Visit the hundreds of Wineries.

I am convinced I could visit California every year for the next 10 years and never have to repeat a winery. There are so many options, each vineyard with a different personality. Some are upscale and fancy, while most are laid back and inviting. Especially in Sonoma you will find many more low-key wineries than in Napa.

Rent Bicycles

In Sonoma,most wine tasters either hire a driver or drive themselves. If you drive yourself I suggest you are careful on the size of your tastings and take your time in between each winery to eat a bite and relax. If you hire a driver it will hit your wallet harder, but you won’t have to worry about tasting and driving.

I suggest taking a car to the wineries further away, but there are plenty near the city center in Sonoma that you can bike to. I rented bikes for an afternoon to bike to 4 wineries and loved the feeling of biking through the vineyards. It was a completely new perspective, instead of flying by in a car you were able to look around and stop whenever you wanted to.

Spoil Yourself with a B&B and Spa

One of my favorite parts of Sonoma is the cute bed and breakfasts that offer a personal touch for you to spoil yourself at. We stayed at Cottage Inn and Spa, kicked off the weekend with an incredible massage and spent the rest of the evening in their comfy white robes. We had a full kitchen to prepare our cheese and meals for picnics during the day and a patio to sit out and enjoy the spring air in the evening.

What city would you recommend for a romantic get-away?

The post Falling in Love in Sonoma appeared first on bubbly bride.

Then you need muscles!

Most brides go on a bridal bootcamp until their wedding. They go on a strict diet and exercise plan to make sure they can wiggle into their dress looking their best.

Imagine walking down the aisle with your strapless wedding gown and having the perfectly defined back and shoulders. I’m not talking about getting cut and competing in body competitions, but the lines that define your muscles are sexy and you will not only look better but feel your best!

4 Great Exercises to Define Your Bridal Muscles

1. Tricep Dips

• Position your wrists on a solid bench or chair.
• Keeping your back close to the bench, bend your elbows lowering your body towards the floor.
• Once your arms are at about a 90 degree angle press up, returning your body to the starting point.

2. Superman

Exercise your back muscles and give your guests something to look at as you’re saying your I Do’s.

• Lay face down on the floor with your arms and legs relaxed.
• Lift your arms and legs straight off the ground, arching your back and contracting all of your muscles.
• Hold your body in the superman pose for 10 – 15 seconds before releasing.
• Repeat this 10 – 12 times.

3. Overhead Press

• Start with your feet shoulder width apart.
• Hold dumbbells at shoulder height, keeping your abs and your glutes tight.
• Drive the dumbbells to the ceiling, avoiding shrugging your shoulders and continuing to look straight ahead.
• Lower the dumbbells to the starting point and repeat 10 – 12 times.

4. Pushups

The ultimate full body workout. If you aren’t able to do full pushups, don’t hesitate to drop to your knees as you build up your strength.

• Place hands slightly wider than shoulder width and your feet in a comfortable distance whether that be shoulder width or feet touching.
• Keep your entire body in a flat plane. You don’t want to have your butt sticking up in the air or sagging below your shoulders.
• Lock your eyes out in front of you and keep your core and glutes tight.
• Lower your body until your arms are at a 90 degree or less angle and then breathe out and push yourself back to your starting position.

Don’t just spend your exercise hour running or on the elliptical – get in the weight room and work your muscles!

The post [B Fit] M :: Muscles on Your Wedding Day appeared first on bubbly bride.

Sadie did an excellent job of letting her personality shine through with details planned throughout the day. Her photographer, Captured With Love Photography, spent time all around the city capturing them and their bridal party with the best of Chicago!

I love when wedding photos exude happiness, they capture not only the people in them, but the emotion everyone was feeling as well.

Every girl dreams of her fairytale wedding, what does yours look like?

The post Sadie + Austin: Chicago Wedding Highlights appeared first on bubbly bride.

I would bet that either the bride and/or groom are big sports fans, so be prepared for sports themes to pop up throughout their big day.

Manchester’s culture is a built on their passion for their sports.  Everything from football, cricket, rugby and more is represented by strong teams in the city. Two major football clubs wear the city’s name with pride, Manchester City and Manchester United.  Manchester has hosted every major domestic, continental and international football competition, in addition to competing a few times to host the Olympics.

Storyboard Wedding

If you are looking for options for hotels in Manchester for your guests, be sure to check the sports schedule. During a big event the hotels will quickly book up and your guests will be left searching for a bed for the night.

Your wedding should reflect your personality, and if you love sports don’t hide it – have fun with it!

Mad About Cake

If you are committing to incorporating your love of sports into your wedding day, here are a few suggestions on classy ways to add in this fun theme.

1. Design your Groomsmen Cake to show off the sports logo of your choice
2. Propose to your future wife on the big screen
3. Hold your wedding at one of the stadiums premiere clubs
4. Give your groomsmen cuff links with the sports logo of your choice
5. Take your honeymoon photos at the stadium or in your favorite game day jerseys
6. Wear fun shoes under your dress and tux, such as kleets or tennis shoes with your team’s colors
7. Incorporate your team’s colors into your wedding day

All of these ideas can be done in a very fun and sophisticated way, so don’t assume you have to sacrifice your romantic wedding for a dude’s sports day.

Manchester United

Etsy

If you had a sports themed wedding – how did you incorporate your favorite team into your big day?

The post Sport Themed Weddings in Manchester appeared first on bubbly bride.

Would you consider having board games at your wedding?

Is this a unique gesture for friends and family who don’t want to dance, or is this assuming people will be bored at your wedding and it’s your responsibility to entertain them?

I love a good round of Monopoly or a game of charades – but I would suggest keeping the games to decoration only, or in the kids section of the room for this theme.

Your wedding is a chance for all of the most important people in your life to gather together and support you. Even if it turns out to be a room full of strangers this is their chance to make new friends. They all have something in common…YOU! Instead of encouraging them to hide out in the corner of the room with a game of chutes and ladders, open up the dance floor and tables for everyone to mingle.

If you love board games and are reading this with your wedding themed picked out, decorated with apples to apples and Pictionary - that’s ok! I like the idea of creating a wedding theme around board games, if that’s what you and your second half enjoy, I just think you should keep it to the theme and not the main activity.

Use your favorite board games as centerpieces on each table or to display the food. You could giveaway the game to a lucky guest at each table, or use the wedding to build up your own collection of games. Either way, people come to your wedding to celebrate you and be involved in your big event, not to challenge their table mates to a competitive game of scrabble.

Ashley’s Bride Guide

Storyboard Wedding

Wedding Aces

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My top 4 requirements for a good groomsmen gift:

1. Manly –  Ok, so I am probably being a bit generic here, but your groomsmen don’t want anything fluffy and wedding-y. They are participating in your wedding as a long-term friend in your life, but they still want to hold on to their bachelor, beer chugging college days too. You know your friends and what they will like, but personally I love gifting pocket knives, flasks and personalized sport gifts.

2. No mention of “So & So’s Wedding” – They aren’t going to use a glass that has you and your husband’s name and wedding day on it. I don’t even use wedding gifts that are given to me that have other people’s names and wedding dates on it (that is another conversation). Leave off your name and make the gift focused on them!

3. Simple – Typically girls get big bags with their initials engraved, filled with flip-flops, robes and all of the brides favorite things. Guys don’t need all of build up, keep your groomsmen gift simple.

4. For Them – They don’t want to open up a thank you gift and find a colorful pair of socks – only because you want them to wear the socks for photos. It’s great that you buy them a bright blue tie, that they will never wear again, but that shouldn’t be their thank you gift. It should be something that they would want and that they will use.

What requirements would you add to this list?

Here are a few great Etsy finds for groomsmen who love their whiskey.

Whiskey Glasses

Whiskey Barrel Cuff Links

Whiskey Corked Wedding Favors

Whiskey Flask

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Your wedding is obviously not about receiving gifts, but when you begin planning your event, your friends and family members will want to celebrate with you. One of the ways will be showering you with gifts of all sizes and shapes.

Generally you will get what you register for, china, wine glasses and bedding. But don’t be surprised when someone offers to pay for your honeymoon, wraps up a Mercedes Cabriolet as your wedding day get-away car or simply hands over an envelope with more cash than you know what to do with.

How to Accept Expensive Wedding Gifts

Accept the gift. Avoid the “you shouldn’t have” first reaction. If they didn’t want to, they wouldn’t have. Some people have very giving hearts and enjoy spoiling people they love. You are not their accountant and shouldn’t judge whether or not they could actually afford the gift or not, your job is accepting it…graciously!

Say Thank you. Immediately. Let them know in person how grateful/excited/happy/thankful you are to receive the gift. It is obviously a big gift, so let them know how big of a deal it is and be thankful in a big way.

Write a Thank you letter. I realize that I just told you to say thank you verbally, but I am also telling you to write a thank you letter soon after you received the gift. A handwritten thank you letter is personal and depending on who your writing it to, can make a huge impression.

Follow up with how you are enjoying your gift.  A week after your honeymoon, after a month of driving your new car or after you made a big purchase with the money that was given to you, let the giver know how you are enjoying the gift. Give them an update on the exciting adventures you went on during your honeymoon, how your first road trip in your new car went, or what you spent the money on (or are planning to spend it on).

Tips:

You don’t have to reciprocate. Most couples feel in their debt or like you owe them something big back. You don’t. Be thankful, accept the gift graciously and go about your lives as normal.

Pay it forward. My favorite thing about giving is the ability to pay it forward. Hopefully this has opened up your heart to the act of giving. It’s contagious and as you give more to people around you, the kindness will only grow as everyone gives their time, help and gifts to the next person.

Donate it if you must. If you can’t get your head around accepting the gift, and for whatever reason you believe it was too much, donate it. Give the money to charity, the car to someone in need or the romantic vacation to someone else who needs it.

There are no rules to giving and receiving wedding gifts, only suggestions.

How did you react to an expensive wedding gift at your wedding?

The post How To Receive Expensive Wedding Gifts appeared first on bubbly bride.

Hi Caroline,

My fiance and I have recently been having budget issues surrounding our wedding. We are both rather simple people, but our families are trying to plan a wedding event to impress their clients, and less about our marriage. We are fine with the big production, but we would rather not pay for all of their luxury items they are adding on and their continually growing guest list. Any suggestions on a fair way, we can discuss with both families, in order to keep our wedding budget on track and still keep everyone happy?

Thanks,

Budget-overload

Hey Budget-overloaded,

No worries, you aren’t the first bride to have to deal with your budget being spent by people other than yourself! The budget is always a sensitive issue around most weddings, which is why setting a budget in the beginning is so important. Now that you’ve started the planning and all of these small (but expensive) additions are popping up, I suggest you put a stop to it sooner than later.  The longer you put off your frustrations the more likely you are to have a bridal melt down closer to your wedding day.

My Three Budget Rules for a Successful Wedding Budget:

1. Everyone needs to be clear in their communication on how much they are contributing to the wedding in the beginning. It should also be made clear that just because you are offering to help pay for the wedding doesn’t mean you have influence on the final decisions.
2. If you are adamant about a certain aspect of the wedding than you are responsible for paying for it. Example: when I got married my parents were most concerned about tasty food, so they paid for that. My husbands parents loved good music and wanted the invitations to be fantastic, so they took care of these items. I wanted chair covers and an open bar all night…(you get the picture). We each had our priorities, and took the financial responsibility to cover it on the big day.
3. As the bride and groom you get final say. Of course you want your family to make suggestions and offer opinions, but in the end if they want it and you don’t – it doesn’t make it into the wedding day plans. It’s your wedding and you get final say, end of conversation!

I hope this helps give you some guidelines. I suggest sitting down as soon as possible, being open and honest in your conversation and lay down the three rules I listed out above. If they add it – they pay for it! Always remember it’s your wedding day, and it is wonderful you have such involved families, but you want to be able to remember your day as a positive reflection of both of you!

Cheers… Bubbly Bride

What are your tips for budget-overloaded brides?

The post Ask Bubbly: My Wedding Budget is Out Of Control! appeared first on bubbly bride.

It is the perfect playful backdrop to whatever colors you want to coordinate with it. It’s sophisticated, but still less formal than black. It offers a soft romance that is both intimate and happy. I love grey incorporated into weddings and am glad this color has made an appearance at so many events in the past year!

Champagne Sweets

Moca Fresca

Something Turquoise

Simply Southern Wedding

What are your thoughts on adding grey to the wedding day?

The post Colorful Weddings :: Grey appeared first on bubbly bride.

Some brides delegate this task to their men, so if you are a groom reading this – welcome and glad to have you at bubbly! No matter what stage of wedding planning you are in, the Honeymoon is the most exciting part for most couples.

The honeymoon is when you’re in a new exotic location, with your new husband or wife, and you don’t have to worry about any of the logistics, cakes, bridesmaids or guest list. All you have to worry about is eating sleeping and having married sex.

So lets talk Honeymoon Planning

Gili Air, Indonesia

Where Should You go on Your Honeymoon?

Usually you are picking between the city, the mountains or the beach, so lets discuss these options.

The City

You will be surrounded by delicious restaurants to eat at, shows to watch and night life to explore. Most cities are full of action and you can expect to never be bored while visiting. Your days will be spent exploring the streets, tasting the food and interacting with the different people.

The Beach

On a beach you can expect to be spending a lot of time outdoors in the sun. These are usually more relaxing vacations than the city because your main activities will include reading on the beach, sleeping on the beach and sipping a pina colada… on the beach. There are usually water sports available in the beach town such as catamarans and kayaks to rent if you are looking for a little more activity.

The Mountains

Whether you are in the mountains to ski, hike or just enjoy a quiet week in a cabin, mountain based honeymoons can be extremely romantic. Usually you can expect to not see anyone else for the entire week. Load up on groceries before you drive to your cabin and wake up every morning with the peace and quiet of nature.

Should you do an Inclusive or A la Carte Honeymoon?

If you do a quick search on Expedia for a package vacation you will find plenty of options that include flights, car rentals and/or accommodation. This is an easy way to find a good deal on your honeymoon in addition to saving you a lot of time not having to worry about planning out each detail separately.

A la Carte honeymoons are when you opt out of the inclusive vacation packages and you purchase your flight, hotel and car rentals separately. If you are an experienced traveler this might be your preferred way to travel because you know where to find all of the best deals.

Either way, it’s your honeymoon and I suggest doing what is easiest and least stressful so you can fully enjoy your honeymoon.

Banos, Ecuador

When Should You Leave on Your Honeymoon?

The wedding weekend is busy. You go from the rehearsal… to the rehearsal dinner… to the bridal luncheon… the hair appointment… the dress pick up… and makeup appointment.. and hopefully you make it to the walk down the aisle.

If you are having a Friday or Saturday night wedding, consider giving yourself a full day to recover and scheduling your flight the following day.

How Much Should You Spend on Your Honeymoon?

Honeymoons can get expensive, but they should be built into your wedding budget. If you and your husband have decided to by-pass the traditional kitchen gift items, you can have your guests donate to your honeymoon fund.

When you write your thank you letters be specific and let your guests know exactly what their gift bought. It will be fun for your guests to hear how they helped pay for you and yours to swim with dolphins, or take surfing lessons together.

Set Your Honeymoon Expectations Prior to Honeymoon Planning

When you begin picking out destinations for your honeymoon I suggest you talk with your future other half about expectations for the trip. Do you want to relax, or do you want to explore. Do you want to go to New Zealand and bungee jump, or do you want to find a personal beach and not see anyone the entire week. Do you want to save money for a down payment on your first home together, or do you want to splurge on a 3 week trip across Europe?

Agreeing on the expectations prior to planning will save you a lot of trouble in the long run.

What did bubbly bride do?

I wanted peace and quiet. I love people and meeting new friends, but after over a year of wedding planning and preparation I wanted to sleep, eat and e njoy. So we rented a villa on a cliff in St Maarten and hid out for the week. We grocery shopped prior to arriving and left the villa once or twice to explore the city. We had our own infinity pool, a kitchen and a beautiful villa to relax in.

The next year we planned our 2nd honeymoon in Hawaii and ziplined, went on a catamaran and hiked all over Oahu, Maui and Kauai. A year later I was ready for an adventurous honeymoon with my husband, but right after the wedding I needed to unwind first and foremost.

Where do you plan on spending your honeymoon – the beach, the mountains or the city?

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