on the details which were important to them like great food and live music.

Cristen has some last words of advice for other couples planning a wedding away, “Relax, take time for yourselves and delegate things to your family and wedding party. Enjoy the planning process – find ways to make your wedding personal for you and your groom. Remember, at the end of the day, all that matters is the union of two people.”

Vendors:
Photographer: Vue Photography
Wedding Coordinators: Victoria & Avis with Carillon Weddings
Ceremony & Reception Site: Meeting House/Village Green
Florist: Nouveau Flowers
Stationary: Tea and Punch
Cake: Confections of the Coast
Catering: Townsend Catering
Gown Designer: Romona Keveza
Groom’s Clothing Designer: Black Tie Formal Wear
Bridesmaids' Clothing Designer: Coralie Beatrix, Etsy

Destination Wedding and Honeymoon: Paradise Islands

noreply@blogger.com (CourtneyCox) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Words by Lauren Rubino
Photos Courtesy of Atlantis Resort and the Cotton House

Whether you are a bride-to-be, already married and never got to go on a proper honeymoon, or you and your honey just want to go on a romantic vacation together, look no further.

Both the Atlantis Resort at Paradise Island in the Bahamas and the Cotton House in Mustique Island are the answers to your getaway location prayers.

The Atlantis Resort will become the lost island of your dreams. In February 2012, the resort partnered up with Charlotte-based wedding planner Kristin Vining of the Wedding & The City to create look-books for weddings to be held on the island.

There are five unique looks for the weddings (In the Garden, Organic Romance, Sugar and Sand, Sun Kissed, Tranquil Oasis) and the digital look-books display a plethora of design options, venues and ceremony and receptions ideas.

If you're already married or have that part of your celebration planned, take advantage of Atlantis’s honeymoon pass. For around $995, you can add-on this bonus feature to any three-night or more reservation. The pass will allow you to partake in some the resorts most popular couple activities like massages and swimming with the dolphins.

At Mustique Island, you and your man can opt to have your own private beach, rent a designer villa, or even get married at the Cotton House, a West Indian-style plantation estate.

Exchanging vows at the Cotton House will not be the only thing taking place there. You can expect to be pampered, wined and dined, and create memories on a sun-kissed beach you’ll never forget.

The Cotton House can also serve as your honeymoon location. There is a seven-night minimum, but your stay includes daily breakfasts, three-course dinners, one massage per person, one mule rental or golf cart to explore the island and snorkeling equipment.

So, quit having sleepless nights worrying about where to plan your destination wedding or honeymoon and book your event at either one of these tropical islands.

As Kate Says {she knows manners}

Kelly McWilliams — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 11:54:00 +0000

Now I can hardly imagine anyone wanting to re-gift a Kate Spade item, but there are instances when you receive a gift & ponder.

From Kate Spade Manners: The quiet truth is that people do re-gift. Re-gifting is done with gifts that don't fit, aren't to your liking, or aren't returnable. Don't re-gift as a way of cleaning out your closet or saving money. As with any gift, the selection should be suited to the recipient.
You can read all of what Kate Spade has to say about Manners in her book of the same title.

How to easily gather your guest list contact information

Kelly McWilliams — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:11:00 +0000

Last week Jesse, one of the creators of Postable.com contacted me after reading my blog. He wanted to let me know about his site that just launched. Now here is the thing, I probably receive 15 emails like this a day. But when it comes direct from the creator/owner and its an email that I can tell they actually invested a bit of time to find out something about me and our clients, I figure its nice to give a moment of my time. Boy am I SO GLAD I GAVE THEM A MOMENT. You are going to be glad too. Introducing Postable, an online guest list and contact information gathering site.

Basically, you send a link out via Facebook, twitter, instant message, email (I used my auto-responder to ask for contact updates), even text message. Your guests fill in the super easy (and rather cute) contact information form in like 30 seconds. It collects everything: Phone, email, mailing address, spouse's name (mucho importante for escort cards and invitations), and birthday. It even has a little note field.
So, before I shared this with you guys of course I tested it and it works! Not only does it work, it works really well. The best part- your contact list can be exported to address books, outlook, gmail, excel - for goodness sakes you can even print labels from it. I was nervous about the privacy part of this and I'm sure you are too. Here's all the answers you're looking for : Postable FAQ

Wedding Reception Alfresco (a.k.a. outside)

Kelly McWilliams — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 10:12:00 +0000

Are you considering having your wedding outside? Yes, they are more difficult to pull off logistically and typically they cost a bit more, but the benefits can be better than outstanding. No matter what though - you must have a back up plan in place. That means preparing for a tent.

Aly & Mike's Wedding at South Seas, Captiva Island

I came across a great article on tents on Brides.com, its a good short read to give you some starter knowledge on what is available to you. Martha Stewart weddings also has a wonderful article on things to consider and question when planning for a tent.

Angela & Joe's Wedding at Gasparilla Inn, Boca Grande

This is Angela & Joe's wedding, we had cocktail hour just outside the tent.

How to have a Florida wedding that isn't about seashells

Kelly McWilliams — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 12:45:00 +0000

Most of the destination weddings we conceptualize and plan are at tropical and or beach locations. However, its quite often that our clients want their guests to enjoy what the islands and beaches offer, but they don't want the aesthetic of their wedding to reflect that. At least not at every event. Rather, they're looking for something that is true to them and their personal style. Nicole & Steve's wedding is a perfect example of this. I'm so excited to share these videos with you & showcase this pretty wedding at Hyatt Coconut Point. This was one of those weddings where everything just fit perfectly...

Thank you iheART films for sharing this trailer you produced. It brought back so many memories and I love that I got to see things that I didn't get to see that day.
You may have noticed that I said videos in the last paragraph. That's because we have a foto video produced by Luminaire Foto (who took amazing photos too)! You'll notice right off the bat that foto video is really different than traditional wedding films. Its made from individual photographs, so it doesn't incorporate the sounds of the day. Its unlike anything I've ever seen. This is my first time being able to share one of their foto videos and I have been anxiously awaiting! I can't wait to hear your reaction, so be sure to leave a comment.

I heard you hate photo booths and you think they're stupid.

Kelly McWilliams — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:53:00 +0000

Tell me you don't want a photo booth after seeing this.

Not gonna lie, I kind of want one for my studio...permantly. We got one for our annual holiday party and it was the hit of the night (with the Chinese fortune sticks and the sweet tea mason jars with mini vodka bottles following in a a close 2nd and 3rd).

To book your Bash Booth for your rehearsal dinner, welcome reception, farewell brunch, engagement party, bridal shower, because its Monday party, or Hey I want a picture party; contact Gracey at one of these 53.7 ways:

NAPLES/FORT MYERS AREA: 239.222.0322

TAMPA AREA: 813.444.2378

ORLANDO AREA: 407.476.6223

smile@bashbooths.com

www.bashbooths.com

How not to do a Seating Chart

Kelly McWilliams — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 23:06:00 +0000

Can we please stop the insanity. I honestly can't take it longer. If you have more than 20 guests (or 3 tables) at your wedding, it is not appropriate to post table assignments by table and not alphabetically. Put yourself in your guests shoes. Do you want to have to go through every table list looking to see if you are on it? What if you were at table 14? Can you imagine how long that takes and how mad the people waiting behind you are? Going down 14 lists of 10 people each before you come across your name?

Source: birchandbird.com via Jami on Pinterest

I love the look of this chart. It is a great concept. Now, obviously this one is set up for a photo since you'd have to lay down on the grass to read the bottom panes after you move the luggage out of the way to see that your sitting at table 16. But looking past those minor details - couldn't the same effect have been made by dividing the guest list by the number of panes and then spreading the names out evenly and using alphabet headers?

What I do, Where I work, Who I am

Kelly McWilliams — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 13:47:00 +0000

Get a true look into some of what goes on behind the scenes; before, during and after weddings. You can hit any of the pages above or just click these links below to see the videos.
What I do & where I work
Who I am

Andrea getting ready with her mom & bridal party
while we were getting everything ready.

Then there's of course the good old fashioned type "about me" that you can just read. I hope to do more video blogging this year. They probably won't be professionally produced like these (thank goodness for the talents of iheART film studios for producing all these projects). But you know, the iphone fancy kind. Until then, enjoy!

Pronovias 2012

Kelly McWilliams — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 07:46:00 +0000

Hello glamour, won't you come in? Pronovias. These are the gowns that you watch how they move. They have such a graceful but high fashion impact, don't you think? I can not get enough. Especially after watching this 2012 collection.

This is the Pronovias 2012 fashion show. I loved the ballerinas in the black to start the show! There is a trunk show at the NY flagship store on March 23, 24 and 26. You can request your appointment online.

The difference 2 seats makes

Kelly McWilliams — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 09:41:00 +0000

Making the best of your budget. How to stretch a dollar to get what you really want. Have you thought about how many seats to place in each row at your wedding ceremony? Have you thought about how many seats to place at each table at your wedding reception? No? Well let me show you a little something that could potentially make a big difference to you.
Let's say you have 150 confirmed guests at your wedding. You have $175 budgeted for your aisle runner and $4,350 budgeted for your tabletops (flowers, details, and linen). What difference does 2 seats make?

The Ceremony

On each side of the aisle you'll need 75 seats. With 6 seats to a row you'd need a 75 foot aisle runner. By increasing the number of seats by just 2 seats per row, you would only need a 50 foot aisle runner. Which means you could upgrade from a basic aisle runner to that patterned runner and matching vow book you were just dying to have!

The Reception

SouthernLiving.com

You have the option to have 8 or 10 seats per table. With 8 seats, you would have 19 tables to dress. By increasing by just 2 seats per table, you now only have to dress 15 tables. That means your per table budget goes from $230 to $290. Imagine the difference in the centerpieces, details and linens $60 per table makes! It could mean adding those peonies that you were just dying to have or upgrading the linens from the basic that are included by your venue to the seersucker linens you really really wanted.

Fashion. Its coming to wedding tidbits!

Kelly McWilliams — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Last fall I attended New York International Bridal Week. For as much as I love fashion and weddings, I rarely blog about dresses or all the the accessories that go along with your wedding weekend ensembles. Until now.

I'm not sure where this new avenue will take me, but I am so looking forward to it. I figure the best place to start is with where it all started for me, at the market & runway shows.

Let me say thank you in advance to Krista from Impressions Photography for accompanying me to so many of the shows and capturing the amazing designs we were seeing. The pictures above are from the Junko Yoshioka showcase. It was my first time seeing her designs in person and I was was immediately enthralled by the textures and treatments she had in each dress.

This wasn't the finished design...but it turned out amazing!

While I was in New York, I met with one of my clients at her fitting with Christian Siriano. I will confess, I would have paid money just to play dress up in his studio. I love his designs. It was really quite inspiring to see him at work; it was obvious that he really does know what he's doing and he has such a dedication to his craft.

Kleinfelds hosted the Pnina Tornai show. Prior to the show starting, guests (including the likes of Colin Cowie and Housewives of Atlanta's Kim Zolciak) were offered a great signature drink made with Pearl Wedding Cake Vodka. I for one loved it, yum. The dresses were incredibly dramatic. You could see how much thought was put into each and every inch of them. Amazing is an understatement.

I could post a hundred images of all the gorgeous dresses we saw at the shows. Here are a few more of my favorites.

Anne Barge

Claire Pettibone

Ines Di Santo

Destination Wedding Invitations (Gorgeous ones)

Kelly McWilliams — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 10:40:00 +0000

I just felt like sharing some pretty. I confess to stalking the Ceci New York website. But do you see why?

Oh, and of course, there's also the love for pretty much everything on the Martha Stewart Weddings website too.

Quick tip: Put as much information in your wedding invitation as you can or (I like this idea best) send a "looking forward to seeing you" package when you receive a yes rsvp from your wedding guests. The package can include more details about the events you're hosting, as well as local places to shop, dine and tour during their time away.

Styled Shoot on crack.

Kelly McWilliams — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 13:02:00 +0000

Most of the people I work with in the wedding industry will agree that I can never do things small. I love to push the envelope. Its always, ooooh I wonder if we could...
Last summer I gathered nearly 30 of some of the most talented and creative people I work with and we just went crazy on a styled shoot. Over the next few weeks, I'm going to share what we came up with.

Here are the talented people behind this series and the companies who contributed:

Photography

Ashley Brockinton Photography

Floral Design

Botanicals on the Gulf

Cake Artistry

Kakes by Karen

Cinematography

Iheart Films

Bridal Gowns

Tie the Knot Bridal Couture

Stationery Design

A Deux Bespoke Bridal Paper

Tuxedos

Rnells Tuxedos

Linens & Chargers

BBJ Linens

Venue

Mediterra Country Club

Makeup Artistry

Hope Henderson Artistry

Hair Artistry

Faces by Frohmberg

Jewelery Design

Ring Finger Studios

The Mrs Shop

Styling & Production

Kelly McWilliams' Weddings by Socialites

Here's the behind the scenes video of our styled shoot. I think you'll get an idea from this that we weren't looking to do your standard pretty shoot. In fact, rather than just show everyone the results of our hard work on Vimeo, I went all out and planned a big screen Premiere at Silver Spot Cinema in Naples. It was the perfect way to celebrate. Enjoy!

Quick tip: Renting out your local movie theatre and then heading to a local restaurant or swanky cocktail spot is a great and unique way to share your short wedding film, trailer or directors cut. Especially if you had a destination wedding and want to share with friends and family who weren't able to attend your celebration.

If your wedding was in a magazine, which would it be?

Kelly McWilliams — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 10:23:00 +0000

When I'm working with my clients on the design concepts for their weddings I have always asked questions about their personal aesthetic, style and likes.

What movies do you love, television shows you watch, celebrities you like, stores shop at, designers and lines you love to wear...

None of these questions have anything to do with a wedding - but it has everything to do with who they are. This is important because your wedding should very much be a reflection of you and I want to make sure that we can easily be on the same page. For instance if you said you loved Breakfast at Tiffanys, The Great Gatsby, and Mad Men, Kate Spade and Calvin Klein; instantly I know that we have a connection. Of course, at some point its great to know where the two of us can find likely sources of wedding inspiration and this is when I turn to the wedding magazines (print & ezines) & their websites (and of course pinterest and blogs). If someone asked you what wedding magazine or blog was your style, what would you answer?

Martha Stewart Weddings

Grace Ormonde Wedding Style *

Inside Weddings*

Destiantion Weddings & Honeymoons *

Eco-Beautiful weddings

Junebug Weddings

The Knot *

* We've had recent featured weddings or editorial contributions in these magazine publications, websites, and/or blogs

How to incorporate "Vintage & Travel" into your destination wedding

Kelly McWilliams — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 08:27:00 +0000

Destination Weddings and Honeymoons magazine could not have gotten this any better! I stared at this 2 pages forever (you'll find them in the April issue).

The luggage tags would be perfect on the outside of welcome bags or included in your Yes RSVP confirmation packages. The suitcases would look brilliant on a escort card table as a centerpiece.

The journals would be wonderful guest gifts (put them in the welcome bags, nobody wants to have to carry favors back from the reception).
And could you just die over all this great jewelry?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A Beach, A Tent, and Fuchsia Peonies Vol 2

Kelly McWilliams — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:02:00 +0000

Did you enjoy the video? Audrey and Mike shared some more of the wedding and I thought after seeing the video you might want to see more! Enjoy these great photos:

The bridesmaids bouquets

A pre ceremony toast

I'm still dying over this bouquet by Signature Floral. Have you ever seen such stunning colors of peonies, roses, ranunculus?

Who doesn't love a petal dressed aisle?

See- THIS is great use of flowers at a beach wedding!

I love calligraphy. ALOT. Thank you Samira for these!

And no, you most certainly do not have to go overboard with the "beach" or "shell" theme...its quite possible to keep it elegant and simple!

A lined tent (draped poles too) with great lighting and pretty linens to match. All the details are what make this look so perfectly sophisticated.

The cigar roller was a surprise from Andrea to Will. He was a huge hit of course. The tent-patio we placed just outside the tent was the perfect compliment.

The fireworks show was a surprise for all the wedding guests and marked the start of the after party!

Audrey & Mike, thank you so much for sharing the photos.

A Beach, A Tent, and Fuchsia Peonies, oh yes.

Kelly McWilliams — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 13:33:00 +0000

Last November we had the most lovely tented wedding at South Seas resort on Captiva Island. Here is a little peek into the day, courtesy of AMC Video

Andrea and Will had their ceremony on Sunset Cove and cocktail hour on Sunset Beach before heading to the tented lawn after an amazing sunset. The raspberry and fuchsia flowers (roses, orchids and peonies) by Signature Florals were so pretty and cheerful, just like Andrea. Before the night was over, all the guests headed over to the beach one last time for a surprise fireworks show.
I miss this wedding... I'll blog pictures next!

An actual garden wedding in Florida Vol 3

Kelly McWilliams — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:56:00 +0000

Confession: I love wedding pictures. I especially love portraits. Why? Because there's great thought put into them...and you can tell. When they're done right - you can see the joy and love that is happening and the bonus is that who or what ever is being photographed ... looks perfected.

Kate with all her sweet bridesmaids (they really were - Kate has amazing girlfriends) in their perfect green dresses. Mint green is a great summer wedding color.

Okay. Get ready. Super cute 1st look series of images coming R I G H T N O W!

And that is how a 1st look is done. LOVE IT.

Your photographer will take a portrait of your bouquet. I know, it sounds silly, but trust me, you will look at it 80 times and be glad that she did. And yes, those are those amazing yellow peonies in there. But don't tell Signature Florals I told you so. She'll kill me.

Another portrait you'll want? This one. Kate's hair and makeup was done by the amazing David & Daniel at Salon Tease.

To make sure that we had some really perfect images before heading to Naples Botanical Garden & the summer heat, we planned out some portrait time (including the 1st look) with Ashley Brockinton at the host resort, the Marco Island Marriott

To see all three posts in the series, you'll want to click here.

An actual garden wedding in Florida Vol 2

Kelly McWilliams — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 16:46:00 +0000

An actual garden wedding in Florida Vol 1

Kelly McWilliams — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:29:00 +0000

But not just a wedding on a lawn "decorated" like a garden. We planned & designed Kate & Ryans wedding at the Naples Botanical Garden. Hands down one of the most stunning ceremony backdrops we have ever had. Because there were so many stunning images, there will be 3 posts in this series, starting with the Reception:

As guests arrived by valet golf carts from the gardens, they walked down the palm tree lined path to this escort card table. Each guest had a succulent with their name and table number in calligraphy.

Inside the ballroom we had the challenge of space. We had to make sure that we maximized what room we did have and that it felt as open as possible. So we used ghost chairs on Kings tables and light floral arrangements on the tablescapes. White Phalaenopsis orchids are always the perfect flower for this (not to mention they're gorgeous). We also opted against chargers (which I normally love).

The dinner menu was delicious. After a warm goat cheese salad, guests were treated to one of 3 entrees:

Tenderloin of Beef with Au Poirve Sauce

Grouper with Key Lime Sauce
Roasted Vegetable Ravioli with Mushroom Marsala Sauce

Before dancing the night away to None Other Band, everyone went crazy for this cake with some absolutely scrumptous cake:

Meyer Lemon with Guava Filling

Vanilla with Mocha Buttercream Filling

All of the above images are by Ashley Brockinton Photography, and we are so grateful that she shared them with us! You can also see more images in the current issue of The Knot Florida magazine!

Wondering who else helped us make this another great wedding? Signature Florals, Kakes by Karen, Catermasters and None Other Band

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

We had a few more photos taken by not professional photographers that showed off this beautiful room (in other words, don't judge us)...

Vintage wedding dresses

Kelly McWilliams — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:47:00 +0000

I will confess to being a lover of Pinterest. Honestly, whom ever it was that decided it would be cool to have an instantaneous showcase of literally everything I am looking for (and didn't know I was looking for)at any time- you are genius.

Today I found something for any bride who wants a very different wedding dress. A vintage wedding dress. Yes, you'll have to head to Europe to visit The Vintage Wedding Dress Company flagship, but I'll tell you what, some of these dresses and accessories seem really worth it. Not to mention it would be a great excuse to take a short pre-wedding getaway with your mom or best friend. I'd be happy to come along too.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Turquoise Jewelry (destination perfect)

Kelly McWilliams — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 18:53:00 +0000

I found this amazing necklace on Pinterest and had to share it. If its too bold for your wedding day ensemble, consider it for one of the other weekend parties. Turquoise always looks so great with white.

Actually, I found about 15 pieces on the Loren Hope Design website that I would happily place in my jewelry box. I apologize in advance for your wallet screaming out to you for mercy.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Win A Couples Getaway To Riviera Maya!

noreply@blogger.com (Weddingzilla) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 20:39:00 +0000

Destination Weddings and Honeymoons are giving away a couples romantic getaway to Hacienda Tresrios on Riviera Maya. The lucky couple will win 5 nights all inclusive accommodations...that means food, too! You'll also receive a couples spa treatment, a bottle of wine and a dinner at the chef's table.

The resort is totally sweet, it even boasts a nature park! Enter to win your getaway here!

Beach Wedding Invitations

noreply@blogger.com (Weddingzilla) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 17:36:00 +0000

Really amazing beach invitations are hard to find! Here are a few that we found from Wedding Paper Divas. Love that name, love this company. This company has super high quality products with contemporary to traditional invitations. There is always a savings coupon on the front page of their website.
Grab the coupon and save some money on some amazing beach wedding invitations!!

Our Wedding On the Beach!

Love this invitation, this just screams beach wedding, sun, sand, surf and love!

Coastal Sky: Paradise

Palm Trees: Coffee

Nassau Chic

PopShops™ affiliate stores

Amazing Tropical Beach Destination Wedding Invitations

noreply@blogger.com (Weddingzilla) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 18:37:00 +0000

Congratulations, you are getting married in a tropical paradise on a beach at sunset!
Finding the right wedding invitation or announcement has been a long fruitless search. The flowers and doves just don't fit your wedding and the plain invitations just aren't you. Our search has turned up these awesome invites that convey tropical paradise and can do double duty as an invitation or announcement. Love them! Click on the invitation for more information.

Destination Beach Wedding Dresses

noreply@blogger.com (Weddingzilla) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:14:00 +0000

You've set the date, you've picked the location, now you need to find THE perfect wedding dress. A destination or beach wedding dress needs to be easy to pack and transport. It needs to be lightweight if the weather is hot. Your dress needs to look like a wedding dress, but not over the top. Destination dresses are considered more of an informal wedding dress. Your dress needs to be easy to wear and comfortable at the wedding. And finally you will need to be able to navigate the terrain, like sand at the beach, in the dress without stumbling, tripping and dragging around a heavy dress.

Consider light weight fabrics like chiffon, taffeta, natural silk (which actually breathes)and light weight satin or natural fabrics like bamboo. Make sure if you are getting married in the sunlight that the dress doesn't shadow, it must be lined well enough so that nothing shows through.

What do do? We've got some suggestions of sizzling, beach worthy, easy to pack destination wedding dresses. Oh, yes, and the prices are right!

4030 Wedding Gown - $ 179.00

ED-1187 Eden Wedding Gown - $ 403.00

ED-1357 Eden Wedding Gown - $ 337.00

Sexy back of the dress above...LOVE IT!

FV-6120 Dress - $ 268.00
Check out the back below!!

OMG, what an amazing back!!

PInk Sad Resort

noreply@blogger.com (mayuri) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 10:31:00 +0000

The perfect pairing of chic elegance and romance with its idyllic environment and impeccable services, Pink Sands takes the guesswork out of ceremony planning and makes honeymooning unforgettable. From intimate nuptials for digit to noble concern for the whole family, our entire team ensures the ingredients for a charming occurrence are unseamed and memorable.
Wedding Package

The ceremony package at Pink Sands includes:

* On-site ceremony consultant
* Picturesque ceremony location
* Assistance with preparation of ceremony documents
* Marriage license
* Marriage officiant
* Small ceremony cake for the bride and groom
* Bridal bouquet and boutonniere
* Bottle of champagne

Wedding Package at Pink Sands

Photo Credit - Zorn Photography.
Obtaining a Marriage License

The bride and the groom staleness apply in person for a Bahamian marriage license at least digit business days preceding to their ceremony (except holidays). We module take care of environment up your designation with the Commissioner preceding to your arrival. Applicants staleness present the mass substantiation to the Commissioner - every documents staleness be originals (or certified copies) and in English.

* Passport
* Divorce decree (if applicable)
* Death certificate of former SPOUSE (if applicable)
* Proof if your name has been changed by accomplishment poll

Wedding Receptions & Rehearsal Dinners

Wedding receptions and rehearsal dinners at Pink Sands crapper be held at either the Blue Bar or Garden Terrace. All functions are restricted to quaternary hours and there is a location fee associated with use of either venue.

The Blue Bar is settled directly on the threesome knot stretch of pink sand beach and crapper hold up to 80 people. This scene is restricted to buffet dining only.

The Garden Terrace, settled just soured of our newly renovated lobby, provides a humanities environment amongst lush, equatorial foliage. Dining options at the Garden Terrace include buffet and seated dinners. Maximum power is 100 persons.
Minimum Room Requirement

Based on your estimated sort of guests, you staleness guarantee a minimum sort of rooms at Pink Sands. Our income department module be happy to handle this with you in boost detail.

noreply@blogger.com (mayuri) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:45:00 +0000

When selecting your start or getting site, conceive about who you are as a pair and what makes the two of you unique. Your selection module be influenced by the formality of your wedding, the season of the year, the sort of guests expected and your religious affiliation. Consider issues much as parking availability, handicapped accessibility, instance constraints etc.

Some favourite locations for ceremonies are churches, cathedrals, chapels, temples, synagogues, private homes, gardens, hotels, clubs, halls, sport courses, parks, wineries, beaches, etc. Consider having your start at the aforementioned facility as your getting to save a ordinal property fee

It's a good idea to plan for your start and getting well in advance, as some places fill up early, particularly during favourite ceremony months. We suggest selecting and reserving your getting and start place at small figure months prior to your wedding. Banquet halls depart a great care in quality, facilities and policies, so attain your choice carefully. Good nutrition facilities are in unceasing use, so aggregation early, a year ahead is not an unusual length of time. Take your instance and compare every the halls before you decide to book.

When comparing the outlay of different locations, consider the property fee, food, beverages, parking, gratuity, set-up charges and the outlay of equipment much as tables, chairs, canopies, and so forth. If you are thinking an outdoor wedding, be trusty to hit a patronage place in housing of rain.

If your getting is feat to be in a hotel, restaurant or a nutrition hall, you module requirement to superior a nutrition to serve your guests. Most of the places module hit a predetermined menu from which to superior your meal. If your getting is feat to be in a facility that does not provide food, you module requirement to hire an right catering company. The caterer module be responsible for preparing, cooking, decorating and serving the food.

Wedding Party

noreply@blogger.com (mayuri) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:38:00 +0000

Wedding Party

In the primeval summer, a new clean and meliorate ceremony party is doubtless the best covering choice with this season. How to achieve the desired effect of your ceremony party? Take the elements of ice into the ceremony ceremony are of course a beatific way, but it cannot provide a significance of gorgeous to the marriage, and it is difficult to organisation innovative. Our professed ceremony plan team will take the luxury elements - Crystal and floral, palm combination for you to create a clean and holy example stone ceremony party.
Theme Color:
Blue and albescent are the most favourite colouration of ceremony in this season, the foppish albescent and new blue exactly crapper well bring discover the gorgeous and glittering of crystal, in the summer midnight, which will bring the guests a firm visual enjoyment. Floral materials mainly ingest hydrangea and albescent roses, the dark and alter of the blue colouration exclusive crapper avoid a dull significance of exclusive digit blue color.
Recommendations from the professed team
Details planning: stone element crapper be practical in a difference of ceremony decorations, and even the organisation of a ceremony invitation which crapper also reflexion the theme. The cover of the invitation makes up with broken stone pattern, same a gift to be dispatched to the guests, foppish and very innovative.
Floral Design: primeval summer have many patterned materials, such as the hydrangea, peony, rose, butterfly orchids, which are meliorate choices to create the stone wedding; to note that the stone itself is a straight texture, so do not ingest the bright colouration patterned materials, and utilize thin silver accommodate to meliorate highlight the reddened of crystal.
Wedding dress: To reflexion the thought of the stone ceremony party the bride should opt a soft chiffon or cloth fabric with a stone decoration. Long-tailed, fish tail or a short style ceremony dress have always been the highlights of the wedding. Taking into statement of the stone ceremony theme, the dishes should be reddened colors and the choices of too thick ingredients are not so good.

noreply@blogger.com (mayuri) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:23:00 +0000

If you�re fresh engaged and starting to plan the perfect ceremony and honeymoon, don�t overlook digit of the most important ceremony considerations � location! Having your ceremony in an exotic romantic positioning crapper make it even more memorable.

If you poverty a tropical, ceremony positioning with sandy beaches and swaying region trees, then the sea is the instruction to consider. It�s close, there�s lots of direct flights, the weather is warm year round and it lends itself to a relaxed, chivvy liberated wedding.

Choosing to get mated in the sea has become a popular ceremony choice. Top sea ceremony destinations allow Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and St. Thomas. Especially for Americans, the logical sea choice is island of St. saint in the U. S. Virgin Islands. As a U.S. Territory, St. saint operates under the laws of the United States Government, so your ceremony module be as hassle-free as a ceremony anywhere in the mainland U.S.

Getting mated in St. saint is easy, the documentation is just $100. ($50. covering gift & $50. license fee). The paper work crapper be finished in front with a downloadable Marriage License covering form, then mailed to the Superior Court in St. Thomas, together with a $100. Certified Check or money order.

An plus of a sea island ceremony positioning is the option of dealing a private pass villa in St. saint to enjoy the ultimate, romantic and luxurious ceremony and honeymoon setting. Private villa rentals substance many advantages over hotel accommodation: firstly, it�s a luxurious private residence, so you crapper have the space and concealment that no hotel crapper offer. Villa rentals are usually large with individual bedrooms and private swimming pools, etc. so

For example, the Sand Dollar Estate villa, the ultimate luxury pass villa property in St. Thomas, has 8 bedrooms plus a separate 2,000 sq. ft. humanities guest cottage - the amend honeymoon accommodation. It�s all set on an surpassing 2.5 acre realty with its own clannish white sand beach on Magen�s Bay. In total, the villa realty can alter 22 people, making it both the amend Caribbean ceremony positioning and honeymoon destination.

Picture locution your ceremony vows on a clannish white sand beach against the backdrop of a spectacular villa correct out of the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. No requirement to worry about ceremony decorations, ceremony cake, and flowers � everything can be condemned care of by our experienced ceremony individual to make your ceremony as simple or as elaborate as you desire.

Get relaxed before the big day in the clannish swimming pool or with a luxurious massage from our staff therapist or an invigorating workout with our trainer or instructor, it is not only rewarding but therapeutic. Invite members of the ceremony band to eat and unwind.

Combining a ceremony and honeymoon in a tropical positioning is a band that makes for unforgettable, humanities memories. Your honeymoon starts immediately after the ceremony and ceremony toasts, not after a tiring day of airport security, airport transfers, and connecting flights. What a quiet and no-stress way to move a marriage!

Sand Dollar is the amend positioning for a Destination Wedding in the Caribbean. Contact us to handle how you can hit the amend ceremony in the amend location.

Top Five Destination Wedding Locations Worldwide

noreply@blogger.com (mayuri) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 04:01:00 +0000

Planning a ceremony is hornlike enough in your own home town, but actuation soured an event discover of municipality is a genuine challenge. You just know your own artefact around, and now you hit dozens if not hundreds of people to account for. But the perks of a destination ceremony (and planning one) genuinely outweigh the negative elements – you undergo the romance and mystique of added positioning while having a wedding/honeymoon/getaway all at the same time.
Many couples choose certain locales because they cater specifically to destination weddings and hosting numerous guests; they are the places that everyone on your itemize wants to go to and may not hit had a quantity before, but now hit an iron-clad reason to make the trek. Here are the most favorite symptom for destination weddings – as well as what you can do while you’re there.

Destination Weddings: a Break from the Norm

Many couples think instruction wedding thinking is an outrageous expenditure. While this belief is true in whatever instances, you’re actually action yourself from many hassles. Wherever you choose to have your ceremony and reception, you’ll be matched with circumstance planners complete at making trusty that the tiniest aspects of instruction weddings line smoothly. And, you’ll also have your honeymoon shapely in to the cost. The prizewinning part you ask?…experiencing a brand new place with your family, friends, and loved ones.

ITALY There’s nothing more romantic than European instruction weddings. Rome, Florence, Venice, and city – you name it; this is the eventual getaway for some couples and their families. But going overseas also has a aggregation of challenges. As part of your instruction ceremony planning, you’ll hit to ensure that every guests hit or take a passport well in advance, and you’ll be responsible for finding suitable accommodations and installation to and from the events. Your guests module want to do a little sightseeing while in town, so creating a list of places to meet and how to intend there is a must. Fortunately, there are some instruction ceremony thinking specialists who cater to foreign couples, so use their abilities fully. And the genuine recover of instruction weddings: you can honeymoon right where you got married!

HAWAII This equatorial island is a mecca for couples who want a easygoing beach ceremony with little fuss. And hundreds of thousands of couples flock here to celebrate their nuptials Hawaiian-style. Many airports in the U.S. hit direct flights to Honolulu, but if you decide to intend mated on another island, your guests can easily catch a flight the same or next day, giving them time to explore. And whether you opt to hit an impromptu, informal affair or a giant, equatorial bash, there are some knowledgeable instruction ceremony thinking companies that can help you decide where to hit your event, what to serve, where to pay your honeymoon, and much more.

Destination Weddings in The Bahamas

THE BAHAMAS One of the top instruction ceremony locations, the Bahamas truly evokes the Caribbean spirit inmore ways than one. If every of your guests are U.S. citizens, then you’re in the clear (though, supported on recent legislation, you are required to hit a valid passport to enter). Citizens of other countries are wise to check entry requirements before booking tickets, and you can attain it easier on your guests if they are flying from another country by verifying the requirements beforehand. Many couples opt to hit their instruction weddings take locate among the centuries-old cathedrals or fortresses or at the famed city nurse in Nassau. And erst the ceremony is over, you and your guests can undergo the prizewinning seafood, golfing, shopping, and casinos available!

NAPA VALLEY For couples who love intoxicant and/or the idea of getting mated in a vineyard, Napa Valley is a great pick for instruction weddings. Proximity to the bounteous city – San Francisco and every of its unique sights – and the pastoral beauty of
Destination Weddings in the Napa Valley

Destination Weddings in the Napa Valley

countless vineyards lure thousands of couples here each year to tie the knot with the help of a instruction ceremony thinking specialist. From Spring to Winter, the modify in seasons provides a newborn and different look to the Napa Valley countryside. Some wineries even patron on site and hit event planners at your disposal who specialize in instruction weddings. And what would be more fun than touring the Wine Country on The Napa Valley Wine Train for your honeymoon?

LAKE TAHOE For some years, the scenic charms of Lake Tahoe hit routinely been voted one of the top spots for instruction weddings. And it’s no wonder this vibrant city appeals to so some different people. There’s biking, hiking, boating, camping, fishing, golfing, and skiing, every right there for you and your guests to enjoy. If you opt a ceremony resort, which not only takes care of the accommodations for you and your guests, you’ll be provided with a dedicated instruction ceremony thinking guide who module see to every of the details.

Destination Weddings: a Break from the Norm

Many couples think instruction ceremony thinking is an outrageous expenditure. While this belief is genuine in some instances, you’re actually saving yourself from some hassles. Wherever you opt to hit your ceremony and reception, you’ll be matched with event planners complete at making trusty that the tiniest aspects of instruction weddings flow smoothly. And, you’ll also hit your honeymoon shapely in to the cost. The prizewinning part you ask?…experiencing a brand newborn locate with your family, friends, and loved ones.

Weddings

noreply@blogger.com (mayuri) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 03:21:00 +0000

Outdoor Wedding Locations
With nearly 76,000 conservativist feet of open-air space and pristine weather conditions, weddings and special events are limited only by your imagination. Explore The Fairmont Orchid, island on the Kohala Coast where the example of island beckons your love.

Outdoor Locations

Turtle Pointe
Along the peppered shoreline of black and albescent coral, this broad place of the ocean, resort and summits of the Kohala Mountains, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa from an fresh broad lawn Atlantic is a humanities favorite.

The Coconut Grove
A sandy region woods with towering palms disbursement settled conterminous to the ancient Keanapou fish pond, this place offers a wedding on the beach with swaying palms and luminous tiki torches.

The Courtyard island
On the garden take beneath the Lobby, this curtilage features sculpted tile and railings and overlooks an unstoppered lawn, the 10,000 sf pool and the ocean beyond.

The Ballroom Courtyard
Sheltered on quaternary sides but unstoppered to the sky, the resort's classically elegant curtilage has a large centered classically elegant fountain, stairstepped levels and cushy access to the porte cochere for incoming guests.

The settlement Estate
Stately palms enclose this perpendicular lawn Atlantic with a view of the 9th and 10th fairways of the Francis H. I'i emancipationist northerly sport instruction and the ocean beyond. A raised natural initiate is amend for the head plateau or adornment with privacy yet a brief achievement from the lobby Atlantic and conterminous to the Tennis Pavilion. Champion figure skater Kristy Yamaguchi said 'I Do' to hockey contestant economise Brett Hedican here -- now it's your invoke to physique on the romance.

Wailana Gardens/Wailele Falls
Both locations are intimate, peaceful settings incoming to flowing waterfalls, lush gardens and grown region trees with plenty of shack for a strike and tables near the South Tower.

Kilohana

Offering sweeping sunset views of the resort, this indoor/outdoor function space is the ideal location for your reception. Shuttered doors unstoppered to a private lanai and grassy Atlantic surrounded by tiki torches, amend for cocktails before agitated exclusive to your wedding dinner. With a built in wooden dance story and seating for up to 80, this beautiful shack is settled just steps from the lobby.

Wedding Venues

noreply@blogger.com (mayuri) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 08:16:00 +0000

Luxury Wedding Venues
These are hotels & venues which make the perfect Luxury Wedding Venue for your wedding day. There is no meliorate than weddings held in a clannish and inner use hotel scene and modify clannish dining restaurants, with their modern call decor, make a great alternative. The serenity, is magical and romantic. Whatever the size of wedding, there is the saint scene to be found. Private Venues also offer a fantastic choice for your honeymoon, ensuring you both enjoy and have an unforgettable start to rest of your chronicle together.

Exclusive Luxury Hotels
Private Venues offer a assemblage of stunning individualist wealth hotels & properties that crapper be hired for your own clannish & inner use or are small enough to provide an intimate and discreet destinations for a more easygoing and everyday business meeting, wedding or peaceful inner holiday.

These wealth hotels and venues are mostly acquirable for Corporate Events, Weddings, Honeymoons, Exclusive Holidays, Corporate Golf Days/Events, Exclusive Golf Holidays, or Private Dinners & Celebrations.

Luxury Spa Hotels & Retreats
Enjoy an inner wealth pass or break at a wealth spa hotel or retreat. Experience our assemblage of inner spa hotels and venues and enjoy a chronicle enriching healthy pass by staying at one of our wealth hotels or retreats.

Exclusive Holidays & Hideaways
These are venues that crapper be for inner use and have the additional bonus, that you crapper relax, eat, sleep and modify hold a dinner party without having to do all the preparation. It could modify be that your a celebrity looking for a pass area to get away from it all (and belike the press!!). Whatever your needs, Private Venues ever assure you wealth and tranquility.

Meetings & Corporate Events
Private Venues are discreet for any corporate event, and offers a professed contact combined with the necessary facilities. Events crapper be accommodate made to suit your exact requirements, whether it be for a meeting, conference, reception, feeding & clannish dining, product launch, or modify for a corporate golf day.

All Inclusive Destination Weddings

noreply@blogger.com (Weddingzilla) — Thu, 07 May 2009 00:52:00 +0000

An all inclusive wedding is a wedding where
everything is included. Your wedding site,the officiant,ceremony, flowers, cake, reception,travel, room, food, alcohol, entertainment,tips, taxes and transfers from the airport to the hotel. You also have the services of a wedding coordinator to make the wedding flawless.

You need only to make the decisions regarding the destination site, set the date, get a passport if traveling outside of the USA, apply for the marriage license, pack and travel. And they can help all your guests get there and arrange their accommodations. They'll even steam or press your wedding dress when you arrive.

Most all inclusive wedding sites are in Mexico, Hawaii and in the Caribbean.

The benefits are that everything is done for you. You don't have the stress of planning a wedding. The next big plus: after the ceremony, you are on your honeymoon. No need to repack andtravel, the honeymoon starts instantly.

Since everything is paid as a package, there are no additional expenses. You can dine at any of the restaurants on the property or other resorts that have exchange privileges. Or you can stay in your room and dine on room service. You can dance the night away, watch the nightly entertainment or relax in your room. You can lounge at the pool or at the beach. You can golf, take part in beach activities, games and barbeques, or do nothing at all but chill. All alcohol is included, some resorts will even supply cigarettes.

The all inclusive resorts are popular as destination wedding spots and also for honeymoons. Many couples return on their anniversary for a vacation. Your guests have so many activities to enjoy, they won't bother you and most resorts will place you away from your guests so you get the privacy you want when you want. Your wedding party and guests will probably only stay for the weekend.

Dream Honeymoons; Destination Weddings at Sandals Resorts!

All-Inclusive Caribbean Vacations

How easy is it to have all the details taken care of for you? No stress, little fuss, all fun! Our brides have raved about the all inclusive resorts of Sandals and the Riu resorts in Mexico. Happy planning!

Get Married In The Serenity of Gatlinburg, TN

noreply@blogger.com (Weddingzilla) — Wed, 06 May 2009 20:47:00 +0000

I was surprised to find out that Gatlinburg
Tennessee was such a hot spot for destination
weddings. Mountain lovers choose it for its
location in the Smoky Mountains. Cool mountain
air, quiet serenity, mountain streams make it
the perfect location to have your wedding.
Not everyone is a beach person, but if you
want to marry next to a bubbling stream,
Gatlinburg can make it happen.

You can rent hotels, chalets or cabins.
The cabins aren't what you are thinking,
while they may have rustic cabin look on the
outside, the insides are amazing.
They are modern, comfortable and quite
plush. They sport hot tubs, game rooms
and pool tables. Renting a chalet for your
wedding is a great way for a family
get together and celebration. You can
even get married in the chalet and have
your reception there.

You can get married in your cabin, chalet,
chapel, church or outdoors. Weddings start
at the budget price of $90, not including
your marriage license.

You are near Dollywood, great shopping,
quaint shops and great food. You can
hike or fish or sit in your private hot tub.
In the winter you can ski and warm up
in front of the fireplace in your chalet.
You can relax or take part in the local action.
And there are plenty of activities for your
guests to enjoy.

Want more info on Gatlinburg weddings? Click here.

Or contact the Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce for
information on lodging, chalets and things to do.

Just Married Flip Flops on Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Weddingzilla) — Tue, 05 May 2009 15:56:00 +0000

On Sale at The Knot Wedding Shop

I came across these cute just married flip
flops on sale for an outrageous $2.99 a pair
at the Knot. These are so cute for beach
weddings. Many couples slip them on after
the ceremony to leave a trail if "just married"
on the sand and have the photographer
take pics of their vows on the sand.

They can be worn on the honeymoon and
you can gift your wedding party with these
to wear during the beach ceremony.
They are fun, cute and the perfect touch
for a beach wedding. Not long ago, these
same flip flops were nearly twenty dollars
in bridal boutiques. This is a real
deal! Are you frugal brides listening?
Your guy will love them, too.
Everyone can use another
pair of flip flops, go for it!

Destination Weddings & Honeymoons On A Budget

noreply@blogger.com (Weddingzilla) — Sat, 02 May 2009 16:16:00 +0000

Yes, you CAN have a destination wedding
on a budget. Travel bargains abound right now,
the airlines are slashing air fare, the resorts
and cruise lines are enticing you with specials
to get you to travel. They'd rather have their
rooms full and their staff working than have
empty rooms. There has never been a better
time to travel and combine your wedding
and honeymoon.

Here are some specials that we just came
across:
Get on board for a cruise ship wedding.
The prices are UNBELIEVABLE. Your
food is all included, your room and your
entertainment. Just sign up on the website.
The deals are so good right now that I'm
booking my own trip. I've been on a few
of these ships and had a wonderful time,
and paid close to a thousand dollars a person
for the same itinerary. Sign up for Carnival's
newsletters and get the deals!
3,4 and 5 day Carnival Cruises from $249
This is a bargain!

Beaches Resorts is having a special but you
have to book by May 28, 2009.
Get 1 Night Free plus save up to 60%
at Beaches Sandy Bay until May 28th, 2009
Sandy Beach is a 7 mile beach of pure white
sugar sand located in Negril, Jamaica. Beaches
is a Sandals Resort, known for their all inclusive
pampering treatment. Everything is included.
You can leave your wallet at home. Just make
sure you take your ID so you can travel!

Vegas is dirt cheap right now, that is, if you can
stay out of the casinos! We've found the Flamingo
hotel for $40 a night and the Bellagio which is one
of THE top hotels in the world $ 139 a night.
Both hotels are top rated, in excellent
strip locations and there are more deals here:
Top Hotel Deals in Las Vegas

We also found some great deals on hotel
rooms in Las Vegas here:
Las Vegas Hotels from $29!
and here:Las Vegas Hotels

And you can always get a great deal on
Las Vegas here: Las Vegas - 5-star -
from $79 per night from Hotwire.com!

Las Vegas is trying to keep the action rolling
and you get the deals! I just got back from there myself
and the room rates are rock bottom but not likely
to remain there forever. I scored Wynn's for
$129 a night and the Venetian for $79 a night by
using the links above. Woo Hoo, I love to travel
first class on a beer budget. And the beds at
Wynns are the most comfortable bed you'll ever
find. I want one!

The top hotels In Las Vegas are Wynn's, the Venetian
and the Bellagio, but other great hotels include
the Flamingo, the Luxor, Monte Carlo, Treasure
Island, the Mirage, MGM Grand, Harrah's,
Golden Nugget, The Palms, Rio, Hard Rock
and more. If you tell them you are there
to get married, you may get a room upgrade and
a bottle of champagne!

We found amazing airfare deals to Las Vegas here:
$36 & up -- Fly Throughout the U.S. & Canada
into June --As seen on Travelzoo's Top 20

If you are ready to tie the knot in May, check
this out:
VEGAS: May Weekend Flight Deals on Orbitz!

Looking for a great wedding chapel in Las Vegas?
We love the Little Chapel of the Flowers.
We've had family marry here and the service was excellent
and the prices are affordable.

Punta Cana in the Caribbean is a new hot spot that
is still affordable and has 4 and 5 star resorts
and wedding packages. The beaches are gorgeous,
and our brides have raved about the service and
the food. Go the all inclusive route and save a lot
of money. Once this area is hit heavy by
tourists, the prices will increase. Enjoy
paradise NOW while its affordable.
Dominican Republic - Punta Cana Vacations

If you are looking for a flight and don't want
to wade through tons of sights looking for the
best travel deal, this site will do it all for you.
Find Cheap Flights from 100+ Sites with One Click.

If you want a destination wedding, plan it while
the prices are down and start packing.

For all the legalities, go to Beach Bride To Be
and have a happy wedding!

Destination Wedding Announcement & Invitations

noreply@blogger.com (Weddingzilla) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:37:00 +0000

Destination brides have been searching for
a destination wedding announcement or
invitation that is made SPECIFICALLY for a
destination wedding. Most traditional wedding
invitations and announcements are too
uber traditional and don't convey the
spirit, excitement and adventure of
a destination wedding. We just came
across these invitations and had to share them
with you! Click on the pic for more info.

The perfect wedding announcement of your
destination wedding and invitation to a post
wedding party. Everyone wants to see the bride
and groom dresses up for their wedding.

This invitation is called Tropical Tryst.
Isn't that a great name? Or a great destination
wedding theme?

Here is the perfect invitation for a beach wedding.
It features the sand dollar which also has
religious significance. And its pretty, modern
and simple, everything a beach wedding should be!

The card below can easily be adapted into a wedding
invitation, save the date card or wedding
announcement. The palm trees against the
Caribbean blue remind me of a tropical paradise.
And yes, the Caribbean seas are really this color!

Getting married in Hawaii? Hawaii is synonymous with
Hibiscus flowers and bushes.

Natural coral and the beach is a no brainer.
Love the simplicity of this invitation.

Weddings in sunny Mexico are a reason for a fiesta!
This can be adapted into an announcement, wedding
invitation or a fiesta at home after the wedding.
This just makes me want to celebrate!

Reasons Couples Choose A Destination Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Weddingzilla) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Couples used to elope to get secretly
married. Couples headed to Las Vegas
or Niagara Falls. It evolved into a full blown
destination wedding when couples decided
to go away and have their dream wedding
away from home.

We asked a lot of couples why they
decided on a destination wedding and
here's what they said.

We've always dreamed of getting married
at a beach. We're beach people.

We got engaged on a vacation to Cabo.
It seemed like a natural place for
our wedding.

It was a second wedding for both of us.
We didn't want a large church wedding since
we'd both been there and done that. We
wanted something meaningful and less showy.

Our family was driving us nuts. Both moms
wanted what THEY wanted. The stress was killing
us and we got tired of this not being about
our wedding. So we planned a destination wedding
and it was amazing.

We have a big blended family and they don't
get along. We didn't want to deal with doing
seating charts to keep them apart. You can
choose your friends, but you can't choose
your relatives.

My husbands father is an alcoholic and we could
either have a reception with no alcohol or
have someone watch him all day long so he
doesn't create an incident. My husband had a
hard life because of his dad's drinking and even
though he loves him dearly, it wasn't fair
to my husband to worry about his dad on our
wedding day. We decided a destination wedding
was the way to go.

We went to a friends wedding in the Bahamas. It was
beautiful. We enjoyed it so much that we decided
when we got married, that we wanted a destination
wedding at sunset on a beach.

We come from different religious backgrounds. It
isn't a problem for us, but it IS a problem for
our parents. So, we decided on a nondenominational
chapel wedding to avoid the religion argument.

We wanted a vacation and we wanted to get married.
Killed two birds with one stone..LOL.

A destination wedding was less expensive and fit
into our budget. I thought I wanted the big
fairy tale wedding, but the economy made me realize
that we shouldn't be spending that money for a huge
wedding. So we decided on to upgrade on a destination
wedding and we are so glad we did!

Keeping Your Destination Wedding Guests in the Loop

noreply@blogger.com (Weddingzilla) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:35:00 +0000

A destination wedding means you have to
keep the information flowing to the
guests who are traveling to your wedding.
They need to know of any change of plans
that will affect their travel plans.

Save the date cards should be sent out
as far in advance as possible. Your guests will
need time to arrange their finances, save for
the trip and get the time off work so they can
attend your wedding. You should include a link to
a personal wedding web site where you can
keep current information.
wedsimple.com - View our beautiful website designs

Post on the site special information for your
guests such as travel agents or sites you
are working with to help them make their
travel arrangements. Post discounted hotel
options for the guests. Most resorts or hotels
will discount a block of hotel rooms for your
guests. You, as the bride, need to arrange
this either by negotiation or by using a
wedding planner in your location.

You might want to include a schedule of the wedding
events as well as local things for them to see
or do. Include information on local weather and
transportation. Ask yourself: If I were a guest,
what would I want or need to know so I can attend
this wedding. Then answer them on your personal
web site.

The more information you give to your guests, the
easier it will be for everyone to attend the
wedding and have a blast! Remember, your guests
are spending a lot of money to travel to the wedding
and this is also a vacation for them. Give them
free time to enjoy themselves and take in some of
the local color, lounge by the pool or beach or
just chill.

Destination Weddings and Dealing With the Humidity

noreply@blogger.com (Weddingzilla) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:48:00 +0000

Tropical climate equals humidity. Lets say
you are getting married in Florida, and yes,
Florida does have tropical weather and the
humidity is off the charts. Normal Florida
weather, so to speak. Its humid and you
are in a wedding dress for a beach wedding.
How do you stay picture perfect and look fresh?

My nephew had an awesome beach wedding in Florida.
Everything was perfect, except for the humidity.
It was so humid in the evening that my teeth were
sweating. We'd been rocking out on the dance floor
that was on a huge deck surrounding the hotel.
There were fans, but no ocean breeze and the
brides makeup looked fresher than a daisy.
Mandy, the bride, asked me to help her remove
her crinoline. No one could figure out how to
peel it off her because of the corset back but
me. So while I was helping her cool off,
she told me she had on makeup primer.
Head smack! Why hadn't I thought of that?

Rule number one: Wear makeup primer. It
will keep your makeup on through the
most wicked humidity.

Carry some makeup blotters that blot your
skin and remove the oils and leave the
makeup intact.

Rule number two: Don't wear a heavy crinoline
if you are having a beach wedding. Most
dresses already have a built in crinoline
and you don't need more fullness and added
fabric to make you warmer.

Rule number three: If you are having
an outdoor or beach wedding with an
outdoor reception, keep the cold drinks
flowing. Limit your alcohol intake, it
will make you warmer. Drink ice water, ice
tea and lemonade to rehydrate.

Rule number four: Let your groomsmen take
off their ties and jacket after the ceremony
and the pictures. Tuxes are hot, in both
senses of the word. ;)

Rule number five: Enjoy yourself, a cool
shower when you get home and you'll feel
great!

We've Relaunched Our Destination Web Site!

noreply@blogger.com (Weddingzilla) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000

After months, our revamped website is
finally online for all of our destination
brides! Beach Bride To Be
has been expanded with new destinations, more wedding
planning tips and more ideas. Our old web host had
change their platform, and made it nearly impossible
for us to update the site. So, after months of
hard work, we rebuilt the site from the bottom up.

Our revamped site is a work in progress, we will
be adding more destinations, more advice and more
comments from real life destination brides who
have been there and done that and give their
honest impressions.

If you have destination wedding questions, we
have answers. Comment on the blog or
email through our FAQ page and we'll find
the answer for you!

Flying To Your Destination Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Weddingzilla) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:02:00 +0000

Most destination weddings involve the bride
and groom or wedding guests flying to the
destination. Flying is becoming a pain in the
rear with all the new rules and regulations implemented
by the airlines. Educate yourself BEFORE you leave
so that you don't end up paying excess baggage fees or
repacking your bags at the check in counter.

I recently was in line to check in at a Delta counter.
Most of the people in line didn't know that there
were weight limits to their suitcase and ended up
repacking their bags at the counter. No one wanted
to pay the additional $25.00 for a few extra pounds.
I didn't blame them, but the line didn't move for one
solid hour and tempers were short.

The airlines are changing their baggage rules
by the second. US Airways, American and United
are charging $15.00 to check ONE bag. Only
Southwest isn't charging a bag check fee unless
you have a third bag. The second bag price varies,
but that is the latest gotcha to get you to part with
your money. Some are charging for seat selection!
US Airways is even charging for soft drinks.
How long will it be until they figure out
how to charge for a seatbelt?

Pack your own snacks to eat on the plane. Easy to bring
along snacks are grapes, crackers, cookies, trail mix,
granola bars, etc. You'll save a bundle, but remember,
you can't bring any beverages from home. You'll have to
buy them at the airport at an inflated price.

Learn to pack lighter to avoid a lot of pitfalls
at the check in counter.

Know the latest rules and regulations by
going to RickSeaney.com.
He is updating his chart to reflect the latest
airline fees so there isn't any unpleasant surprise
on the way to your destination wedding!

Weddings In Sedona Arizona, Scenery, Spirituality and Serenity

noreply@blogger.com (Weddingzilla) — Sat, 17 May 2008 14:30:00 +0000

Today is my birthday, and if things go according to
plan, I will be celebrating in Sedona, Arizona, my favorite
spot on earth. (Fingers tightly crossed!)

Sedona is becoming a destination wedding spot for
those who admire the red rocks and gorgeous juniper
forests. It is one of the most beautiful spots on earth.
Its probably the most beautiful backdrop in the southwest.
Sedona is known as Red Rock Country, and every evening
the sun sets into an amazing array of purples and orange
lights on the canyon walls.

Many people feel that Sedona is very spiritual because of
the vortexes in the earth. They feel that the energy emitted
by the earth is spiritual and healing.

Sedona can acommodate your any wish from a chapel wedding,
resort wedding, outside wedding or a shaman wedding
performed by a Native American officiant. How cool is that?
We actually witnessed one a few years back. They played a
haunting flute melody and the backdrop was the mountains.
It was breathtaking and so unique! For more information
Click Here. Weddings In Sedona

Don't forget that Sedona is a romantic honeymoon
destination! The bed and breakfasts in Sedona are
just amazing and romantic.

Orbitz Helps You Pick Your Perfect Beach!

noreply@blogger.com (Weddingzilla) — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:02:00 +0000

This is so cool. Orbitz came up with a tool to help
you pick the beach that is perfect for you. The tool
is more like playing a game. The sound of the sea
lapping on the shore sets the background for the questions.
Answer the questions, the tool will help you
find your perfect beach.

You first select who will be traveling:
Honeymooners, couples, families, etc.
Then you pick your interests and this page
is so cool. Up on the beach floats a shopping bag,
a scuba mask, disco ball, a shrimp on a fork and more.
The next step is hotel options and on the beach floats
cucumbers for the spa, a do not disturb sign and more.
This is just FUN.

My best beaches are in Punta Cana, Jamaica and St. Lucia.
I thought no beach could top St. Marteen, but I guess I'll
have to give the other spots a whirl.

Cruise Ship Wedding, Great Food, Exotic Ports, Total Relaxation!

noreply@blogger.com (Weddingzilla) — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:36:00 +0000

Cruise ship weddings combine the best
of the best for destination weddings.
Carnival offers wedding packages to
fit every budget.

You have your wedding on board the ship
before you sail or at an exotic port
of call. All the details are handled
for you by the cruise lines. Make the
arrangements with the cruise line,
get your passport and pack! All you
have to do is arrive in advance for
your marriage license, which gives you
time to relax and explore the port city.

Cruise ships are your floating hotel.
Your hotel will transport you to tropical
islands, you'll feel the trade winds blowing
and you can sip a fruity drink as you
lounge on the deck and watch the clouds
float by. Heavenly AND relaxing.

You have unlimited food and dining options
as well as room service. Eat on the Lido
deck or the dining room. Cruise lines
are introducing special dining rooms where
you can dine by romantic candlelight at a
table for two by reservation.

All your entertainment is on board. You
can dance the night away in the disco,
try your luck in the casino or attend
Broadway shows or Las Vegas style shows
in the showrooms. Look for comics doing
late shows at midnight, have a drink at
a quiet bar later.

You can join in the activities on
board the ship or you can do your
own thing. Every ship has the newlywed
game and they are hysterical. Some also
have parties for the newlyweds so you
can dish about your wedding to others
on the ship. Or you can meet other newlyweds
to go ashore and with them.

Cruise lines include your food, entertainment,
room and taxes in the cost of the cruise.
Special dining rooms may have a surcharge.
You'll need money for tips which you pay
at the end of the cruise and are done
on a per person per day basis. For the
level of service you get on cruise ships,
its a bona fide bargain. Alcoholic drinks
are extra, but you'll find free drinks
flowing freely at the captain's cocktail
party. Shore excursions are extra as is
the money you spend in the casino.

The cruise lines will help you with your onboard
wedding. You'll have to arrive a day or so before
sailing to get your marriage license. Their wedding
coordinator will handle all the details for you. Their
package deals cover the entire cost. And, you are
automatically on your honeymoon!
Ship board weddings take place in port on board the
ship or in the exotic locales when the ship docks.
Enjoy the romance of the high seas!

Top 10 All-Inclusive Resorts!

noreply@blogger.com (Weddingzilla) — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:01:00 +0000

Top 10 All-Inclusive Resorts!

Do something you’ll never forget - book an all-inclusive resort vacation. The advantages to staying at an all-inclusive resort are seemingly endless. Most include meals, beverages, tips, entertainment and activities in the price of the room - allowing you more time to actually relax on vacation and less time figuring the bill.
Not only are these resorts perfect for a destination wedding,
but think HONEYMOON!

Moon Palace Golf & Spa All Inclusive Resort

1. Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort All Inclusive - Cancun, MX

Prime yourself for luxury at the Moon Palace Gold and Spa Resort in Cancun. Guests enjoy gourmet meals, beverages, tours, entertainment, and both land and sea activities. The resort also boasts a signature golf course by Jack Nicklaus and full spa facilities.
Top All Inclusive Resorts: #1. Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort All Inclusive - Cancun, MX

2. Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort and Spa - Providenciales, TC

Touting itself as a multi-faceted fantasy world where private bungalows, pools and 12 miles of white sand overlook turquoise water, this resort features fine cuisine, land and sea sports, spa, nightly entertainment and a kid’s club - Pirate Island.
Top All Inclusive Resorts: #2. Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort and Spa - Providenciales, TC

3. Barcelo Bavaro Beach Hotel All Inclusive - Punta Cana, DO

Escape from the busy world at Barcelo Bavaro Beach Hotel in Punta Cana. This breathtaking hotel’s all-inclusive package offers admission to nightly entertainment, three meals daily at eight of the hotel’s 14 restaurants, complimentary transportation between five of the Bavaro brand hotels and complimentary local beverage and snack service.
Top All Inclusive Resorts: #3. Barcelo Bavaro Beach Hotel All Inclusive - Punta Cana, DO

4. Paradisus Palma Real All Inclusive - Higuey, DO

Combining world-class facilities with a Caribbean setting, the Paradisus Palma Real features luxury suites, spa facilities, health center, sea-front pool, a casino, nightly entertainment and remarkable dining. Unlimited green fees and nightly entertainment are included in the all-inclusive package.
Top All Inclusive Resorts: #4. Paradisus Palma Real All Inclusive - Higuey, DO

5. Le Blanc Spa Resort All Inclusive - Cancun, MX

Upon arrival at the Le Blanc Spa Resort in Cancun, guests are greeted with a cool drink and washcloth. This adults-only haven allows guests to immerse themselves in the luxury of 24-hour room service, butler service, entertainment, premium drinks, haute cuisine and non-motorized water sports. All taxes and gratuities are included.
Top All Inclusive Resorts: #5. Le Blanc Spa Resort All Inclusive - Cancun, MX

6. Grand Velas All Suites & Spa Resort All Inclusive - Nuevo Vallarta, MX

Let your worries float away as you indulge at the Grand Velas All Suites and Spa Resort in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Luxurious all-inclusive services include gourmet dining, Pilates, yoga and meditation programs, Aqua bar, tennis and spa services.
Top All Inclusive Resorts: #6. Grand Velas All Suites & Spa Resort All Inclusive - Nuevo Vallarta, MX

7. The BodyHoliday at LeSPORT All Inclusvie - Cap Estate, LC

Pamper yourself at The BodyHoliday at LeSport in St. Lucia this winter: all-inclusive amenities include dining at hotspots like Tao, fitness classes, Body Treats from the Oasis Spa, and land sports and water sports.
Top All Inclusive Resorts: #7. The BodyHoliday at LeSPORT All Inclusvie - Cap Estate, LC

8. Barcelo Langosta Beach All Inclusive - Tamarindo, CR

Relax and rejuvenate by the crystal waters of Playa Langosta at the Barcelo Langosta Beach in Tamarindo, Costa Rica, where long stretches of white sand beckon. Activities and classes, land sports, unlimited local beverages and buffet-style meals are all part of the resort's all-inclusive program.
Top All Inclusive Resorts: #8. Barcelo Langosta Beach All Inclusive - Tamarindo, CR

9. Akumal Beach Resort All Inclusive - Riviera Maya, MX

Enjoy daily beachside activities, a welcome cocktail, all meals and local beverages, scuba clinics and more at the beautiful Akumal Beach Resort, located on a one-mile stretch of beachfront in the Riviera Maya.
Top All Inclusive Resorts: #9. Akumal Beach Resort All Inclusive - Riviera Maya, MX

10. Jolly Beach Resort All Inclusive - St. Johns, AG

Lazy days await at Jolly Beach Resort in Antigua, where you can take advantage of their all-inclusive amenities, including meals and drinks at five restaurants and bars, children's activities, tennis, nightly entertainment, daily activities and non-motorized water sports.
Top All Inclusive Resorts: #10. Jolly Beach Resort All Inclusive - St. Johns, AG

Getting Married In Mexico

noreply@blogger.com (Weddingzilla) — Tue, 06 May 2008 01:04:00 +0000

Sunny Mexico, smiling people, swaying palm trees, white sandy beaches, the perfect destination wedding getaway! Mexico is fast becoming a top destination wedding spot. Why? Mexico has premiere beach resorts that are catering to destination weddings. Mexican weddings are affordable. Mexico is a beautiful country with both "jungles" and beaches so you have a choice of wedding locales. And who doesn't love Mexican food?

Its not difficult to marry in Mexico, but there are guidelines that need to be followed. Mexico has different states and different marriage requirements. If you book your wedding at a resort, take advantage of their wedding coordinator to help you through the legal requirements. Although you can do it all yourself, its advisable to hire a wedding coordinator if you are coming in from the US to make the wedding flow seamlessly. The legalities can be confusing, but a wedding planner can help you save time and stress.

You will need to plan in advance and assemble paperwork to have a legal wedding in Mexico. You are required to have a passport and tourist visa. If you arrive by plane, the airline will give you a tourist visa. If driving, you will get it at the border. Make copies, because they will keep them. Some of the documents will need to be translated into Spanish. You need a CERTIFIED copy of your birth certificate and you should have it translated into Spanish. DO NOT bring the original, because they keep it.
For more information, click here.

The Hochstadt.com Party Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Weddingzilla) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 15:49:00 +0000

← Alexa Changed Its Ranking Algorithm

The Alexa Dance →

It’s The Hochstadt.com Party Contest!

Apr 17 by Marcus Hochstadt | Posted in Contests, Traffic Generation

It’s The Hochstadt.com Party Contest!

Yesterday shall have been the day for my blog to break Alexa’s Top 50,000 rank, if… yeah, if Alexa wouldn’t have changed its ranking algorithm! LOL

While I was eagerly checking and waiting for my blog to break Alexa’s 50,000 mark (so I can celebrate this with you,) I found out Alexa just changed its Ranking algorithm (04/16/2008)…

http://www.alexa.com/site/company/announcement

My blog’s Alexa Rank now dropped from 51,059 down to 174,666!

That means, NO ranking report, NO “showing off” of Alexa’s formerly sky-rocking hochstadt.com ranking graph, NO big numbers—nada of these—and therefore NO “Alexa Top 50,000 In 107 Days” title – BUT…

We will simply change the tag and party anyway! :-D

(Business Lesson: Never ever be dependent on any 3rd party resource!)

You probably remember the astonishing party I held when my blog broke Alexa’s old 100,000 mark? OK, as a reminder…

http://www.hochstadt.com/alexa-top-100000-in-66-days

Now, because of the Alexa thing, now it is…

The Hochstadt.com Party Contest!

I invited a select few Top Entrecarders and Internet Entrepreneurs to join our one-of-a-kind Hochstadt.com Party Contest and celebrate together that it is indeed possible to catapult from no man’s land to popularity in 107 days!

Without further ado, let’s get to the “Party Contest Meat”—or in other words, what YOU can WIN at this Hochstadt.com Party Contest!

NOTE: This is none of those Internet Marketing niche contests… The Hochstadt.com Party Contest features prizes from a broad range of industries and categories. Meaning, there is something for EVERYONE:

Men’s Interest, Women’s Interest, Sports, Internet Marketing, Make Money Online, Technology, Hobbies, Marketing, Self Improvement, Computers and Internet, Art, Environment, Finance and Investing, Web Development, News and Media, Entertainment, Graphic Design, Religion and Spirituality, Blogging Resources, Parenting and Family, Technology, Mixed Bag, Home and Garden, Health and Medicine, Trends, Personal Diary, and Writing and Literature!

Now, take a look at these amazing and unbelievable contributions… the Who’s Who of Entrecard and other friends of mine:

Consultations, Products & Services

Max from SiteHoppin gives 10 Beer Stock Pages worth $20-$100 each = $200-$1,000 PLUS 50 One Buck Wiki pages worth $20 each = $1,000, altogether making it to a whopping $2,000!
Martin Russell from Word of Mouth Marketing gives 50 (!) accounts of 10 cards each at SendOutCards.com worth $25 each = $1,250!
Gary Evans from Law of Attraction Secrets gives 10 (!) of his Manifest A Miracle systems worth $97 each = $970!
Marcus Hochstadt from Internet Business Guide For First Class Progress gives respectively 1 of each of his 4 DVD products worth $100 each = $400 PLUS one 2-hour Multimedia Coaching Session worth $300, altogether making it to a $700!
Debbie Lane from Wisdom Hypnosis gives 7 of her Living The Lucky Life! audio CDs worth $23.77 each = $166.39 PLUS a personal 1.5 hour Hypnosis Session by phone worth $250, making it a total of $416.39!
Pat King from FitnessLifeClub gives 1 month of his Premier Health Coaching Package worth $357.98!
Keith Goodrum from On Becoming a 2%er gives 2 of his DVDs 10 Minute Blog Post worth $100 each = $200!
Andreas from XavierMedia.com gives 5 one-year VIP memberships to CreateBanner.com worth $35 each = $175!
Larry Brauner from Online Social Networking gives a personal 1 hour consultation worth $150!
Jason from The University Kid gives two 60 minute Blogging Consultations worth $60 each = $120!
Leisa Watkins from Dream Act Plan Believe gives 3 Robert G. Allan books that are personally signed by Robert (!), as well as 3 Richard Paul Evans books, also personally signed by Richard himself!
Karl Gechlik from Ask The Admin gives a professional technical e-mail support session worth $50!
Wayne from Ez DIY Electricity gives $50 in hard earned PayPal cash!
Borzack from Making Myself Extra Money gives 5 of his Page Peel Ads scripts worth $8 each = $40!
Stephan Miller from Stephan Miller gives one copy of Confessions of a Lazy Super-Affiliate worth $29.95 PLUS a Special Report he wrote specifically for the person who wins this e-book!
Crystal from Ubiquitous gives a Site Review worth $20 PLUS a link on her Blogroll for one month worth $10, making it a total of $30!
Sam Freedom from Internet Marketing Controversy Blog gives a 2-month membership to a large Private Label Rights (”PLR”) membership site worth $30!
Kelly Naylor from Aerten Art gives one of her unique art work Acid Rain, an original water color painting worth $25!
Dwayne from Pro Blog Reviews gives a Blog Review worth $25!
Frank from Technology Blog and more gives a StumbleUpon advertisement campaign worth $20 (400 targeted visitors)!
Kacie from Sense to Save gives a StumbleUpon advertisement campaign worth $10 (200 targeted visitors)!
The Fool from Foolsville 2.0 gives $10 in hard earned PayPal cash!
Lightening from Lightening’s Blogworld gives 2 Blog Reviews worth $5 each = $10!
Constantin Codreanu from INconstantIN gives a one year .com domain registration worth $10!
Iris from thebuzz gives a link on her Blogroll for one month worth $10!
Layne from Reward Rebel gives 1 copy of Reward Rebel LOOT worth $7!
Fitz Villafuerte from Ready To Be Rich gives 2 stumbles & diggs per week for one month!
Theda K. Rogers from Crayon Writer gives a full-blown site review on her blog which will certainly increase the buzz for her winner’s blog!
Mert Erkal from Search For Blogging gives an Invitation to the May issue of www.bloghology.org, which has more than 3,000+ subscribers!
Alexys Fairfield from Soul Meets World offers to interview her winner (about his/her product, service, Web site, life, etc) PLUS providing a link from her site to his’/hers! (She used to interview celebrities, so this one is PRICELESS!)

Ad Space

KiwiPulse from KiwiPulse gives 3 x 125×125 top ad space for one month worth $15 each = $45
Deimos Tel´Arin from ahkong.net gives a 468×60 top ad banner box for one month worth $36
Anna from My Cornerstone Trio gives a 125×125 top ad space for one month worth $35
Turnip from Turnip of Power gives a 125×125 top ad space for one month worth $35
Wayne from Ez DIY Electricity gives a top ad space (125×125 or 468×60) for one month worth up to $30
Caleb Hartley from environmentastic! gives a 125×125 top ad space for one month worth $25
Kathleen from Entrepreneurs Only gives a 125×125 top ad space for one month worth $25
Marty from Money Maker Times gives a 125×125 top ad space for one month worth $25
Constantin Codreanu from INconstantIN gives a 125×125 top ad space for one month worth $15
Mirjam from Me Myself and I gives a 125×125 top ad space for one month worth $10
Lee Doyle from Lee Doyle - Contains Nuts gives a 125×125 top ad space for one month worth $10

Entrecard Credits

Marcus Hochstadt from Internet Business Guide For First Class Progress gives 12,966ec
Layne from Reward Rebel gives 5,000ec
Caleb Hartley from environmentastic! gives 3,000ec
Constantine Balbozar from Ideas and Money gives 3,000ec
Kacie from Sense to Save gives 3,000ec
Larry Brauner from Online Social Networking gives 2,500ec
Joan Joyce from Joan Joyce Dot Com gives 2,000ec
Tim from Yimto Affiliate Marketing Blog gives 2,000ec
Crystal from Ubiquitous gives 2,000ec
Lee Doyle from Lee Doyle - Contains Nuts gives 2,000ec
Art from Article Specialist gives 2,000ec
Jonathan from Archon Digital gives 2,000ec
Jonathon from Tech News Source gives 1,500ec
Gary Evans from Law of Attraction Secrets gives 1,000ec
Suzanne from Dot Com Mogul gives 1,000ec
Dwayne from Pro Blog Reviews gives 1,000ec
Michael Aulia from Michael Aulia’s Tech Blog gives 1,000ec
Stephan Miller from Stephan Miller gives 1,000ec
Dave from Is A Man’s World gives 1,000ec
Scott Main from Scott’s Space gives 1,000ec
Kumo from Toast & Egg & Me… gives 1,000ec
Mirjam from Me Myself and I gives 1,000ec
Jasmine from Pixelated Thoughts gives 1,000ec
Lincoln from Canucklehead gives 1,000ec
KiwiPulse from KiwiPulse gives 1,000ec
Lightening from Lightening gives 1,000ec
Wangbu from Hulag gives 1,000ec
Juliana from Juliana’s World gives 1,000ec
Juliana from Juliana’s Lair gives 1,000ec
Juliana from My Library gives 1,000ec
Iris from thebuzz gives 1,000ec
Anna from My Cornerstone Trio gives 1,000ec
Wayne from Ez DIY Electricity gives 1,000ec
Collin LaHay from Mixed Market Arts gives 600ec
Shelia from Black Tennis Pros gives 500ec
David Thorne from Media Morgue gives 500ec
Stan from Fantasy Baseball gives 500ec
Borzack from Making Myself Extra Money gives 500ec
The Fool from Foolsville 2.0 gives 500ec
Marty from Money Maker Times gives 300ec
Fitz Villafuerte from Ready To Be Rich gives 300ec

Destination Wedding Favors

noreply@blogger.com (Weddingzilla) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 02:06:00 +0000

Just came across some very cool
beach wedding favors, perfect for
your destination wedding or your
wedding shower.

Destination Weddings, Best Times and Dates

noreply@blogger.com (Weddingzilla) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:51:00 +0000

I came across a posting on About.com
giving advice on the best places to go
for a destination wedding or honeymoon according to
the time of year. Very informative and really
important when planning your destination
wedding. Read it here.

If you are honeymooning in the summer months,
stay away from Disney or you'll be in long lines
of children. Go in the winter months, excluding
spring break and holidays, and you'll miss the long
lines of children. Your wait time in line is minimal and
Disney is awesome any time of the year.

If you are cruising, you might want to miss the
hurricane months of June 1 to November 30
even though the most active time is considered
August 15 to October 25. You are safe on a cruise
ship, the cruise line isn't going to sail a kabillion
dollar ship into a storm. They are going to circumvent
the storm. I was on a ship sailing through a tropical
depression. It was rough sailing and windy, but it only
lasted about 8 hours and didn't really affect anything
on board the ship. You couldn't go outside, but inside
it was business as usual. We sailed out of the storm into
calm waters and we didn't even know it was a hurricane
developing until we got home.

One thing to note: cruise sailings are less money during
the fall months. I've also sailed during the active time and
didn't have any rough weather. For information on getting
married on a cruise ship, click here.

Las Vegas is perfect year round. Avoid going during a major
convention. Las Vegas has conventions year round, there are
some huge ones that will book up hotel rooms and
escalate the room prices.
Check the Las Vegas convention calender to check your dates.

Why Have a Destination Wedding?

noreply@blogger.com (Weddingzilla) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 16:39:00 +0000

Why NOT have a destination wedding?

Destination weddings are romantic. You are
"eloping" to a different area and coming home
married. Plus, you are automatically on
your honeymoon. No stress about traveling
after the wedding. Say "I Do", celebrate
at your reception or wedding dinner and start
relaxing on your honeymoon.

Destination weddings take away a lot of family
and wedding planning stress. There are so many
blended families today with divorce, children and
other factors that cause familial stress. It makes having
a big blow out wedding difficult. Step mother and mother
can't get along. Mom's boyfriend hates dad. You get the
picture, adults behaving badly and can't get along for
one day. Its your day, its supposed to be fun, joyful and
happy. Cut out the stress, cut out the family discord.

Destination weddings can be more cost effective and less
expensive. The average cost of a wedding is $28,000
in the USA. Here's a link to tell you the cost in your city.
You can have your wedding in the Caribbean at one of the
Sandals resorts with the wedding ceremony, airfare and
lodging from $3,000 to $6,000 depending on your choice
or resorts or lodging. And Sandals will do it all for you!
Book your airfare, coordinate all the details of the ceremony,
your marriage license advice, the wedding, and your
lodging in a luxe room in paradise!
Dream Honeymoons; Destination Weddings at Sandals!
I've had a lot of customers and family "do Sandals" and
they all rave about the resorts. I know that Sandals has it
right and has it down to a science. I've been in the
wedding biz a loooooong time and I know that Sandals
is the primo resort for destination weddings.

You can do a simple ceremony in Las Vegas at numerous
wedding chapels for under $200, add $55 for the marriage
license. Many hotels will coordinate all the details for you
if you marry in their chapel. For info on Las Vegas weddings,
click here. For information on Las Vegas honeymoons, click here.

Win a 7 day, 6 night all-inclusive vacation at a Sandals or Beaches
Resort of your choice , no purchase necessary!

How abut winning your wedding? Win a 7 day, 6 night all-inclusive vacation at a Sandals or Beaches Resort of your choice (no purchase necessary) !

How Do I Pick My Destination Wedding Location?

noreply@blogger.com (Weddingzilla) — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 20:57:00 +0000

Choosing a destination wedding location is
may be confusing because there are so many
choices. You can marry anyplace from a mountain
cabin, Caribbean resort, Las Vegas, cruise ship,
villa in Italy, bed and breakfast, Hawaiian beach
or your state park. The list is endless and there
will be someone who will marry you in your
choice of location IF you plan ahead.

Is there a place that has a special meaning
to you as a couple?

Is there a spot growing up that holds a
special memory to either of you?

Do you have a favorite beach?

Have you traveled to a spot and thought
that it would make a great place for a wedding?

Do you both love hot or cold weather? If you hate
hot weather, then nix the beach and head for the
mountains. Let the weather be a factor in
your choices.

Close your eyes, how do you picture
your wedding? On a windswept beach?
On a mountaintop at sunrise? In the glitter
of Las Vegas? On a covered bridge on a
country road? Visualize, visualize and
visualize some more and you'll have
your answer!

Work it out as a couple. Its HIS wedding, too!

If we are inviting guests, is there affordable
lodging available?

Is there an nearby airport with easy connections,
not just for your guests, but for you as a couple?
Nothing is worse than having problems traveling!
(Tip: Arrive a day or two early so you have time
to relax and unwind and get last minute wedding
arrangements handled.)

Talk to a travel agent. They have ideas and
suggestions that will help guide you and special
package deals that you may not be able to
find on the net.

Cruise the net. There are so many ideas and
locations. Note what looks interesting and follow
up. Great weddings don't just happen, they
are well planned!

New Years Resolutions for the Destination Bride

noreply@blogger.com (Weddingzilla) — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 17:22:00 +0000

If you are planning a destination wedding,
its time to get your resolutions made and
get planning.

Get organized! Get or download a planner
and keep it up to date. Very important
since the wedding is out of town to keep phone
numbers and email addresses where they
can be easily accessed.

Get your passport if you are getting married
out of the USA. You now need a passport to
get married in the Caribbean, Mexico, Canada.
Cross the border, you need a passport.
DO NOT WAIT! Since the new rule went into
effect, the wait time is longer since everyone
puts it off. To see what you need to get your
passport, click here.

Make travel and lodging arrangements in
advance. Last minute travel will cost
you more money.

Send save the date cards with travel information
to the guests you are inviting. They need time
to save up the money to travel and take
vacation time from work.

Keep your guests in the loop by creating
a wedding web site that you update
regularly.

Make lists of what you will need to
travel and the clothes you will need
for the location. Start filling in your
wardrobe with things you need for
the wedding and honeymoon.

Make a list and assemble the
documents you both need to get your
marriage license.

Confirm all of your wedding arrangements
BEFORE you travel.

Confirm your travel reservations BEFORE
you travel.

Don't forget to pack your sunscreen if
you are heading to a beach location!