WEDDINGISTAS | A Wedding Blog from Two Connecticut Wedding Planners

Under the Dress: Agent Provocateur

I thought I'd kick off the weekend right with some great lingerie pieces from Agent Provocateur...

 
  

Images: Love Suspender, Love Basque, Matinee Kimono: Agent Provocateur

Steamy stuff, right? The selected images are from their bridal collection, but they have many, many more. And if you visit their website, you'll notice that there are way more provocative items to choose from... if that's your thing. Regardless, any bride is bound to look sexy, so do yourself a favor and check 'em out. 

Happy online shopping!

 

Sunday Sweepstakes: Turtle Island Honeymoon

I’m really excited to share this exotic sweepstakes with all of you this Sunday. The winner will receive a honeymoon package for two, which includes: 

• Two round-trip airline tickets on Air Pacific departing from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Nadi, Fiji
• Two seaplane transfers from Nadi to Turtle Island and two seaplane transfers from Turtle Island to Nadi
• 8 day/7 night all-inclusive hotel accommodations on Turtle Island in one of Turtle Island’s best available Grand Bures

All-inclusive services include: ALL meals, ALL alcohol, ALL activities. How great is that? And just in case you’ve never experience an all-inclusive vacation, your free activities include: snorkeling, one scuba-dive/day, fishing, sea kayaking, sailboats, sunset cruises, windsurfing, swimming, horseback riding, bike riding, hiking, picnics, Island and garden tours. As if all that stuff wasn’t good enough, you’ll also receive a 30 minute Lomi-Lomi massage per guest.

 

  Images: Turtle Island

Approximate Retail Value: $20,000

Promotional period ends: June 30, 2010

Random drawing: week of July 5, 2010

Please don’t forget to read the official rules prior to entering.  Plan accordingly, because your travel must be completed by December 31, 2012; which is actually pretty great. Normally, a lot of these sweepstakes don’t give you two years to cash in your prize. 

 

Sunday Sweepstakes: Romantic Bermuda Retreat

This has EXPIRED!

If you haven’t been to Bermuda, you should probably look into going.  But, if you enter this sweepstakes you could stay there for free! Indulge your every desire at Cambridge Beaches Resort & Spa, an award-winning resort located on a private peninsula in Bermuda. 

  

Images: Cambridge Beaches Resort & Spa

The winner will spend 4 days/3 relaxing nights in a luxury cottage, which also includes full breakfast daily at Cambridge Beaches Resort and Spa.

Please note: This package does not included airfare, ground transportation, or any additional meals. When you click on the link, they want you to sign up to receive free pamphlets, but you can just skip over them and opt out by clicking “I do not want to order booklets, but enter me in the sweepstakes!” Read the official rules for more information.

Approximate retail value: $2,500

Ends: February 8, 2010

Random Drawing: February 15, 2010

 

Sunday Sweepstakes: Great Travel Escape REMINDER

Sorry everyone, this contest has expired.

 

In case you haven't entered Town & Country's Great Travel Escape 2009 sweepstakes, here is your chance. - you have until Friday, January 15th.  Click here to be redirected to the original post. Trust me, it's worth it... well worth it.

   

Sunday Sweepstakes: Riviera Maya Destination Wedding

People aren’t afraid to visit Mexico anymore, right?  Because I think we ALL owe it to ourselves to visit the gorgeous Riviera Maya. Get Married is bringing you this lovely all-inclusive honeymoon package for one couple.

The package includes: 

• Two $600 certificates provided by Delta Vacations good for roundtrip coach class airfare for two from a major U.S. International Airport to Cancun, Mexico
• Hotel accommodations for two for a 6-night, 7-day stay at the all-inclusive Barceló Maya Palace Deluxe Resort

  

Images: Barcelo Hotels & Resorts

Approximate retail value: $4,200.00

Promotional period ends: March 31, 2010

Barceló’s newest resort on the Yucatan Peninsula is a luxurious 5-in-1 “mega” resort complex in Riviera Maya, Mexico.  It’s colonial-style architecture surrounded by lush tropical landscapes and white sands bathed by the crystalline waters of the Caribbean Sea make this spot a must visit destination.

A few items to note in the official rules: In order to enter, you need to be registered with Get Married. And the random drawing will take place on or about the week of April 5, 2010. If you’re lucky enough to win, the hotel & flight must be booked by August 31, 2010, and your trip must be completed by September 30, 2010.

 

Sunday Sweepstakes: On Fire!

This has expired. Please check back every Sunday to enter a new contest!

Images: Intercontinental Bora Bora Resort and Thalasso Spa 

Hearts on Fire and Brides put together this amazing wedding band/Bora Bora combo-pack sweepstake for one lucky couple that’s willing to divulge all about their love story. I don't care who you are, you need this aerial view and luxurious bathroom in your life! The entries will be judged based on creativity (25%), uniqueness (25%), and romance factor (50%). In order to win something like this spectacular, you really can’t hold back - give 'em all the juicy details!

The Grand Prize package contains:

• Two roundtrip tickets from the major commercial airport nearest the winner’s primary residence in the US to Los Angeles, CA
• Two roundtrip tickets on Air Tahiti Nui between Los Angeles and Papeete  
• Two roundtrip inter-island airfare and transfers    
• One Panoramic View Room hotel room for three nights at The Intercontinental Tahiti Resort   
• One Diamond Overwater Villa for three nights at the Intercontinental Bora Bora Resort and Thalasso Spa in Bora Bora  
• One two-carat Hearts On Fire diamond eternity wedding band     

Approximate retail value of the grand prize: $19,000

Promotional period ends: December 31, 2009

The trip must be booked by September 1, 2010 and completed by December 31, 2010. And like most contest trips, it may be subject to other restrictions, such as blackout dates (June - October). Ground transportation, meals, in-room or other personal charges at lodging, telephone calls, gratuities, incidentals, and all other expenses are not included. For full disclosure, read the Official Rules. But again, it’s the usual warning label for contests.

 

P.s. I have to say, I like when there is more than just one payout or winner.  I guess I’m not alone in this, which is why the contest will also reward two runners-up.  They will each receive one Hearts On Fire wedding band.  Unfortunately, the design will be at the sole discretion of Hearts On Fire.  But that might not bother you when you hear that the approximate retail value of it is $2,500!

Image: Hearts on Fire

Sunday Sweepstakes: Mediterranean Cruise

How about spending 10 days exploring Venice, Italy; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Katakolon, Greece; Corfu, Greece; Kotor, Montenegro; Split, Croatia; and Ravenna Italy?  It sounds good to me.  But then there’s always the option to visit Civitavecchia, Rome; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Corfu, Greece; Katakolon, Greece; Santorini, Greece; Kusadasi, Turkey; Piraeus, Greece; and Messina, Sicily.  Frankly, I don’t care.  Give me 10 days in the gorgeous Mediterranean on a luxurious cruise ship and I’ll be there with bells on.

Enter today for Holland America Line’s sweepstake!  The grand prize is a 10-day Holland America Line Mediterranean Cruise for a winner and one guest. The winner may select any 10-day cruise departing in 2010. The prize consists of stateroom accommodations for two guests (same stateroom) and most shipboard meals*.

Approximate retail value: $3,199.00

Promotional period ends: March 31, 2010

Fun facts: *Certain dining options require payment of a fee. The random drawing will be on or about April 9, 2010.  The winner and guest must travel on the same itinerary and will be assigned their stateroom – changes or upgrade are not allowed.

Honeymoon Registry

Usually, a registry is used for those household items now that the two of you will be building a home together. But, lets be real here for a second. A good majority of couples live together for a while before getting married. It is almost the norm nowadays. So what do you do for a registry if you already have everything? Why not build a registry for your honeymoon? Your family and friends can chip in to purchase you a room upgrade, dinner at a local restaurant, spa services and more.

It is really simple how it works. Once you sign up for whichever service you choose, you simply build a registry based on different categories such as entertainment, lodging, etc. Your family members can visit your registry like any other online registry, pick which item they would like to treat you to, and purchase. Simple!

Now, let me be clear with how it works after it is paid for. You will not have a gift certificate to the restaurant you chose, or reservations made at that specific surf school. The items are removed from your registry and the money used to pay for those items will be deposited into your bank account, which you link to the registry. So, basically, you get a lump sum of money. The site will take a cut of the money for profit, so you won't get the full amount. Now, you can be sneaky and use that money however you see fit, but you should keep in mind how much was spent and for what item, and do the best you can to do that. It might be nice to send them a thank you note with a photo of you in your upgraded room, or at your seaside massage!

There are a few sites that do this. One great site is Honeymoon Wishes.

Image: Honeymoon Wishes

I like this site because it is very easy to navigate. Right on the homepage you can view a sample registry so you can see how it all works. They also offer you a wedding website when you sign up. While it might not have all of the bells and whistles you may want, it is still pretty nice and comes free when you sign up! They also have a few affiliated sites such as Anniversary Wishes where you can build your own registry for an anniversary trip! They've thought of everything, haven't they?

Another popular choice is The Big Day.

 
Image: The Big Day

I like this site because it is simple and easy to use. What's cool is that they have a lot of connections with major hotels, like Starwood, so you can choose the exact hotel you are staying at and get dinners at the restaurants at that hotel. It makes it much more specific, which is great! They also offer a discount if you book travel through them as well! They also have a lot of cool features, such as a Thank You tracker, which helps you keep track of gifts when it is time to write those thank you notes!

Now, while this sounds perfect for you and your fiance, you have to keep in mind that some family and/or friends may not like the idea of just "giving" you money. A lot of old fashion folks like to be able to pick out a gift for you. That is why you should build a registry that is a little more traditional as well, even if you say you have everything. You can make a small registry at somewhere like Bed, Bath and Beyond. I'm sure your towels or sheets could use an upgrade? How about a new coffee maker? You can also make a registry at a larger store like Target, where you can get more than just household items. You can get tents for camping, electronics, or perhaps a tailgating grill.

Now, enjoy picking out what items you want to do on your honeymoon!

Sunday Sweepstakes: FIJI

THIS SWEEPSTAKE HAS EXPIRED! So sorry. Good news is that we have plenty of other great trips to sign up for! So check back on Sundays.

Get Married is offering a phenomenal (and expensive) honeymoon to Fiji!  Turtle Island is an exclusive island in Fiji that accommodates only 14 couples in luxury, tranquility and privacy.  I love how exotic it is! Check out this fun fact – it was the location of the film “Blue Lagoon.”  So go ahead, enter here and recreate those nude swimming scenes – there’s hardly anyone there that will see you. 

Honeymoon package includes:

• Two roundtrip tickets on Air Pacific departing from LA International Airport, CA (LAX) to Nadi, Fiji
  
• Two seaplane transfers from Nadi to Turtle Island and two seaplane transfers from Turtle Island to Nadi 
• 7-nights hotel accommodations for two at Turtle Island (lodging in a Grand Bure – luxurious two-room cottage)  

Approximate value: $20,000!

Promotional period ends: August 13, 2009

Images: Turtle Island

Special notes: In order to enter the sweepstakes, you need to register with Get Married. The winner will be notified around August 24, 2009 and must make all travel reservations through Turtle Island Holidays.  Normally, sweepstake winners have a year or less to cash in their trips.  But with this awesome Fiji trip, they give you until December 31, 2012 to complete your travel.  How thoughtful of them.

Sunday Sweepstakes: Honeymoon Sweepstakes Extravaganza

THIS SWEEPSTAKE HAS EXPIRED. But don't worry, we have plenty of more stuff to sign up for every Sunday!

BRIDES is hosting what I like to call, a honeymoon sweepstakes extravaganza!  They have NINE amazing opportunities to win a free honeymoon, airfare and even some extra luxuries like a couple massages!  There are three categories the honeymoons fit into: Hawaii, Caribbean, and US.  And here’s a sampling of some of our favorites, but visit their website to view (and sign up for) all the others.

1. Sandals Negril Beach Resort & Spa – Negril, Jamaica

Image: Sandals 

Win round-trip airfare, a five-night stay in a swim-up river suite with personal butler service, all meals and beverages, and one couple's massage at Sandals Negril Beach Resort & Spa. A favorite in the Sandals collection, this resort on a powdery seven- mile-long beach is known for its laid-back vibe and roomy river suites opening directly onto a gently flowing pool 

Approximate retail value: $10,100

2. Hotel Park City - Park City, Utah

 Image: Hotel Park City

Win round-trip airfare, a 5-night stay in a suite at the Hotel Park City, and an 80-minute couple's spa treatment. This luxury lodge sits at the base of Utah's Wasatch Mountains, surrounded by fragrant pines and aspens, just minutes from world-class skiing and hiking. Take in the majestic views from the outdoor pool (it's heated year-round!), and then cozy up in front of your very own fireplace.

Approximate retail value: $5,150

3. The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort - Oahu, Hawaii

Image: The Royal Hawaiian

Win round-trip airfare and a five-night stay in an oceanfront room at the Royal Hawaiian hotel. Built in 1927 to resemble a Moorish palace on the Waikiki waterfront, this classic hotel is fresh from a top-to-bottom renovation that added iPod docking stations, flat-screen TVs, and luxury linens to rooms fit for a king and queen. 

Approximate retail value: $6,390

Promotional period for all the honeymoons end August 10, 2009.  Before signing up, we always recommend browsing through the official rules.  Goodluck!