Tips For Planning A Trip To The South Pacific Islands of Hawaii, Tahiti and Fiji

We just returned from a research trip to Hawaii, Tahiti and the Fiji  Islands for our new IPad and Kindle books, "Romantic Destinations". This will be released in late December 2012 along with our new "Romantic Destination - Napa and SonomaWine Country".  

Join me on the Blog and please add your input to our list of Travel TIPS.

This area covers the (related size) land mass of Europe. There are hundreds of tropical islands and atolls with white sand beaches and black lava beaches, beautiful palm trees, the sweetest pineapple and exciting views. The memorable friendliness of the diverse cultures will live in our memories for years. There are awesome hotels and resorts waiting for tourist from all parts of the world seeking vacations, wedding destinations and romantic honeymoon spots.  These areas are packed with extreme sports, surfing, diving, zip line, swimming with sharks or manta rays, wonderful tours and relaxing and awe inspiring venues.

    
Overwater bungalow or villas     Tahiti Beach bungalows   Fiji sunset  travelbeach.org        Hawaii surfing - HawaiiPictures.com

We are still getting our photos out of the camera..... Yes, you can believe the colors in these photos.

We found so many wonderful event sites and unique services, fun tours and great restaurants. We hope you can enjoy some time there soon. We met with many owners, managers and event coordinators for interviews (regarding the books) and some of the questions we asked surrounded travel concerns they experienced with their guests....here are a few to discuss.

#1.  The islands take some time to get there.  They saw honeymooners so exhausted from the trip they could not enjoy the first few days of their stay.  They recommended couples come a week after their wedding day or later, so they were not so tired from the wedding preparations. When planning to be married at the honeymoon resort, it is best to plan two days after arriving.

#2.  The islands each have a north, south, east and west side to stay on.  For no disappointments, ask which way the hotel/water bungalow faces and if the beaches are swim safe and the sand coloration before you book them. Some beaches have sugar white sand and others black sand.

#3.  Working up to the sun's rays is always a concern. They are close to the equator and people need to understand the sun blocks only block bad rays, not the burns.   Working from 10 minutes up to the next 5 minutes and on up - works best in achieving a non-red or peeling tan.  They have had many a couples getting married be a bright red and many couples nursing a sunburn and destroying their honeymoon.

Photo by Judith Rivers-Moore

#4.  Food prices are considerably higher than your home town.  After all, they do have to ship in many items.

You will find many of the resorts, hotels and services already linked on WeddingLinks.com - Search the area and remember Tahiti is part of French Polynesia and Hawaii is United States.

LUXURY Wedding Venues, Wedding Services & Ideas For Wedding Celebrations

                                     
     Adding Luxury to Your Wedding  Celebrations

Couples can add one or two luxury touches to their celebration or bring luxury into light in every part of their ceremony and reception.

Luxurious Ideas For Your Wedding and Reception Venues
Most weddings require two or three venues and guest housing. While proximity may be important, we also see a high-end wedding can be a destination wedding to unique parts of the world. While finding an opulent site with beautiful wall hangings, frescos, crystal chandeliers, gold leaf trim, marble dance floors and velvet curtains rein high on the list, luxury and opulence can include renting a winery, wine cave, skyscraper roof garden with magnificent views.

A local historic mansion or lovely beach house that has been well cared for works very well. We see historic sites, tents, unique museums, botanical gardens, observatories, aquariums, art galleries - all impress and allow you to utilize the backdrop to its fullest while increasing the interest and enjoyment of your guests.
                                      Couples often chooses an event site that reflect their interests.

You've heard it before - the INVITATION sets the tone of your wedding day celebration. Engraved, Calligraphy and hand made can be inspiring

Your Ceremony.  Whether it is a beautiful church, cathedral or natural environment in the woods, beach, garden or vineyards, we find it is important to be heard and seen. A raised platform for the ceremony, good microphones, ample lighting, shaded ceremony area (when outdoors) add to your guest appreciation.  A printed program with names of the presenters, languages, explaining ethnic customs. These allow the guest to feel included and thus brings a richness to their experience.

Find links to luxury wedding venues and services on WeddingLinks.co
Photos by DUPhotography.com

Your Venue Entry can be the first impression for your guests. Select a location in a nice section of town with an impressive entry or drive and top the luxury with valet parking services.

With an outdoor environment, make certain there are no apparent car sounds or air flight patterns overhead. Choosing a setting with fountain, waterfall or lovely stream, beach and waterway views can mesmerize your guests.

Nature and natural setting have a way of enriching every part of our soul.
Staging and lighting of the ceremony and/or reception are a real trend in luxury weddings. The outer building or interior lighting will excite your guests. Top the luxury with a light show during the reception music and or/ fireworks and sparklers (depends on the fire laws and your event site rules).

Aisle decor adds to the Luxury Look.  An altar cloth or arbor includes the use of the poly tulle that reflects twinkle lighting is a beautiful and romantic effect for evening weddings.  Beautiful aisle flowers and garlands offer a richness to the ceremony.

Brides often state: classical music sets the tone for their ceremony. Served by wait staff is more elegant than a buffet, champagne poured throughout an event is a luxury statement, engraved gift items from the couple add luxury well spent.

Luxury Ideas For An Evening Wedding
Outdoor weddings and evening weddings often have wine and cocktail services with canapes’ (hors d’oeurves) served prior to the party guests being seated. Hire a guitarist or one or more instrumentalist to set the mood of the day. As ceremony time nears the seating or gathering time is announced. Waiting for newlyweds to arrive prior to serving food and drink is passé.  Ceremony and Reception entry doors can be managed by persons to direct the guests to their seating...this adds to the glamour. The male ushers generally take on this task,  but we see luxury style weddings hire staff to complete this duty so the wedding party is exempt from these duties. Romantic outdoor evening weddings in full moonlight with flickering votives and oil lamps.

Luxurious Ideas For Your Reception Room Look:
When reviewing reception sites, fund those that provide a luxurious appearance. Entries to the venue and ceilings are key to visuals. Room appearance is directly affected by the look of flooring, chairs, full-length tablecloths (or pooling linens) and overlay cloths of unique fabrics. We find larger rooms incorporating a furnished area near the bar and away from the music is enjoyable Party rentals with matching dinner service, centerpieces and setting the table with specific folds to napkins for the dinner menu, unique favors all enhance the table appearance. When allowed, candles, votives and unique wedding favors enrich the mood.

#luxury wedding
#luxury reception

Adding a Luxury Look To Your Wedding Attire:

Having your dress created by a famous designer is the ultimate, but this still requires a lot of shopping to see the style and fabrics you are interested in. Your appointments need to be one or two years in advance of your wedding day. You can spend thousands on a dress but the neckline and color will give you the best results for spectacular.

BLING is in with crystals dripping everywhere giving the appearance of a bejeweled princess and her TIARA, SHOES and HAIR ORNAMENTS with feathers – are big touches of elegance.

We see the short dress making a comeback for a more casual, yet elegant wedding day.

Vera Wang is still a favorite along with many worldwide designers. You can find famous worldwide designer styles for the entire wedding party and men’s tuxedos on WeddingLinks.com in the Designer Gown Gallery.

Environmental and natural fabrics are a growing trend.

Many women enjoy wearing a vintage dress with exciting history they can share.

Giving back by purchasing a donated “Hollywood starlet gown” from BridesAgainstBreastCancer.org. Celebrity wedding dress styles and of course the royal weddings send a flurry of copies into the stores. But many of the delightful designs worn by stars are donated to the organization mentioned.

Highly luxurious weddings find the gown and the jewels set the stage for luxury.

Fabrics dripping with pearls, crystals and bejeweled party linens are setting the style.

Smaller groups of bridesmaid attendants using a variety of neckline styles in the same color.

The all-white wedding continues to be a luxurious look.

The luxury look for gentlemen includes a handsom tuxedo and gift of a very high end necktie.

Military attire and swords bring a unique luxury to every wedding day.

Adding Luxury Ideas To Your Wedding Reception - Part 2 of 3

Photos by Dennis Urbiztondo - Written by Judith Rivers-Moore

A Luxurious Wedding & Reception Venue Can Be Chosen and Created

Ideas for a luxurious wedding and reception venue appear with photos in magazines and websites. Often these photos do not show the negative areas of a location and that is why you personally review the location prior to booking it. Some of the concerns in seeking the elegant location have a great deal to do with: The entry to a wedding site and/or views of parked cars from the gardens/grounds can be very distracting. The flow and access of the room to where caterers/staff enter and placing your head table away from EXIT signs and bright/light door entries.


The event room's ceiling is key to visuals. Room appearance is directly affected by the condition of flooring and any equipment in the room. The condition of chairs and linens that come with the event site. Your use of full-length tablecloths (or pooling linens) and overlay cloths of unique fabrics adds a luxury statement.


You tables set with complete and matching china, crystal or matching glassware as your table dinner service, the floral centerpieces and setting the table with specific folds to napkins for your personal printed dinner menu, and unique favors can all enhance the table appearance. While less is more was the old statement, we have entered a "new look of more". Creating a color theme of 2 to 4 colors will enrich your statment. Working with the new table fabrics can be so much fun.

Lighting with mood lights, display lighting and music lightshows all work toward a more elegant event. The use of candles and votives enrich the romance.


Luxury receptions will play softer music over the dinner hours so that people can talk. Smaller tables that seat six or eight instead of ten will enhance the visiting. Details, like the box of tissues in a bathroom to lighting over the bride and groom or dance floor, bring a reception room into focus. We are seeing delightful floral displays and unique color contrast swags added to the chair covers and canopies places over table arrangements, both inside and outside for shade and visual affects.


Tenting a site can be absolutly necessary with weather issues. But it can also be a very luxurious tent. Tents come with air conditioning, heating, sound systems and flooring. Amazing, and often very costly. Some locations with weather concerns often have their own tents for inclement day use.

Adding a Luxury Space -- Separate Areas...
Entry rooms sectioned off by plants and unique screening or actual rooms with high tables are set for cocktails and jazz or specific music is played for a stand-up area prior to dinner being served. As the couple arrives, they bring everyone into the main room. some form a reception greeting line.

We find larger event rooms incorporating a furnished area (couches, chairs, lamps & table conversation areas) placed near the bar and away from the music can provide an enjoyable space.


Adding a small Arabian style tent to an outdoor environment is pure luxury statement. Use it for pre-wedding cocktails or later with wine and cheese serving….posh with pillows, music and unique décor.

Ideas For Adding Luxury To Your Wedding Day - Part 1 of 3

Photos by Dennis Urbiztondo

Wedding Coaching and Wedding Planning have a great deal to do with assisting the bride in her desire to complete ideas and concepts the way she wants them done. This can be everything from understanding what works well together, the current trends and within their budget.... be it clothing, table decorations, the wedding venue and the style wedding the couple wants. Join, author Judith Rivers-Moore on Facebook for Wedding Coaching.

Several brides have requested LUXURY STATEMENTS made in specific parts of the wedding day and a few who had high profile and celebrity weddings requested LUXURY throughout. The ideas you read in the next 3 postings will include both ways to add luxury statements to the various elements of your day.

LUXURY FOR THE BRIDE
Luxurious Ideas For Wedding Attire might include: having your dress created by a famous designer is the ultimate, but this still requires a lot of shopping to see the style and fabrics you are interested in. Your appointments need to be one or two years in advance of your wedding day. You can spend thousands on a dress but the neckline and color will give you the best results for spectacular.

BLING is in with crystals dripping everywhere giving the appearance of a bejeweled princess and her TIARA, SHOES and HAIR ORNAMENTS – are big touches of elegance.

We see the short dress making a comeback for a more casual wedding day.

Vera Wang is still a favorite along with many worldwide designers. You can find famous worldwide designer styles for the entire wedding party and men’s tuxedos on WeddingLinks.com in the Designer Gown Gallery.

Environmental and natural fabrics are a growing trend.

Giving back by purchasing a donated “Hollywood starlet gown” from BridesAgainstBreastCancer.org.

Highly luxurious wedding find the gown and the jewels set the stage for luxury.

Fabrics dripping with pearls, crystals and bejeweled party linens are setting the style.

Smaller groups of bridesmaid attendants using a variety of neckline styles in the same color and floor length dress.

The all-white wedding continues to be a luxurious look.

The gentlemen should be outfitted with tuxedos and have very high end neckties.

Military attire and swords bring a unique luxury to every wedding day.



YOUR WEDDING INVITATIONS & MAKING GUESTS EXPERIENCE AN ENRICHED WELCOME

Luxurious Ideas For Wedding Invitations: Invitations set the tone of the wedding. Very high style custom-made papers that include eco-friendly types with beautiful, hand–written calligraphy are available and add a special touch on wedding invitations. The gold leaf border (or a copper wax seal) might be enough trim. Create a personal monogram or watermark on the paper with your initials.

The style chosen can be used as a unifying element for your invites, reply card, menu card, envelopes and ceremony programs. Conveying your theme or the wedding colors on all the paper products including your Thank You Notes will add that touch of luxury. Whatever design you choose, make it's eye-catching. Be sure to indicate if your wedding celebration is a black tie formal affair, or a themed wedding with costumes etc. and/or is cocktails and dinner following and/or any uniqueness.

There are specialty services to assist with this and some brides have the invites addressed and mailed by the services with special LOVE stamps or hand canceling. When weddings are in major cities the added touch of messenger delivery is a possibility. We have seen:

Fabric boxes with the invitation set inside can be an outstanding delivery through mail or messenger. These may also be placed on the tables at the reception as an added display.

Gold Florist Boxes with your theme colored-flowers and invitations being personally delivered by a messanger.

Wine or champagne bottles sent by messenger with the invitation affixed as a label or attached in the envelope to the neck.

Boxes of candy or chocolates mailed with the invitation inside.

LUXURY TREATMENT FOR YOUR WEDDING GUESTS
Out of town guests can be very important for brides who want to make them feel welcome, they often order or create special welcome baskets with soaps, fruit or regional special items for each guest room.

Meeting & Greeting the Guests can be everything from a personal website (with your growning details), save the date cards, list of local hotels, maps to your event sites in the invitation to providing a location(s) with ample parking and good signage on where to go in a major hotel or larger event site.

Transportation in complicated areas leads to less-frazzled guests. An Entry Host to direct the guests and the serving of labeled water bottles (or a water or ice tea service) are especially appreciated on hot days. Making certain seniors and infirmed guests have someone assigned to pick them up and deliver adds to their luxury and welcome. An exciting luxury are the Parking Valet Services to assist the guests.

We also see couples deciding on a pre-ceremony bar set up or cocktail bar and canapes between the ceremony and reception.

Give us your input on what gives you a luxurious feeling at a wedding day celebration.

Wedding Cakes & Reception Dessert Alternatives - To CAKE or Not To Cake!

To CAKE or Not To Cake - That Is The Question?

After having a fun discussion regarding wedding cakes with a friend, we came to the conclusion that there are many new ideas and ways to serve dessert at a reception. The following ideas may assist you in your wedding planning. Join Judith Rivers-Moore on her Blog to add your input on this subject.

While wedding cakes are "truce centerpieces" to a reception, many brides like to bring refreshing ideas to their guests.

#1. Reception trends are growing for cupcake tiers, beautiful cookies and tiny fruit tarts. These are colorful and presented beautifully for wedding celebrations. They can be served individually on dessert plates or placed at food stations in your room and the cost factor may be about the same.  Find great bakers and dessert links on WeddingLinks.co

#2. Chocolate Fountains with fresh fruit, cookie and marsh mellows find people meeting and socializing at weddings in a fun way. Continuing to return to the chocolate fountain is an exhilarating habit!

#3. Ice Cream sundae-making stations can be fun for all ages.

#4. Dove Bar serving and frozen yogurts from a decorated freezer station

#5. Decorated Wedding Cakes can still be set on a dessert table and photos taken. There are bakers and caterers who will create the foam base with the cake choice in the top tier(s) to cut for your wedding photographs. Elegant, and nobody knows.

We understand there are excellent vegan bakeries in most regions, and the sugar free and gluten free ideas may be important to include at the reception. You will find many of these businesses linked throughout www.WeddingLinks.co .

Give us your input !!!

#weddingideas, #weddingcakes,  #weddingdesserts, #weddinglinks

Destination Wedding Location Ideas and TOP Favorite Wedding Destinations Areas

Photo by CreativeLightProductions.com

Many couples decide they want a destination wedding. For some, it is to cut the cost, while other couples want a private wedding and honeymoon together and reception at home at a later date. There are those who met in a unique area and want to take their wedding day to that location. Every state and country we have reviewed appears to have favorite wedding and honeymoon destinations. We have scoured the world to find some of the favorites and you will find these included below.

With wedding planning for any size, it is best to learn the local marriage laws prior to making your plans and find out if you need your passport or visa travel papers. You will find thousands of links on our www.WeddingLinks.com and our WeddingLinks.co (mobile friendly) web portal, providing unique weddings and honeymoons in all parts of the world. Some states grant a marriage license in 24 hours and others do ask for a 3 day wait, and a few areas in the Caribbean want you to wait several weeks.

Along the East Coast we find Kennybunkport, Cape Cod in the New England regions for weddings and the lovely Myrtle Beach, Virgina Beach and Hilton Head have amazing resorts, vacation rentals and great things to do for honeymooners along the south Atlantic seaboard.

Niagara Falls and the New York wine country region provide two beautiful backdrops for the Eastern weddings and honeymoons. There is not enough to say about the fine hotels, beautiful views, wineries and services for couples wanting a memorable wedding or honeymoon.  Find out more about destination weddings from the articles and links on HoneymoonLinks.co

The blue Smokey Mountains and Gatlinburg, Tennessee appear to provide exceptional services to couples for weddings and honeymoons. The views, bbq houses, music and interesting history bring couples in high numbers. There are a few luxury resorts too.

Burmuda and The Caribbean Islands extensive and exceptional resorts, awesome diving, excellent food and seafood. So many are tropical with rain forests while others are dry - almost desert-like. Some encourage very strong environmental attitudes and beautiful underwater preserves. There is something for every style wedding you choose. Reggae, clypso and steel drums fill the sounds of the islands and you will find highly trained wedding professionals at most of the resorts.

Yes, Las Vegas is touted as the Wedding Capital of the USA. Same day weddings are everything from drive-through, to elegant lakeside resorts. You can be married in Venice and honeymoon in Paris with breakfast the next day in another superior hotel along the strip and be entertained constantly.

The Fiji, Tahiti and Hawaii Islands - White sand beaches, over water bungalows and Polynesian themed wedding ceremonies on the various islands of the South Pacific provide a memorable backdrop for weddings and honeymoons. There are various styles to your stay. Authentic experiences and non-luxury hotels, private islands, luxury resort with all the amenities. Disney recently opened the Auluni Resort on Oahu Island (Honolulu area). If you love to snorkel, the South Pacific Islands are the locations of your dreams.

The Sonoma and Napa Wine Country of Northern California is now the second favorite area for weddings and elopements. The hillside vineyards, boutique hotels and amazing restaurants allow for exploring and enjoying the vines, wines and beautiful countryside. You experience views of oaks, vineyards, redwoods and in Sonoma County, the Pacific Coastline. Bustling San Francisco is just an hour away.

                                                    Engagement Photo by DUPhotography.com

Lets talk other countries for a moment. .... Venice, Italy is very popular, Monte Carlo, Paris, France and Thailand's Puhket Island with more wedding ceremonies in Instanbul, Turkey than anywhere in the world....While all of these answer the call of the eloping and honeymooning couples, they each have a different situation - where often it is best to hire a wedding planning professional at the other end or go to a resort with a professional on staff....and contact a honeymoon expert.