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A Traveler's Tales As Bridal Guide's global girl and Travel Editor, I criss-cross the map, jumping planes, trains and buses to uncover the best bets. Want to be in the know before you go? Join me as I share my insider tricks, hot picks and travel tips to help you plan the vacation of a lifetime.

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July 2, 2009

guest blogger: Lori Francisco, bridalguide.com Managing Editor

Southern Charm

With everything that’s going on in the world, you may be looking at destinations within the U.S. for your wedding or honeymoon. Or maybe you’re just looking for a romantic escape from it all.

Well, allow me to recommend one of my personal favorites—Wilmington, North Carolina. For those of you not familiar with this town, it’s a historic port located along North Carolina’s Cape Fear Coast. There are so many great things I could say about this place, but I’ll try to narrow it down to my Top 5 Reasons for Visiting Wilmington:

1. Perfect for Movie and TV Buffs: As a self-proclaimed movie and TV nut, this is probably my favorite reason for visiting the area. If a Hollywood vacay is out of your budget, this is the next best thing. Nicknamed Hollywood East, Wilmington is home to one of the largest movie studios outside Hollywood, Screen Gems Studios. More than 350 films, TV shows and commercials were filmed here, including The Secret Lives of Bees, Nights in Rodanthe, Firestarter, One Tree Hill and Dawson’s Creek. Scheduled tours are even available if you want to check out some of their sound stages.

If you’re looking for a wedding location fit for the big screen, you’ll find it at Airlie Gardens. I stumbled upon a wedding during a visit in one of the most beautiful areas of this historic 67-acre garden:

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Posted by Lori at 10:22 a.m. | Comments (0)

June 12, 2009

guest blogger: Anne Fritz, The Jet Set Girls

Mom-Daughter Getaway

*Hola fellow Novias! The gals over at The Jet Set Girls took a special mom/daughter bonding trip and are here to tell us all about it. I for one, wish I could treat the mama bear (and wedding planner extraordinaire) to such a fabu pre-wed vacay, but alas my days are limited—19 to be exact. Perhaps post-wed and post-honeymoon, we'll do a spaaaaaah getaway, just the two of us special ladies. xoxo, Jenna

Growing up in the south, I always wanted to go to Asheville. It’s consistently rated one of the top vacation destinations by Southern Living and the Biltmore, the Vanderbilt’s former vacation residence, is the closest thing we have in this country to a castle. But somehow I never found time to make the trek to this town, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Until now…

My mom lives in Mobile, Alabama and I reside in New York City. When we were looking for a spot to rendez vous for Mother’s Day weekend, we realized Asheville was the perfect halfway spot. Funny enough, it was easier for me to get there than her, thanks to a non-stop flight from Newark on Continental.

We stayed at the brand new Grand Bohemian Asheville and signed up for the “Girlfriend Getaway” package. The hotel is loosely designed to look like a hunting lodge, but in a very modern and sexy, yet totally comfortable way. The lobby has a fireplace, animal statues, a smattering of animal trophies and an antler chandelier studded with crystals. We were delighted with our room, particularly the oversized tub and plush beds.

Our first stop was Laurey’s catering for lunch. The wide selection of veggies, salads and grilled chicken was just the thing mom and I needed after our respective mornings of travel. We left our rental car there and walked around town. Now that I’m a homeowner, home design stores are more interesting to me than clothing stores. (I hope this is merely a phase that will soon pass, so I can get back to focusing on shoes!) Asheville is known for its art galleries and antique shops. Mom and I had fun perusing them and dreaming about how we would decorate my apartment if we had an unlimited budget.

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Posted by Jenna at 11:26 a.m. | Comments (0)

June 8, 2009

guest blogger: Kristen Finello

Yummy Lessons from the CIA

As a regular contributor to Bridal Guide—I write many of the reception feature stories—I get to chat with top wedding planners, event designers, chefs and other experts about everything that goes into a wedding celebration from food to flowers. I love hearing about trends and tricks of the trade from talented pros, so when I was invited to take a class at the famed Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York, I jumped at the chance. And since I can only stand to benefit from my hubby building on his already quite good cooking skills, I decided to bring him along. Thoughtful, I know!

Arriving at the beautiful CIA campus bright and early on a Saturday morning, my husband Matt and I had an opportunity to chat with Laura Pickover, a CIA grad who runs the food enthusiast programs. (Matt is seriously coveting her job!) Laura told us that cooking classes have become really popular with younger people and with pairs—in addition to mother/daughter duos and friends, they see lots of engaged couples, newlyweds and long-married couples. They even had a couple whose marriage therapist told them to take a class to brush up on their team work skills. I had to wonder if a class that involved sharp knives but the best choice but hey, whatever works!

After speaking with Laura, it was off to class. Matt was dying to get into the kitchen. I admit I was a little nervous. Maybe it was all those episodes of Kitchen Nightmares and Hell’s Kitchen that I’ve watched but I had visions of a Gordon Ramsay-like chef barking orders at me. Boy was I relieved to meet our instructor, Chef Leo Jones. He immediately put everyone at ease with his humor and entertaining anecdotes (plus he’s English and has a great accent!). After an intro and kitchen tour, it was time to get “suited up.” We each got a toque (aka a tall white chef’s hat) and apron. I’ll be honest: It wasn’t the best look for me but I did feel more “official.” Here I am with Chef Jones.

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Posted by Kristen at 3:47 p.m. | Comments (0)

June 3, 2009

travel tips:

Port Authority

Ahoy all you cruisin’ honeymooners, there are some important changes happening on the high seas.

Starting June 1 (AKA ahora), the United States government will be requiring all U.S. citizens traveling on cruises that begin and end in different ports in the United States, or begin or end in a foreign port, to have a valid passport or recognized WHTI-compliant document. Yeah, come again?

Basically, in English it means that if you are embarking on an open-ended sail or a foreign one, you are going to have to show that your passport is as blue as your blood. Travel experts a-la moi (yes, I’ve totally been on a French-speaking kick) suggest that all cruisers bring their passports aboard—you’ll never know if you have to return home via plane. All the mayjah lines (we’re talking Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and the like) have document info on their websites, so it should be smooth sailing.

Posted by Jenna at 12:04 p.m. | Comments (0)

May 28, 2009

club wed:

Last Chance for Kisses

Before I’m a Missus.

Hey, did you hear, I’m getting married! And with W-Day at T minus a month, I have entered the it’s-all-about-me-and-my-wedding stage of the engagement. (Which is, dear readers, preceded by the I-can’t-function-beyond-the-planning-of-the-wedding stage of the engagement, which directly speaks to the radio silence we’ve all been experiencing in the blogosphere.) But I digress.

Because all I want to do is talk about me and my wedding! And so much so, that my rational moi is confused at why I can’t control my bridal blessed-out moi. You see I’ve never really been a big wedding kind of girl. Don’t get me wrong—Mama loves a good party, but I was never (underline three times please) one of those girls who imagined her wedding. I always knew that I would get married and I always knew that it would be a big bash, but until cushion-cut perfection landed on my big knuckled hand, I had zero idea of what being a bride would actually feel like. What I did know was that I never wanted to be one of those brides who went on and on about her colors, her registry and her dress.

But I’ve come to learn—that is completely unavoidable. I am so bubbling over with excitement that all I can do is talk about my wedding. And to complete strangers! Take today for example. I spoke with a publicist this morning about a classified project we hope to call to action and the first thing out of my mouth was, “I’m getting married in a month.” Later in the day, I was interviewing candidates for an open summer internship position, I was all “OMG I’m getting married!” I swear I even told the salad guy. So yeah, I’m supah stoked to be walking down that aisle in June. And you know what fellow brides to be, it’s ok.
Xoxo

Listen up! ‘Cause I’m getting married!!!

Posted by Jenna at 12:03 p.m. | Comments (0)

May 18, 2009

Quickie Update

Hi everyone! Sorry for the lack of travel info, but things have been super-busy around here. As many of you brides know, juggling wedding planning and deadlines at work can make you go a little crazy. But don't worry, I'll be back soon with some new updates!

Posted by Jenna at 12:03 p.m. | Comments (0)

April 14, 2009

The Green (Mountain) State

My mother tells me I’m selfish. So I’m going to use that as the excuse for why my bloggity-blog has been feeling a little neglected—girl has been planning a wedding here! But, my friendly fellow brides-to-be, I’ll have you know that the blog is the only facet of my life suffering—my travel sched. has gone from criss-crossing the globe to taking a bus to Cape Cod to do op: Wed.
And since I haven’t been traveling, I haven’t been able to share photos of your fave global gal jaunting. Until now.

While I was going through images for a digital frame representation for our welcome party, I found these gems. In November, my other half, formally known to the blogosphere as Novio turned that age that The New York Times dubbed the new 21. I surprised him with a last-minute weekend away to the gloriously green, super pristine, the Green Mountain State itself—Vermont.

We stayed two nights at the awesome Equinox Resort & Spa, a full-service retreat that is actually comprised of a series of historic buildings. Abraham Lincoln’s fam stayed here and the dude that wrote the Cider House Rules lives right down the street in the quaint town of Manchester Village.

Since Novio’s bday is in November, we missed the height of leaf pepping. But there was plenty to do—complimentary yoga, hikes through the expansive wooded grounds and strolling around the outlet shops in town. (Although a champion shopper, I was good and only scored two (!) pairs of cool-io Burberry sunglasses for less than 20 buckos.) And I almost forgot to mention: we also looooooved the meal we had at the delicioso eatery on property called the Marsh Tavern and really relaxed with those massages at the pine-scented spa.

Ok enough babbling let’s get to the photos:

They don’t call it the Green Mountain State for nothing. Check out the gorgeous expanse behind the resort. There is a host of hiking trails right there at the edge. They wind through old-growth trees and tons of towering pines. We took a path that lead to Lake Equinox.

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Posted by Jenna at 10:10 a.m. | Comments (0)

April 9, 2009

club wed & global goss:

Out of Africa

Bonjour my fellow brides-to-be, how are your plans coming? Et moi? Well, I’m on the homestretch. The dreamy dress is now with the tailor getting a quickie hem, my Novio’s suit is on its way stateside and I just OK'd my invitation proof.

So what’s next on the list?

Well, my dear readers, ze honeymoon! Now, traditionally speaking here the groom is the responsible party when planning the honeymoon, but let’s just say—that’s not the way it works in my house. And one would think it would be pretty easy; I literally have the whole world at my fingers. But as with everything wedding related, making the right choice (for photos, prosperity and long-life memories) is actually a little more difficult than originally thought.

Travel tip: Make a checklist of your absolute honeymoon must-haves as well as your yeah, not so muches. A big deal for us is pampering relaxation.

Below, the saga in five acts:

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Posted by Jenna at 12:20 p.m. | Comments (0)

April 2, 2009

Detoxifying in Oaxaca

Guest blogger: Susan Schneider, Executive Editor

Was I up for an adventure? Yes! Strolling the cobblestone streets of the Mexican colonial city of Oaxaca, located in the southwestern part of the country, I noticed a sign in the window of a pretty little bed and breakfast called Las Bugambilias. On offer was a special Temazcal experience—a steam bath and massage that would, it said, use indigenous Aztec herbs and ancient rituals to purify my body, mind and spirit. As an inhabitant of dirty, noisy New York City, how could I not want to be purified?

At Bridal Guide we’re always looking for new honeymoon ideas, so I wondered if Temazcal was designed for couples visiting this architecturally fascinating city. Indeed it is: for two people, it’s just 1500 pesos, which comes to about $113 for a two-hour total immersion experience. I brought my traveling friend, Eve, with me, who also needed some serious detoxification.

Next morning, which was warm and sunny (as always), Eve and I climbed into a car provided by the B&B, and were driven up the hilly streets of the town (from nearly everywhere in Oaxaca there are views of the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains) and were deposited in a quiet neighborhood, in front of a simple adobe wall. Most of the homes in Oaxaca present walled exteriors to the street, opening onto charming courtyards. Hidden behind this wall was a fairy-tale garden of herbs and flowers, wild looking and enchantingly fragrant.

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Posted by Susan at 12:23 p.m. | Comments (0)

February 18, 2009

guest blogger: Alison Musselman

Ocean Reef Club

Recently, I was invited down to Key Largo, FL to check out the very luxurious Ocean Reef Club, and they kindly said I could bring a friend along, too. Much to the chagrin of my BFF who had imagined a fabulous girls' vacation, I took my hubby with me—it was our wedding anniversary after all, so I would have felt slightly guilty leaving him behind.

We arrived at Ocean Reef at about 9pm, and were met by Bill, the very knowledgeable, very friendly Executive Director of Communications. We grabbed a quick bite to eat at the Burgee Bar and had a chance to chat with some of the local characters who seemed happy to sit and share a few stories with us.

This is pretty much what our room looked like. We had an iHome to listen to music and an incredibly well stocked mini bar!

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Posted by Alison at 3:50 p.m. | Comments (0)