In March, I visited the most romantic city in the world—Paris. I strolled about the City of Light in my Lanvin flats, thick black tights and freshly-scrubbed a la parisienne face checking out the latest hotel openings (there are loads), newest renovations and, of course, the shops and cafes. One such spot I visited was the historic Hôtel Le Bristol, home to one of Paris’s best restaurants (yes, even in this delectable town there are some spots that are better than all the rest), a charming courtyard and an indoor rooftop pool. Of course, my favorite spot at the urban hideaway is the completely redone Honeymoon Suite. Pretty, sweet, oui?

Hôtel Le Bristol, Paris, Honeymoon Suite from VIP Plus Worldwide on Vimeo.

—Jenna Mahoney

Although we're suckers for gorgeous décor projects, sometimes the best wedding DIY tasks are the ones that simply make your life a little easier, behind the scenes.

We found this simple (yet genius) DIY seating chart by Jen from SomethingTurquoise.com and couldn't wait to share it with our crafty BG brides! Creating a seating chart can be a daunting task, but with a little patience (and a whole lot of Post-Its), you'll be able to check this off your to-do list in no time.

Materials Needed:

• Your guest list
• Your reception table layout
• A poster board (or two, depending on how large your wedding is)
• Re-positionable page markers from Post-It
• Markers

Instructions:

1. Start by drawing out your table arrangement for your reception, using multiple poster boards if needed.

2. Jen used a bowl to trace her round tables, but if you have rectangular tables, then try using the bottom of a cereal box instead.

Each week, we feature wedding music recommendations from Scratch Weddings, the nation's leader with the best wedding DJs at affordable prices. This week's post comes from DJ RT.  This multi-talented musician gained his deep knowledge of music history at a young age and describes his DJ style as a balance of party rocker, turntabalist, and remixer. He loves to spin weddings and takes pride in playing music that brings people together "At weddings, you have such a wide range of people there, you really need to find the music that is literally timeless—the songs that everyone knows and loves.” 

Photo Credit: Long's Photography

To say that we're excited about Colin Cowie partnering with Hard Rock Hotels for destination wedding packages would be an understatement. At the launch party, we were so blown away by the stunning options that our web producer Stefania was tempted to call off her big city wedding and head to the beach instead!

The Colin Cowie Wedding Collection includes 18 lavish, customized packages created by the one and only Colin Cowie, giving us non-celeb brides a chance to score Colin's impeccable wedding style—packages start at only $1,500 and are available at the all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotels in Punta Cana, Vallarta, Cancun, and Riviera Maya.

Take a look at some of the gorgeous options for your décor. We love how Colin incorporated vibrant colors, rich textures, and lush flowers into his colorful schemes.

Sultry Sunset Reception