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Destination Wedding | The Beach

For our brides who are finding themselves engaged this holiday season, if you are looking for the beach as your wedding destination, think Mexico or the Caribbean.

• Weddings at One&Only Palmilla Resort in Los Cabos, Mexico can be casual or elegant but will always be perfect.
• For an idea, view this StrictlyWeddings.com One&Only Palmilla destination wedding.
• Jamaica Inn in Ocho Rios specializes in organizing dream weddings at a spot that has been called ” …the gem of the Caribbean.”
• The photos from this Jamaica Inn destination wedding are definitely gem-worthy!

Destination Weddings: The Snowy Surroundings of Vail

We showcase so many amazing weddings set outside with beaches, botanical gardens and the amazing bounty of Mother Nature. So, we find ourselves truly inspired by the quiet majesty of this snowy wedding backdrop. Love, love, love this destination wedding set in Vail, Colorado from photographer Aaron Delesie. Winter brides (and weddings) are unique and these photos will not disappoint in speaking to our romantic nature.

Don’t ignore the wonderful details that went in to all the wedding items – the use of white roses to play off the snow, the use of pine and wood, gifts of special hot cocoa and so many other details that tie in nature & winter.

The bride’s wedding shoes next to the boots she wore to get from the wedding to the reception!

Fabulous gifts for those sharing in the wedding festivities.

Pine cones, different types of pine from trees – nature’s bounty makes for lovely wedding details.

We bet there are boots hidden beneath her gown…such a gorgeous gown and the stole is such an elegant touch.

Nature’s simple beauty inspires the reception decor.

The cake is truly perfect for this wedding. Love the use of the wood as the cake stand. We’ve  never seen anything like this!

Lake Como, Italy – An extraordinairy destination wedding

Looking for a wedding location with a lot of romance, Italian style? We just couldn’t believe the gorgeous photos from this beautiful luxury wedding by Los Angeles photographer Aaron Deliese held in Lake Como, Italy. Breathtaking. We’ve added a little historical information on Villa d’Este where the wedding took place. Conjures up visions of a fairy-tale wedding for us romantics.

Villa d’Este, masterpiece of the Italian Garden, is included in the UNESCO world heritage list. Constructed in the 16th century, with its impressive concentration of fountains, nymphs, grottoes, plays of water, and music, it constitutes a much-copied model for European gardens in the mannerist and baroque styles.

The garden is generally considered within the larger context of Tivoli itself: its landscape, art and history which includes the important ruins of ancient villas such as the Villa Adriana. The imposing constructions and the series of terraces above terraces bring to mind the hanging gardens of Babylon. The addition of water — including an aqueduct tunneling beneath the city — evokes the engineering skill of the Romans themselves.

In the 18th century the lack of maintenance led to the decay of the complex, which was aggravated by the property’s passage to the House of Hapsburg. The garden was slowly abandoned, the water works fell into ruin, and the collection of ancient statues — enlarged under Cardinal Ippolito, was disassembled and scattered.

This state of decay continued without interruption until the middle of the 19th century, when Gustav von Hohelohe, launched a series of works to pull the complex back from its state of ruin. Between 1867 and 1882 the Villa once again became a cultural point of reference, with the Cardinal frequently hosting the musician Franz Liszt (1811 – 1886), who composed Giochi d’acqua a Villa d’Este for piano while a guest here, and who in 1879 gave one of his final concerts.

At the outbreak of the first world war the villa became a property of the Italian State, and during the 1920s it was restored and opened to the public. Another, radical restoration was carried out immediately after the Second World War to repair the damage caused by the bombing of 1944. Due to particularly unfavorable environmental conditions, the restorations have continued practically without interruption during the past twenty years.

Destination Weddings: Camp Lucy – Storybook Texas Hill Country Venue

Elegant, unique, and artistically detailed, this storybook Texas Hill Country wedding venue is the picture-perfect setting for unforgettable weddings and special events. Camp Lucy is located in Dripping Springs, in the Texas Hill Country, just minutes from Austin, near San Antonio, and the ideal destination from Houston and Dallas.

Camp Lucy includes a luminous, restored French Colonial chapel, dramatic, open pavilion made of ironwood timbers, delightful Hansel & Gretel style bride’s cottage, handsome groom’s quarters, chef-inspired catering kitchen, and sweeping Hill Country vistas. The venue also looks forward to the opening a new events hall created from a repurposed Amish barn at the beginning of 2012.

As another soulful, creative, visionary project by real estate developer and antiques dealer, Whit Hanks, Camp Lucy is meticulously designed, thoughtfully planned, and built with heart. Additional features include:

• Indoor and outdoor ceremony sites
• Capacity for more than 300
• Lush, mature trees, lavish landscaping, and dramatic Great Lawn
• Charming storybook style bride’s cottage and groom’s quarters with a deck overlooking Onion Creek
• On-site, chef-inspired catering kitchen
• Stunning stone arch with terrace
• Ideal location on famed Creek Road, near Texas vineyards
• Green-friendly aesthetic with recycled and repurposed buildings and materials
• Ample parking on the grounds

The venue features at its heart a French Colonial chapel that Whit brought over from Vietnam. The original chapel dates to the 1880s. The venue’s pavilion, also brought from Vietnam, dates from the 1930s. For more information on this unique, storybook venue, visit camplucy.com.

Special thanks to the following photographers for use of their images.

Caroline Fontenot Photography
Hoffland Studios
Jenny DeMarco Photography
Paige Newton Photography
The Nichols: A Husband + Wife Photo Team

Rough Creek Lodge – Top 5 Places in the World to Get Married

We are delighted to welcome to our new Dallas luxury wedding partner Rough Creek Lodge! Rough Creek has been named “one of the top five places in the world to get married” by Peter Greenberg of NBC’s Today Show, as well as awarded the “Most Outstanding Lodge in North America” by Conde Nast Jahansens. AND… with a list of “79 Things to Do” you could even make it a fun destination wedding!

Your wedding day is one of the most important days in your life and Rough Creek will help make all your dreams come true. If it’s a lavish Fort Worth Wedding or Dallas Wedding you desire, their onsite chapel, gourmet dining and romantic accommodations will bring all that to life. You might want to take your wedding outside and say “I Do” with Texas wildflowers as your backdrop, under a canopy of live oaks. Rough Creek Lodge provides an onsite Certified Wedding Consultant assisting with the wedding plans, making sure your wedding day is everything you could ever imagine.

Rough Creek’s Executive Chef will take pride in designing a personalized menu of his signature dishes for your wedding reception. And what would a wedding be without the wedding cake? Specially prepared by their pastry chef, complete with the keepsake tier.

If you’re looking for a special destination wedding location, yet a place not too far from Dallas or Fort Worth, contact Rough Creek Lodge.

San Juan, Puerto Rico makes for a beautiful wedding

Untamed, restrained, cosmopolitan and country, Puerto Rico has it all. El Yunque – America’s largest rain forest – and 19 other forest reserves are home to 20 orchid varieties and countless other flora and fauna. Water babies will love its 270 miles of coastline littered with innumerable snorkeling, sunning and world-class surfing beaches. The island’s massive central mountain range tops 4,000 feet and demands hikers take note. There’s even a phosphorescent bay that glows at night.

After dark, visit New San Juan for its flamenco dancers, piano bars, open-air concerts, clubs, casinos, folkloric shows and Latin revues. Casinos can be found in almost every major hotel, clubs for all shapes and tastes go in and out of trendy favor, and there are always new restaurants to sample.

These fabulous photographs are from a destination wedding in San Juan, Puerto Rico from Andy Marcus of Fred Marcus Photography at the beautiful Ritz-Carlton resort. One hundred friends partied the weekend away and had such a great time. The weather was amazing and only made the ceremony held on the beach even more special.

Napa Destination Wedding at The Culinary Institute’s Greystone

These lovely wedding photos were taken by bi-coastal wedding photographers Tiffany Fosnight and Erica Mancini of Adeline and Grace Photography. We were fascinated to know you could hold a wedding at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and found the photos of Greystone, where the Institute resides, gorgeous.

What a different idea for a destination wedding! The historic stone-walled ambiance of Greystone’s (above) spectacular vineyard views and the CIA’s seamless service create the perfect setting for your dream wine country wedding. The CIA’s culinary team will custom design a menu unique to your wedding as well as select the wines to complement the meal.

According to the photographer, the couple got ready at Bardessono, a luxury hotel located in Yountville. This looks to be another “not to miss” stop when planning your Napa Valley wedding or honeymoon.

Bardessono consists of 62 luxurious guest rooms each designed for private in-room spa services, a restaurant based on local, farm-fresh ingredients and more.

Below are photos of the wedding from Adeline & Grace Photography.

Bali – A Tranquil Choice for your Wedding or Honeymoon

The heat is just wearing us down! So we thought we’d plan a mental getaway – to Bali. Sounds divine doesn’t it? So many of our brides are honeymooning in exotic locations such as Bali, Tahiti, and others. So jump on a “vicarous” ride, if just for a few minutes. We’d love to hear about your wedding or honeymoon experiences at exotic locations.

AYANA Resort and Spa

The beautiful AYANA Resort and Spa is set on 77 hectares of cliff-top tropical gardens perched 35 meters above Jimbaran Bay. The AYANA Resort and Spa enjoys majestic views and a secluded location, yet is just 10 kilometers from Bali’s airport. With a 290-room hotel and 78 private freestanding villas spread out along its 1.3 kilometer coastline, this is the most spacious and one of the most acclaimed Bali luxury hotels.

Realize your wedding dreams on the majestic cliffs of AYANA Resort and Spa. The AYANA’s enthralling oceanfront hideaway sets a captivating stage for Bali destination weddings. Exchange vows in the vibrant Champa Garden amongst a grand canopy of 2,000 white frangipani trees or find a secluded ocean view gazebo for a private ceremony for two. On-site wedding planners will customize a Bali wedding package for your special day and set an unforgettable tone for your life together.

About Bali

This lush Indian Ocean isle is the perfect storm of intensity and serenity. Just 55 miles wide and 90 miles long, it’s home to 3 million people, all of whom seem to be riding motor scooters from dawn until dusk. Among its dramatic, wave-lapped coastline and emerald, rice-paddy-covered interior, there is a spiritual calm, a kind of magic some say reaches deep inside and guarantees your first visit will not be your last. That’s the romance of Bali — it speaks the language of the soul.

Wedding Requirements

Marrying here requires a religious ceremony (either Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or Christian) that conforms to the laws of the couple’s country. For non-Muslims, the religious ceremony must be held first and a letter must be signed by the priest, then the marriage certificate will be issued by the Civil Registry Office. You’ll also need a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage from the U.S. Embassy in Bali (downloadable); other requirements include valid U.S. passports, birth certificates and six copies of the same photo of you together as a couple. To ease the process, consult with a certified wedding specialist.

Hot Pink Rocks at this Malibu Wedding

This wedding from Heavenly Blooms took place at the Malibu Nature Preserve, a truly breathtaking venue overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The bride loves the color pink, orchids and crystals, which you can definitely see throughout the wedding details.

Florida’s Fisher Island – Memorable Destination Weddings

This lovely wedding was held at the famous Vanderbilt Mansion on Fisher Island in Florida, which is a wonderful choice for a destination wedding.

Fisher Island Club is the home of the elegant and historic Vanderbilt Mansion.  Because Fisher Island is a private members residence, the club hosts a select amount of catered events every year.  This makes hosting an event here at Fisher Island all the more special and unique.  In recent years, Fisher Island Club, due to its natural attributes, impeccable service and safe environment, has become a premier destination of choice for exclusive events. The Mediterranean style mansion, former estate of the Vanderbilt family, provides a unique and classic setting for weddings. In the center of the Mansion Courtyard is our famous Banyan Tree that is as historic as the Mansion itself and makes the most romantic setting for wedding ceremonies. The tropical gardens, marina and view of the Miami skyline also provide a picturesque backdrop for outdoor events.