Win a Sandals Wedding by Martha Stewart!

You already know I am a huge fan of Martha Stewart and Sandals Resorts and am overjoyed at their recent partnership. If you saw the Martha Stewart Show on Friday, November 20th then this is old news... but for everyone else... check out this great opportunity to win a fully paid Destination Wedding for you & 10 guests to Sandals newest resort, Emerald Bay in Exuma, Bahamas.

The grand prize winner, who will be announced on ‘The Martha Stewart Show’ on February 11, will be awarded a customized destination dream wedding created by Martha Stewart’s team at Sandals Emerald Bay, Great Exuma, Bahamas. The package also includes a 6 day/5 night Luxury Included® stay for the bride and groom at Sandals Emerald Bay; a 4 day/3 night Luxury Included® stay for 10 guests at Sandals Emerald Bay; plus, roundtrip airfare for the bride and groom, as well as all 10 guests. The wedding will be filmed and featured on ‘The Martha Stewart Show’ and in Martha Stewart Weddings magazine.

Couples who wish to enter the contest, which runs through January 20, 2010, can go to marthastewartweddings.com where they’ll be invited to submit a 90-second video explaining why they should win a customized Sandals Wedding by Martha Stewart™.
With six exquisite wedding themes, in the most romantic settings, Sandals Weddings by Martha Stewart feature coordinated color palettes, beautifully designed wedding décor, complementary bouquets, invitations, cakes and favors, along with à la carte items, creating a memorable experience to suit every couple’s unique preferences.

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Star Paper Lantern Idea

Pretty enough all by itself...

But gorgeous strung together vertically in small groupings...

Lanterns from PartyLights.com

Thanksgiving Weddings

I have 9 ::NINE:: brides saying "I DO" this week in the Caribbean & Mexico. While it's been a harried few weeks ironing out last minute details, confirming rooming lists with the hotels, checking for flight delays (yes, there were many)... but all in all, I wouldn't want to spend my time any other way. Helping couples come together and start their lives as a family of 2 is food for my soul as I end every day thankful for my own little family of 4.

Thanksgiving is a popular time for Destination Weddings likely because people have a few days off of school and work to travel. With the holiday season being the top time for engagements, you too might find yourself considering a Thanksgiving Wedding! If so, I'd love to help.

{HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU & YOURS}

Photo one from Cakies. {great garland!} Photo two from Apartment Therapy. Photo three from Wedding Paper Divas.

Mr. Boddington Invites

Mr. Boddington's Studio is a luxe paperie based in New York and is fabulous in every single way. Their site is a joy to browse and EVERY sample on the site is delish. Enjoy these save the dates and view the entire collection here. Oh and thanks much to Elements of Style Blog for the find!

La Amada Weddings

Beautiful Spaces & Smiling Faces... that is how I think of La Amada. This new hotel is located in Playa Mujeres, about 45 minutes north of Cancun. It can be best described as a chic boutique hotel big on style and little on crowds.

Refreshing plunge pools with stunning views...

Water comes indoors at their first class spa...

Destination Wedding Packages at La Amada start at $599!

Paper Lanterns

First it was {garlands} and now... I'm really loving {paper lanters} and this photo sums up why... wouldn't you agree?

A Seashell Inspired Wedding

This is a great Seashell themed wedding! It took place in Hawaii, but many of the great beach ideas would be perfect for any tropical Destination Wedding. I love the bride's swept-up hair style, elegant aisle made of white rose petals, and the simple "Mr. & Mrs" nameplates on the back of the reception chairs. Enjoy!

Enjoy the full post and the entire planning process here.

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Bridesmaid Boxes by Jordan Ferney

Jordan Ferney is a San Francisco area based party planner & letterpress whiz. I found her on Project Wedding and am now a huge fan of her blog "Oh Happy Day". She is charming, talented and full of great ideas... like these Bridesmaid Boxes, wouldn't you say YES to one of these?

Full instructions and more of Jordan's wonderful wedding ideas here.

A Villa Wedding | Castellamonte | Dominican Republic

Villa Castellamonte in the Dominican Republic is the ultimate choice for a Villa Destination Wedding. The villa sleeps up to 24 persons in 8 lovely bedrooms. There are other nearby villas & a charming boutique hotel to house any additional guests.

Villa Castellamonte's trained staff will handle even the smallest detail...
You'll walk down the aisle with peace of mind knowing you've made the best choice and everything is taken care of...
Time to celebrate...

Love is in the air...

Tables are set...

The party will begin...
And you will dance the night away under a fiery sky...
Contact me & I will help you decide if Villa Castellamonte is the perfect choice for your Caribbean Destination Wedding~

Cheers,

LIFEWORK IMAGES, Images for Life

Lifeworks Images, a husband & wife photography team, are giving away a FREE Destination Wedding Photography package! Check all the details here and enjoy some of their work below - shot at one of my favorite resorts for Destination Weddings, Dreams Punta Cana Resort & Spa:

Iomoi Bags

Perhaps the coolest and most customizable Goodie Bag option yet. Iomoi Bags are made of durable canvas and come in two sizes... small & large. You can customize your own design & logo...
Following a more traditional design of stripes and monogram...


Or pick an icon that fits your Destination Wedding theme, pair it with their lovely handwritten font... and voila! You have perfection:

They have some very charming beach themed icons:

While your visiting their site, be sure and checkout their groovy ice buckets. First spotted here. Enjoy!

Excellence Resorts ~ Destination Weddings

I am working on my 4th wedding THIS YEAR at Excellence Resorts. 3 are being planned at Excellence Playa Mujeres and 1 at Excellence Punta Cana. The experience has been far superior to many other resorts I work with. Excellence seems to have no concept of the "island time"that many resort staff members work on in Mexico and the Caribbean. All of my questions have been answered in the same day! In addition to excellent customer service, the quality and selection of amenities offered in their wedding packages are first class. Check out their chilled Hors d' Oeuvres menu, included in their Gold Wedding Package:

Brie canapé with marinated roasted balsamic apple
Smoked turkey with mango chutney
Prosciutto with pear and Gorgonzola on olive bread
Tortilla pinwheel with red pepper cream cheese and cilantro
Seafood profiteroles
Salami cornet with herbed cream cheese
Curried chicken salad on cucumber boat
Brochette of cherry tomato and buffalo mozzarella with pesto dip
Tortilla chip with creamy goat cheese and red onion confit


Enticed? Interested in finding out if an Excellence Resort will work for your Destination Wedding? I'd be happy to work with you! And remember, working with my company will never cost you more than booking the resort directly. In fact, we can save you money by negotiating group rates with our tour company partners. I hope to hear from you! Contact me.

Martha Stewart Comes to Sandals Resorts

Last week I attended a seminar sponsored by Sandals Resorts and was lucky enough to see Martha's designs in action with multiple themed table displays. I was wowed and came home giddy as a school girl excited to help my clients take advantage of this fantastic partnership. Sandals Resorts makes wedding planning easy. Add the clean, simple and elegantly chic designs of Martha Stewart and your wedding will be a huge success. I expect to receive full photography on her designs very soon... in the meantime, the above is s sneak peak. Enjoy!

Wedding Statistics

Did you know the average diamond engagement ring costs $6,348? Or that 16% of all marriages are now Destination Weddings? If you want to read more wedding statistics, check out this post over at About.com. I found it interesting that more weddings take place in the US Virgin Islands than Jamaica... and that the average number of guests at a Destination Wedding is 48. Who knew?

DESTINATION WEDDING STATISTICS:
16 percent of marriages are destination weddings.
The destination wedding market accounts for $16 billion in annual spending.
Average budget for a destination wedding is $20,600.
60% of destination couples pay for the wedding themselves.
The average age of a destination bride today is 33, compared to the U.S. average of 28.
70% have graduated college and the average household income is $110,000.
Average number of guests at a destination wedding: 48.
Guests at a destination wedding spend an average of $400 to attend.
9 out of 10 couples say weather is a key factor in selecting a destination.
The leading destinations for out-of-town weddings are: (Figures in parentheses indicate number of weddings performed annually.)
Las Vegas (125,000)
Hawaii (20,000)
U.S. Virgin Islands (5,100)
Jamaica (5,000)
Bahamas (4,000)
Mexico and Florida are also important locations for destination weddings
Destination couples spend $8,200 on average on their honeymoon. That's more than one-third more than traditional wedding couples.

Pearl & Leather Jewelry

Check out this beachy cool Leather & Pearl Jewelry from Nicholas Landon Jewelry on Etsy.