New Hope Soap Blog

A Guide to the Top 10 Best Destination Wedding Guides

A destination wedding offers the bride and groom to have the wedding of their dreams in a unique intimate setting.  It is a way for the couple to combine their wedding and honeymoon into one unforgettable event.  Once you have agreed to a destination wedding, the next decision is to decide where to have your dream wedding.  Here is a guide to the top 10 best destination wedding places.

Hawaii makes the top ten list for many reasons.  One is that no passports are needed to go to Hawaii.  This makes travel easy for not only for you, but for the family and friends that will be joining you.   However, it is not only about the easy travel.  It is about the many picture perfect romantic spots that Hawaii has to offer.   There are lagoons, waterfalls, mountains, beautiful beaches, that would make the perfect spot for your wedding.  The many popular resorts have wedding planners that will be more than happy to help you plan your perfect day.

Once you have made the choice to have a DIY wedding, there are many other decisions to make. You need to decide on decoration color and size, flowers, and wedding favors just to name a few. The internet has a plethora of information and ideas. We have done some of the leg work for you and have put together the top 20 wedding planning websites for the DIY bride. 

1. DIY Wedding has a ton of ideas, and even templates, for the DIY bride. They are a great place to start because they have wedding ideas broken down by the four seasons.  

2. You must check out the DIY Network's top 100 wedding projects.        

Whether you are a DIY Bride or working with a wedding planner these blogs are a must read!

A bride can never have enough time when it comes to planning her wedding, so we are here to help.  This is a list of the top 15 Must follow wedding blogs.  These blogs will help with everything from wedding ideas, to floral arrangements, and everything else wedding related.  We did not want the grooms to be left out, so we included a blog for him.

1.Oh Lovely Day

This blog is all about those tiny details that will make your wedding extra special.  There are plenty of inspirational ideas for the bride that is doing it all herself, to the bride that is looking for those small details that will will tie everything together.  Whether your wedding is a formal affair, or has a country flair this blog has something for everyone.  However, Oh Lovely Day does not stop at the wedding day.  This is also a great source regarding life after the wedding.

2. the-Broke-Ass-Bride

This blog empowers brides to stand up for themselves and create the wedding that they truly want.  It shows brides that it is about being yourself, being creative, and sometimes thinking way outside the box to get the wedding that you desire. It is all about doing the most with what you have instead of worrying about what you do not have.

3. Martha Stewart Weddings

Martha Stewart has been a trusted source for wedding ideas for a very long time.  If you are a bride looking for unique ideas and creativity with a flair of sophistication, this is the blog for you.   The editors of Martha Stewart Weddings have taken the time to gather the latest innovative tips and advice for the bride to be.  Not too mention the list of wedding experts that are more than eager to share their thoughts and ideas.

Wedding Dresses and Bridal Gowns, who are the trendsettering fashion designers influencing brides today!

You have dreamed about your wedding all your life.  You want this once in a lifetime event to be as perfect as possible.  Begin this dream by starting with the perfect wedding dress.  We have researched the 15 Most Influential Bridal Designers to help you decide on that once in a lifetime dream wedding dress. 

1. Vera Wang: 

Vera Wang is an ex-ice skater turned fashion designer.  If you are looking for a traditional wedding gown, Wang may not be the designer for you.  However, if you are looking for something that is unconventional, unexpected, and dramatic you will be pleased by her gowns.  Wang pays special attention to create a feminine feel to her gowns.

2. Oscar de la Renta: 

Oscar de la Renta is an American fashion designer.  De la Renta's gowns are for the type of woman who embraces her femininity.  His gowns can be anything from glamorous and sophisticated to whimsy and playful.

The wedding dress is usually the one item that takes a huge bite out of the wedding budget, but it does not need to. A bride may have more options to affording the perfect wedding dress than she realizes. 

1. Something Old  Something Borrowed

As a young girl, did you dream of getting married in your mother's or grandmother's wedding dress?  Money could not buy the sentimental value in wearing a dress that has been handed down through the family.

2. Shops

Take the time to shop around.  Consignment shops are a great place to look for wedding dresses.   Also, do not be afraid to ask the owner to contact you when a wedding dress does come into their shop. 

Talk to the owners of your local bridal shops, and ask them what happens to the sample dresses and the dresses on the mannequins.  You may be able to score that designer dress without paying the designer price.

3. Rent A Dress

If you are not planning on keeping your wedding dress for any sentimental reasons, consider renting your dress.  This option may allow you to get that dress you fell in love with in a magazine but could never afford.  There are also many websites that sell previously owned dresses as well.

If you are planning to have an autumn wedding, but don't have a clue of how to go about planning it, don't worry.  

There are 3 things you can take into consideration when planning a fall wedding  so your special day is comfortable, stunning and unique for a lifetime of memories!

1. Fall Colors:  

To make your autumn wedding truly stunning, it is best to use traditional fall hues.  Colors that resonate the season include black, bronze, burgundy, chocolate, cranberry, crimson, gold, ivory and orange.  You can easily fit in fall colors by way of your bouquet, bridesmaids' dresses, groomsmen attire or wedding decor.

2. Seasonal Foods & Beverages:  

Another way to make your fall wedding reminiscent of fall is to have traditional fall foods and beverages at your reception.  You can pair roast beef and roasted turkey with an assortment of caramelized carrots, pears, pomegranates, pumpkin and winter squash.

Bridesmaid gifts are especially important because you have asked the bridesmaids to share your day, and this will be an acknowledgement of your friendship.

Each wedding has its own flavor, and you have already made decisions about what yours will be like. Your bridesmaid gifts will reflect that image, too, while retaining a glimpse of their individual personalities. 

Let's say you have a healthy budget, and a lot of bridesmaids. You might want to give everybody a similar gift, such as a beach bag, (perhaps filled with soaps and fragrances) and then add something more individualized that will reflect the intimacy and the separate levels of commitment that they have made to your wedding.

Fall is normally known for all of its beautiful colors.  If you are planning a fall wedding, the Wedding Color Trends for Fall 2014 will not be disappointment.  There are colors for every theme, style and taste.

A bold theme

A wedding with a bold theme, needs a bold color to complement it.  Cranberry is the bold color of the fall season.  Pair the cranberry with one of the hot neutral colors such as bronze  or camel for an unforgettable look. 

Blue Weddings

The blues are always in season and this season the top blues are teal and navy blue.   Pair teal with a cream or other neutral color for a lavish look.  Navy blue will work well for a nautical theme wedding. It is also one of those colors that everyone looks great in.  Navy blue can be sophisticated as well as preppy.