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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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November 9, 2009

guest blogger: Erin Szeto Chan, bridalguide.com Intern

North Star

Everyone knows about Napa Valley Wine Country, but the East Coast boasts its own amazing wine region on the North Fork of Long Island. Located about two hours away from New York City, the 30-mile-long peninsula juts out into the Long Island Sound and is dotted with dozens of charming vineyards that offer picture-perfect backdrops for small, intimate weddings.

One such venue is Pellegrini Vineyards. The 30-acre property features a romantic white gazebo for ceremonies or photo ops. The open courtyard, perfect for dinner and dancing, can be covered with a tent and leads to the tasting room and a wide hallway that provides sweeping views of the lush green grapevines. Guests will love the peaceful country setting—and the chance to sample Pellegrini’s world-class wines, from the robust 2005 cabernet franc to the crisp 2007 chardonnay with notes of pear, apple, vanilla and olive. For more information, check out Pellegrini at pellegrinivineyards.com.

Posted by Erin at 2:43 p.m. | Comments (0)

November 2, 2009

guest blogger: Amy Rauch

The Scoop on St. Lucia, Part I: Escape to Almond Resorts

Ahhhh, St. Lucia -- The island where couples flock for romantic bliss, lush mountain scenery, and luxurious all-inclusive resorts. It was no surprise when I visited for a media tour, hosted by Almond Resorts, that I saw numerous brides and grooms at the airport holding David's Bridal and Mens Wearhouse garment bags, and still others walking around sporting "Just Married" t-shirts and gleaming grins. I wish I had my camera out, but I was too busy waiting for my luggage to come off the plane -- last.

Amy and the Pitons

Almond Morgan Bay Property

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Posted by Amy at 12:01 p.m. | Comments (0)

October 19, 2009

guest blogger: Mara Berkoff, Bridal Guide Intern

Istanbul (Not Constantinople)

You’ve seen them. Fanny pack firmly clamped around the waist, camera hanging from their necks and their noses stuck in a guidebook. We all fear becoming the dreaded tourist who does the "culture light" tour: only the famous places with some indigenous food thrown in, but none of the weird stuff. Istanbul: The Collected Traveler, An Inspired Companion Guide edited by Barrie Kerper unfolds before us a city so full of fun and adventure that to not want to explore is impossible.

It only gets better from there. This book is not a tourist’s guide to the big monuments or “must see” destinations while in Istanbul, it’s more like someone telling you a story about their beloved homeland and their treasured memories. People who have lived and worked in Istanbul and felt its elusive pull write the collection of articles and essays. You can feel the love pouring out of these people’s souls as they describe the history of Topkapi palace with its lavish dinner parties and turtles trained to carry lit candles on their shells, or the Grand Seraglio where the wives of the Sultan wore 200 emeralds at a time and the gold knives were set with diamonds (where can I register for those!). For travelers with big imaginations, a trip to these sites is worth it to imagine such great wealth in what remains of these buildings now.

For all their fancy things, food is extremely important to the Turkish. Engagements were sealed with sherbet, a sweet coffee called lokum, and candy to ensure a sweet marriage. Imagine having your fiancé hand you a Milky Way instead of a ring! Wedding dinners themselves had meat pilaf, warm vegetable dishes, fruit and nuts, and a bonus tray of desserts for the bride’s family if all went well that night.

Newsweek’s “coolest city in the world” is the European Capital of Culture 2010, and with good reason. Istanbul: The Collected Traveler, An Inspired Companion Guide lets you fall in love with the history, but keeps you intrigued with recommendations for the present. If it’s your dream to get lost in the emotion and color of Istanbul, this book educates without making you feel like an outsider, with the hope that you will be just as much in love with the city as the people who call Istanbul home.

Posted by Mara at 12:31 p.m. | Comments (0)

October 6, 2009

sponsored post:

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Posted by Amy Rauch at 2:08 p.m. | Comments (0)

August 21, 2009

club wed:

A Whale of a Time

Oh, I’m sorry, are you sick to death of Jenna and her wedding? Did you come here to get some travel tips? Well, there’s plenty of that to come…

But for now you’ll just have to deal with the inside scoop—avec pics—from our mini-moon to the quaint island of Nantucket.

We stayed at the historic—and chachi—White Elephant, which has been a staple on the island’s harbor front since 1920. The fancy-pants hotel got high marks on the T&L HotList. The beds are ginormous and super comfy. And the lawn overlooks the scenic harbor. Unfort. for these little love doves, the weather on the island of Nantucket (which was the hub of all US whaling activity at one point) wasn’t so hot, so we didn’t get any photos of us lounging on the coolio chaise chairs set by the sea.

Husband and I spent the first day of our cloudy island time racing around the island on a moped. *Travel tip: Many people rent bikes. But I’m not the two-wheeler kind of gal and Husband is a speed demon, so we opted for the moped. We zoomed out to the Siansconset lighthouse and tried to take a photo in the fog.

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Posted by Jenna at 1:37 p.m. | Comments (0)

August 11, 2009

club wed:

Yes! We Did!

Lots of things can happen in 14 months—two Superbowls, a World Series, the rise and fall of a tender-loving family of 10, and the changing of the political landscape in America. But none of those is as personal as my Big. Fat. Spanish wedding. Et voila, some more pics for your viewing pleasure.

Xoxoxo and from now on you can call me señora.

Mama Bear made it very clear that the prettiest brides are the ones with the largest smiles. That’s me! Here I am making the grand entrance to the church on time.

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Posted by Jenna at 1:13 p.m. | Comments (0)

July 28, 2009

club wed:

Elvis Has Left the Building

Well, we did it. We got hitched. And all I can say is YIPS! PIPS!

After all that planning, worrying and running around, it was totally worth it. My wedding weekend was perfect. Absolutely, without a doubt, perfect. Everything went according to plan, everything worked out just as we wished, and at the end of it all—I got the raddest hubz in the world!

I want to give an extra-special shout-out to:

**Karen Rood, the wedding coordinator at Wychmere Harbor Club, our amazing wedding venue. Karen was patient, kind, understanding and, most of all, responsible for making everyone and everything run as smoothly as possible. She also dealt with my only ’zilla moment and made sure that my glass was filled with champs at all times. If it weren’t for Karen, there is no way I would have been able to have such a fantastic—and yes, perfect—day.

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Posted by Jenna at 5:31 p.m. | Comments (0)

July 22, 2009

guest blogger: Mara Berkoff, Bridal Guide Intern

Let Them Eat Cake!

Raise your hand if you get chills at the wedding scene in Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette. Now, raise your hand if you know a bride-to-be with a taste for all things sweet. Still got those hands up? Then get thee and she and a group of your favorite gals to Patisserie at The Bazaar in the super chic SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills and shower her with sweet love and confections.

The Patisserie at The Bazaar boasts a cool glass-encased pastry kitchen that is reminiscent of a life-size castle complete with a ballet performance. Toast, giggle and savor the treats created by famed Spanish Chef José Andrés in this frilly fantasyland-come-alive. Bonbons intensified with flavors like lemon ginger and star anise, green tea cookies, decadent dark chocolate cakes with caramel and traditional Spanish flan are some of the sweet shop’s offerings. (And don’t forget to try the passion fruit marshmallows.)

Weekends at the Patisserie welcome High Tea, a glam gal dining experience that is perfect for a shower. Served from 3-5 in the afternoon, the menu overflows with tasty bites like salmon roe cones with crème fraiche, mini fois gras sandwiches on brioche and beet macarons with goat cheese filling. Dessert selections range from nostalgic with chocolates studded with pop rocks, to novel with saffron fruit jellies and hazelnut volcano cookies. And don’t forget the champagne! There is an extensive list of the bubbly on offer. But the best part is the price: High tea at Patisserie at The Bazaar is only $25 per person.

If you are feeling a little more spicy, head to the hotel’s tapas bar, Rojo y Blanca. Also a product of that super duper famous from España, the hot spot features a menu of traditional Spanish fare—think jamon, quesos from the peninsula and tortillas (omelets)—mixed with fanciful, modern creations of “Philly Cheestake” on air bread, foam tortillas and other dishes of essence.

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Posted by Mara at 3:37 p.m. | Comments (0)

July 17, 2009

guest blogger: Mara Berkoff, Bridal Guide Intern

Yay! Crew

Vows, Set. First dance. Set. Going away outfit….whoops. Busy brides may not have enough time to shop for the honeymoon. And let’s face it, after months and years of deciding, shopping and deciding some more, do you really want to scour the department stores for something sweet, simple (and more importantly) clean on your romantic jaunt to a hidden hideaway with your new hubby?

Thank goodness for the consummate savior of any ensemble emergency—J. Crew.

The new “Honeymoon” category of clothing has been recently posted to the company’s website (jcrew.com), and it promises to take all the toil out of selecting the prefect getaway gear. Their solid cotton petal cami paired with jean shorts is great for sightseeing or touring local hotspots. Under a blazer it adds a pretty, feminine air to the drudgery of workplace attire. The Odessa tunic is great for bringing a splash of the Mediterranean to your regular bikini cover-up, while skirts are classic yet flirty and able to work for you day or night. Our absolute favorite has to be The Linen Getaway Dress, an easy, breezy one-piece that retails for under $50.

Happy Honeymooning!

Posted by Mara at 10:17 a.m. | Comments (0)

July 9, 2009

guest blogger: Mara Berkoff, Bridal Guide Intern

A Greek Harmony

In ancient Greece, weddings were a simple affair as far as destination goes. In book IV of the Odyssey, Menelaus hosts a large banquet at home to celebrate his son’s marriage. Today, however, a quiet(ish) wedding at home is not the only option.

Enter the destination wedding! Fabulous exotic and exclusive, the happy couple’s closest family and friends embark on a beautiful journey that will guarantee looks of pure envy when your wedding photos develop. The only fly in the ointment? Draining flights to wedded bliss.

Delta Airlines is now stepping in to help frazzled fliers everywhere soothe their nerves by teaming up with Korres, an all-natural beauty brand based in Athens, to create a flying kit for their Business Elite Class travelers. By using active plant extracts and homeopathic principles of skincare, Korres has developed two products exclusively for Delta. There’s the Korres Shea Butter Lip Balm, a super emollient lip hydrator with a kissable vanilla-honey scent that moisturizes. The Yoghurt Moisturizing Face Cream is airy and not at all oily, which is a must for hydrating on-the-go. For those intent on channeling your inner Greek goddess after some beauty rest: a silk sleeping mask is included in the travel kit.

The Korres essentials provided on Delta flights bring a welcome, earthy undercurrent to the mechanical machinations of flight. Soft lips, a smooth face and a little rest with our eyes covered in silk are bound to make a difference between scrambling with last-minute plans on your tray table or taking the time to remember that you are about to embrace paradise in the arms of the ones you love.

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Posted by Mara at 2:08 p.m. | Comments (0)