Dream destination wedding locations

As an experienced destination wedding planner, more and more often I have clients coming to me looking for the perfect destination to hold their wedding.  While everyone's dream is a little different; some want the beach, others want a quiet country wedding and some prefer a more exotic locale, the goal for everyone is the same; to find the perfect destination.

In my constant search for interesting locations to please my clients I came across the following article in Elle Magazine.  Elle: 10 dream wedding destinations.  I think these are some amazing destinations and I can just imagine planning a wedding in any of them   

But this is really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to amazing destinations for a wedding.  What I think would be really interesting is to compile a list of dream wedding destinations from readers here on the blog.  Where would you hold your dream wedding?  I would love to get all of your comments to share with my readers.

Looking forward to all of your comments and ...

Cheers!

Charleston, South Carolina - Number 2 travel destination worldwide!

I always knew that opening an office in Charleston would be a great idea.  I am truly excited to have my opinion reinforced as Conde Nast magazine just rated Charleston the number one destination in the country and number 2 worldwide!  Check out the article here and make sure to plan your visit.

Conde Nast Top Cities in the World

Congratulations Charleston!

Destination weddings - Fountainbleau in Miami

I recently had the opportunity to stay at the Fountainbleau in Miami and want to share this amazing location for a destination wedding.

I think everyone has at least heard of the Fountainbleau since it really is a Miami institution. And if you are planning a Winter destination wedding why not take advantage of the wonderful weather in Miami.  

My experience at the hotel was incredible with great service, wonderful restaurants like Hakkasan, Scarpetta and Michael Mina 74, you never have to leave the hotel.  Also, the hotel offers such a great variety of options for holding a wedding.  From the elegant ballroom, to the beautiful beaches there are options for all tastes.  You can even hold your ceremony poolside.

When you are thinking about destinations for your wedding, I would recommend that you look into the Fountainbleau Miami.

Until next time,

Cheers...

It's been a busy Summer season

It has really been a busy Summer as I have been planning and designing some wonderful weddings up and down the East coast.  I am looking forward to sharing all of these great events with you and have been anxiously awaiting the finished photos.

To start, I did recently receive some wonderful photos of a wedding I produced at Zugibe Vineyards located on Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes.

We had a beautiful June day for Kelley and Jason's outdoor wedding in the middle of a lush vineyard overlooking Seneca Lake.  The setting could not have been more perfect!  

To create the perfect decor I kept the feel very simple and natural with white and cream roses accented with pink and fuchsia peonies to give a pop of color.  For the Bride's bouquet I added natural elements like Queen Anne's Lace, dusty miller and even geranium leaves giving the bouquet the garden feel that the Bride loved.

We utilized the outdoor pavilion at Zugibe Vineyard for the ceremony and later converted it to the dance floor.  With the vineyard in the background it really did create a wonderful setting for both the ceremony and the reception.

Zugibe is great for weddings due to having the option of either using the indoor tasting room or their large deck that overlooks the lake.  Given the wonderful weather, we chose to hold dinner on the deck so guests could take advantage of the view.  I brought in farm tables to use for the dinner.  The tables were then accented with a simple white fabric runner to which I added a combination of crystal cut glasses and silver julep cups filled with roses, peonies and other seasonal blooms.  The result was a simple yet stunning look that was a big hit.

There were a number of personal touches that were added to really personalize the wedding.  I always think it is this detail that really makes a wedding memorable and it was certainly the case here.

In the end it was a great celebration for the couple and their guests.  For me it was another special day in the Finger Lakes with a wonderful couple.  I love to see a happy bride and groom!

I would like to give a special shout out to Julia at Zugibe Vineyards who was such a pleasure to work with, Lisa at Showcase Sound who did an amazing job with the lighting and entertainment, McCarthy Tent who supplied all of the rentals and Gary at Michael Dade Photography who captured all of the images you see here.  I cannot wait to work with these wonderful vendors on my next event in the Finger Lakes.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Planning a destination wedding? Check out the Preferred Hotel Group

Over the last several months I have had the privilege to work with the Preferred Hotel Group and to meet with many of the spectacular hotels that are affiliated with this organization.  With over 650 affiliated hotels and resorts worldwide they offer some amazing options for planning a destination wedding.

I have recently had the pleasure to spend an afternoon learning about some of their destination resorts that I want to share with you.  The hotels and resorts that I am featuring here all offer amazing options for destination weddings but are only a handful of the resorts that are members of the Preferred Hotel Group. Take a look at these wonderful venues to find the perfect location for your wedding.

Mexico and Costa Rica.  The four hotels that I met with offer some great tropical options for weddings and events.  Check them out below:

Located on Mexico's famed Riviera Maya coast, the Banyan Tree Mayakoba in Playa del Carmen offers a beautiful Caribbean setting for your destination wedding.  It is definitely a great option for a beachfront ceremony!

I had the opportunity to personally experience the Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach in Cancun and can attest to what a beautiful venue this is.  They offer a wider variety of indoor and outdoor spaces for weddings of any size

If you are interested in a location on the Pacific side of Mexico I encourage you to check out the Villa La Estancia Riviera Nayarit in Nuevo Vallarta Nayarit.  They have a variety of packages and options to make any wedding day special.

While I have not been to Costa Rica I have heard so much about how beautiful it is and really want to take a trip there.  To experience this beauty I recommend the El Mangroove Papaigayo Bay.  The boutique, all suite hotel offers wonderful outdoor settings for any wedding.

Hawaii is always a wonderful wedding destination and these hotels offer some of the best options in the islands.

If Hawaii is your planned wedding destination check out the Makena Beach & Golf Resort in Maui.  Take in the beautiful beaches and everything that the island has to offer at this world class resort.

If you want your wedding guests to be close to the best shopping and nightlife, consider The Kahala Hotel & Resort in Honolulu.  With ballrooms that can accommodate up to 300 guests this is the perfect venue for a large destination wedding.

California offers so much diversity in terms of locations for a destination wedding.  From the wineries in Sonoma and Napa to the beaches of Southern California there are countless options for a destination wedding that do not have to break the bank.

If the beach is not the ideal setting for your wedding take a look at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa in Ojai California.  With a mountainside setting in Southern California the Ojai Valley Inn offers incredible views along with both rustic and elegant options.

The Grand Del Mar in San Diego is another venue that offers a wide variety of options for any size wedding.  I love all of the indoor and outdoor spaces that offer choices that would make any wedding special. This is a really spectacular venue and, even if you are not planning a wedding, you should check it out.

I absolutely love planning weddings and events in foreign destinations.  I do love to travel and find that it is always interesting learning how venues in different parts of the world handle the planning process.  Yes, it is a challenge but one that is exhilarating and makes the end result that much more special. 

If foreign travel is part of your destination wedding plans I encourage you to look into The K Club in Kildare, Ireland.  I can just imagine how beautiful it would be to plan and design a wedding in this countryside venue. 

I know that many of my destination Brides on the East coast try to stay closer to home so their guests do not have to travel long distances.  The Preferred Hotel Group offers some great alternatives that are closer to home and the next 4 venues are just a sample of what they have to offer.

The Seagate Hotel & Spa in Delray Beach, Florida is a great option if you are looking for a destination wedding on the East coast of Florida.  With options for a beach side wedding, as well as a ballroom that can accommodate up to 300 guests, this is a great option for the destination bride.

Having spent a lot of time in upstate New York near the Adirondacks, I truly appreciate the beauty of the area around The Sagamore in Bolton Landing.  The setting on Lake George is stunning and makes for the perfect destination being just over 4 hours by car from New York City.

I love that there are so many Inns throughout New England that offer a taste of history.  One such location is the Hanover Inn Dartmouth in Hanover, New Hampshire.  The area is perfect for the "outdoorsy" couple with options for weddings large and small.

The New England shore is truly amazing to behold as you will see during a visit to Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.  This boutique hotel offers a variety of options for weddings of up to 150 guests and the setting will forever be remembered by your guests.

There are so many great places to plan your destination wedding.  The hardest part is really picking from all of the great selections.  Just realize that no matter the location, the key is to celebrate with family and friends and enjoy.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Thinking warm thoughts

With the exception of one friend, who is happiest when it is cold and snowing, everyone I know is pretty much over all of the nasty weather we have had this winter.  I thought this would be the perfect time to share some photos from random Summertime events so we can all think about what we have to look forward to.    Enjoy!

This first set is from an anniversary party I produced and designed in Westchester.  I love the bright colors and thought of a poolside party.

Still poolside, and with more bright colors, I have always loved how fun and cheerful this birthday party was for all of the guests.

Who doesn't love an outdoor clambake.  I had so much fun setting this party up for 13WHAM in Rochester.  Look closely at the photos as there are a lot of great, simple ideas for a Summer party.  It's not to early to start planning!

What is better than a garden wedding on a sunny Summer day?  Enjoy these photos take at Caramoor Garden.  I love this venue and am excited to be working there again this Summer.

I love the simplicity of this garden party in Westchester.  It was a great gathering on a beautiful day in June.

And finally I have to share this wonderful image from the top of Jade Mountain looking over the Pitons.  We had the privilege of planning a wedding there and I really wish I was back in that warmth now!

I hope you are thinking warm thoughts and enjoying the thought of better weather.

Cheers!

Update on my own wedding planning!

About a year ago I wrote a blog "How is a wedding planner to plan his own wedding" and said I would chronicle how I am going to plan my (our) own wedding. Since then little has been written or documented largely in part to the fact that my partner and I truly did not know what we wanted to do for our wedding.  You know the saying "doctors make the worse patients"?  Well that's us!  We’ve been so focused on everyone else that we put our wedding on the back burner.

Until Sunday when we finally sat down and discussed the what, the when and the where!  Kids, we have a break through!  Michael and I have set a date!

We know where we want to have the wedding, we know when we want to have the wedding and like ripping a band aid off we took to our guest list like a birthday kid to cake!

So now that we've made this huge step we will continue to keep you up to date over the course of our planning the wedding.

Stay tuned because this wedding planning thing is going to get interesting!

Until next time -

Cheers!

Destination Weddings - Bermuda

I recently had the opportunity to spend some time on the Island of Bermuda and could not help but take note of what a wonderful destination location this is for a wedding.  It is a short plane ride from the East coast and offers so many great places to hold a ceremony and reception.

I know many couples look at Bermuda as a honeymoon location but, if you are planning a destination wedding, I would certainly add this to the list of options.  In looking at venues in Bermuda one of the best places to start is the Mandarin Oriental Elbow Beach.  Elbow Beach itself is beautiful with soft white sand and gorgeous, clear blue water.  Add to that the great service and beautiful grounds of the Mandarin Oriental and you have a perfect combination. 

Across the island you will find another wonderful venue at the Fairmont Southampton.  With both garden and beachside options for ceremonies, and a variety of event spaces for receptions, the Fairmont is an excellent option for a Bermuda wedding.

What is great about Bermuda are some of the truly unique options for holding your wedding ceremony.  Take for example the "Moongates" located at various points on the island.  Couples can get married by the Moongate and afterward they walk through the limestone arch for good luck.  

Or, you can take advantage of the history of Bermuda and plan your ceremony in a unique setting such as St. Catherine Fort just outside of the original settlement of St. Georges.  Or consider the beautiful Bermuda Botanical Gardens that date back to 1898.

Bermuda Botanical Gardens

St. Catherine Fort

There are just so many great options for holding a wedding in Bermuda.  So, if you are thinking about a destination wedding I strongly encourage you to check out everything Bermuda has to offer.

Until next time...

Cheers!

My 5 favorite New York venue views

If you are looking for a magnificent view in New York there are countless options.  But, if you want to throw a party where there's a great view the options are much more limited.  I have had the privilege to plan and design parties in venues with some of the most spectacular views you can imagine.  I thought it would be good to share what I consider to be among the best venues with a view in this great city.  Maybe one of these will be the perfect setting for your next party.

Trump Soho

I have had the pleasure of planning several events at SoHi on the 46th Floor of the Trump Soho Hotel.  With floor to ceiling windows on 3 sides of the room the views are breathtaking.  I really enjoy starting an event just before sunset so you can see how the city evolves with the sun setting and the lights coming on.  It is really a great experience.

Glass Houses

With the change in New York real estate there are so many raw spaces that just no longer exist.  That is why I was excited when The Glass Houses opened on the west side.  Not only are the views amazing, both of the spaces in the venue are really blank canvasses.  I have so much fun designing an event this type of space because I can totally use my imagination to make my client's dreams come true.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel

If you are planning a larger event with a view of Central Park you should definitely head over to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel on Columbus Circle.  Proceed to the 36th floor and you will be greeted by a beautiful view overlooking the park from this ballroom.  There is certainly a "wow" factor when your guests enter this amazing space with the shades down only to have them opened after guests are in the room, revealing the stunning view.  I have been fortunate to plan and design a number of events here, all of which were flawless. 

Tribeca Rooftop

Just a few blocks from Trump Soho is Tribeca Rooftop, a large space with a lot of character and great views.  One of my favorite features in the space is the impressive staircase to the rooftop deck which was taken from the Palladium nightclub.  One of my favorite weddings here used the roof deck for the ceremony so guests could enjoy the view of the city while watching a very touching ceremony.  It was really a perfect New York setting.  You also should not miss their lower level space' Three-Sixty a full floor space also with great views.

NoMad

Recently I had an opportunity to design a smaller gathering in the rooftop space of the new NoMad Hotel.  My client had been looking at a number of venues and as soon as she saw the room her mind was set.  This was THE place for the party.  It really is a wonderful setting for an intimate event.

If you are looking for the perfect spot for your next party I encourage you to check out these great options that are sure to please.

Until next time...

Cheers!