16th March, 2013 - Posted by Lia - No Comments
The big day is looming and you want to look great for that dress – not to mention the honeymoon. While some brides are more pragmatic in their dieting plans by exercising and eating well over the period of a few months, others mean to do it and then suddenly you’ve got a couple of days till your nuptials and you want to avoid the “heavily ever after.”
The cabbage soup diet is a popular one and will show results after a week. At the core is the cabbage soup itself, and this can be eaten at any time whenever you feel hungry – and as often as you like. Make a soup with green pepper, diced tomatoes, celery, onion, bouillon, cabbage, water and a little hot sauce. Sauté the vegetables and then bring the whole thing to the boil and simmer for thirty minutes. The first day of the diet focuses on fruit and the second on vegetables. On the third day you can mix the two. Day four, you can eat bananas and skimmed milk – with the chance to eat as much as you like and is supposed to lessen your desire for sweets. The following days you can have beef and tomatoes and then beef and veggies. The last day involves brown rice, vegetables and unsweetened fruit juice. The great thing about this diet is you’ll never go hungry!
The three-day diet on the other hand is a little stricter. This involves a frugal breakfast of black coffee, grapefruit and a slice of toast to give you an idea into the harshness of it. Lunch, for example, contains half a cup of tuna on toast and dinner can be a bit of lean meat, some veggies and an apple. This is not a diet for those who like to eat – but it is only for three day, so good for those who are looking for fast results.
But if you’re looking for an even more extremist approach to dieting then try the master cleanse. If you think living without food sounds like a good idea then this plan is for you. It’s also known as the lemonade diet and is not for the feint hearted. It’s a very easy diet plan to remember – you can’t eat anything! Instead, you swap food for a “lemonade” that is made from freshly squeezed lemon juice, grade B organic maple syrup, a pinch of cayenne pepper and water. Mix up and enjoy and that’s all you’re allowed to eat. You can have a salt-water flush in the morning and a herbal laxative tea at night. It’s advisable to do this for 10 days and you’ll be nice and clean inside and out for your big day.
15th March, 2013 - Posted by Lia - No Comments
Hawaii is perhaps one of the most idyllic locations for a wedding, with swaying palms and beautiful blue seas; however, sometimes it’s a challenge to pick the perfect location. Check out our little guide to the best places on the islands for your ideal wedding.
Oahu is the liveliest of the islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and also the most densely populated of the islands. The cities of Honolulu and Waikiki can be found here offering a lively nightlife, while still being within reach of nature and native culture. Its central location makes it the most convenient place to organize a wedding. Check out the resorts Turtle Bay Resort or Halekulani.
The Big Island, the island of Hawaii, is the largest out of the group and has some of the most incredible scenery out of the islands, with drastic variation in landscape all around. You’ll find volcanoes, rain forests and lush beaches all over here. Places to plan your wedding on Hawaii Island are the Hapuna Beach Hotel, especially for golfing lovers, or the Kona Village Resort that offers and authentic and luxurious experience.
For a true romantic experience, then Maui is the place to be. Many visitors consider it the most romantic island of the group, with its abundance of waterfalls and rainbows with some of the best beaches in the world. For the perfect beach wedding, try the Fairmont Kea Lani, which has the ideal position on Polo Beach or try the Balinese-inspired B&B at Ho’oilo House. While Ho’oilo house is small, it’s the ideal place for an intimate wedding, since you can hire out the whole house and be spoiled with views of the ocean.
Known as the “Garden Island,” with its lush, tropical landscape it’s easy to see why Kauai has earned its name. It’s the least developed of the islands, so great if you’re looking for something low key and authentic. However, the lush gardens, sea views and the ANARA spa treatments at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa coupled with their wedding gazebo make this resort perfect for your Hawaiian wedding.
Last but not least, Lanai might be one of the smallest islands, but it’s one of the most authentic of the chain. It has a string of high-end resorts and local hotels. For something small, try the Hotel Lanai or for a larger scale affair, then the Four Seasons Resort Lana’i at Manele Bay would suit your needs.
13th March, 2013 - Posted by Lia - No Comments
With its dazzling cities and desert landscape, there is something romantic and mysterious about getting married in the Middle East. While many couples choose to take their nuptials on the palm laden beaches of the Caribbean and the Pacific Islands, or in the old streets of Europe, the Middle East captures mystery and what could be a better way of saying “I do” than by beginning your marriage with 1001 Nights?
Dubai is a destination fit for Hollywood Royalty, with its ultra modern skyline and its taste for luxury, but situated halfway between Europe and Asia, you’ll also find stunning mountains and gorgeous beaches. For those of a more adventurous nature, you can also explore sand dunes and incredible archeological sites.
The city of Dubai is a great place to get married, since the city offers a wide range of attractions and amenities. There are many great resorts to pick from, like the Atlantis The Palm, which is modeled after the Paradise Island resort in Nassau in the Bahamas. There is a distinct underwater theme going on here, and the resort has a different flair to it with the two tall towers that are linked by a bridge.
If you’re looking for history and mystery, then Egypt is the perfect location for a destination wedding. With its stunning temples, pyramids and Nile River landscapes, Egypt offers the ideal place to get hitched that’ll leave you with an experience you’ll never forget. However, choosing to get married in Egypt, we recommend to do all the official business back at home and have a symbolic wedding in your destination of choice. You can say your vows on the side of the River Nile or in the Desert overlooking the pyramids.
If you’re looking for a luxury resort, we can recommend the Cairo Marriot Hotel and Omar Khayyam Casino. This is among some of the premier hotels in the Egyptian capital and makes the prefect destination for a destination wedding. The hotel has all the facilities that’ll make your wedding run smoothly. Its central location in Cairo puts it in accessible distance to the pyramids of Giza, the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities and the Cairo opera house, not to mention the hotel boasts one of the largest pool in the cities, along with beautiful, lush gardens. Getting married in Cairo is definitely a way to have a wedding to remember.
11th March, 2013 - Posted by Lia - No Comments
So you have finally decided to get engaged and are planning your wedding and have bought the perfect wedding engagement rings from 77 Diamonds and now you are ready to plan your Honeymoon in one of the most beautiful places on earth.
The Polynesian Island of Tahiti inspires thoughts of turquoise colored seas, bright blue skies and Gauguin’s brilliant color palette. With the island’s immaculate beaches and drastic mountain peaks, it’s easy to see why Tahiti is gaining in popularity as an important wedding destination. Anyway, here is our mini-guide to get you started on where to get hitched in Tahiti.
The InterContinental Bora Bora Resort and Thalasso Spa offers breathtaking views of Mount Otemanu, which means you’ll have some wedding snaps that’ll look like you got married on a movie set.
The property has areas suited to a beach wedding, but you’ll also find a chapel on site, if you’re looking for something a little more traditional. However, this isn’t any ordinary chapel, since it has a glass floor with views into the crystalline waters, with an altar that frames the mountainous backdrop.
Four Seasons Bora Bora offers a stunning selection of wedding locations that’ll take you beyond the usual Polynesian beach wedding. You can get married in a chapel with views of the lagoon, making it perfect for a sunset wedding.
The tiny island of Moorea is just 50 minutes by ferry from the Tahitian capital of Papeete, with vistas of the South Pacific that make the whole journey worthwhile. It’s a little cheaper than Bora Bora, but no less beautiful. Each room at the Moorea Pearl Resort and Spa is decorated in traditional Polynesian style, without sacrificing the luxury element. You can have a traditional wedding here, with a flower-decked villa and traditional Tahitian dancers.
You can also opt for Legends Resort on Moorea, where you have the site spread out across 17 acres of hillside with stunning views of the surrounding sea. While it might not offer any overwater bungalows, it does have some stunning villas and one of the best restaurants in Tahiti on site.
If you’re looking for an economical option for your guests, then try hosting them in the vicinity of the capital Papeete, like the Manava Suite Resort Tahiti, where you can organize a wedding on Moorea, with beautiful and dramatic natural backdrop.
The St. Regis Bora Bora resort is ideal for a potential wedding setting, since this place is definitely a stand-in for paradise. You have a number of ceremonial spaces to choose from, such as white sandy beaches or a lush green lawn next to a spa. The site has its own planning staff to ensure things run smoothly for you.
7th March, 2013 - Posted by Lia - No Comments
Planning a wedding is lots of work and sometimes it’s difficult to find inspiration – so perhaps looking at the current trends for upcoming weddings in 2013 might help.
If you’re thinking about what colors to go with, cool mint is hot right now. Whether you’re looking for chic bridesmaids’ dresses, elegant mint wedding cake to jewelry and even the groom’s suit, mint is the color that’s in right now. Why not get some mint colored crockery or even serve mint colored macaroons. Spice up your white wedding dress with mint accessories and shoes.
Birds are the big thing in fashion and décor at the moment, and naturally, this will spill an avian theme into many weddings in 2013. Nothing says natural, beautiful and stylish like birds for your wedding.
Add a little bohemian spice to your decorations with birdcages filled with bouquets or decorate your tables with birds’ nests and eggs.
For an inexpensive way to decorate your wedding, why not go for paper lanterns? They’re festive, beautiful and make any event feel special. You can go for the traditional Asian style, but with many chic designs for lanterns there are plenty to choose from to suit your style.
If you’re wondering what to do with your hair, then the rustic braid is in. There is so much you can do with braids. They’re pretty and creative – perhaps go for something different from the usual curling tongs.
Laser cuts are in for any paper or card design. Make beautiful invitations sent out in laser cut envelopes, or perhaps stylize your place cards.
When thinking of doing a themed wedding, then one hot era to aim for in 2013 is recreating the glitz and glamour from the 1920s. Celebrate your nuptials Great Gatsby style, whether it’s with a flapper style wedding dress, accessories or hair, or whether you just want a cool art deco theme for your reception – the 1920s are in for 2013 weddings.
Other trends to consider in 2013 are garlands and bark. There is a strong theme of nature in the fashion for the upcoming year, and garlands are easy to incorporate – whether they’re real or paper made.
Tree bark also makes excellent candleholders or vases, and adds a country and rustic feel to your décor. You could even go all out and decorate your wedding cake – tree style!
The overall focus of 2013 weddings seem to be rooted in nature, whether it’s flowers, bark or birds to outdoor paper lanterns and rustic braids, the hot trend for wedding is getting back to our country roots. For those of us who prefer something a little elegant there is always the 1920s and mint colored designs for inspiration.
3rd March, 2013 - Posted by Lia - No Comments
Vintage is in right now, and with the Great Gatsby craze of the moment, we can expect to see many 1920s themed weddings in 2013. But vintage doesn’t necessarily mean flappers and gin; you can come up with your own blast from the past that’s uniquely yours.
While planning a wedding is part of the fun, it can also be really stressful. To get it right involved meticulous planning and structure ideas before we put them into action.
One popular theme that can give a little personal touch to your big day is to pick a retro style from the 60s, 40s and even 20s offering a touch of the past with modern comforts.
A vintage style wedding involves a lot of detail – from the decoration to wedding invitations; even the bride’s dress and grooms suit should also fit the time. And what about photography and transportation? You can hardly do a Victorian style wedding with a stretched limo! It’s important to decide how authentic you’re going to be – all out period drama, or just a hint from the past.
Picking an era is the fun part, the 1920s makes one think of glamour and an irreverent spirit, equipped with Rolls-Royces and low-rise tassel dresses and tuxedos. The 1960s we think of the elegance of Audrey Hepburn or Marilyn Monroe, whereas if you’re up for a hippy wedding then the 1970s could be fun. The trick of getting the vintage wedding right is in the details, but in a subtle way as to not make it totally overbearing.
When you’ve picked your era, decide what kind of touch you want to add – decadent, romantic or even ecological, just because it’s based on a different time doesn’t mean you don’t get to stamp your own finger print to it. If you’re going with 1950s, then pick a Frank Sinatra soundtrack or a live jazz band. Make your invitations with that antique touch.
The right venue can also act as the perfect stage for your wedding. For a 1950s wedding, a country house with a nice garden with a live, tuxedo-clad band would be idea. For those wanting something more antique, like the 1920s, an old mansion with a classy, formal dinner with silver wear is perfect. Get out the pearls and the champagne!
And last but not least – the bride’s dress. With vintage being so in for 2013 it shouldn’t be difficult to find the right dress.
Pick a 1920s style wedding dress or a 1950s full skirt and knee-length gown for that final touch. The groom could even dress up with vintage style elegance, with a look inspired by Mad Men to accompany his 1950s bride.
26th February, 2013 - Posted by Lia - No Comments
If you’re looking for a wedding people will never forget, there is one way to make that happen and that is to host a Bollywood style event!
You don’t have to know anything about traditional Indian weddings to make it happen, you can just combine the best of Indian culture with modern day touches.
The wedding need not be in the Taj Mahal, you can simply pick any decent hotel and just make sure you go all out on the décor. Set up your stage with a manda, a covered structure with pillars that is traditionally used for Hindo weddings, gold chiavari chairs and of course, the ever-important red aisle covered with petals. You can arrange the setting so the shapes of the flower petals match the projected light patterns on the ceiling.
Great colors to go for are blue, gold and wine – mirroring those of the red carpet. Go for red in your Bollywood themed wedding with red table cloths, and this can be complemented with blue napkins and golden chairs.
Table decoration can give you a flavor of the east, with golden ganesh elephants and elaborate flower arrangements that complement the colors of the room – and maybe even rose petals and tea lights. Indian antiques can make an excellent table piece to add to the authenticity.
For food, you can go for a curry affair. If the idea of serving curries isn’t an elegant idea then you can opt for classy finger food like samosas or onion bajis. Little cupcakes decorated with an Indian motif make beautiful decorations with just a hint of the orient.
The wedding cake can be made with frosting to complement the scheme with blue and red and perhaps even an elephant on the top.
Instead of the traditional white lace, the bride can dress in a traditional red Indian dress or if you’re looking for something more glamorous and less traditional, then perhaps a gorgeous sari is what you’re looking for.
When it comes to weddings, imagination is the key. Whether you’re after a traditional Indian wedding or a Bollywood fantasy, there is so much opportunity for play. You don’t have to be Indian to host a monsoon wedding, and it’s a guarantee it’ll be one that your guest will never, ever forget. So roll out the red carpet, don a bindi and get hitched Bollywood style!
26th February, 2013 - Posted by Lia - No Comments
We hear all about the lavish weddings of hosted by celebrities, read plenty of ideas on how to have a vintage, bohemian and unconventional weddings – but a what about when the average Joe gets married?
A wedding for a typical person is hard to define, since we’re all individuals so perhaps it’s better to ask the question on how to throw a traditional wedding.
One important component in throwing a traditional wedding isn’t necessarily about the bank balance but about the timeline. For a traditional wedding that’ll be talked about for ages, it’s key to know when to do what and how to plan it.
After saying your vows, whether in a traditional church wedding or in a courthouse, it’s the reception after-party that’s the most important when it comes to your guest. It’s traditional at this point for the husband and wife to head off for pictures with their photographer in tow before you can really get down and celebrating. During this time, instead of keeping twenty to over a hundred of guest waiting, let them go off and being the celebrations without you.
The cocktail hour is a great way to get the ball rolling. Kick off the reception with some boozy delights and classy canapés, and this will give guests a chance to chat, socialize and wait for the newly weds to make their big arrival. One thing that’s important is to greet your guests, and it’s common for couples to greet their guests as they arrive on the site, but modern newlyweds are choosing a post ceremony line, rather than going round the tables during the dinner.
Once everyone is lubricated with cocktails, the bride and groom will make their grand entrance, and perhaps kick start the dancing with their first dance. This can come later after the dinner, but it marks a nice arrival.
Of course no dinner can start without the cheers and toasts, a great time to tell funny stories to the family and friends and to celebrate the couple. Then there is the dinner of course, but once the plates are cleared away it’s time to party. There is also the cake cutting that’s a huge part of the party!
After the party, all things must come to an end and the last dance is an important part to leaving the right lasting impression. So make sure you pick something festive.
For your final farewell, make sure you say your goodbyes and leave with a grand exit! Friends and family can blow bubbles or toss rose petals. Make sure you close in a way people never forget.
25th February, 2013 - Posted by Lia - No Comments
A Moroccan inspired wedding is exciting, exotic and memorable – however getting it right without going for some outdated hippy idea of Morocco is a tricky thing to do. Here are some ideas for a chic and modern way of getting hitched inspired from Marrakech.
For a bit of Moroccan style, color is certainly a key part. It’s a good idea to stick to two or three principal colors rather than mix too many at once. One combination that’s striking and definitely carries that North African vibe to is are turquoise and fuchsia. Purple also marries well with these colors. If those seem a little garish for you then pick desert inspired colors like gold, sand and white.
Why not hire a tent or a yurt for that authentic Bedouin experience? They can be dressed as up or as down as you’d like. You can make them minimalist and elegant or even go all out with Arabian nights décor for something a little fancier.
Moroccan food is to die for and there is so much you can do to adapt it to your palette. Offer a combination of either mint juleps of refreshing mint tea to your guests accompanied by Arabic dips of hummus and Moroccan pastes known as thoumb (garlic) and mountabal (eggplant) along with strips of warm pittas.
If you go alfresco with Moroccan lanterns and hanging lights, you can perfume the air with decorative shisha pipes filled with sweet apple flavors while your guests enjoy a selection of baklavas, pastries made from honey and nuts.
For some Moroccan décor get hold of some hammered metal trays and tea sets. Drape your hall or tent with silk fabrics to give it that Arabian nights feel to the room. Moroccan lanterns are the perfect way to illuminate the venue and are extremely beautiful. Hanging paper lanterns are an inexpensive way to create the look, and even if you don’t like the smoke – shisha pipes add to the feel of the place.
You don’t need to be in a dessert to create a Moroccan inspired wedding, with a little imagination and creativity you too can have your Kasbah fantasy wedding that’ll leave your guests in awe. It needn’t be a tacky rendition of hippy Marrakech, but a classy affair with a hint of North African beauty and style, and not to mention accompanied with excellent food and refreshing mint drinks.
24th February, 2013 - Posted by Lia - No Comments
Strippers and beer – those are the first thoughts to come into our heads when we think of bachelor parties, and most brides to be dread them. But there is a way to celebrate your last night of freedom without the kegs and tangas.
A good way to plan a fun and classy bachelor party is to pick an activity and base the party around that. Just because you leave out the naked dancing girls doesn’t mean it’ll be a boring affair. Make it a night to remember rather than a cliché.
If the groom is looking for something wild, then why not get the adrenaline pumping? Rent some ski jets for the day or head up to the mountains for some snowboarding or skiing.
Paintballing is another fun way to let boys be boys, and this way no one gets hurt or even hung over.
Sports are a great chance for some male bonding, either plan a game of soccer or basket ball or attend a professional game together. Golfing or bowling are also good ways to have some lad time.
For those of you looking to mark your last days as a bachelor in style then create a casino night. Hire a professional croupier, sip some martinis while wearing a tuxedo and you too can feel like something out of a James Bond movie.
Rugged and outdoorsy types may enjoy a camping trip to the mountains with some good old hiking.
Have fun and be sensible – don’t do anything insanely dangerous. The bride is not going to be very happy when presented with a husband-to-be with a broken limb. A cast on the leg will make for a big damper on the honeymoon.
It’s a nice touch to surprise the groom with the party, but do take into account his own interests and personality. If he’s not the outdoorsy type, then perhaps the camping trip that may be heaven for you could turn out hell for him.
Once you’ve picked your central, bachelor party activity then be sure to plan a good meal afterwards. In the summer, something on a terrace or in the garden makes a good choice, while winter celebrations may benefit from something more formal. If you opt for the later, why not rent a room at the groom’s favorite restaurant?
Enjoy a bit of boisterous fun with funny toasts and an alternative version of the best man’s speech you’d rather the bride’s parents didn’t hear.
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