Blogs

I don’t know about you, but I’m finding it hard to believe that another year has zoomed by (although I must confess we started planning our 2010 Bridal Guide issues back in June!). With a new year and a new decade on the horizon I started to think about the many ways weddings have changed over the years. We’ve seen the celebrations become much more personal as couples express their individual styles and honor their cultural backgrounds. And weddings have definitely loosened up as evidenced by the popular You Tube video—that soon made national news—featuring a wedding party dancing and rockin’ down the aisle. So, as the year comes to a close here’s my own Top Ten list of 2009 wedding trends that will undoubtedly continue well into 2010:

global goss:

Clear turquoise lagoons, of course.

Sunset cruises, a necessity.

The most romantic island in the world? Definitely.

Have you dreamed of your wedding taking place in a Polynesian paradise in the Pacific? No longer are brides to be persona non grata in French Polynesia with a new law passed that allows foreign tourists to be married on the islands. Le Meridien Bora Bora jumped on the nuptial bandwagon and constructed a new chapel over their brand spanking new interior lagoon that offers beautiful views as well as the lagoon itself visible underneath the chapel’s glass floor. Imagine saying ‘I do’ as fish swim underneath your feet and sea turtles waddle down the aisle with you! With room for up to 20 guests you and your loved ones can feel like your own island nation with a private, intimate wedding experience not soon forgettable by any member of the wedding party.

Le Meridien Bora Bora offers four wedding ceremony options but who wouldn’t want to be married in the gorgeous chapel? Of course, if you’re really feeling the island spirit, there is always the Otemanu Polynesian ceremony, which is performed on the beach facing Mount Otemanu. Sailing up at sunset to be married to your Polynesian prince has to be one of the most romantic backdrops possible! Musicians play songs indigenous to the island and all of a sudden it feels like you’ve entered another dreamy world. If you’ve ever wanted to feel like a native, these packages are here to help you indulge!

I recently received a very handy book, The Bride’s Thank You Guide: Thank-You Writing Made Easy by Pamela A. Lach (Chicago Review Press). Now, you may be thinking, “How can an entire book be written about a thank-you note?” but Ms. Lach’s guide covers more than just a thank-you note and contains a lot of valuable info couples can certainly use. She tells how to write an outline, get organized, offers samples of thank-you notes for a variety of gifts and answers etiquette questions such as “Can I e-mail or text my thank yous?” and “We posted a nice thank-you message on our wedding Web site. Isn’t that enough?” (Answers? No to both questions; only a hand-written note will do.) She also provides sample letters for those who helped out or assisted in some way and mentions several gift ideas for the wedding party. It will be available in bookstores this April and for only $8.95, you and your new husband will be glad to have this at your side when you’re about to write 100+ thank-you notes!

Posted by Diane at 9:14 a.m.

We recently had our office holiday party, which had me thinking about wine, and that led me to recall a meeting I had awhile back with the people from Wine.com, visiting us in New York from San Francisco. See how one thing leads inevitably to another? Anyway, at the time I was quite impressed with the quality of the company’s wares—of course I test-drove the wine for you!—as well as with the services they offer to brides. But did I ever tell you guys about them? No! Sometimes good things fall through the cracks. Anyway, as I cleaned off my desk for the coming New Year, I rediscovered this nice company. What I liked is that couples can get advice, at no extra charge, from staff wine specialists about what to serve not only at your wedding (email [email protected]) but also at your bachelorette party, your rehearsal dinner and any other wedding-related bash.

Nowadays, high-rated wines can be quite wallet-friendly, so see what these experts can do for you. It CAN pay in both substance and style to supply your own wine instead of using your venue’s list. (P.S. Ask about their wine registry too while you’re at it.)

Happy holidays!

Posted by Susan at 9:22 a.m.

travel tips:

Who doesn’t love kissing boys? It’s super fun and can be totally magical, especially when the boy is just sooo dreamy and you’ve got a perfect setting like a balcony for him to secretly climb up and kiss you (Juliet fantasies anyone? Yeah, hand raised up high over here.) The not so fun part of this scenario? Worrying that your Romeo is going to fall flat on his trespassing behind after getting a whiff of your breath.

Enter from stage right the DentaBurst Brush and Go. It’s a single use tooth cleaner that fits on your finger. The individual packages are thin and flat, making concealment in a purse or pocket easy as pie. They’re perfect for brides needing quick teeth touch ups for photos or after appetizers. New hubby isn’t going to be too pleased when you sidle up for your first dance reeking of tuna tartare or goat cheese!

The blue textured pad fits right onto your index finger and is dusted with powdered toothpaste, a plus opposed to similar products with just mint-flavored paper. Rubbing in circular motions releases the mint flavor and cleans plaque from your teeth. After only a minute your teeth are shiny and smooth, while your breath is mint-tastic! Because let’s be honest, who wants to see an unsightly roll of breath mints sticking out of your jeans or taking up too much room in your handbag? It ruins your whole look

Having a DentaBurst handy is going to make spontaneous kissing that much more pleasant. You won’t have to worry what to do with your chewing gum or whether your man is choking on the scent of your last meal. These cleaners give you the confidence to pucker up and dive in! Happy smooching!

Posted by Jenna at 9:16 a.m.

guest blogger: Mara Berkoff, Bridal Guide Intern

If the coming of the cold weather is making all you brides-to-be ache for beaches and bikinis, Tahiti Tourisme has the solution to guarantee a honeymoon that is truly fun in the sun. If the expense of a destination honeymoon has been plaguing you since he slipped the ring on your finger, head to the luxurious island of Bora Bora for a seven-night stay, costing you—the happy couple—no more than $1899, including airfare!

One of the most romantic islands in the world will warm you with its valleys of hibiscus flowers, white-sand beaches and lagoons surrounded by palm trees. You’ll be treated to roundtrip airfare from Los Angeles (LAX) on Air Tahiti Nui with a one-night stay at the InterContinental Tahiti Resort, six nights at Le Maitai Polynesia Bora Bora (with an ocean view!), and daily American-style breakfasts. Visit tahiti-tourisme.com for more information.

Posted by Mara at 6:07 p.m.

Did you know that 19% of Americans will get engaged between Thanksgiving and New Year’s?

There are so many great ways one can propose—while skydiving, on the beach under the moonlight, in a hot-air balloon (make sure you have a good grasp on that ring) or possibly on a canoe in the middle of the river. The media doesn't really focus on how the silver screen folks pop the question, so I thought I’d share a few of my favorite celebrity proposals with you!

Let's start with Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. The evening of the countdown to the millennium was their special date. Michael's home in Aspen was the perfect setting for a New Year’s proposal. After the couple celebrated with friends, Michael privately presented Catherine with an antique 10-carat marquise-cut diamond ring. Obviously she said yes, and the couple announced their engagement the next day.

Tom Cruise proposed to Katie Holmes while vacationing in Paris with a 5-carat diamond in 2005. This was a shortly after they began dating—2 months! I guess when it feels right, it's right. Tom popped the question very early in the morning while they were on top of the Eiffel Tower. This may sound a bit much, but you have to admit the Paris landmark is an extremely romantic setting for a proposal. To top it off, Tom proposed again after they had a fabulous, private candlelit meal at the Tower’s restaurant, Le Jules Verne.

Can't figure out what to get the girl who has everything this Christmas? A true fashionista can never have too many pieces of bling, so hurry down to Ben Amun's annual sample sale for the best-of-the-best designer fashion jewelry at wholesale prices!

When: Tuesday, Dec. 15 through Thursday, Dec. 17 from 12-7pm
Where: 246 West 38th Street (between 7th and 8th Aves.), Suite 12, New York, NY 10018

Happy Shopping!

Posted by Maureen at 6:19 p.m.

We all want to believe that nothing bad will ever happen in our lives…especially when planning such a joyous occasion as a wedding. But all too often, a real-life crisis occurs that can throw everything into a tailspin. I was reminded of that this week when I received an e-mail from a reader who had been happily planning her wedding, due to take place next year, when her father suddenly passed away. “So here I am trying to continue planning when a part of me doesn’t even care about it right now,” she wrote. She and her dad were very close and he had been excited about her big day. He loved talking to her about what he would wear and who would be on the guest list. Now, it’s hard for her to think about wedding details and she’s also worried that she won’t be able to enjoy the day without him there. What should be one of the happiest times in her life is now anything but that.

Well, my heart goes out to this bride-to-be and to any of you who are suddenly faced with an unexpected turn of events that can shake you to the core. My advice to her was to think of how much her father would want her to be happy and how much he would want her to have a beautiful wedding. She should also lean on her fiancé for his love and support and share her sorrow and feelings with other family members and friends. It always helps to talk things through and to seek out any help or advice from others. Day by day it may become a bit easier for her.

A cool new book called The Tax-Deductible Wedding by Sabrina Rivers just crossed my desk, and I found something intriguing to share.

Good old bartering is back! Resourceful couples are getting down to budget business by figuring out what they can offer in exchange, for, say, flowers or photography. Rivers suggests going to BigDayBarter.com, and see what’s up there. She notes that it’s like a “matchmaking” service: You post services or products that you can offer businesses in exchange for their services. Rivers notes: “Make sure the person you’re bartering with agrees on what the barter exchange includes. For example, if you’re going to cook dinner for your florist, make sure of exactly what you’ll get from her, and of course, get all the details in writing.”

Note: Also check out craigslist.org; uexchange.com and internationalbarterexchange.net.