We continually do our research into what brides want to know, and there is a lot of excitement these days around all inclusive destination wedding packages and many other similar searches (one major way we find out is by popular searches). You dream of getting married somewhere far away from your ‘normal’ life, and of creating special memories for you and possibly for guests as well. You want your wedding to be unique and special, and going away is a perfect way to do that. Presumably this will also double as your honeymoon, so you definitely want to make it worth every penny!

We all dream of a tropical destination wedding, getting married on a romantic beach with the waves splashing in the background, the tropical wind in our hair, and palm trees swaying in the breeze. Whether you are thinking of an affordable option (inexpensive destination wedding) or a completely luxury destination wedding package, here are some ideas and tricks which will help you make the most of your special day – or week – away.

How to get hotel perks and discounts: It’s possible you’ll be including other people in your travel plans, such as your parents and wedding party, and possibly some wedding guests as well. Making flight and hotel arrangements ahead of time by investigating destination wedding packages usually allows you to attain discounts for your guests. Having multiple hotel room bookings for your destination wedding often gets you extra perks as well; you may get an upgrade for your honeymoon yourselves, and your guests may get a discount, as mentioned, along with some niceties such as fresh fruit, champagne reception at check-in, or whatever else the hotel may offer. A great way to get perks thrown in is to call the hotel yourself and ask! Negotiate heavily as you both know you could easily choose another hotel, and they should offer to throw things in to attract your business.

Scheduling: First and foremost, let your invited guests know well ahead of time what your wedding destination will be, so they can arrange for time off, save money for the trip, etc.. For the resort, hotel, all-inclusive or beach destination wedding location, be sure and let them know how many confirmed guests you will be having so they can be appropriately accommodated. This may include everything from seating at the ceremony and reception to ensuring enough staff is available for check-in and guest needs during the stay.

Guest gifts: Because you are having a destination wedding, ideas for wedding guest gifts may differ greatly from traditional weddings. You must consider your ability to carry them to the location (consider ordering something local through the concierge) as well as the guests’ need to carry them home. Go for something memorable but not breakable or bulky, and something which will not cause them any problems at customs on the way home (no liquids over 100mL, for instance, and no food). Some destination wedding gift ideas include small candles, unframed local artwork as prints, photographs, a tropical pareo or matching hawaiian shorts or shirts, stationery, and customized t-shirts.

One lovely extra bonus about a destination wedding is that you can incorporate local flowers and themes into your wedding reception decor. For instance you can have a tropical wedding cake, flowers and tropical wedding favors. If you are going to at a beach, you can get a lovely beach wedding dress. Beautiful!

Share or Save This

Traditional wedding vows are those repeated after the officiator of the marriage ceremony, most often a priest or other clergy member, although increasingly popular is the choice of alternative wedding officiators. Who can perform legal wedding vows? The answer differs by country and state; sometimes ship’s or plane’s captains, and other persons of legal authority; often people who have been given legal capacity to perform weddings in non-denominational chapels and for a wider venue of weddings such as garden wedding ceremonies, halls and restaurants, vacation spots and cruise ships, all-inclusive resorts and more. Many of these places, including many hotels (especially in Las Vegas!) now offer wedding chapels and ceremony officiators.

As far as wedding vows and what to say, that is entirely up to you! Examples of wedding vows abound, and include every conceivable situation such as wedding vows for gays and lesbians, wedding vows with children involved, traditional and non-traditional wedding vows, contemporary wedding vows, beach or hawaiian wedding vows, second wedding vows or renewal vows, Jewish wedding vows and other cultural wedding vows, etc..

More and more we are finding that couples choose to create and recite their own personal wedding vows. Custom wedding vows can be requested from a friend who knows you well, a writer who is good at interviewing and synthesizing thoughts, or any other person who can put your heartfelt words together in a way that makes sense. You may choose to memorize your wedding vows, or to carry a card to help you through, as you may be nervous or excited.

Your wedding vows speak to other and your guests how you feel about each other, that you commit to growing together and loving each other no matter what may come, and often include a commitment about how you will raise any children you may have, how you will love and embrace friends and family, etc.. There is no right or wrong way to say ‘I love you,’ and whatever you choose to put into your wedding vows, ideas are as close as your heartfelt feelings for each other. Enjoy your special day!

Share or Save This

To wear a Vera Wang bridal gown is to be ensconced in true luxury; to really feel like an elegant princess. Wang manages to keep to traditional silhouettes while working fabrics into the most unique and exceptional designs that are absolutely stunning and unlike any other designer wedding dresses.

This year’s Vera Wang wedding gown designs are no exception, and among the collections are some very intricately sewn ruffles, tulle, sashes and some very interesting play with textures. All are very feminine and convey an undeniably upscale look. There was a fun play with many different colored wedding dresses in 2010, and she has a new line called, simply, Vera Wang White.

Details are always exquisite, and from a simple mermaid sheath with an hourglass shape to the most decadent and enormous ballgown styles, Vera Wang’s 2011 collection leaves us breathless and wanting to wear them all!

Share or Save This

We search often for great deals and offers, and we’ll post them here regularly for your enjoyment.

Happy wedding planning, and don’t forget that if you’re planning a romantic honeymoon, you can find even more great advice, special offers and money-saving tips at Travel-Like-A-Pro.com.

To help you look and feel fabulous on your wedding day (some offers are U.S. only, some are international):

And just for fun:

Share or Save This

Here are some of the latest trends in wedding reception table decoration:

Bold use of color: While in times past bridal bouqets, head table and wedding reception decor had often made use of soft pastels, today’s brides are making bold statements with color. There are many ways to add a punch of color to your wedding reception décor. Try incorporating colorful flowers such as red roses, or using jewel-toned table accessories such as tablecloths or napkins.

Themes: Often, wedding receptions have just been made ‘pretty,’ with the use of flowers and candles, for instance, whereas the latest trend is to have a theme for a reception. You can use almost any idea as a theme for your wedding reception decor, from cultural backgrounds (eg. Chinese) to whimsical (butterflies, mirrors, medieval, gold or silver, harlequin, winter wonderland). Also see out THEMES page for more ideas.

Extremes: Instead of opting for traditional wedding reception decor, many brides are going in one of two directions: either creating very rich detail (think embroidery, beading and sequins, layered rich fabrics, feathers, candelabras, lighting effects, etc.) OR keeping it modern, elegant and extremely simple (single flower centerpieces, stark and modern color schemes such as silver and black or white). This allows a bride to express her taste and style in unique and memorable ways.

Recommendations: The Perfect Wedding Reception by Maria McBride-Mellinger, with beautiful photography by Ross Whitaker

Share or Save This

You can certainly express much more of your personal style by having your wedding invitations custom-made. Additionally, because this is a growing trend, the wedding invitation industry is enjoying more and more choice in custom wedding invitations every year, and this means better selection and often better prices for you (because of increasing competition).

Custom wedding invitations are unique to you, and as such allow you to express your personal style in a way that you simply cannot with standard issue. Some ideas we have seen, just to get your imagination rolling, include:

• Themed Invitations: Whether it’s woven grass paper in a soft green for a golf club wedding, or custom queen of hearts-themed pieces for a wedding at a casino hotel, the theme or location of your wedding reception can play a big part in inspiring the look of your invitations. The sky’s the limit!
• Reflect Your Personalities: We have seen custom invitations in the style of a passport for couples who love to travel, and airplane-shaped invites for couples in the airline industry. In the second case, most of the guests were also in the aviation industry, and really appreciated the themed invitations.
• Art as Invitations: A beautiful painted portrait of the couple, a lush landscape or any subject matter that is meaningful to the couple can make for a stunning invitation. For example, we have seen invitations featuring a beautiful watercolor done by the mother of the bride-to-be, with a dedication to the mother/artist inside, explaining the significance of the picture. Printed on high-quality cream rough-edged paper, this made for an unforgettable and touching way to invite friends and family.
• Location Theme: For a tropical or beach wedding, consider a theme-based invitation featuring tropical flowers, a beach scene or even a little pouch of powdery sand. Some gorgeous creations are available at companies such as My Personal Artist.

Share or Save This