Martha Stewart Weddings sent all kinds of good news!

I always get happy when I get an email from the Martha Stewart Weddings offices.  The one that came this week was chock full of good news:
First, they're having a wedding party in Chicago!  We have lots of destination wedding clients in and around the Chicago area, so this is great for all of you.

"Expert Panel with Darcy Miller, Editorial Director, Martha Stewart Weddings 

Over 40 Vendors and a Destination & Honeymoon Lounge at the beautiful Radisson Blu, Chicago
Delicious treats, bubby beverages and great gift bags!"

Even greater- they have given me FIVE PAIRS of tickets to give away.  Want them? Leave a comment with your wedding date and we'll put you in the drawing for this Tuesday.
Next, the newest issue hits newsstands tomorrow. RUN, don't walk!  Just kidding, or not.
Finally, the BIG one.  At the Wedding Party, they are giving away a luxury honeymoon.  An outrageously wonderful 12 day honeymoon to India and the Maldives.  Its worth it to go just for the chance to win this!

Honeymoon regrets!

It seems my previous post about the Marriott honeymoon registry struck a chord! There's a lot of Twitter regrets I'm hearing about. What does this mean? It means we're warning you! Learn from our mistakes and go on a honeymoon!


-- Posted from my iPhone "Because I'm always on wedding style alert."
Kelly McWilliams

Win some Honeymoon money!

My biggest wedding regret? I didn't go on a honeymoon. I am still kicking myself big time. So a few weeks ago I received an email about this pretty cool deal available from Marriott, I thought to myself, "Kelly, help a poor bride out!" Here's the deal below:
At www.MarriottRegistry.com engaged couples can register for a number of honeymoon items – hotel accommodations, spa services, romantic dinners and more. Gift values are accrued to one gift card, which the couple can then redeem at approximately 3,000 Marriotts either during the honeymoon or for future vacations. Additionally, Marriott will throw in a complimentary $100 when registry contributions reach $1,000 as well as rewarding guests with $50 Marriott Bonus Bucks for every $150 they give towards the registry.
Pretty nifty huh? So if I was to do it all over again, I would pick the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa. To get someone very lucky started in their pursuit of honeymoon heaven, we're giving away $50 Marriott Bucks. Just comment on your dream destination for your honeymoon. Winner will be chosen at random on Wednesday.

Honeymoon Registries

For couples doing a destination wedding or just a standard honeymoon, a resort registry can make a lot of sense. It works like this – you register, friends and family give money to the overall honeymoon or to specific activities.

This concept has been around for a while and we looked into it for our own destination wedding. We briefly considered this approach but, at the time of our wedding, thought it wasn’t as sophisticated as we were going for.

There are two kinds of registries – a general registry and a specific registry. General registries, such as the numerous websites all over the Internet, don’t provide services for specific businesses/locations. They charge fees (some are pretty hefty at 9%) for the opportunity and then commit you to working with their “partner companies” (presumably they get a kickback from the partner companies as well). It just feels kind of cheap. And be extra weary, as some of these companies spam your guest list with repeated pleas to pony up cash (very obnoxious!).

The other kind of registry is specific to a business. Companies like Starwood, Marriott and Hyatt all have specific registries that help couples offset aspects of their honeymoon or destination wedding experience. And over the last 5 years or so, these registries have evolved into fairly classy affairs. One that we like is the Hyatt Registry because it is well run, professional and classy. It gives friends and relatives an opportunity to offset activities you might not otherwise do, but it doesn’t have a high-pressure sales pitch feel.

Regardless of whether you do a registry or not, or what kind of registry you do, you should thoroughly research it. These registries work well to offset your existing plans. You could ultimately wind up paying more if you committed to something just because of the registry. So be smart and ask some key questions to ask: Do you need to pay for the honeymoon upfront? What kind of fees do they charge? Does it lock you into working with specific vendors? How flexible are they? Does the gift expire after a certain period of time (if you don’t use it all on your honeymoon)?

Meet the Expert: Cynthia Conde, Fitness Expert

In this week’s Meet the Expert column, we interview Cynthia Conde, fitness expert and creator of Bridal Bookcamp®. She is a National Academy of Sports Medicine certified trainer and has helped hundreds of brides slim down for their big day.


I don’t think there is a bride in the world that doesn’t want to look great on her wedding. How do you counsel brides to slim down?

First thing I do is have my brides do a 2 week cleanse and detox. Week 1, they begin to cut caffeine, cigarettes, processed foods, sugar and red meat from their diets. Week 2, they begin their cleanse. Week 3 and forward, its on the clean eating and hard training, until the W-Day, then its on to maintenance.


What are the biggest problem areas for brides that they should focus on before their wedding?

Biggest problem areas will always be thighs, butt and abs for most women. Although a wedding dress will cover these areas, there is still the destination wedding at a hot locale and honeymoon (bikini time) to think about. The bridal focus is to blast the upper back, biceps, triceps and forearms, and give equal attention to the butt, abs, and thighs. I teach my brides to dig deep and get in touch with their inner athletics by staying focused and training hard.


In light of the economic climate, how are brides and grooms shaping up and slimming down on a budget? Many gyms are increasing their rates and brides are finding it difficult to cope.

It's funny. There was a recent article in the New York Times that stated the fitness industry is recession proof, and I couldn't agree more. I have not experience a huge drop in brides signing up for my Bridal Bootcamp program. Although I will admit that instead of doing private Bridal Bootcamp with our instructors, some have opted for the more economical Bridal Bootcamp group program. The reason, brides will anything to look good on their wedding day!!!


As you work with brides, they talk about their destination wedding plans. What trends do you see in destination weddings as you work with your clients? How have the needs of engaged couples changed over time?

I am seeing more brides choosing destination weddings for two reasons. The idea of a getaway wedding is super romantic especially on a warm tropical beach and its sure a lot cheaper than paying for a traditional wedding. The needs of engage couples change dramatically. After, the honeymoon, the trends is to be more relax with one another, that usually leads to more eating and less activity. The winter holiday season rolls around, and add 10 to 15 pounds of excess weight. Also, when a bride become pregnant, her hubby usually gains weight as well.


What's the most dramatic change you've seen a bride make/go through?

The most dramatic change I’ve had was my first client, Pandora Kinard, who lost 100 pounds in 8 months!


How important is it to incorporate weight training?

Incorporating weight training is super important...it's the only way you will be able to harden your body. Remember to leave no area untouched.....train EVERYTHING...work on every crevice of your body. The hardest areas to hit are the inner thighs, lower abs and the crease of your butt.


What's the best way to maintain once you've reached the weight/fitness level you want before your wedding? Do you ever see whole wedding parties come in together?

The best way to maintain your body is to incorporate push ups, assisted pull ups or military, pop squats (jumping squats), abs - (best exercise leg raises and twisting crunches) and cardio (I love jumping rope and doing the strainmill, 3 to 4 times per week).


What is your important of incorporating weigh loss medication like Alli in your pre-wedding program?

I'm an organic girl. I don't push weight loss supplements. I do like whey protein, folic acid, and green drink (aloe vera juice and liquid chlorophyll) and berry drinks (antioxidant). Safe and healthy cleansing programs are the way to go. Being an efficient pooper is the key to getting rid of belly bloat and losing weight.

Win a Honeymoon - Jade Mountain Resort

Jade Mountain Resort in St. Lucia is offering the chance to win a Honeymoon Vacation / Destination Wedding in St. Lucia. I’m not totally clear what the rules are, but you can check them out and also enter the sweepstakes here. The sweepstakes is being offered by Jade Mountain Resort and Chronicle Books.

We’ve never been to St. Lucia, but it’s high on our list! We’ve entered and will definitely post a review if we win!

Weddings in Paris

We spent our second anniversary in Paris (See The Anniversary Trip). It gave us an opportunity to scope out weddings in Paris.

We couldn’t imagine going to Europe and getting married in a stodgy old church (although there are tons of cool churches in Paris). What Paris has to offer is some of the most romantic spots in the whole world.

If you consider a destination wedding in Paris, you might think about a wedding cruise on the Seine. We don’t know if you could do the actual wedding on the boat (although we bet it is possible; more on that below), but you can certainly do a nice reception. You and a handful of guests can take a Seine river cruise and, after you exchange your vows, party the night away. There are several cruise vendors, so check into them carefully. You want to find a small boat that you can rent out (so its private). Check with Bateaux-Mouches or the nice company that operates from the Pont Neuf bridge. There also seem to be several other luxury providers that you might want to check into. A local wedding coordinator may prove valuable, unless you speak French.

As part of your romantic Paris wedding, you might want to take your own wedding photographer with you. Paris offers stunning vistas and charming little lanes to take photos. We thought the Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur, The Trocadero and The Louvre would all make nice backdrops. After a day of photos, you could have your rehearsal dinner at a restaurant in Le Marais.

Not to be a total downer, there is a residency requirement for getting married in France. It's either 40 or 60 days (there is conflicting information on the internet). SO...it means you need to be in country for a while. This may or may not be a problem for you. If it is a problem, consider getting legally married in the U.S. (rather easy to do) and then do your ceremony abroad for you and your family. We think this kind of defeats the purpose of a destination wedding, but know other couples who do it to get around ridiculous regulations in countries like France or Mexico. While this takes the romance out of Paris and France as a destination wedding location, depending on your personal tastes, it may still work for you.

Paris could be a wonderfully romantic wedding destination to begin your new life together. And since you are already in Europe, you might consider honeymooning there as well.

The Atlantis (a video)

We found this YouTube video on The Atlantis resort. It does a great job of providing an accurate accounting of the resort and showing the pretty scenery. (It’s kind of infomercial for our tastes) Sure sounds appealing, doesn’t it?

It’s from a Canadian outfit called Romantic Planet. To be fair, nowhere in the video do they show a destination wedding at Atlantis in progress (something we had the opportunity to see). We didn’t find much, if anything, about The Atlantis to be romantic with all the young, screaming ultra-entitled children running around. (See previous post Our Honeymoon – The Atlantis) Although, we thought we would post this video here to give you some balance.

At the end of the video, Romantic Planet makes an excellent point – there are many islands in the Bahamas and you can surely find one your speed. For us, we were on our honeymoon and we wanted to enjoy each other (it’s a honeymoon after all). However, if you are the kind of people that need things to do and stuff to buy, go to Atlantis. However, if you can create your own romance by long moonlight walks on the beach, followed by cocktails and then heading back to your suite, you should probably look someplace else.

More Top 10 Destination Wedding Tips

Destination I Do, one of the destination wedding magazines out there, has a really good article that is a “must read” for anyone planning destination weddings – their Top 20 Do’s and Don’ts of Destination Weddings.

Below is their list of Top 10 Destination Wedding "Dont’s," but the commentary is ours:

1. Sweat the small stuff – Quoting from Destination I Do, they say, “Things may go wrong with a hometown wedding or a destination wedding. Make sure to keep it all in perspective and enjoy the process every step of the way.”
2. Wait to the last minute to send your invitations – This is really important. We sent out Save the Dates about 8 or 9 months in advance and then sent out invites out about 3 months in advance.
3. Assume people know where they are going – OMG. Seriously. This is so true. Laura’s grandmother gave the invite to her travel agent. Instead of getting tickets to Grand Bahama Island, the travel agent booked them into Nausau. Once your guests arrive in the location, they will also need directions (either actual directions or explanations about getting cabs or ground transportation).
4. Expect too much of others – Quoting again from Destination I Do, “Sure it’s ‘your big day’ but know that your bridesmaids, groomsmen and family members are not your temporary slaves. Sure you can expect them to help out, but keep it realistic, give others duties you know they can handle, yet still allow them the ability to enjoy your event too.”
5. Let “Aunt Flow” pay you a visit – Proper planning will help you avoid PMS and menstruation during your wedding.
6. Leave guests hanging – Have some activities for your guests, but don’t dominate their time. (See A Mini-Vacation for your Guests and Our Destination Wedding)
7. Expect that everyone will come – This is very true. Remember, you are asking a lot of your guests. It’s a major expense and time out of people’s lives. Be understanding if not everyone can make it.
8. Forget to check the average traffic flow in the area you will be saying “I Do” – Location, Location, Location. It’s really important to try and do a location visit so you can see the layout.
9. Choose a dress because of what is “IN” – Enough said on this one.
10. Haul your dress around with you on your honeymoon – This is helpful, but not critical. For us, we did carry the dress on the honeymoon. We live away from our families and guests, so we had nobody to bring it back for us. We carried it with us without incident. (See The Dress)

For the list of Top 10 Destination Wedding "Do" Tips, see Top 10 Destination Wedding Tips.

The full article from Destination I Do is worth the read.

Sandals Honeymoon Test Drive

A recent comment on our blog by Amanda W. asked about Sandals Weddingmoon and the “Test Drive your honeymoon.” She’s reluctant to sign up and asks if we know anything about the “Test Drive” because it seems like a timeshare sales pitch.

The answer to the question is an honest one – we don’t know. We vaguely remember hearing something about the “test drive” some time ago, but we didn’t do it (although we did consider Sandals). The trips are one day (out in the morning, back in the evening) and are only offered from a limited number of east coast cities. Sandals adds the normal conditions (space is limited space, subject to availability, etc., etc.). Cost for the day trip is $99 and includes airfare.

So Amanda, for $99 and one day off of work, you can have a one-day trip to Jamaica, see the resort and know exactly what you’re getting into. (We did this with the Westin Our Lucaya in the Bahamas, but had to pay the full amount and made a long three-day weekend of it). If you do the test drive and then book a honeymoon, Sandals will apply your $99 to the honeymoon package. Presumably they would do the same thing for a Weddingmoon, but the website doesn’t actually say it (best to call and ask some specific questions. Actually, you should definitely call since there aren't many specifics on the website).

It’s a brilliant piece of marketing for Sandals – give your target audience a sample your resort. The cost of $99 essentially covers the airfare, so the company isn’t out anything except for lunch and a few fruity drinks. Now, if the Sandals resorts really wanted to sell their packages, they would charge couples $200 and let them stay overnight for free. Now that’s a test drive!

Fair disclosure: Despite all of our travels, we’ve never actually been to a Sandals resort (although we’ve been thinking about one of their places in St. Lucia-see picture)…so, we can’t actually recommend them (we can’t dissuade you either). So Amanda W., you’re on your own with Sandals. If you decide to do it, I hope you’ll e-mail us and tell us about your experience.

Our Honeymoon – The Atlantis

We were married on Grand Bahama Island, but decided to go to a different island for the honeymoon. Based on a recommendation from a coworker, we chose to go to The Atlantis resort on New Providence and Paradise Island.

I guess we bought into the hype – the website, the marketing materials, etc. It seemed so adult and romantic. After a week with our families, we thought it was exactly what we wanted.

What we found was a HUGE resort that was wall-to-wall children. Atlantis is Disneyland on the beach. We estimated the average age at the place was somewhere south of 14. Not what we were looking for. We ended up spending a fair amount of time down the beach at the One And Only Ocean Club (where Lionel Ritchie was staying and we bumped into him several times).

We tried to get off the Atlantis property as much as possible. We went into Nassau for a day. And another day, we went to the other side of the island for scuba diving with Stuart Cove’s. This is a big dive outfit, but they do a good job with personal service. The Hollywood Bowl dive site is fantastic and we got to have a close encounter with some live lobsters.

We also spent a fair amount of time in the casino, where Laura played the roulette wheel with our wedding date and it hit. So we made a fair amount of money in the casino. But the other facilities, namely the restaurants, were very over priced and were of disappointing quality. Lance had to send his lobster back to the kitchen at the Bahamian Club because it was overcooked and rubbery (and then we got attitude from the staff for complaining about the inferior quality). We loved the food at Fathoms, but were disappointed in the large numbers of screaming children. The restaurants in the Marina Village were better, both in terms of quality and price. Our favorite was Carmine’s – one of our favorite restaurants back in New York, so we enjoyed it here.

In addition to honeymoons, The Atlantis also does destination weddings. We saw several weddings going on while we were there. The weddings were held out in the common areas, so you’re still dealing with lots of gawkers and people walking very close by, so think carefully about this one. At one wedding, a group of young girls in bathing suits decided to join right in on the wedding. There’s nothing inherently wrong with lots of children, it’s just helpful to know that’s what you’re getting before you show up there. If you want a “family friendly” wedding, this might be your place.

We’re glad we did it once (been there, done that). Had we done more research, we probably would have gone someplace else with a more romantic and sophisticated atmosphere.

Honeymoon Strategies

Since a destination wedding, by default, includes some sort of travel, couples are inclined to tack the honeymoon onto the wedding. Sandals Resorts calls them a Weddingmoon. And there is some appeal in doing this since it minimizes time away from work and maximizes your travel budget.

However, if you have guests coming, you don’t really want them around on your honeymoon. You can either tolerate some guests hanging on (as they inevitably will be one or two who will) or you can think of some other options.

There are two strategies to cope with this:

• Continue with the trip, but go to another location. This is what we did with our destination wedding in the Bahamas. We got married on one island, but then went to another island for the honeymoon. A friend of ours got married in France with a large entourage of family, but then went to Spain for their honeymoon.
• Come home and take a separate honeymoon a few months later. This way, you get two trips for one occasion! This is definitely more expensive, but is nice to space out the festivities.

The right answer is the one that works for you!