Summer Sunset Weddings

An elegant wedding gown should be harmonizing with elegant accessories. Pearls are the usual wedding jewelry, and pair perfectly with a classic elegant wedding gown. Heirloom jewelry too looks beautiful; putting on your grandmother’s necklace or bracelet is a gorgeous way to honor her as well as being your “something old or borrowed” for those who are superstitious. Additional accessories that will complement your elegant wedding gown are classic satin shoes, small diamond earrings, and a small satin bag.

Romantic wedding gowns are the preference gown style of many ladies when they daydream about their wedding gown. It is likely to invoke a more romantic time with your gown choice on your special day. Romantic wedding gowns are based on older styling of dresses and include some styles of vintage dresses.

The romantic wedding gown is an unsurpassed favorite wedding dress design because the tight upper body dress piece makes your body appear more slender in contrast to the big skirt. This is a pleasing design for almost everybody because the big skirt is just very flattering and feminine.

A romantic wedding gown generally reminds the viewer of a fairy tale wedding with the full skirt that is puffed out from the many yards of tulle beneath. This dress may comprise full sleeves at the shoulders with a fitted sleeve below the elbows. Though there are several styles to choose from, some typical designs will contrast a fancy skirt with a plain top or a lace enclosed bodice with a plain skirt. Think of the dresses that you see on many of the historic era romance books and you will see the flattering design of this romantic dress.

Wedding are more often than not the bride’s day. That is why bride want to have exclusive wedding gowns to make their dreams come true. There are many different kinds of wedding gowns and if you want really unique wedding gowns you will have to visit a designer instead of buy off the rack. Wedding gowns from catalogs and stores usually have a lot of items of similar cut and design. It is better to visit a designer and state a design which you think will suit you and have it done.

You may not have any idea of what type of gown you really want, apart from that you want it to be a unique wedding gown. Your designer will be able to help you in this aspect by designing several unique wedding gowns and you have the right to discharge designs which you do not like.

A few unique wedding gowns could be of different colors to make the gown stand out from the usual traditional white, ecru and off white gowns. Additional ways to make really unique wedding gowns is to make themed gowns like a medieval theme where the gowns look like those of medieval princesses or Grecian stimulated gowns like those of goddesses. The majority women would love the medieval inspired wedding gowns but the problem with them is they generally look better with slimmer ladies because of their heavy fabric and designs.

Are you wondering what sort of tropical wedding dress you ought to wear on your wedding day? Will you be walking along a sandy aisle or will you be walking on stone or a boardwalk? If you plan to have a comfortable wedding day at the beach, you must match your tropical wedding dress with shoes that will permit you to walk in the sand.

To equal your setting, a couple of looks that you can think about are the party wedding or the soulful ceremony. You can appear as lovely as a goddess looks in your simple hot weather/wedding attire no matter what your fashion style and be as contented as any other day on the beach. The dress style and the material that you finally decide for the dress will have to relate to whether you are choosing a formal or informal wedding in a tropical location.

It is likely to have an elegant tropical wedding and to wear a beautiful and memorable tropical wedding dress. A lot of brides are choosing to have tropical weddings because of how fun, relaxed and peaceful such a wedding can be compared to a formal wedding.

From the save the date card or wedding invitation to the wedding breakfast stationery and thank you cards, your wedding stationery sets the scene and tone for your wedding day and stamps your style on the wedding that will leave a lasting impression on all your guests.

SET YOUR BUDGET

Unless you are in a lucky position not to have to consider costs, probably the first decision to make before you start to consider your wedding stationery requirements is to establish your budget. If you are having a large wedding, the cost of wedding stationery can soon mount up. The idea of bespoke wedding invitations may appeal to you but if you are have 200 guests you need to know that you can afford the costs of a bespoke designer! Similarly, you may like the idea of hand crafting your own wedding stationery for that personal touch but be sure that you are up to the challenge of sticking, gluing or printing dozens of invitations when you have dresses to buy, photographers to interview, cakes to choose.

WHAT STATIONERY DO I NEED? MAKE A LIST!

To set a budget it helps to make a list of all the invitations and other stationery that you NEED and then if the budget allows you can consider the additional extras that you can afford to add those stylish extra touches to your wedding. Place names, menus, favour boxes – the list is as long as you wish to make it! Here’s our guide to the wedding stationery you may wish to consider:

• Save The Date Cards/Engagement Announcement
• Wedding Day Invitations
• Evening Invitations
• Rsvp Cards
• Information Cards
• Order Of Service
• Order Of The Day
• Guest Books
• Table Seating Plans
• Menus
• Name Place Cards And Table Numbers/Names
• Favour Boxes
• Cake Boxes
• Thank You Cards
• Photo Albums
• Personal Wedding Wedsites

HOW MANY INVITATIONS AND WHO TO INVITE?

Before ordering your wedding stationery you should be clear about the quantities you will require as some companies, particularly bespoke stationers, may need several weeks or even months notice to produce extra invitations. It could also work out more costly to make additional orders. You should allow one invitation per family or couple.

If you are inviting children, their names should also be included on the wedding invitation. Younger adults above 16 would probably appreciate their own invitation. It is also courteous to send an invitation to the groom’s parents, the priest/minister and any guests that you already know cannot make it but would find an invitation thoughtful (perhaps a relative abroad). Always make sure you order some extra invitations in case you make mistakes or have to invite guests on your reserve list. So who should you invite? Here are some points to bear in mind when compiling a guest list -

• What is our budget. How many guests can you cater for within our budget?
• Start your guest list early as it can be a long and complicated job!
• The first guests on your list should be those people who you really care about, close family and friends you see on a weekly basis.
• Then you can consider people who have played an important part in your life in the past.
• Consider if you want to start inviting work colleagues. Do you want to invite them or do you feel under pressure to invite colleagues? Remember, if you invite a couple of colleagues, others may be offended.
• Consider the opinions of those who are contributing financially to the wedding – should they have a say in the guest list?
• Do the bride and groom have similar size families or would it be sensible to invite more guests from one side of the family?
• Do you want to entertain children at the wedding?

CHOOSING THE RIGHT STYLE OF WEDDING STATIONERY

So you have decided the number of guests you are inviting and the wedding stationery items that you will need but how do you choose your stationery and order it? The wedding invitations or save the day cards that you send out will give your wedding guests the first view of the style and feel of your wedding day. It’s the first opportunity for you to showcase your big day and let everyone know what is in store.

Your wedding stationery should reflect the style or theme of your wedding as well as the appropriate formality of the day.

Many wedding stationery designers will offer a wide range of styles and colours while others may specialise in one type of invitation style such as letterpress for more formal invitations or handmade invitations for a more luxurious touch. The first thing you need to decide is the formality of the wedding. Formal wedding invitations would general suit a more traditional wedding. Typically, formal wedding invitations are of a classic design using simple, traditional fonts. The wording is often engraved onto high quality cream or white card in black, silver or gold using techniques such as letterpress or thermography, or you could hire a calligrapher to professionally hand write your invitations.

To many wedding clients, this might seem a strange question to pose, because after all, wedding photography must be, by definition, photography taken on your wedding day. Well yes it is, of course. But such a simple perspective glosses over how much wedding photography has changed in the last fifteen years; and indeed, even today why it means one thing to one wedding couple and a completely different thing to another.

Years ago, a wedding photographer was a technician who owned a mystical black box that very few other people would have been able to operate. Wedding couples were employing this person to produce a few nicely exposed, technically correct, record shots of the big day. And the photographer might have even attended up to six weddings in one day.

In 2009, virtually all wedding guests own a camera capable of producing well-exposed images at very little cost. So the digital revolution has meant the role of the professional wedding photographer has needed to change considerably. More importantly, technological advancements have given photographers the flexibility and empowerment to offer something radically different. This has attracted different type of people into the profession and resulted in the general standard of wedding photography improving significantly compared to previous generations. At their very best, wedding photographers offer stunning images that tell a narrative in a very artistic, flattering and evocative manner.

But at the same time, the economics of setting up as a wedding photographer via the internet now means that the range in quality and diversity of photography has also widened immeasurably. It is no longer right to say all wedding photography is same, and no longer right to assume all couples desire the same photography.

A Guide to Photographic Styles

A benefit of the internet is the ease in which you can examine the work of a large number of photographers. Surf through just a few photographers’ websites, and not only will you come to terms with the range in calibre, but also the proliferation of photographic styles. Many of the terms used to describe these styles can also be confusing because they are used interchangeably and sometimes inconsistently.

Reportage photography  is also referred to as photojournalism or documentary photography; and is often used to describe an unobtrusive approach in which the photographer does not direct the wedding couple or guests at all. Instead the photography captures the flow of the day  – in a creative way as possible – as it would naturally happen.

Traditional wedding photography is probably the most confusing description, but many people use it to depict old fashioned line-ups of wedding guests and family. But it is also used to describe any photographic posing of the couple.

Contemporary wedding photography (sometimes confusingly used interchangeably with reportage photography because it is modern!) can refer, for example, to poses with modern, urban or colourful backgrounds. Or perhaps because the image has a strong camera tilt, an avant-garde feel, or simply just that it contains a new innovative fashion pose.

My advice is not to get hung up labels. First, the labels can be sometimes more confusing than helpful. Second, styles of photography often do not fit neatly into one category or another anyway. Third, it gives the impression that wedding photographers offer, or should offer just one style throughout the wedding (indeed I get bored listening to photographers’ arguments about which style is superior).

My view is that weddings are rarely suited to just one style. Photographers will typically need to draw on many skill-sets during the day. Photographers cannot for example, start posing couples – or ask them to move to a better light – during the wedding ceremony. Equally, it is very rare for a couple not to expect some photographs within a formal framework which shows them in their best light. And even the most modern of weddings will still have a few traditional family shots.

Many photographers will of course excel in one type of skill over the other and indeed emphasise and market it. I often describe my own style as classical with a fashion edge, although I have to rely on a mix of genres – including reportage – during the day. I emphasise the importance of directed photography, because, within the very tight time scales of a wedding, I think that it is important to spend at least 30 minutes partially directing/posing the couple away from the attention of the guests. The key objective for me here is to give the couple flattering, fine art photographs that they will probably never have taken again.

Let’s face it. When it comes to wedding dress, most men just can’t seem to understand the importance of picking the perfect wedding dress. True, you’re only going to be wearing that gown once in your life, and your groom may still feel the inclination to tie the knot even if you showed up dressed in a potato sack, but you very well know that one of the most important days of your life merits an exceptionally special dress.

Top Tips to Choose the Perfect Wedding Dress

There are so many wedding details that you need to take care of, but it’s equally important that you take the time to find the perfect wedding gown for you. To help you out, we’ve come up with a list of wedding dress tips for how you can look your best on your wedding day.

Tip 1: Is constantly going to your groom for tips getting you down? Find a female friend or relative who will gladly accompany you on your trips to the bridal shop.

Unless your groom is female fashion-savvy, he’s not going to be much help when you ask him about the perfect wedding dress collar or neckline for you. Find a female companion or companions that you trust enough for second and third opinions.

Tip 2: Set a budget, and try to follow it.

Wedding dress budgets are hardly ever exact. You may need to spend more or you might end up spending less than you expected. The point is having a budget in mind can help you control the urge to splurge on your very special dress. Try your hardest to follow your dress budget, and pray that you find a great wedding dress bargain that will make your groom proud.

Tip 3: Consider the color of your gown.

You can stick with tradition and go for white, but if you want to add some color to your gown, then by all means, find the perfect color for you. Today, a number of modern brides are choosing colored wedding dresses instead of plain white ones. Stand out in the sea of white-clad brides by going for an eye-popping color.

You may want to take the season into consideration when picking out your wedding dress color, or you can simply go for what flatters your complexion best. Also be prepared for possible adverse reactions from your traditional guests. Console yourself with the thought that it’s your wedding, and you can wear blue or even black if you want to.

Tip 4: Find the right wedding dress length.

Yes, wedding gowns can be short or long depending on the type of ceremony you’re having and where you’re planning on having it. There’s a very basic rule when it comes to choosing the perfect wedding dress length, and it’s to base your dress length on how formal the ceremony is.

If you’re having a formal ceremony, then floor-length is the way to go. If it’s an ultra-formal wedding, then you may want to add a cathedral train to your dress. For informal weddings, you can choose the hemline that flatters you best.

Short, or at least shorter wedding dresses are advised for casual and outdoor weddings for practical reasons. You don’t want to get mud, twigs, leaves or sand on your floor-length designer wedding dress, right?

Tip 5: Pick the appropriate and the most flattering sleeve-length and style for your dress.

By appropriate, we’re merely reminding you that a winter wedding may not be the best time to go for a halter, plunging and backless number unless you’re planning on wearing over clothes.

If you’re feeling conscious about your arms or your shoulders, then you might want to keep those problem areas covered. There are numerous sleeve styles and sleeve lengths to choose from; simply pick the one that fits the occasion best while making you feel pretty and comfortable in your dress.

Tip 6: Know the importance of finding the right skirt style and dress shape for your body.

Much like wedding dresses, brides come in different shapes and sizes. Take into consideration your physical assets, your overall body shape and your problem areas when making your choice of skirt style and dress shape.

For example, if you’re shaped like an inverted triangle, with prominent shoulders and small hips, then a ball gown would balance your proportions creating the perfect silhouette and hourglass figure.

Tip 7: Determining the best neckline for you.

Your wedding gown’s neckline can definitely affect your gown’s overall appearance. You have numerous neckline options, but it’s all a matter of finding the most suitable and flattering neckline for your frame.

Remember, in the same way that you need to take your assets, body shape and problem areas into consideration when picking out dress shapes and skirt styles, you also need to look at these factors when choosing your wedding dress neckline.

If you’re planning on showing off your arms, your beautiful shoulders and pronounced collar bones, and you have an ample bosom to pull off the look, then the strapless gown is an excellent neckline choice. If you tend towards the flat side, then you can enhance your bust area with a bateau neckline.

Tip 8: Look for the right fabric.

A pure satin ball gown would not stand on its own without layers of tulle under it or hoops built into the dress. Your choice of fabric could directly affect your gown’s overall look. If you tend to be uncomfortable or if you tend to feel itchy when you’re wearing crisp and net-like fabrics, then go for the breezy and lightweight ones.

There are so many different fabrics to choose from. A way to familiarize yourself with these fabrics is to ask your wedding planner or the bridal boutique owner to help you distinguish between the different fabric types available.

Tip 9: Decide on whether or not you want or need a wedding train.

A wedding train means extra-fabric and detailing, which translates to paying more for your wedding dress. Unless your wedding is ultra-formal, you’re not going to need a train.

If your heart is set on having a train that trails gracefully behind you, then pick your train length based on practicality. Your wedding train can decrease your mobility, making it difficult to maneuver between chairs and tables during the reception. A detachable wedding train is most advisable if you’re planning on doing a lot of dancing and walking after the actual wedding ceremony.

Tip 10: Be Wary of wedding gown sizing and necessary alterations.

You’ll find out more about this when you actually head to the bridal boutique to be measured.

You may already know your actual size, but don’t be too surprised if they tell you that you’re a size or two bigger than you thought.

This is not to say that they have faulty sizing charts; it only means that wedding dress boutiques and high street shops have a different way of determining your dress size. Your dress size is based on your body’s largest dimension.

If you have prominent hips and a smaller bust area, then your wedding dress size will be based on your hip size.

Once you get your wedding gown, you need to check if alterations need to be made for a perfect fit. Most brides find that alterations are necessary to get the size right. Ask the boutique or shop owner for estimates on how much you’re going to have to pay for dress alterations to determine if you’re getting a great bargain or a rotten deal.

Tip 11: If you think your dress needs that extra sparkle and glam then go for some decorations and embellishments.

Wedding dress embellishments and decorations have one special purpose, and that’s to bring something extra to your gown.

Additional decorations and embellishments are a great way of making your dress even more unique and fashionable.

A basic gown would look great with additional beading and perhaps some embroidery. If you want a more feminine gown, then adding a bow, some ribbons or three-dimensional flowers can give your dress the boost needed to make it an amazing and personalized wedding dress.

Find a great seamstress or wedding dress designer to help you pick out the right detailing for your gown.

Tip 12: Decide if you need over clothes for your wedding gown.

If you’re having a winter wedding, and your heart is set on a strapless, A-Line, princess dress, then a great coat or bolero will help you keep warm during the wedding ceremony.Keep in mind that there are also some churches that require brides to wear modest attire for the ceremony. Rayon fringed shawls and floor-length feathered coats are excellent ways of keeping covered during the actual ceremony.On your way to your reception, simply slip out of these over clothes to show the full beauty of your wedding gown.Follow these helpful tips and keep these reminders in mind when dress-shopping, to make your hunt for the perfect wedding dress a more enjoyable and less stressful experience.

Today, Norm Goldman, Editor of Sketchandtravel and Bookpleasures is pleased to have as a guest Judy Allen. Judy is the author of Your Stress Free Wedding Planner (Sourcebooks, Inc.), as well as five professional books on event planning (John Wiley and Sons).

Judy has created-produced-orchestrated special events in over 30 countries for up to
2,000 guests.

Good day Judy and thank you for agreeing to our interview.

Norm:

Judy, could you tell us something about yourself and how you became involved in wedding planning?

Judy:

I started out in travel and managing one of the highest producing offices for a national chain. As part of my office’s growth, I developed corporate business, which evolved into handling all of their corporate events such as incentives, conferences, conventions, product launches and social corporate branding events.
Subsequently, I joined one of the leading incentive houses to design custom one- of- a kind events around the world for corporate clients.

Over ten years ago, I opened my own special events company. As a result, I have created-produced-orchestrated corporate and social special events around the world for over fifteen years, including the gala theatrical opening for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and the co-ordination of Oscar winning director Norman Jewison’s 25th Anniversary Celebration of Fiddler on the Roof.

In addition, I am also the author of five best-selling professional books on event planning that are being used around the world by industry and business professionals, and as teaching tools by Universities and Colleges.

The foreign rights for my second book, The Business of Event Planning, have been sold to China and Russia, and Harvard has deemed my third book, Event Planning Ethics and Etiquette, a “must read” for event planning and small business professionals.

The event planning series of books came about as a result of my being called “to run and rescue” non-profit gala events days before an event was scheduled to take place.

I noticed that many charitable organisations were clueless as to what to be aware of and wary of when planning events. I found this most disturbing.

The same situation occurred with wedding planning. Clients or their friends began to consult with me regarding their personal wedding plan needs. I kept hearing from them as to how stressful they found the process to be- the hidden costs and surprises they kept encountering along the way. Because of the direction I am taking my company, I do limit the number of weddings that I personally become involved in.

I wrote Your Stress Free Wedding Planner as a means to provide couples with what they need to know from a design, budget, implementation (logistics) and orchestration perspective – not etiquette – when they go to plan their wedding. I wanted to give them a wedding planning tool that would held them enjoy the process, lessen the stress and show them how to create a wedding day that is meaningful, memorable and magical.

Norm:

Could you tell us something about your book Your Stress Free Wedding Planner?

Judy:

I have shared with readers the ten key planning steps, that when followed in sequential order, will allow the bride and groom-to-be to create and co-ordinate a wedding that will exceed their expectations and stay within their wedding budget guidelines. It does not matter if a couple has six weeks to plan their wedding or a year or more, the event planning principles I have designed and the order of the steps which be followed for optimum results, remain the same.

Your Stress Free Wedding Planner simplifies the wedding planning process and allows everyone involved to relax, and enjoy the festivities that lead up to this very special day, secure in the knowledge that everything has been attended to.

What is unique about Your Stress Free Wedding Planner is the wedding design questionnaire that will show the bride and the groom how to combine their individual wedding visions and take them their personal idea of a dream wedding to one that will become “our” dream wedding. I also show couples contract red flag areas – that can cost them thousands of dollars more than they expected – that they need to be aware of before they sign on the dotted line as well as areas of negotiation and terms and conditions that they need to have amended on their contracts.

Norm:

If you had to choose 5 of the most romantic wedding destinations in the world, which ones would you choose and why?

Judy:

For me 5 of the most romantic wedding destinations in the world would be

• Greece/Greek Islands for their beauty, ambience and history – you can relax, sightsee, and have fun exploring as a couple:

• South Pacific (Bora Bora) – getting married on the beach and honeymooning in an over the water thatched bungalow with glass bottom floors – perfect setting in a romantic paradise

• Bali – staying at the Four Seasons that come with private plunge pools and secluded outdoor showers – a romantic hideaway from the world:

• Egypt (getting married with Pyramids as the backdrop) then on to the Valley of the Kings/cruising the Nile (honeymoon) exotic and a trip of a lifetime:

• Italy – Rome, Venice, Tuscany, Capri, Florence – so many romantic choices to choose from. You can hold your wedding reception in a castle, rent a private villa in Tuscany, hold the wedding and reception there (and honeymoon for the rest of your stay), take-over a medieval hamlet or be married or hold your wedding reception in a winery. Italy just has the air of romance.

Norm:

You have indicated that you have sailed on all types of yachts/ships. Which yacht or ship did you find to be the most romantic?

Judy:

Failing to afford chartering your own private yacht and set your own course, I personally found Windstar Cruises to be more romantic than larger cruiselines. I liked the more intimate feeling aboard ship.

Their guest count ranges in the low hundreds (148 to 308) as opposed to the in the thousands and they are not geared to having children onboard. I also like that you have the luxury of eating meals at your leisure and not at set times, summoned by a bell.

There are no formal seating table assignments – you can dine or your own or with couples you have met, there are no jacket and tie requirements and should you chose dinner can be served to your cabin. I also like the tucked away ports of calls available to you – due to being on a smaller sailing vessel — and the easy on and off of the ship. And sitting out on deck, under the stars when the sails are unfurled is extremely romantic.

Norm:

What is a wedding planner and how do you separate the good ones from the incompetent?

Judy:

What is a wedding planner and how do you separate the good ones from the incompetent?

In the planning industry there are two types of planners: Event Planners and Wedding Planners.

Generally, event planners handle designing and producing corporate, social and non-profit events. The types of events they are involved in can be quite diverse — from complex one-day entertaining events strategically planned to meet business objectives to corporate learning, performance, motivational events and elaborate arrangements of incentive or product launch theme productions that take place over the course of a week around the world. Some event planners handle not only event design, but also education and entertaining components (transportation, accommodation, food, beverage, decor, entertainment, themes) but also multimedia stage production. This is the type of event planning that I have been primarily involved in.

Wedding planners work with newly engaged couples to help them create the wedding of their dreams. They take over all the wedding planning and operation requirements, consulting closely with their clients along the way. They are compassionate, caring and adept at handling the emotional elements that are tied to planning a wedding when nerves are frayed, couples get jittery and help find areas of compromise between couples and their families when there are opposing ideas on how the wedding day should unfold. Wedding planners co-ordinate the weddings from beginning to end and are on hand on the wedding day to oversee that all goes as planned. Some wedding planners also handle social events as the two event planning styles are closely aligned whereas event planners who mainly work with corporate and business related social events generally do not cross over into wedding planning as juggling the needs of these two very different clients does not tend to mesh.

If couples are considering hiring a wedding planner, I suggest they first read Your Stress Free Wedding Planner.
With this in mind, they will immediately be able to spot the level of competency of a wedding planner, and they will be able to discern if the wedding planner is experienced or not.

Experienced wedding planners are able to fully answer questions pertaining to the budget, contract and logistical problems.

Check references- not only other wedding couples that have hired them. Also check the venues in which they have held their events.

Find out their level of ability e.g. if the wedding planner has only done events for 50 guests or less and your wedding is for 500 or more, there will be a learning curve for the wedding planner – don’t let it be at your expense.

Norm:

Have you ever planned weddings for any celebrities?

Judy:

No, not weddings, but social events with Oscar winning guests and celebrities in attendance, such as the theatrical gala premiere of Beauty and the Beast and the co-ordination of Oscar winning director’s Norman Jewison’s 25th Anniversary Celebration for Fiddler on the Roof.

Norm:

Could you tell us which wedding celebration you had planned that was the most memorable and why?

Judy:

They are all memorable – each is different and unique.
However, the one that was most memorable was one where I was a guest but got involved when there was a slight glitch.

It was an outdoor reception and the staff carrying the wedding cake out to garden for the cake cutting ceremony, tripped over one of the small children that was attending the event.

The child was okay as was the wait staff but the wedding cake landed upside down. Luckily a cloth had been placed over the cake for the reveal and guests were not aware of exactly what had taken place.

The cake was carefully righted and I went into the kitchen to meet with the chef to see what the damage had done. The top of the cake was totally smashed. I quickly gathered the bridesmaids’ bouquets that matched the flowers the bride was carrying and with the chef’s help, some plastic wrap (to protect the cake from flowers as flowers were not edible etc.) and icing.

The flowers were artfully arranged on top and fresh icing was skilfully applied to mask the dents and damage. The cake was made picture perfect without guests being any the wiser and raves were given to the floral topping on the cake. The bride and groom had been advised of what happened and were trilled with the results.

Norm:

What is your idea of a unique romantic destination?

Judy:

The amount of time it takes to get to the Seychelles can be quite daunting with airline connections and layovers (depending where you are travelling) but after arrival, there was never one moment that I regretted the travel time. What is a wonderful romantic combination is doing an African safari first and then flying to the Seychelles for the rest of your stay.

Norm:

Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers about wedding planning, romantic getaways or wedding destinations?

Judy:

Should you decide to combine your wedding with your honeymoon, there are now bridal registries that handle weddings and honeymoons at upscale hotel properties around the world.

Instead of giving a toaster as a wedding gift, family and friends celebrating your nuptials can contribute to your destination wedding. As an example: the activities on your honeymoon stay, or a couples’ massage or a private romantic dinner for two after the wedding.

These individuals work with wedding specialists at the location to pre-arrange all the wedding and personalized honeymoon details.

They also advise couples on the legal issues that being married in a specific location will entail.
If couples are planning a destination wedding they need to make sure that all is in order for them to get married and to file their marriage papers after their wedding.

One couple that flew to the Caribbean for their wedding did not check into residency requirements for weddings. They did not allow sufficient time and were unable to extend their time on the island, as they had to return to work. Unfortunately, they ended up posing for wedding photographs on the beach and then getting married at home.

One last comment, I have a second wedding planner coming out in 2006 called Engaged to Married in Three Months or Less (Sourcebooks, Inc.) and I will be covering destination weddings in the book. Stay tuned!

Thanks Judy and good luck with all of your future projects.

Norm Goldman is Editor of the travel site, http://sketchandtravel.com and the book reviewing site, http://bookpleasures.com.

Norm and his artist wife Lily meld words with art focusing on romantic and wedding destinations. You can view their articles on sketchandtravel.com.

Norm also is the editor of bookpleasures.com – a group of twenty five international book reviewers who come from all walks of life.

Norm is always open to receive requests for book reviews. In addition, Norm and Lily are always open to receive invitations to romantic resorts in the New England States & Florida.