Considering a Destination Wedding

I was recently asked by a young bride-to-be about the advantages of a destination wedding over a traditional wedding. This is a hard question because it is ultimately a very personal decision.

Here are a few key reasons to have a destination wedding:

1) You Actually Spend Time With Your Guests - At a destination wedding, your guests typically stay a day or two, so there is more opportunity to interact and spend time with them compared to a standard 5-hour hometown church wedding. And because of costs, you will typically have fewer guests. We understand work and family pressures to invite certain people for "political reasons." But if your company or your family isn't picking up the cost of the wedding, they really don't get a say.

2) Cost - Destination weddings are not as expensive as you might think. In fact, most destination weddings are considerably less expensive than traditional weddings (assuming you are not paying for travel for your entire guest list).

3) Every Wedding Requires Travel Now - When was the last time you went to a wedding and nobody had to travel? For us, our wedding party and immediate family spanned four time zones. No matter where we held our wedding, over half the attendees would have to travel somewhere. So why not have everyone travel somewhere fun? The location for your wedding shouldn't just be where it's convenient, it should be just where you want to get married.

4) You Like To Travel - If you are a person that wants to see the world and travel, why not make it a part of your wedding? It's a natural fit.

5) It Minimizes Tensions - Once you've made the big decision to have a destination wedding, everything else is easy. There's less to fight about with fiancé or parents or future in-laws. Really. I promise.

So, my recommendation to everyone is to have a destination wedding. Just do it. Go anywhere – the U.S. or abroad. Just go. And be prepared to have the most amazing day of your life.

Wedding Cake Tasting

Its rare that we get to show what happens behind the scenes with our wedding planning, so when the opportunity presented itself, I jumped!  Here is a video created by iHeart Film Studios for the Grand Wedding.  The cake tasting takes place at the amazing Kakes by Karen.  We ate a ton of cake that night.  Well, I ate a little cake.  I devoured the mocha filling. Karen knows its my favorite.

A huge thank you to iHeart film studios creating this mini video and Kakes by Karen for another amazing cake tasting and consultation. I can't wait for the Wedding!

Vintage Victorian & Retro Invitations

I was so excited when I came across this invitation & paper details designer today.  Pretty much, Bnute is brilliant from my point of view.  I stumbled upon her Etsy shop via @celebrateathome and I am so glad that I did.  These are so unique and look genuine- that is what I love about each piece.  All her pieces seem to fit into those three categories that are all the wedding rage at the moment; vintage, victorian, and retro.  She has a blog too, check it out here.

The new Style Me Pretty Magazine

Style Me Pretty.  You know I have always adored the blog.  We have been so fortunate to have our real weddings and tablescapes grace this most famous of wedding blogs over the years.  And now, now they have just blown my wedding soaked mind with STUNNING.  I am enamored in 3 minutes flat.  Ladies and gents, introducing the SMP digital magazine.

 

Congrats to the team at SMP; the inaugural issue is amazing.

Jamaican Destination Weddings

I always encourage young couples to go and visit the country and sites in advance. If you’re considering a destination wedding or a wedding in Jamaica, there’s an upcoming opportunity that you might want to consider. Online “experience seller” Rue La La is offering an upcoming package to Jamaica to stay at Half Moon in Rose Hall, Jamaica. I’ve seen this property several years ago and it is beautiful. This could also be used as a “home base” to look at other properties in Jamaica and make your selection.

If you are a member of Rue La La, the experience goes on sale on Wednesday, January 5th at 11:00am ET. If you’re not a member of Rue La La or are considering another country, now is the time when Spring deals go on sale, so start searching for deals so you can do a site visit.

Cover Beauty, Weddings Unveiled

I die over every Weddings Unveiled cover.  Until this issue I couldn't really figure out why though.  And then as I was reviewing some notes from a brides panel at a wedding professionals workshop I hosted earlier this year, it hit me.  What I love about it is that its just the picture.  A stunning image.  Weddings Unveiled doesn't cover the photo with all the story headlines- just like our brides confirmed at the workshop, "I buy the magazine if I like the cover photo".  You'll find more about this issue on the Unveiled blog.

Styling: Brooke Thomas and Terri J. Ireland. Photographer: Brooke Thomas Gown: Reem Acra

 So the dress.  Yes, Reem Acra, her designs have always been amongst my favorites for always being glamorous.  I wouldn't mind in the slightest if one of my clients this year waltzed down the aisle in this lovely.  Elated.  That is more likely the emotion I would have.

Weddings by Socialites Christmas Card 2010

Digital greeting card created with Smilebox

Our planning and design studio will be closed from December 23,2010 through January 2, 2011, but don't hesitate to contact us because we will be receiving messages.