Some Wedding Gowns need a train.

Others require a semi-truck.

Do you or someone you know dream of walking down the aisle with the help of new York City’s premiere bridal expert, but your budget doesn’t include a trip to the big apple?

Never fear! It’s Randy to the Rescue!

For the first time ever, TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress fashion expert (and resident “FOB” – friend-of-the-bride) Randy, is heading off the floor of Kleinfeld and behind the wheel of a big rig – to bring his favorite gowns, his unsurpassed dress knowledge, and his signature “head-to-hem” styling approach to you!

If you love TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress, but live miles away from New York City, now is your chance.  Email TLC with your name, age, location, and wedding date ASAP to randytotherescue@gmail.com.

TLC’s NEXT STOPS….

San Diego, CA – 2/4/2012

Las Vegas, NV – 2/18/2012

New Orleans, LA – 2/26/2012

Nashville, TN – 3/11/2012

Cincinnati, OH – 3/18/2012

Boston, MA – 4/1/2012

Minneapolis, MN – 4/15/2012

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/randy-to-the-rescue

While planning your Honeymoon, brides and grooms should make sure that your destination has a resort that can cater to the couple and have everything right at your finger tips.  No matter what your needs and desires may be, a resort should be able to anticipate AND meet your wildest expectations – from the Bridal Honeymoon Suite to the delicious food and drinks served!  Couples should only pack their LOVE and let the resort handle the rest of the details.

Sandals Resorts are All-Inclusive Luxury Resort properties and will meet the needs of any Honeymoon couple.  The resorts are designed with romance in mind and created to make all bridal couples’ dreams come true!

Sandals Resorts are located in tropical settings such as the Bahamas, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and Antigua providing Honeymoon couples with a wide range of selections.  No matter which destination is chosen, the experience will be way beyond the imagination and totally unforgettable for couples!

If you are interested in planning a Honeymoon, a Destination Wedding in the Tropics, or just plain have a Romantic Getaway, bridals couples should contact Crowne Jewel Events and Travel which is offering special rates and promotions starting now through August 4, 2011.   Also, couples can receive $100.00 off your booking and a $250.00 spa credit when you book only through your preferred travel agent at Crowne Jewel Events and Travel. 

For more information, please contact Ann Broussard at crownejewel22@yahoo.com or at (225)247-8686.

One fabulous New Orleans Wedding Courtyard is at the Maison Dupuy .   Your wedding ceremony at the Maison Dupuy can be held in front of a gorgeous fountain and then the ceremony area is turned into a magical wedding reception area where you and your guests will enjoy wonderful New Orleans food and dance the wedding reception away with perhaps even booking a New Orleans Jazz Brass Band to end the reception. 

Take a look at the slideshow showcasting a full service New Orleans Courtyard Wedding planned and coordinated by Classic Weddings and Events By Susan in New Orleans, LA at the Maison Dupuy.  Images courtesy of Phase 3 Photography located in Dallas, TX.

www.phase3photography.com/marisaandsteward

Kavita Melwani, owner of Amara Jewelry, has spent several years in the jewelry business.  She has traveled extensively throughout the USA and has visited places such as India, China, Europe and Asia exposing her to many unique cultures.  Kavita uses her experience in the jewelry business, her love of fashion, spiritual inclinations and beauty found throughout the world to design unique pieces of jewelry that are more than just beautiful!

Each piece of Amara Jewelry that is designed and handcrafted by Kavita has special meaning because she only uses stones that have historically been known for beneficial properties, religious symbols, and other meaningful elements and phrases.  Some stone examples include pearls and jade.

Kavita can help a bride bring that extra special touch to her wedding by creating custom jewelry sets such as pearl earrings and a necklace not only for themselves, but also for the mother of the bride or mother of the groom. Or create a custom bracelet for all bridesmaids to show appreciation for being in the wedding. 

Not only can a bride grace their bridal party members with fabulous bridal gifts, but a bride can feel wonderful knowing the gift will last because the stones are real.   Prices for custom pieces range anywhere from $15-$30 for earrings; $20 and up for bracelets; and $25 and up for necklaces!

 

Well, today the honeymoon is a time to unwind from the wedding and discover the love that you have for each other in a special destination.

Traditionally, the groom or his family would pay for the honeymoon, but depending on the current situation, the bride and groom might be paying for the honeymoon together.

Here are some tips that might be helpful in planning your perfect honeymoon.

1. Create and budget for the Honeymoon.  This means making sure that funds are allocated when you are creating your overall wedding budget.

2. Have a conversation of what type of honeymoon that you both desire. For instance, do you want to relax in a remote area or go to a popular place that will have lots of activity, or perhaps a combination of both??

3. Narrow your honeymoon selection to at least 3 possible destinations that you would like to visit together.

4. Contact a Travel Agent.  The services are typically free and travel experts can make recommendations based on your budget.

5. Plan to enjoy it!!!  This is the time to unwind after the The Big Day!  You want your honeymoon to be a romantic vacation that is filled with relaxation, enjoyment, but most of all LOVE!!!!

Honeymoon Tips courtesy of Crowne Jewel Events and Travel

Crowne Jewel Events and Travel is own and operated by Ann Broussard who has several years experience.  Brides and grooms who booked with Classic Weddings and Events By Susan will receive a travel agent with Crowne Jewel and Travel at no additional charge – services will be complimentary!!  Ann specializes in honeymoons, is a Certified Sandals & Disney Specialist, but can plan a honeymoon in any destination or locale.

A bride and/or groom may be thinking ‘why hire a travel agent?’  Well there are several reasons to hire a travel agent specialist.  As written in the article by Wendy Perrin in Condé Nast Traveler, http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/articles/501269 ,there are times when a professional should be hired.  For instance, a special trip such as a honeymoon to an exotic location, celebrating a wedding anniversary on a trip of a lifetime, or needing a specialize itinerary.  A travel agent can also help a couple book special events, shore excursions if taking a cruise, or if you are traveling to another country and need English speaking drivers/guides. 

Not only is hiring a professional a great way to eliminate the worry and stress of planning a fabulous honeymoon, but a travel agent gives you peace of mind that all small details of your trip are being handled by an EXPERT!!

These are just a few of the questions that start after the engagement.  But, one of the most important questions that a couple should consider before any planning really begins is….should a wedding coordinator/planner be hired?  A couple should decide on hiring a wedding planner in the very beginning of the planning phase to enjoy several benefits.  Not only can a newly engaged couple benefit from the experience and knowledge of a wedding planner/coordinator, but a professional can assist with help towards answering several of the above questions plus many more, or at least help a couple prioritize the many details with creating wedding plans. 

A value to working with a wedding planner/coordinator in the beginning of a couple’s wedding is that the planner can really help with the budget which can eliminate stress and disappointment during the planning phase.  For instance, some couples may want to invite 200 people, but they do not have a realistic idea of what it will cost to actually have that dream wedding.  Hiring a wedding coordinator/planner can help a bride and groom understand what the estimated costs will be base on number of guests, destination or a local location, size of bridal party, and many other details.  Also, by working closely in the beginning phase with a professional planner before selections are decided, that wedding coordinator/planner may be able to save the bride and groom time and money with hiring vendors for the wedding day, such as with reception venues,caterers, photographers, florists, videographers, etc.

Some other key things to remember with a wedding planner/coordinator are that he/she can help the bridal couples design the wedding theme and color selections.  Not only is a planner a valuable asset when it is a local wedding, but don’t forget that a planner/coordinator can also assist with destination weddings because the couple would have a professional working for them in that locale who will usually recommend trusted wedding vendors that he/she has worked with on past weddings.  

A bride and groom should keep in mind additonal benefits to hiring a wedding coordinator include the coordintor conducting the preliminary research on which vendors are available for the couple’s wedding date, setting up meetings with wedding vendors, knowing which vendors are within the couple’s budget so as to not waste time with vendors that are not affordable; plus the couple has someone throughout the planning phase to discuss details and seek advice, not to mention on the  the wedding day making sure all details come together beautifully!

I get asked this question a lot.  Some bridal couples don’t really understand the value of hiring a professional wedding coordinator for their wedding day, especially if they have done all of the planning.  If a couple really cannot afford in their budget a full service professional wedding coordinator/planner, then perhaps they may want to look into hiring a coordinator/planner for only the wedding day. 

Most day of planners start work with a bridal couple several weeks before the actual wedding day in order to truly get the couple’s vision and get to know which vendors have been hired.  Yes, a bridal couple have planned a beautiful wedding, but who do you have on your wedding day to make sure that all the vendors are where they need to be?  Has the cake arrive on time? Are the linens the correct color?  Did ceremony musicians arrive and are they playing yet? What about the reception music? Is the DJ or band setup?  These are just some aspects on the wedding day that need to be handle.   Should the bride’s mother or groom’s mother have to worry about these details?  Or how about enlisting family members to help on the day? Shouldn’t they be allowed to enjoy the wedding day experience also? 

A Day of Coordinator eliminates these questions and creates organization for you on the wedding day.  As a day of coordinator, I work in conjuction with the other vendors to make sure all aspects of the wedding day are done in a timely fashion. Yes, you may have a coordinator at the hotel or church already, but that person can’t be available during the other times of your planning phase.  And most times, hotel coordinators have other events happening in the hotel at the same time as your wedding so they aren’t at your event the entire night.  As a Day of Coordinator, I’m there on your wedding day from the start until the last song is played.

I hear from people all the time after they have gotten married AND they did not hire a coordinator that they wished they had hired one –  the wedding day would’ve been less stressful and that they now recommend to all their friends who get engaged to invest in a wedding coordinator/planner. 

And I also hear from people who decided to invest a little more on their wedding day and hire a day of coordinator – that it was the best investment they made for their wedding.  As a couple, you invest a lot in your wedding; and you should also invest in knowing that your day runs as smoothly as possible, too.