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World’s Best Honeymoons Revealed in Modern Bride’s Annual Survey

Terrica Talk, Wedding Advice

ITALY BEATS OUT HAWAII’S 10 YEAR WINNING STREAK FOR # 1 HONEYMOON DESTINATION

New York, NY, July 9, 2007 – Modern Bride magazine unveils the results of their eleventh annual World’s Best Honeymoons Survey in the August/September issue. The survey was conducted through Virtuoso, a network of 6,000 luxury travel agents who are among the nation’s top travel bookers. Travel experts ranked their overall favorite honeymoon destination, the hotels and resorts with the most luxurious amenities, as well as the destinations that offer the best in categories such as romance, seclusion, affordability, adventure, nightlife, food, and culture.

This Year’s Top 10 Honeymoon Destinations are:

1. Italy (3^rd in ‘06) – the number one honeymoon destination for the first year ever, with vibrant cities, tantalizing cuisine, and a culture that has embraced true love for centuries

2. Hawaii – a top destination for eleven years with its luxurious resorts and sprawling beaches

3. Tahiti – for lovers looking to savor the sights, scents and flavors of a French Polynesian treasure

4. Costa Rica (26^th in ‘04) – exotic rainforests, erupting volcanoes, and wildlife reserves promise an adventure lover’s paradise

5. Mexico – for a blend of rich culture, endless fiestas, and thousands of miles of white sand beaches

6. France (9^th in ??06) – for exquisite works of art and architecture, decadent desserts, and an amazing countryside

7. Maldives – over 1,000 secluded isles offer out of this world sailing, diving, and swimming in crystal blue waters

8. Anguilla (34^th in ‘03) – where the beauty of the Caribbean meets with posh resorts and eclectic cuisine

9. Fiji – a South Pacific oasis of limestone caves, Asian inspired cuisine, and pristine coral gardens

10. Greece – a convergence of sumptuous food, enchanting island hopping, black sand, and emerald seas

Expertly acclaimed hotels and resorts with the most luxurious amenities include:

Ultimate honeymoon suite: Premier Overwater Villa at the St. Regis Resort, Bora Bora, French Polynesia

Ultimate resort for seclusion: Le Taha’s Private Island & Spa, French Polynesia

Resort with best service: The Peninsula Bangkok, Thailand

Most luxurious bathroom: Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco, CA

Best resort private plunge pool: Ladera, St. Lucia

Resort with the best bed: Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Big Island, HI

Resort with best beach: Caneel Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Resort with best bar: The Setai, Miami Beach, FL

Resort with best spa: Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, Thailand

Best hotel brand: Four Seasons

Best all-inclusive brand: Sandals

Top three honeymoon destinations organized by category:

Most up-and-coming honeymoon destinations: Dubai, Croatia, Costa Rica

Best cultural experience: Italy, France, Greece

Most romantic: Tahiti, Italy, Hawaii

Sexiest Ambiance: Tahiti, St. Barths, Brazil

Best nightlife: Las Vegas, New York, Brazil

Most affordable destinations: Mexico, Las Vegas, Dominican Republic

Most secluded: Maldives, Seychelles, Tahiti

Best beaches: Turks & Caicos, Hawaii, Tahiti

Best snorkeling/diving: Belize, Cayman Islands, Australia

Best for winter sports: Switzerland, Colorado, Canada

Best food: Italy, France, New York

Best adventure: Costa Rica, South Africa, New Zealand

For more info: www.brides.com/modernbride

Ooohhh Wedding Music!

Terrica Talk, Wedding Advice, Wedding Sugar

Having a five year old prima donna in the house means several things, some of which are: 1.) my lipgloss, brushes and shoes are constantly missing. (I thought I wouldn’t have to deal with this until she was at least sixteen!) 2.) This entire house would be Disney Princess if she had her way. As a former Disney Princess myself (I like stopped being one last week, I think…) I’m totally in love with the Disney Fairy Tale Weddings CD. If you still love the thought and romance of Disney, but don’t want to go “cutesy” this is defintiely the option. All songs are instrumental and contemporary– perfect for a first dance or cocktail hour for your themed (or even not-so-themed) wedding.

These also tie in perfectly with the Kirstie Kelly designer dresses that she created especially for the grown up Disney princess!

Ask A Wedding Planner….

Terrica Talk

I always thought that Dave Chappelle’s “Ask A ….” segments were hilarious on his show. The answers were brutally honest, witty and poignant (at times! 🙂 ). So I thought about some questions that I know brides ask (mostly to other brides in the form of complaints) and will address them here.

Why are so many deposits non-refundable?

Well, let’s look at it from a numerical point of view. There are 52 Saturdays in the year. A majority of the weddings we take on occur on this day and a majority of us (wedding vendors) have a policy to devote one wedding to each weekend. When you select us for your wedding, we have to take that date, and the day before and after off of our calendar. When another prospective calls and inquires for that date, we have to turn them down. If you cancel, this is our way to recoup some of the money lost for turning down previous work. Additionally, it could also include any pre-wedding work done on your behalf (to include consultations, photograph sessions, communications, designing, etc.). This is why you should always read over your contract and make sure you understand the terms of the agreement: make sure it has a payment schedule, cancellation and/or breach clauses. Even if you cancel and are willing to forfeit the initial deposit or retainer, you may still owe the vendor additional money depending on when you cancel or breach the contract.

Why do vendors ask for more money later in the game?

I’ve never seen a good vendor change their price after the contract or ask for money later without a legitimate reason. You do have a lot of brides who demand much more out of their vendors than they have contracted for. It is only fair for you to either upgrade or scale back your wishes. For example, if you have secured a day of coordinator, you need to understand that a majority of the work will be done the day of the wedding. Depending on your coordinator and the type of services she provides, you may be limited in your pre-wedding communications and consultations. What does that mean? If you want vendor contacts, extra consultations, design ideas, contract negotiations, be prepared to pay for it.

Is wedding planning really like on the shows?

Well, yes and no. Just like Bridezillas represent a small demog of the bridal population, so does such shows as Whose Wedding Is It Anyway. It is edited and cultivated for your entertainment. A lot of the drama is perpetuated for no other reason than to make it seem larger than life. But on the flipside, some personalities are exactly like what you see on T.V.– brash, bold, dramatic, creative and narcissitic. It’s T.V. and real life 🙂

Too Cute!

Terrica Talk

Check out this proposal and wedding invite (Thanks Jimmie and Liene!)

The proposal:

And then the wedding invitation:

If I Were Going: Rebecca and Jerry

Terrica Talk

Wanna play!? Okay, great!

You say, well, where are we going? To Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O’Connell’s wedding that just happened this past weekend.

The Scoop: Jerry & Rebecca got married under a big tree on their ranch. Their ceremony was about 15 minutes long and they “skipped” back up the aisle to a gospel choir. For the reception, they had an elaborate bbq with wagon wheels, picnic tables, colorful bales of hay, and a large dance floor over the pool.

Now, if I were going, what would I wear? Probably this gorgeous green Chloe dress— I don’t know why it appeals to me, but it does. Plus it looks fitting for the occasion– light fabric, forgiving cut and design. To tie into the cowboy theme, I would probably dress up a tan belt with this uber cute buckle from Polka Dot Petals. It somewhat takes the edge and formality out of the dress, which totally plays into the theme.


Dress by Chloe	Belt buckle by Polka Dot Petals	Shoes by Vera Wang	Hair: Loose Updo

What about you?

You are SO Not Invited!

Terrica Talk, Wedding Advice

Has this happened to you yet?

You’re newly engaged– glowing, beaming with pride, looking divalicious at some family or social function, and someone says, “I can’t wait to see you in your dress! We’ll be at the wedding!”

The music stops.

The record scratches.

Then you hear crickets.

Why? Because this whole time you’re thinking…”I didn’t invite you…nor did I plan to”. I know, it’s rough. So what’s a wedding diva to do in this predicament? I know a lot of you are thinking you should just smile and nod your head, and then quickly excuse yourself. Good! But that doesn’t solve your problem. Hopefully, you have someone to run interference for you: a mom, sister, aunt, etc. Someone close to the planning and to you to speak for you, if you are uncomfortable. Wedding planners can do this too, but we are so far removed from the situation, guests think “Oh, that applies to everyone else. That doesn’t mean me”. Dads can go one of two ways: be extremely blunt and say, “Nope, you’re not invited” or totally cave.

Send in the estrogen.

Some tried and true responses are:

“XXX and XXX would love for you to come, but they have limited the guest list to _______” (Pick your poison here: close family and friends, adults only, fifty people on each side, first cousins, local relatives, etc.)
“XXX and XXX are just doing a small reception after the ceremony with the immediate family, but are doing a bigger party for friends and extended family about a month later. Let me get your address so that we can send you an invitation!” (Make sure this is true!)

Whatever you do, try to avoid waiting. It’s awkward. Deal with it right then and there. This way, you can avoid them calling around to other family and friends to get your wedding details and showing up later.

A Lighter Shade of Pale…Pink

St Simons & Jekyll Island Weddings, Terrica Talk

Pale Pink Wedding Dress Evelyne Talman I think any bride who introduces color into her wedding garb is awesome. It takes a lot to do so– without looking garish or ridiculous. That being said, there are some great designers out there who offer brides this option. If you are truly daring, you can go with this blush rose beauty, featured left. It is a Marissa Baratelli and is currently featured on Evelyne Talman’s website, a local boutique. If you want to go a little less colorful, but still want to make an impact, you could add a colored sash to your gown in your wedding colors.

Eveylne also carries a number of beautiful Mother of the Bride dresses as well as Faviana (the designer I would wear around the house just because, if I could). The next time you are in the area, please visit! They are located at:

3301 Frederica Road

St. Simons Island, GA 31522

Tempt Your Palette

Wedding Sugar

I’m a big storyboard fan (I know…I owe several here on the blog). For some the concept might be hard to get a kick off point. Now you can use this nifty Palette Generator to help you select shades, tones and colors from a photograph on your computer. Check out this sample. Let’s say we’re “inspired” by this bouquet for the overall scheme and design of the event. We upload it to the generator and it breaks the colors down for us:

So go on! Upload your favorite eye candy and give it a whirl! You can be inspired greatly!

If You’re Doing a Desty, Better Get A Saab

Wedding Advice

Michael and Olive Saab of Saab Wedding Photography are the biggest scoop of wedding sugar in the Caribbean. The picture featured, while beautiful, is only a glimpse in to the gorgeous scenes and emotions that they capture.

Working out of Montego Bay Jamaica, being Saab’ed will be the “must do” for destination weddings at the all-inclusive resorts, just you watch! Lucky brides whos weddings take place in Negril or Ocho Rios can also get the Saab treatment.

Take a look at their website or their blog and prepare to be amazed!

The Best Marriage Proposal, like EVER.

Wedding Sugar

Another one of my colleagues came across this wedding sugar and I HAD to share with you guys:

Below are links to a slideshow and photographs of a proposal an Atlanta man to his girlfriend. Here is what the photographer said.

At the end of April I had the privilege to shoot the engagement of Robert Gray, Jr. and Keisha Williams.

Robert and Keisha met four years ago at a surprise birthday party for a mutual friend. Two months later Keisha received anonymous flowers with a subtle message attached. It was an additional month before Robert revealed himself as her secret admirer. Robert is a native of Atlanta and Keisha hails from LaGrange,
GA.

This past February Robert contacted me to talk about his engagement plans. We met at a Starbucks in Southwest
Atlanta. The meeting lasted nearly an hour because Robert was so excited to tell me all about what he had been planning for a year. The surprise engagement was to take place at the Ritz Carlton in Buckhead, Georgia. He even had a name for the the proposal ‘Remember the Ritz’ and an email address!!

Robert had arranged for 10 rooms (on different floors) at the hotel to be reserved. The rooms were to be filled with family and friends reading scriptures, roses that had been laced with gold, and unlimited candles!

On the day of the engagement, I started shooting at 4 PM and ended at 12 AM (8 hours!). There is so much more to explain but I wouldn’t do much justice. My suggestion – pop a bag of popcorn, pull out a box of tissues, and find a comfortable seat. This will be the most elaborate proposal you have ever seen.

Literally, this guy got it RIGHT the entire time. He had 400 roses flown in from South Africa, which his male friends kept alive for him in order to pull this off! He rented 10 hotel rooms, had 50 friends and family members involved and 300 votive candles, with another 12 – 24 carat gold-dipped roses. Throw in 2 bottles of champagne and it took 8 hours to complete the proposal and the after-party.

Somebody give this man my number and let him know I’ve got a job waiting for him!

Check out the pictures. The fabulous photographer is Ross Oscar Knight. He Rocks. Period.