I would say that 95% of my brides wear a beautiful new wedding gown, purchased just for their wedding. But I recently learned about a fabulous store called Dream Bridal, owned by Britta Barts, which specializes in selling new, sample and gently worn high-end, designer wedding gowns to savvy, sophisticated brides nationwide. Think Monique Lhuillier, Vera Wang, Jim Hjelm, Reem Acra, Amy Michelson, Melissa Sweet, and other wonderful designers. I want this one, it’s by Monique Lhuillier `Cabaret.`

I love how Britta puts it, “The days of old where bridal salons would have you believe in bad mojo or karma are long behind us. No one thinks twice when buying a pre-owned luxury car, and why should buying a designer gown be any different?”

You can check out Dream Bridal online, or go visit the shop if you are in Los Angeles. Their site has some good information about buying sample and gently worn wedding gowns.

Not only is this a fabulous way to get the gown of your dreams at a fraction of the price, but it’s also great for the environment. Not to mention avoiding the problem of storing that gown for so many years.

I’m an incredibly sentimental person and an in-recovery pack rat, so I can totally understand why so many girls want to hold on to their gown. But the truth of the matter is, it’s probably just going to cost a lot to pay someone to store it or just gather dust in your house. I think passing it along to a consignment shop or even a friend is a great option.

I know the word used doesn’t have a lovely ring to it, especially when talking about your wedding gown. But many of the dresses shops like Dream Bridal sell are actually brand new. There are samples, and also never worn dresses from girls who changed their minds. Either on the dress or the guy ☺

I love vintage clothes. So, of course, this sounds wonderful to me. I’ve found some of my favorite clothes in second hand shops. It might not be for everyone, but it does offer a great alternative. I’d love to hear from some brides who have gone this route.

Well our loyal trivia fan, Matt, guessed it correct last week.  It was Aran Islands off the coast of Ireland.  Good job Matt!

Here is this week’s picture.  Good luck!  The clues are below:

1. This building was originally erected in the 5th century
2. It experienced a fire in the 15th century
3. The bells rang during the middle ages to signal a fire and tell the laborers to stop work

Richard Branson’s island retreat, Necker Island, is on my list of luxury Islands to experience.  He has done such a fantastic job of creating a beautiful haven and getaway and I dream of renting the island one day.  But if you happen to planning a destination wedding and haven’t chosen your spot, check it out and envision yourself there.

74 acres of private island.  Cool breezes.  Balinese houses. 

And some little details if you decide to rent the island for a week:

• Your accommodations for up to 28 included
• all meals and drinks { alchoholic and other }
• transfers to Virgin Gorda
• laundry facilities
• wi-fi

And things to do on the island?   Try two freshwater pools, a jacuzzi, two tennis courts with a pro on staff, wind surf, kite surf, gym, kayaks, wake boarding, and hamocks are just a few things to do on the island.  Imagine having 28 of your closest family and friends on this gorgeous island for a week of fun.  And of course I didn’t forget the spa on the island, which I think would be at the top of my to-do list followed by a good book and hamock.

And what does a week at a private island cost for your destination wedding, which btw, they have a staff to help you plan your special event?  $235,000.00 for five nights.  A girl can dream right!?!?!  After all I did say exotic & luxury.

But if it gets you thinking and you’d like some other alternatives, visit Private Islands Online or Caribbean Way for some great ideas.

Not necessarily the Disney wedding you dreamed of with Mickey, Minnie and the Cinderella mice but it does include style, sophistication and a wedding designed by the very talented David Tutera.  Choose from design elements that are elegant and chic with chandeliers, gilded mirrors and unique lighting packages.  The Disney team assist you in bringing to life your fairy tale wedding.  And if you still want to ride in Cinderella’s Coach pulled by 6 white horses, they can easily arrange that too! 

So if you’ve always dreamed of that princess wedding consider Disney Weddings.

We’ve gotten some really great submissions. Unfortunately, Shannon and I are already booked on many of them. So we’ve decided to extent the contest for another week, until August 22nd.

Please keep those submissions coming in! And don’t be worry about writing an essay. Sure, we love to hear a good story, but just a line or two about your wedding location is great too ☺

We will contact you if we are already booked on your date. So if you haven’t gotten an email yet, it means you’re still in the running. Winners will be announced on September 1, 2008.

Click here for more details.

Tara & Justin were clients of mine earlier this year.  They live in Chicago, married in a beautiful spring wedding in Ft. Myers, FL & chose to have a honeymoon in Montego Bay, Jamaica.  I asked her to send me a few pictures of their honeymoon to share with everyone. They stayed at the Sandals Royal Caribbean.

She raved about the resort, and of course, the Jamaican sunsets!

The resort has the elegance and old world feel of British Colonial.  It offers a private island for guests and the lists of amenities is extensive. 

 If you’re in the mood for a Caribbean get away, Tara highly recommends the resort.  Thanks for sharing your honeymoon photos.  We’re always on the lookout for fun and exciting honeymoons or travel photos.  If you have some you’d like to share, drop us an email at flyawayphotog@gmail.com.

Ville de l’amour…..Paris, the city of love.  Together you stroll hand-n-hand down the tree lined Champs Elysees.  You take time to relax in the Tuileries Gardens and watch the world pass by.  And of course  you grab a kiss at the top of the Eiffel Tower with all of Paris buzzing beneath you.   A destination wedding in Paris is where you can combine romance, history and fashion into one event. 

Kim Petyt, owner of Parisian Events, is an American wedding planner living in Paris.  She caters to the Anglophone community, combining traditional American elements with French flair and elegance.  Whether you dream of a lavish event fit for Marie Antoinette or something intimate and relaxed, Kim has experience bringing to life your vision.  Kim is warm, easy going and so much fun.  She knows all the right venues and vendors and can answer the multitude of questions a destination bride is going to have pop up. 

I recently asked her a few questions and honestly, when she was done describing some of the events in Paris, I was ready to plan my own renewal ceremony which is still a few years away!  So if you’re planning a destination wedding or renewal ceremony consider Paris & Kim’s team at Parisian Events.  Here are few gorgeous images from several weddings she has coordinated.

{photo by Arman Molavi}

{photo by D. Gavarin}

What’s the first advice you have for a bride planning an international destination wedding?

When a couple is first considering an international destination wedding, I think that it’s so important for a bride to be aware of her personal planning style- She should be honest with herself about how she handles stress, if she’s comfortable relinquishing a lot of control, how she processes disappointments and set-backs, if she’s able to easily trust someone else’s judgment, etc. Planning a wedding in a foreign country could potentially bring out all of these scenarios, and it’s best to know beforehand if you feel up to the challenge.

A couple planning an international destination wedding should also try to learn a bit about the culture of the region in which they’re planning to marry early on. Being culturally aware can help a bride immensely when planning from overseas.  Knowing, for instance, that in France, it’s common for businesses to close for 2 hours at lunchtime would work wonders to ease the frustration of a bride phoning from the States who wasn’t able to reach any of her Paris vendors all morning long.

And, of course, I think it’s invaluable for a bride to have someone that she trusts based in the destination location-  be it a professional wedding planner, or a reliable relative or friend. They’ll be able to meet with vendors face to face on the bride’s behalf, as well as help ease some of her stress of the “unknown” by visiting venues and locations for her before she arrives.

How does it differ planning a Parisian wedding vs. a chateau wedding?  Any special laws or regulations to consider?

When American clients want to get married in Paris, they tend to tell me that they’re looking for a “European” feel: antique, historical, romantic, but still very much a feel of the City of Paris.  They often have a frame of reference in mind- either a scene in a movie that they like, or a painting that’s touched them in some way. I try to propose venues with that feel in mind:  An 18th century mansion with a cobbled-stone courtyard, for instance. Or a ceremony on the Seine with all of Paris’ unforgettable landmarks behind them . Most reception venues in Paris are used to having pretty high volume,  so when you rent with them, they tend to be all-inclusive. There will typically be an in-house catering manager to help you with booking rooms, choosing a menu, etc. Also, Paris venues are usually equipped with at least the basics of what you would need to host your event, tables, chairs, a kitchen, etc.

Hosting your event in a chateau, on the other hand, can be a bit more difficult at times. Many chateaux are family-owned, and the venue isn’t necessarily the primary source of income for the owners. So the booking process can take a bit longer than when you’re dealing with an established business in the city. Also, when you rent a chateaux, often you’re renting just the empty space. The owners typically provide you with a list of preferred vendors, but you have to rent the furniture, the tableware, linens- sometimes even the kitchen equipment. That part can be a bit overwhelming, but really- it’s all worth it. There is something so glamorous and SO magical about a chateau wedding.  There are some really beautiful chateaux located barely 15 minutes outside of Paris. Just a short car ride, and you’re completely transported to this other world. It’s the ultimate princess fantasy!!

{photo by Arman Molavi}

What are some great ways a bride can keep her family & friends informed of the event who have never been to Paris before?

Most people create wedding websites nowadays, all I can say is to give as much information as early as possible to your guests via your website. Rather than just list the wedding week’s itinerary- give some links to the history of the venues that you’re visiting, for example.

What is one challenge you have dealt with and overcome with dealing with an international wedding party?

One of my biggest challenges is trying to get clients used to the French sense of time. We Americans want everything yesterday, or at the very latest NOW, and it just doesn’t work that way here. I’ve had potential clients contact me after they’ve already started planning their wedding on their own, and they are all frustrated because they say they can’t seem to get anyone to call them back, or they’re mad because they faxed something to a vendor 3 days ago and she hasn’t replied yet. It CAN be really frustrating, but again- it’s a different culture, and you’ve got to learn that culture’s codes. It took me years to realize that FRANCE doesn’t hate me- I just was trying to make IT adhere to MY code, instead of vice versa.

When it comes to budget, what are the advantages and disadvantages to choosing a wedding in Paris?

At this point in time, one of the most expensive things about getting married in Paris is the airplane ticket. After that, a Paris wedding is surprisingly affordable. I think that “Weddings” are such big business in the States, and it just isn’t like that here. Venues and vendors just tend to be less expensive than in most US cities like New York or LA. Your wedding dollar also goes further here than in the States. When you book a reception venue for instance, you will typically have it until 2:00 or 3:00AM in the morning, with the dj usually staying until the end. A French wedding meal lasts all night long too, and will be 4 or 5 (or more!) courses. You’re not charged additionally for any of this-  it’s just how weddings work here.

I think the disadvantages would be the same as for any destination wedding- there are always going to be people that are close to you who just can’t make it to the wedding. For me, it was my grandmother who wasn’t able to make the trip. Even now, it always seems weird not to see her in my wedding photos. We had a party in Chicago after our French wedding, where we showed videos and had a wedding cake and everything, and my grandmother was there for that. But it would still have meant the world for me to have had her there on the day. I think that’s one of the biggest downsides to choosing to marry away.

Thanks Kim for sharing your advice.  If you’d like to contact Kim you can reach her via:

Her website Parisian Events or to stay up with all the fabulous things Kim is doing visit her blog Parisian Party

Matt Minton is once again the winner of last week’s travel photo. He correctly identified last week’s photo as Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia. We’re going to have to get this guy a prize!

Here are this week’s clues:

• They are a group of Islands

• A visit to part of one of the islands can be scary for people with a fear of heights

• You might want to wear a sweater

While I was watching the opening ceremony last night, which was fabulous by the way, I got to thinking that I love the Olympics for exactly the same reason I love to travel. I love the glimpse into other cultures. It’s one of big thrills in my life to learn about different people and places.

The Olympics gives us that opportunity. Not just of the host country, either, but of all the countries attending. And while nothing will ever compare to real travel, you can learn a lot even from the couch. I can’t even count the number of interesting facts I leaned about so many the countries attending last night. This was while trying to scramble and figure out where some of them were!

Each country’s outfits alone told volumes about their culture. From brightly colored traditional African clothing to the spiffy French to the sporty Brazilians to the always appropriate Bermudu team in their Bermuda shorts.

Here are a few interesting tidbits:

• The entire county of China is in one time zone.

• 1/5 of the world lives in China!

• Saudi Arabia still doesn’t allow women athletes, but for the first time Pakistan brought two women athletes. Sure, they are the prime ministers daughters. But, hey it’s a start.

• The African country of Lesotho is one of only two countries in the world that is completely surrounded by another country. It’s surrounded by South Africa. The other country is San Marino surrounded by Italy.

• There is a Starbucks on the Great Wall of China.

I think they hit the nail on the head with the Olympic slogan this year: One world, one dream. We are all so much more alike than we are different.

So while I am still a total Olympics cheeseball, most of my reasons do run pretty deep.

These photos really don’t do the opening ceremonies justice. China really outdid themselves. It was a beautiful, moving, and very relevant opening ceremony.

*The quote that is the title of this blog post was just one of many brilliant things said by the late, great sportscaster Jim McKay. I actually heard it after writing this, and it sums up my feelings perfectly. Much better than I could ever do myself. Jim McKay certainly had a way with words. He will be missed.

I recently was introduced to Evonne, Events by Evonne, who happens to plan some amazing weddings in Hawaii & San Francisco.  We immediately hit it off and of course, I asked her to be a feature here on Fly Away so we could share her gorgeous weddings with everyone.  If you’re not familiar with Evonne, she’s a very talented planner who was living in San Francisco at the time, planning her own destination wedding in Hawaii.   Now she and her husband reside in Hawaii.

I asked her a few questions about Hawaii as a destination wedding spot, advice for brides planning a destination wedding as well as, a few details about her boutique style event planning services.  But first, here are a few images, shot by Element Studios, from a recent wedding designed by Evonne.

1.    General advice to a bride planning a destination wedding in Hawaii?  Can include age of guests to consider, language differences or customs.

First, a bride should sit down with her fiancé and discuss the budget, then decide on the number of guests they’d like to invite.  Then they should figure out which island they’d want their wedding on since every Hawaiian island has different things to offer.  The Hawaii’s Visitors  & Convention Bureau is a good place to start - http://www.gohawaii.com/. 

A bride should do her homework and research.  The most important thing is to find a reputable wedding planner who can handle all the intricate details of the wedding.  The planner has knowledge of who the best vendors and where the best locations are.  Once you hire the planner, the rest of the planning will be seamless.

2.    What is the % of your clients who are traveling from US?  Many from Asia or Australia?

                Most of my clients are traveling from the mainland U.S and some from Canada, but none from Asia or Australia just yet.  However, a lot of my clients are of Chinese descent, and I have to communicate with their families in Chinese.  My language skills definitely come in handy!

3.    What are some great ways a bride can keep her guests informed of the events when maybe they’ve never been to Hawaii?

Almost all of my brides have a wedding website, which includes all the details and information of the wedding week.  They usually have tons of activities planned throughout the week from a welcome dinner to a rehearsal dinner to a spa day with the girls/golf day with the boys, snorkeling trip, a luau, post-wedding brunch…etc.  Their website also includes travel information such as airlines and hotels/condos recommendations.

In addition to a wedding website, brides sometimes put together info packets and mail to the guests in advance, or they add inserts to their wedding invitations as well.

4.    Challenges you as a planner deal with and overcame when working with a destination bride?

When the wedding couple is from out of town, they are not familiar with the locations and the vendors, unless they fly out to their destination prior to the wedding to scout out the ceremony/reception site and meet with vendors.  They totally have to rely on the wedding planner to help then with all those details.

About 90% of the wedding couples that I work with do fly out to Hawaii to do their scouting trip about 9 to 12 months prior to their wedding.  I highly recommend that because it gives me an opportunity to meet with them in person, get to know them better and spend some time with them while checking out all the locations and meeting with vendors and having food tasting… etc.

5.    Budget wise what are the advantages and disadvantages to choosing Hawaii?

Maui has been voted as one of the best island in the world by the Conde Nast Traveler magazine a few years in a row now.  Every year we have thousands of couples coming to the islands to tie the knot.  We have so much to offer here – the weather, beautiful resorts and beaches, amazing scenery, great activities and wonderful people of course!  The best thing is you don’t need to get a passport or exchange your currencies when you come here, and you can start your honeymoon right away.  A lot of couples choose to have their wedding on the islands because that will give all the guests a chance to plan their vacation as well.  Who doesn’t want to come to Hawaii, right?

The disadvantages is that not a lot of guests will be able to travel to Hawaii, so the guest list is usually smaller than if the wedding is going to be at home (it could be an advantage too)!  Also, we have limited resources here on the islands, and a lot of times we have to fly in certain décor elements or certain types of flowers because they are not locally grown here.  That might add to the cost of the wedding.

6.    Most memorable event you planned and why?

My most memorable event was the one I did on September 15^th 2007 for Anna and Elan.  It was my very first wedding since I branched out on my own, and it was also the very first time I did a wedding at the beautiful Haiku Mill.  The greatest thing that came out of that wedding is that Anna and Elan moved to Maui just 6 weeks before their big day, and my hubby and I have become really good friends with them.  I will never forget being a part of their special day.

 Thank you Evonne for taking the time to answer our questions.  We love highlighting such amazing planners like you and I can’t wait to see more from you & your team in Hawaii.  If you’d like to visit her site and blog, or even contact her, here’s the information:

Evonne Wong, Events by Evonne & her blog