Wedding
Groomstars.com Review - Formal Gifts For Men
Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Men's Style, Luxury Shopping
Featured products including a range of decent quality pens, holders, valets, watch cases, clothing accessories, hobbyist goods, nice tools, and other things men usually like, but wouldn't normally buy for themselves. I actually appreciate the selection a lot. It is as though someone waded through most of the obvious (and many non obvious) gifts a man would like and presented them in an easy to navigate place.
A lot of people will likely enjoy the site when shopping for groomsmen, a best man, the father of the bride - or anyone else who may be a friend, boss, or relative. Prices aren't cheap, but part of what you are paying for is the curated content. One such item that is nice is the Groomstars Striped Wedge Wood Watch box. It contains space for a few watches and related accessories, while the inside is cloth lined to prevent scratching. It comes in a nicely veneered closing box case with a personalized plate near the push-button opener. The inside is lined with soft cloth and quality is better than you might expect (or perhaps I simply have jaded expectations). Their watch boxes also come in a few different finishes and retails for $265 - all of course available for purchase online.
Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
Prince William and Kate's Royal Wedding Invitation Revealed
1,900 people just received their invitations (above) to the Royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton at London's Westminster Abbey on April 29. The heavy card bearing the engraved gold insignia of the Queen of England was delivered to various VIPs from kings to charity leaders, close family and university friends, old schoolmates and prime ministers around the world, People reports. The edges of the card, which is about 10 in. by 6 in., are beveled and then gilded. The simple wording reads that the Lord Chamberlain has been "commanded by the Queen" to invite the holder to the ceremony. Guests are asked to wear military uniform, a morning coat or a "lounge" (business) suit. 600 of the 1,900 invitees have also been invited by the Queen to a reception immediately following the ceremony, and 300 of those are also invited to a dinner hosted by William's father, Prince Charles, later that evening at Buckingham Palace.
Neil Lane Bridal Launches At Kay Jewelers
Filed under: Jewelry
Can red carpet jeweler Neil Lane draw more bridal shoppers to Kay Jewelers? The jewelry store chain has announced the launch of Neil Lane Bridal, a collection of 36 vintage-inspired engagement and wedding rings. The rings are designed by Neil Lane and hand crafted, assembled, and finished by skilled artisans, with diamonds that were selected by Kay. Prices start at $650 for a simple wedding band to $7,799 for a 14K white gold, two-carat total diamond ring and the rings are available online.
Neil Lane already has a wide following from those who have watched stars flaunt his creations at events like the Oscars. He also had designed many celebrity engagement and wedding rings and ends up on the Bachelor each season when it's engagement ring picking time.
The ring shown above is 1 1/5 carats total diamond weight set in 14K gold with milgrain finishes. It sells for $4,999.
[via National Jeweler]
Nina Critia Sandals
Filed under: Shoes
Wouldn't these Nina sandals be perfect for a sunny summer wedding? Whether you're the bride wearing a free flowing long chiffon dress, a bridesmaid or a wedding guest, the Critia Sandals ($80) would be ideal. They exude a softness and charm by using a single oversized flower as its focal point and only adornment. The heel is only 3 1/2 inches so they'll offer you a little bit of height and comfort throughout the day. Even if you aren't getting married or attending a wedding anytime soon, the Critia Sandals are also available in a wide range of eye popping candy colors, like fuschia luster, ruby and grape, so you can wear to any special event.
J. Crew Wedding Boutique Hits NYC
Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style
After much anticipation and excitement, J. Crew has opened up their very own wedding boutique on Madison Ave in NYC. For some time now, J. Crew has offered more affordable bridal and bridesmaid dresses, so it was only a matter of time before they opened up their own boutique.
In addition to offering classically beautiful and well tailored dresses and suits, the J. Crew Wedding Boutique will also offer personalized service through your own wedding specialist who will coordinate all things fashion (dresses, shoes, accessories) for the entire wedding party and your honeymoon.
In keeping with the J. Crew style of streamline silhouettes and a tailored fit all housed in fashionable but classic style, their dresses and suits live up to expectation. Dresses are made from a selection of gorgeous and delicate looking fabrics like silk taffeta, tulle, and silk organza to name a few. Fashioned in a number of styles (strapless, one shoulder, halter, spaghetti straps and more) the wedding dresses range from $295 to $3500 while suits and tuxedos range from $98 (for pants) and $198 (for a suit jacket) to $195 (for pants) and $475 (for a tuxedo jacket).Our sister site, Aisle Dash has a great selection of photos of the boutique's interior and dresses. Also, check out J. Crew's quick time video of their renovations and store set up.
If you not able to travel to their Madison Ave location, there are 7 J. Crew stores that have a wedding shop and specialist available or you can shop online.
Dom Pérignon Wedding
Make your wedding toast truly special by not only toasting with Dom Pérignon but by toasting with Dom Pérignon out of a personalized bottle that features both of your names on the label. Dom Pérignon recently unveiled Dom Pérignon Wedding, a collection coming out just in time for this season's rush of spring and summer nuptuals that includes 12 bottles of Dom Pérignon Vintage 2000 plus one additional bottle packaged in a pretty white lacquered box with a special label personalized with the date and the names of the bride and groom.
The collection was inspired by the bottles opened at the wedding of Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles back in 1981 that each had a personalized label and made such a beautiful and classic way to memorialize the occasion.
Get Married By Rev Run On Valentine's Day
Filed under: Events
Most people have an idea of what their dream wedding might look like but I bet no one had this vision. The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City is inviting couples to share their over-the-top love stories for a chance at winning the "Ultimate Rock N' Roll Wedding!" The Valentine's Day weekend wedding includes bachelor/ bachelorette parties hosted at Borgata's nightlife venues MIXX and mur. mur. on February 13 with performances by celebrity DJ's Samantha Ronson, DJ Mos, DJ KISS, and DJ Ruckus. After a day of pampering the wedding party will go to the Kid Rock concert hosted at Borgata's Event Center followed by access to the official after-party. The wedding ceremony will be held at Borgata's Gypsy Bar and officiated by founder of Run-D.M.C., Rev Run. The package also comes with a custom wedding cake by Borgata's Executive Pastry Chef Thaddeus DuBois, and accommodations for the couple in Borgata's romantic honeymoon suite. Couples must enter their submissions online at www.borgatanightlife.com.
Martha Stewart and Sandals Resorts International Team to Offer Destination Weddings
Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels
Looking for a tropical destination for the wedding of a lifetime? Look no further than one of the 18 different Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts located throughout the Carribbean. Sandals Resorts International, which hosts as many as 13,000 weddings each year, is collaborating with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia to offer six different wedding themes. On January 1, Sandal's began offering Sandals Weddings by Martha Stewart, featuring coordinated color palettes, beautifully designed wedding décor, complimentary bouquets, invitations, cakes and favors, along with à la carte items, creating a memorable experience to suit a couple's unique preferences. "We have a fundamental mind set that the wedding day has to be perfect and flawless," says Adam Stewart, chief executive of Sandals Resorts International. "We are constantly trying to find new and innovative ways to deliver that experience for the bride and groom. That road led us to Martha Stewart, who is a visionary. " Watch this video to hear more from Adam Stewart and see a Sandals Wedding by Martha Stewart firsthand. 
Golf Your Way To A Free Wedding
Are you a golfer who just happens to be getting married? A new contest lets you put your skills to the test. The JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa in San Antonio, Texas has partnered with The Knot to create a wedding giveaway. The Perfect Match $150,000 Wedding Contest offers brides and grooms a chance to win an all-inclusive destination wedding and honeymoon that includes 200 of their closest friends and family.
From now until January 31, 2010, couples can enter at TheKnot.com/perfectmatch. Submit a brief description as to why you deserve to win a dream wedding at JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa, along with photos, and take a quick golf quiz. Six couples will be selected as finalists and flown to the resort to test their skills in The Perfect Match Golf Tournament from March 3-5, 2010, at the new PGA TOUR Tournament Players Golf Club (TPC) San Antonio and the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa. Each couple will play as a team in a nine-hole scramble tournament. The couple who wins the tournament returns to the resort for the $150,000 wedding to take place the weekend of May 21-23, 2010. The Knot team of style and design experts will create a one-of-a-kind wedding experience and provide planning. The winning couple will also receive a luxury honeymoon at the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa on O'ahu in Hawai'i.
Fran Drescher Serves As MC For Australia's Most Lavish Wedding
Not too many weddings have a red carpet and a guest host. The Australian wedding of Brynne Gordon and Geoffrey Edelsten displayed luxury on a grand scale. It is rumored to be Australia's most extravagant wedding and included the services of Fran Drescher and Jason Alexander serving as masters of ceremony. The young blonde bride wore over $500,000 in diamonds and an ivory gown that took five people to carry. The members of the wedding party arrived in Rolls Royces, at least one bearing "Brynne" numberplates. The Herald-Sun reports that guests were served a seven-course dinner. Drescher had met the couple only a week before the ceremony and praised them for asking for donations to charity in lieu of wedding gifts.
Ivanka Trump's Wedding Jewels
Filed under: Jewelry, Celebrity Design
Ivanka Trump learned the art of personal branding well from her famous father. When Ivanka married New York Observer owner Jared Kushner over the weekend she made sure to deck herself out in jewels from her own diamond company. To accessorize her Vera Wang gown she wore a total of $265,000 in diamonds and platinum including a custom-designed, platinum and mixed-cut diamond hair piece ($45,000) mixed-cut diamond cluster 9.67 carat earrings ($130,000) and an art deco platinum and a 26-carat fancy-link diamond estate bracelet ($90,000). Her bridesmaids also wore designs from the Ivanka Trump Fine Jewelry collection.House's Wedding Rental Causes Controversy
Filed under: Crimes and Misdemeanors
If you have an estate and you need to make the rent one enterprising idea might be to rent it out for weddings. Just make sure the neighbors won't mind. The Daily Breeze has the story of a Palos Verdes Estates home which was rented out for weddings. Unfortunately neighbors in the elite Southern California community took issue with the streams of caterers and wedding guests pouring onto the estate each weekend. They complained about the noise repeatedly and city officials were brought in on the case. Now the home's owner could face up to two years in jail and a $4,000 fine in order to deter her from doing it again. The owner, Melahat Uzumcu was arraigned today on charges of violating the zoning code, creating a public nuisance and conducting a business without a license. The home is still listed online through HomeAway.com for 10,000-$12,000 per week or $2,000 per night and listing pictures show a charming large home with an ocean view.
Luxurious Weddings up in Baghdad
Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Events
There are many ways to measure progress in Iraq. Most of them tend to involve unpleasant and horrifying metrics, with the goal to keep them as low as possible. But, every now and then, it's possible to find something to celebrate. These days, it's an increase in upscale Iraqi weddings. More than mere nuptials, the country has seen a spike in elaborate and well attended ceremonies.
During the week following Ramadan, a holiday called Eid al-Fitr, approximately 630 couples tied the knot in Baghdad's six most luxurious hotels, according to the Tourism and Antiques Ministry. This rivals the number of weddings at these hotels conducted in both July and August.
In past years, the high volume of weddings, particularly during Eid, wouldn't have been possible, as potential celebrants would have feared insurgent attacks, suicide bombers and other threats to safety. Though precise data isn't available, September is estimated to be the busiest wedding month since the war began in 2003.
Diamond Jewelry Rentals For Thrifty Brides
Filed under: Jewelry
Brides who want to be thrifty but still want to be fabulous can rent some pretty amazing jewelry courtesy of Adorn Brides. The service, which recently opened up a boutique on the popular wedding website The Knot, offers earrings, necklaces, bracelets that can be rented for a fraction of their worth. To rent pieces you select the jewelry you want, check the availability and use a credit card to order. The company calls a few days before the event to confirm the details and it arrives two days before the big day (a value of approximately 5 percent of the total value will be reserved on your credit card as a security deposit). The jewelry is insured but if you do not return it you are charged a 33 percent deductible. After the event the jewelry is returned via UPS.
The most expensive piece on Adorn Brides is the Crestwood necklace, shown above, which features over six carats of fancy yellow princess cut diamonds interspersed with white diamond accents. The necklace is listed with a retail price of $73,500 and rents for $1,900. It is also available with matching earrings and a bracelet for $2,350.
[via JCK Online]
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