bridal dress Archives | Ashley & Alexandria's

Source: Martha Stewart Weddings

The first stages of planning a destination wedding go something like this: After weeks of debate with your fiancé, you settle on a location you’re both excited about. Then, you start shopping the idea of a destination wedding around to friends and family, getting a feel for which guests will be able to attend and which won’t. And finally, you’re overwhelmed with the data you’ve collected that runs the gamut of responses from totally enthusiastic to totally discouraging. Here’s the thing: You shouldn’t have to feel bad about having a destination wedding. The people you love who want to be there will find a way, and those who can’t swing it will come up with another way to celebrate your love.

Here, more reasons why you don’t have to feel guilty about planning a destination wedding if that’s what you really want.

This wedding is about the two of you, and who you are as a couple.

As much as people will try to convince you to have a certain type or style of wedding, your wedding is really meant to be a celebration of who you are as a couple. If you both love to travel and explore far-off places, it only makes sense that you’d have an adventurous destination wedding. Celebrate that, because this traveling phase of your life may not last forever.

As much as your guests love you, they won’t sign up to attend an event they can’t manage.

The reality of traveling to attend a wedding can be difficult for some guests. Some may have a fear of flying, limited budgets, or may not be able to take enough time off of work. While that’s a tough pill to swallow because you’d love for all of your friends and family to attend, they’ll ultimately make the call that’s best for them. For those guests who just can’t swing it, they’ll probably try to find another way to celebrate your marriage, either through a small dinner gathering or by sending a nice gift your way.

Your guests who are able to make the trip will have a memorable experience that feels like a vacation.

For the guests who make the trek, you certainly won’t have to apologize for treating them to a weekend filled with good food, great music, and excellent company. Though it’s tempting to fill every hour of your wedding weekend with group activities, be sure to leave some space for relaxation so your guests can fill in some of their time with their own agenda. Et voilà—guilt-free destination wedding!

You might inspire some of your friends and family to travel more than they typically would.

If you have a few guests attending your destination wedding who don’t spend a lot of their time traveling, you might be surprised by the travel bug you’ve inspired. Maybe they’ll tack on an extra few days or weeks to explore the region or a nearby place they’ve always wanted to see. You should never feel guilty about providing your loved ones with inspiration!

Source: Brides

With the new year comes new engagements, new brides-to-be (welcome, ladies!), and new wedding trends. And while we’re still excited about the trends and creative ideas we saw in 2018—think games for guests, statement bridal hats, and basically anything Harry and Meghan did—we, like you, are also ready to dive into the world of weddings for 2019.

Which is why we called on some of the industry’s top wedding planners to see exactly what they’re predicting for the new year. You’ll have to keep scrolling to see exactly what they said below, but one thing is certain: The rules are all out. Think mismatched bridesmaids dresses, coeds on each side of the aisle, and more. Also out? Wedding welcome bags and expensive favors (don’t worry, we’ll get to that later). In terms of what’s in, the experts say we’re all still obsessed with the world’s hottest power couple (hi, Harry and Meghan!) so feel free to continue copying the royal wedding’s statement church entrance, meaningful ceremony touches, and unexpected reception details. They’re also excited to see couples experiment with fresh color palettes and put unexpected twists on the traditional wedding in the year come to.

Keep reading for all the exciting, modern, and on-trend ideas, broken down by the pros who came up with them. Oh, and we also asked the experts to share which trends to avoid and their best pieces of tried-and-true advice for the newly engaged ladies like you… So, basically, read on because we’ve got you covered as you dive into wedding planning in the new year!

The year’s biggest trend: “2019 is all about embracing color and new color combinations that have never been done before,” Jesse says. “We see the trend veering away from soft classic colors and heading in a more fun, pumped up direction.” Case in point: “Living Coral,” the Pantone Color of the Year. “We see 2019 clients leaning more towards younger, fresher palettes with pops of bright and bold color that is fun, youthful and often somewhat daring,” he adds.

Trend to do away with: “Welcome bags! Time and time again, we see many of the expensive, well thought-out items get left behind in hotel rooms,” he says. “Instead, consider giving a nice bottle of wine and a handwritten note, or making a donation to your favorite local charity in the guests names honor.”

Excited for in the new year: “We have a couple who is focused on supporting underserved communities and working with female owned and operated local businesses for their wedding day,” he says. “This is an exciting prospect for us and a first for Alison Events to have a client that is so locally, globally and environmentally minded when planning their special day. We can’t wait to see how it all comes together!”

Can’t wait to see a couple do: “A food and wine-focused wedding,” he says. “We love when clients embrace food and beverage as an integral part of the wedding celebration!”

Best planning advice: “Get personal! Hire vendors you connect with on a personal level, not just ones that suit your aesthetic or budget,” he says. “Get to know a vendor over coffee or a glass of wine to make sure they are a good personality fit for your project and are someone you would want to spend a year of your life with planning such a big and important day in your life.”

Read the rest of the trends here.

bridal dress

4 Reasons Why You Don’t Have to Feel Guilty About Having a Destination Wedding

The Wedding Trends to Keep and Ditch in 2019 According to Wedding Planners

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