Fun With the Rustic Chic Trends

Finding that local barn is one concern for the trend toward rustic chic we are seeing. We have visited barns that make a better backdrop, than trying to involve your wedding inside.  Others are amazing, with lights, band stands, totally cleaned up from animal aromas and now perfect for your guests. Going beyond the venue, you can use the rustic chic a number of ways:  Select a vintage heirloom engagement ring. Find a Vintage wedding dress, use a barbeque caterer and suits instead of tuxedos for the men.

Your rehearsal dinner, wedding reception tables and various parties leading up to can include these settings, ideas for favors, fun and funky vases for your flowers, etc.  If this is where you are going, dive in and enjoy it. You will find some Victorian venues have barns and rustic backdrops along with farms, gardens and outdoor

Sometimes you can achieve it all with barns and vineyards.

Outdoor wedding with barn backdrop

Photo by DUPhotography.com

Fun lamps made from funky bottles & jars

Several great ideas by REVE

Notice the garden mixed bouquets and table box decor

Note the quilt.

Use of sunflowers and brown paper bags with favors

Find your barn and garden settings on WeddingLinks.co - Search for your region in California, USA and Worldwide countries.  Mobile and PC access.

UA-36897602-8

Music For Your Wedding Ceremony & Reception

Photo by; DUPhotography.com 

Couples have a way of saying, “I will cut costs in some areas and spend my funds on what we believe to be the things we want most on our wedding day.”  Good for you!!! This is the best way to have the wedding of your dreams.  Many of the couples set great music as a priority. It is part of their heart and soul and it would not be a wedding without it.  Here are a few great pointers regarding this: 

Many of the musicians’ websites have a list and sometimes you can listen to them play or watch their YouTube videos. WeddingLinks.comhttp://www.weddinglinks.com has a list of traditional musical pieces often played at wedding ceremonies from classical, show tunes and pop artists selections to country rock favorites. Popular instruments for ceremonies are; harps, violins, trumpets, mariachi, piano, flute and guitar are all great mood setters. We see soloist, quartets, audiences singing and choirs. Disc jockeys can play all of those chosen.  When working with a soloist or musician it is important to get the music to them a month ahead if they do not have the piece in their file.

For the Ceremony there are five areas where couples specifically ask for music.  Those pieces chosen will set the mood of your ceremony for your guests. 

1. Several numbers as guests are seated
2. Walking the groom’s mother down the aisle.
3. Solo after the groomsmen appear or after both mothers are seated
4. The bride & bridesmaid processional toward the ceremony
5. The recessional as Mr. & Mrs.

For Receptions, the music is considered in five parts:

1. Soft ballads and low level sound so people can talk and visit while eating.
2. The second part is for the newly wed’s first dance
3. The third, is key to getting father - daughter, mother - son up on the floor
4. Then the wedding party up to dance and bring others onto the dance floor
5. Finally bring the guests up to dance – Sometimes these are group-style dances like the Merungue, Hava Nagila, Congo Line, YMCA and some of the newer fun dances. Talk this over with the entertainer you have booked.

Tip:
While your favorite style might be hard rock or Caribbean steel bands, you will find your guest dwindling in the room - as the older set will begin to leave (who may also love to dance, but not to that specific music).  For best results in keeping your wedding guests longer, ask your DJ or band to mix it up with songs from a few generations.


Announcement:  Enjoy our new website Shop4WeddingDresses.com.  A great place to look at the newest looks in gowns created by International Designers for brides, grooms, bridesmaids, mothers and children – plus beach styles, glamour, classic and traditional gowns. Relax, and review the styles before you spend time in the shops trying on gowns.


UA-36897602-8


UA-36897602-8

Destination Wedding List of Restaurants & Fun Things To Do

Create a LIST of fun things to do when hosting a wedding at a popular destination.

We see more and more couples and their families and friends plan a destination wine country wedding. The following areas are enjoyable, filled with amazing venues for weddings, wine tasting and exploring the wine regions in Sonoma County and Napa County. They offer great hotels and resorts, excellent restaurants and  multiple things to do while visiting -- along with award winning wines.  The wedding venues are amazing, ranging from barns, Victorians, gardens, inspiring beach settings and mountain tops. The wine country of California exists in most of the counties and multiple regions throughout the USA. Couples often prepare a list of enjoyable things to do for their guests, lodging and great area restaurants.

Please add your favorites to the blog for the Sonoma wine country region. Enjoy our list for your day trip, romantic get-away or honeymooning in the area.

Recently Healdsburg, California was named as one of the best places to live.  Needless to say, this small city is a happening place in the heart of the Sonoma wine country that was recently named #2 in favorite wedding destinations and one of the top 10 honeymoon areas of the USA. The wineries are in every direction, tucked into hillsides and valleys.

In northern Sonoma County, the lovely town of Healdsburg is also a favorite wedding destination with a variety of locations for inspiring weddings. The Villa Chanticleer is a historic park setting with well kept inside venues and very beautiful in April and May with the wisteria, and gazebo garden in bloom through fall.

We enjoyed a Healdsburg walking tour with Lori Moore.

Near Healdsburg Square, you will find excellent dining is available for lunch and dinner at Taverena Sofhia. A great idea for Wedding Showers, Rehearsal dinners and relaxed dining with their Greek and Mediterranean-style dishes and fine wine list.

Madrona Manor by Dennis Urbiztondo

Looking for a magnificent Victorian for your wedding, fine dining, or romantic stay, you find it all with the
Madrona Manor.  We found the Francis Ford Coppola's swim resort a unique experience and their restaurant and museum most enjoyable.  And you will not want to miss the exciting Greek Food menu for lunch and dinner at Sofia's Taverina in Healdsburg.

You will find an Alexander Valley casino, excellent gardens at Ferre Carrano, variety of gold medal wineries and some of the best shopping and top chefs in the world at local restaurants in Sonoma County.

Review our Pinterest Board for other great ideas.  I love Sonoma Wine Country and
I love Napa Wine Country.

UA-36897602-8

Planning A Sonoma or Napa Wine Country Wedding

At least 25 to 35% of the brides we meet at our bridal show booths do not have their wedding venues and are seeking unique venues, beach wedding sites, gardens, barns, tops of hotels and wine country wedding venues. Others are looking for beautiful places to honeymoon.   

 Photo by DUPhotography.com

Love your input on where you are taking your wedding & reception; city, event site name and if you found it - how?

We rarely spotlight exact cities or region. We find one region stands out for brides-to-be and their families.  The Sonoma and Napa wine country, (just an hours drive north of  San Francisco) offers couples a huge variety of wineries, gardens and unique barn and Victorian backdrops for their celebrations.  Vineyard views, plus being named one of the top ten honeymoon areas in the USA, the wine region stands out as the 3rd most popular destination wedding area in the US.  

WeddingLinks.com/Sonoma     WeddingLinks.com/Napa    and   WeddingLinks.com/Mendocino     offers you the largest variety of wine country wedding sites and honeymoon hotels in  Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino. We also preview our wedding and reception services - making certain they have been in business five years or more and have good reviews.

When you want vineyard venues in other areas of California or other states and countries
go to WeddingLinks.com and use the Global Search.

                                                        Engagement Photo in the Vineyards by DUPhotography.com

I thought I would include links to my Pinterest Boards giving you an insight to the beautiful settings,  fun things your guests can experience and enjoy while visiting these popular wine regions.http://pinterest.com/judithrmoore/love-sonoma-wine-country

http://pinterest.com/judithrmoore/love-napa-wine-country

UA-36897602-8
UA-36897602-8


#sonomawedding, #napawedding, #winecountry

Great Places to Dive & Snorkel (part 2 of Adding Sports To Your Honeymoon)

We loved Florida’s many underwater areas and the J.S. Pennekep Underwater Park with the statue of Jesus bolted to the reef was an inspiring site. Our boat was steered by a pirate-type of guy who said he had been on one of the largest ship dive discoveries.  Sure enough, a year later, National Geographic came out with the article on the magnificent finds. I often wonder what he might of retired to.

Photo by Judith Rivers-Moore

Please join us on our blog with your input and find great resources on WeddingLinks.com

While most of us think of diving as a huge expense added to our vacation or honeymoon, we have learned The Sandals Resort guests enjoy all-Inlusive honeymoons and Sandals provide diving, lessons gear and tanks for your ocean adventures from their Resorts in the Caribbean.  Wow! They also have free wedding ceremonies for the adventurous couple that want to combine their wedd-moon goals in an awesome environment.  http://www.travelwize.net

I found the beautiful islands of the Caribbean have so many exciting resorts and dive possibilities. Granada has two underwater National Parks/Preserves,  where diving is allowed. The unique Champagne Reef is a wonder to be enjoyed with bubbles moving upward from this volcanic ocean floor setting.  The Granada Grand Resort has won many travel awards and it Is a lovely for a beach wedding site. http://www.grenadagrand.com/   

Note the seashells in this bridal bouquet.

The east coast off Costa Rica and beautiful Belize hold many wonders under the sea on their reefs. Considered some of the best dive areas of the world, it is vital we support the organizations who are trying to preserve and bring back these important waters.  http://www.lasterrazasresort.com/

Las Terrazas Resort's onsite dive shop is a PADI 5-star   full service dive center  specializing in daily diving, SCUBA instruction  and snorkeling for the island of Ambergris Caye.

Adding Sports & Activities To Your Honeymoon Destination

Every couple takes time to select the perfect honeymoon location -- they both agree upon!!!

                           St. Regis, Bora Bora, Tahiti, Over water Bungalows Across the Waters - Photo by JR

Whew, did I say, agree on????

Well when you do not agree about where you want to go, consider using the second choice for your first or second anniversary trip.  

                                               Finding Castles in Europe or Napa Valley, California   Photo by JR

I meet couples every month where one is sedentary, and the other wants active sports, gyms or adventures plus physical challenges on their honeymoon.  Often you will find the best of both at special areas of the world.  My recent article on  HoneymoonLinks.co refers to many locations that offer the snorkeling and scuba diving adventures of a lifetime while giving you very romantic hotels and resorts.

                                                           Snow Skiing & Winter Fun, Photo by, JR

Join our blog and let us know some of your favorite adventures and stays in this wide wonderful world. You will find many links on WeddingLinks.com.  Choose the area on the Global Search where you want to honeymoon or trip, and then click on Honeymoon to find some very romantic spots not mentioned in the HoneymoonLinks.com article.

Your Wedding Invitations

From formal to informal, you want the guests to know where and when your wedding will be held.  In a small village there may be reason to tell one another through the gossip chain and put up a sign (like above), but in our major moving world - our reality is a printed invite that gives the message.  Meeting with many couples through the years, I find them unsure or undecided about themes, whats out there, what possible with a wedding, while others have been thinking about it for years, and know exactly what they are looking for.  The invitation gives an indication to the guests that (sets the tone), the formality or casualness of your celebration.

DUPhotography.com

  

CreativeProductions.com

Couples set the theme of their wedding with exciting and unique papers, delightful "save the date" post cards and imaginative ideas plus traditional engraved, embossed and printed invites. I would like to offer a few tips on how our society is dealing with invitations. Believe me a great deal depends on where you live, the casualness and formality of your wedding celebration and the theme you have chosen.  You can find the Invitations Article with step-by-step process and timeline in the articles on WeddingLinks.com/articles.

Some Invitation Tips 

1. Understand e-mail, face book, wedding web pages and social media are not where you want to post the date, time and where your wedding will be held, nor your home phone number.  Not unless you want to post a guard at your home the day you are at your rehearsal or being married.  The hackers are into everything lately and believe me, the break-ins for newlyweds are rising in the crime rates. Please don't help them to your wedding presents.
2. When you have a low budget wedding, there are some options. Print them yourself, use lightweight paper, so the postage for first class will work for both the reply card and for the invite.
3. Hand deliver locally if your budget is less than great.
4. Keep an e-mail and phone list for all your invites. So often people do not reply and you must send an e-mail or phone them to gain whether they are attending.  You will need this for the food count for a caterer or before you grocery shop for the big day - at least a week in advance.
5. Sending a "save the date card" is great for people coming from a long distance.  We realize post card information can be gleaned from the many hands moving through a post office. Send a printed, stamped note in an envelope. 

Join Judith Rivers-Moore on FaceBook and on Our Blog - Really want your INPUT.