Don’t be fooled into thinking that because its your second time you cannot have a church ceremony or wear a white dress. Depending on your religion (see below), you can indeed have all of that and even walk down the aisle with your father or mother again.  The only thing we would not recommend is wearing a veil as this is more a first-time bride tradition.

Here is a brief look at the rules surrounding remarriages from a religious perspective:

Protestant: Views about divorce vary but Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, Evangelical and Presbytarian churches, in general, allow divorce and remarriage. Contact your church at least 2 months before the ceremony to research the possibilities or ask your Wedding Planner for his/her experience.

Roman Catholic: You must get an annulment to remarry within the Catholic church. Because marriage is considered a sacrament, you must get it officially declared null and void.

Jewish: You can remarry after a civil divorce if you are Reform. If you are Conservative or Orthodox, you need to get a Jewish divorce decree from a rabbinical court.

Buddhist: Divorce and remarriage are allowed, provided the priest has no reservations about the couple’s commitment.

Islamic: Divorce and remarriage are permitted according to the Koran. You will need legal documents proving your divorce is final and there is a waiting period of about 3 months for this.

The other alternative, of course, is to be secretly married at your local registry office before organising a purely symbolic union with a non-denominational celebrant to which all of your guests will be invited. Your Wedding Planner will be able to point you in the right direction regarding a spiritual or non-denominational celebrant. There is no reason for your guests to know that this is not the real deal and you will have much more liberty in terms of the venue and the content of your ceremony.

Don’t forget to include your children in the ceremony if you have any. Your new status gives them a new status too and they may require some reassurance from you about their continued importance in your life. Thats why its important to listen to them, involve them wherever you can and respect their wishes if they do not want to be involved as much as you had hoped.

In general terms, a second marriage is more intimate and relaxed than a first marriage and is one that really reflects the wishes of the bride and groom so enjoy yourselves!

These sky lanterns, also known as Thai lanterns, are available in several colors so to match your wedding color theme. The white lanterns do, however, in our opinion, stand out best against the night sky. In addition, made from a bamboo structure and covered in rice paper, they are fully biodegradable.

An ideal way to involve your guests in a fun activity before hitting the dancefloor or cutting your wedding cake. This way, at least, your guests are guaranteed to have stars in their eyes all evening…

Sky Lantern has a special wedding pack consisting of 30 or 40 white lanterns for 89 or 115 euros respectively plus postage and packing (approximately 10 euros within France). Delivered in 24 hours, this is an ideal way to celebrate your new union…just make a wish!!!

Photo : Sky Lantern

The marriage ceremony can be held anywhere (beach, public place, private property, castle, historical site…) as long as there is a surface of approximately 500 m² that can be secured. There is no limit to your imagination! Imagine a wedding over the Grand Canyon or in the Venice sky. Or a marriage in the middle of the Jaipur stars. All these dreams are now possible with this unique concept.

The decoration and colours can be customised by every couple according to their wishes. Couples can even choose to perform a bungee jump from the platform after getting married!

Marriage in the Sky is hosted on a platform, where 20 guests are strapped into aircraft seats and suspended at a height of 50 metres by a team of professionals. You can order a second crane with a platform (or more if required) at the same height as the marriage platform, for entertainment such as music or dinner. For more information or a price quote contact Events in the Sky directly.

Exclusivity and Safety are guaranteed with this original concept. Events in the Sky is now operated in more than 15 countries and received the official authorizations from the most stringent countries such as Germany, USA, Canada, Australia, South-Africa…

The sky is no limit for this heavenly experience!

What could be more emblematic of a wedding in France than having the ceremony and/or wedding reception on a yacht, with the Eiffel Tower as your backdrop?  Offer your guests breathtaking views of Notre Dame Cathedral, the Grand Palais, the Orsay Museum and the Louvre as you glide down the River Seine.

Imagine your intimate wedding ceremony being celebrated on the open air wooden deck with a white awning overhead. This yacht is ideal for small groups of up to 8 guests or why not just the bride and groom?

Enjoy a glass of champagne with canapés after the emotion of the ceremony or snuggle up in the captain’s cozy cabin during the cold winter months if you are only 2 or 4 people. Dinner can be served on the open air deck or below deck. Suitable for 8 people plus musicians. For groups of more than 8, we would recommend you disembarking after the cocktail reception and moving on to a restaurant, private mansion or reception hall for dinner and dancing.

For elopements (ceremonies involving just the bride and groom), you can extend the pleasure of your wedding day by settling back, enjoying a sumptuous dinner for two on board before retiring to the pretty sleeping cabin below deck where you can spend your first night of nuptial bliss together, floating off to sleep to the sound of the rippling water of the River Seine around you.
Under a luminescent sky, no interruptions, no traffic, just the two of you surrounded by the historical sites and splendor of an authentic Parisian evening.

What could be more enchanting than a private river boat cruise on the romantic River Seine as your destination wedding venue in France?

Indeed, we have hunted down the ideal restaurant in the heart of Paris where an intimate wedding proposal can be orchestrated to perfection. A place where you can whisper sweet nothings to each other, kiss and cuddle without getting indecent looks from your neighbour. A private room with dim lighting and a bell to attract the attention of your personal server.

Imagine enjoying a delicious meal in your very own private salon, decorated like a boudoir in black, gold and red and dimly lit to create a cozy and romantic atmosphere.

After dessert, reach over and take the pretty, decorated box (left on the side table by us before your arrival) and present it to your sweetheart. Upon opening the box, she will discover the latest Lanvin perfume called « Marry Me ! ».

Once she has recovered from the emotion, ring the little bell and wait for the waiter to appear with a bottle of champagne to seal this exceptionally romantic moment.

A simple but sweet marriage proposal she will never forget!

So what can he/she do for you? In the case of a destination wedding, the role of a professional wedding organizer becomes much more vital. Your planner effectively becomes your eyes, ears, mouth and nose as he/she is responsible for pre-selecting the best venue, musicians and food, etc. according to your desires, taste and budget. As you do not live in the country, may not speak the language and do not necessarily know the customs and traditions celebrated in your destination country, your wedding planner will be able to advise you on all of the above.

Before you say yes to a particular consultant, ask for references from other couples and make sure you’ve got a great rapport and feel confident that he/she will not try to force any vision other than your own on you. You are hiring this person to help you transform your dream into reality, make sure it is your dream and not his/hers.

Here is a list of the main things a professional Wedding Planner can do for you:

• Draft a realistic wedding budget based on your wish list.
  
• Propose the best and most original wedding locations in the regions/countries that interest you based on the size of your wedding, budget and vision.
  
• Source the most professional and reliable wedding vendors to fit your vision and budget: florists, caterers, photographers, videographers, wedding bands/DJs, transport companies, magicians, babysitters, etc.
  
• Check all of your vendor contracts and translate them into your own language to reassure you that you are not signing away your lives.
  
• Advise you on the best type of wedding insurance to take out.
  
• Counsel you on proper etiquette in your chosen destination country.
  
• Inform you of the hottest wedding trends and must-haves.
  
• Share the customs and wedding traditions celebrated in your destination country.
  
• Propose the best accommodation for you and your guests (if not available for everyone at your chosen venue) and arrange for local transportation to and from the venue/church.
  
• Suggest things to do of interest in the region for you and your guests.
  
• Create a timeline (wedding program) that tells everyone involved in the planning process when to do what. This becomes your bible once you step onto that airplane en route for your destination wedding!
  
• Coordinate with all your wedding vendors to make sure everything is delivered and set up on-time, saving you an enormous amount of time and energy, not to mention misunderstandings if you don’t speak the local language!
  
• Serve as your spokesperson, conveying your every desire and whim to your wedding vendors.
  
• Propose the best place to hold your rehearsal dinner and/or host your day after pool party/brunch, book all vendors and coordinate these events.
  
• Stage manager the entire wedding weekend, supervising vendors, handling emergencies and soothing nerves.
  
• Help to plan and book your honeymoon.
  

We can’t emphasize enough the importance of choosing the right professional Wedding Planner for you based in your chosen destination country. Nobody will know the local market better than them.

Good luck!

Whether you got married on a beach somewhere hot, in your hometown or in a medieval castle in the heart of the European countryside, here is an ideal way to celebrate your wedding anniversary.

Imagine spending a weekend in Paris, the most romantic city in the world. During the weekend, surprise your sweetheart with a 2-hour boat cruise on your very own private luxury motor yacht on the River Seine. Enjoy a glass of champagne as you sit under the elegant white awning on the open air wooden deck or for winter anniversaries, snuggled up in the captain’s cabin.

Discover the delights the City of Light has to offer: the Grand Palais, the Louvre, the Invalides, the Orsay Museum, the Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame Cathedral. When you feel the moment is right, gesture to the skipper to slow the boat and cut the engine. With the romantic backdrop of the Eiffel Tower or Notre-Dame Cathedral, you can again declare your love to your beloved before being served another glass of champagne to seal this exceptional moment. We can even arrange for a special dove release with 40 doves as a symbol of your love for each other!

Should you wish to extend the pleasure, settle back and enjoy a sumptuous dinner for two before retiring to the pretty sleeping cabin below deck and float off to sleep to the sound of the rippling water of the River Seine around you.

Sold in boxes of 4, 5 or 8 at the recommended price of euros 9,90, 11,50 and 16,50 at the Carrousel du Louvre and Galeries Lafayette. An added bonus is that they can be conserved for up to 2 months!

Bon appétit!

Photo credits: Sortir a Paris, Meltyfashion

Situated on a hilltop, surrounded by the Italian Alps, in the heart of South Tyrol, in northern Italy, this magnificent venue, built in the 13^th century, will wow you by its authenticity and by its breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains. The regional capital of Bozen and the renowned spa town of Merano are only 10 miles away.

This venue has everything you need to create a cozy, winter haven of love for your destination wedding. Starting at the entrance, your guests will be welcomed by an alleyway of flame torches, lighting the way over the stone bridge to the castle entrance. Once inside, the wide halls and salons are warmed by majestic wood-burning stoves. Period chandeliers and drapes, original curtains and carpets, antique furniture and paintings, all embellish the ambiance and maintain that unequalled touch of elegance, transporting your guests from the present to the past. Exclusively lit by candlelight, wedding banquets take on a delicate intimacy and romance.

The majestic park and surrounding vineyard are ideal settings for amazing wedding pictures, thus blending the rural touch of the countryside with the peculiar and age-old elegance of the castle.

Wedding parties of up to 200 can be catered in the castle. It is not really suitable for weddings with less than 50 guests. You will be spoilt for choice among the 14 reception rooms, some of which boast wood paneling and are exquisitely equipped with period furniture and weapons on the walls. The impressive vaulted dungeons can provide a dramatic backdrop for a wedding ceremony or full wedding banquet. The original period wine cellar stores the castle vineyard’s prized treasures: 600 to 700 bottles of limited number, certified white wine.

Church weddings can be celebrated in the beautiful church located within walking distance of the castle, on the other side of the bridge. No overnight accommodation is available at the castle. Accommodation for you and your guests can be found within the town at walking distance or if some of your guests would rather stay in a larger town, Bozen or Merano are only 10 miles away.

Click here to view more photos of this ideal, Italian, winter wonderland destination wedding venue or contact us for more information.

We have hunted down one of the only vendors in France capable of creating a lip dub video of your wedding day! But first things first, what is a lip dub? A lip dub is a type of video that combines lip synching and audio dubbing to make a music video. It is made by filming individuals or a group of people lip synching while listening to a song or any recorded audio then dubbing over it in post editing with the original audio of the song.

The result, if well done, can be fantastic! Check out Brian & Eileen’s lip dub wedding video which is just one of many you can find on the web.

There are not many agencies specialised in this type of wedding video in France. The best one we have tracked down so far is Intuimotion, which have just launched a special wedding package from 3000 euros that includes filming on the day of your wedding and the post editing. Based in France, they will take small groups of your guests aside, without disturbing the rhythm of your wedding day. Your guests are coached by an actor and filmed in a few takes. The result is a truly unique, fun and entertaining wedding video that will never grow old or boring!

We love the idea and hope you will too ! Enjoy!

Photos: Sweet l’Ô

Six Months Before

Now is the time to experiment if you want to grow out your hair or try a new color or cut.

Look after your skin: start a good cleansing, moisturizing and stress-relief regimen.

Exercise! If you don’t already, get moving! It’s the best way to ensure you fit into your wedding dress, feel good on your wedding day and wear a healthy glow. Special attention should be given to your upper arms and bust!

Eat balanced and regular meals. Fill up on fruits and veggies, cut out the salt and fat.

Photo: The Perfect Shape

Four Months Before

Meet with your hairstylist and makeup artist for a trial run. Don’t forget to take your veil and/or any hair accessories you will be wearing on the day

Have an engagement photo session. This is the ideal way to test out your wedding make-up, get comfortable in front of the camera and get familiar with your photographer

Or, get a makeover in your home town and purchase any products you need now to give you time to practice and ensure you don’t have any allergic reactions to their ingredients.

One to Two Months Before

Have your eyebrows professionally shaped

Moisturize! Soft and silky elbows, hands and feet are a marriage must!

Try a whitening toothpaste or have a professional whitening session in a salon to guarantee a sparkling smile on the big day (also for the groom!)

Photo: Teeth Whitening Clinic

Two weeks before

Drink lots of water and keep exercising!

Wear in your wedding shoes to avoid blisters on your wedding day

Get your final haircut or trim

Touch up your hair color or perm

One week before

Avoid overindulging on salty snacks

Cut down your alcohol intake (despite those fab pre-wedding parties)

Avoid overexposure to the sun if you live in a hot climate (there’s nothing worse than bikini top marks showing above your wedding dress)

Have a bikini wax and a final eyebrow shaping

Remind your man to get his final trim

Get a facial

Photo: Real Simple

One day and counting

Drink lots of water

Enjoy a long, relaxing bath with your favorite bath salts

Wash your hair but don’t condition it or use any masks to avoid slippery hair on the big day. If you can, get your hairstylist to wash and prepare your hair the night before

Avoid wearing too much makeup, stay natural and let your skin breathe

Have a professional manicure and pedicure

The Big Day has arrived

Wear a button down shirt to avoid messing up your hair and makeup when the time comes to don your wedding dress

Apply a moisturizer to your face then let the makeup artist do the rest

Apply a fragrant moisturizer all over your body before dressing

Relax and savor every minute of being pampered

Indulge in a glass of champagne with your bridesmaids before the big moment arrives

Breathe in (2,3,4) breathe out (2,3,4,5,6,7,8)

Photo: Dr’s Secret

Smile your radiant smile and do your thing!

We have been asked this question many times by our couples. Perhaps you are asking yourself the same question? So…it is really worth it?

As far as we are concerned, the answer is a resounding YES! and especially so for a destination wedding. Let’s put things into perspective: you are organising your wedding in a foreign country, you do not know the local laws, you can’t be certain of the financial stability of your selected venue nor the reliability of your vendors and perhaps you don’t even speak the language! Do we need to say more?

For those of you who have chosen to work with a wedding planner, you may be thinking, but it is his/her job to ensure that my vendors are reliable, so I don’t need wedding insurance. Be careful! Your planner cannot know for sure the solvency of every venue, nor can he/she guarantee that your guests will not damage something in the beautiful, medieval castle you have chosen as your venue. The sad fact also remains that not all wedding planners are as experienced or reliable as you may think!

Don’t forget that wedding insurance will also cover things like your dress. Imagine your dress is damaged en route to your wedding destination or even worse, it is lost!

On the whole, wedding insurance is not expensive so will not put a big dent in your wedding budget. It will be one extra way to give you peace of mind which, speaking from experience, is one of the most important elements of planning a wedding abroad.

Leave us a message if you’d like to receive some addresses of reliable wedding insurance companies in Europe. We’ll be happy to put you on the right track.

If you fear that your H2B and his groomsmen will also be clueless on your big day and that your mother-in-law or wedding planner will not be around at just the right moment, then here are a few videos that give you step by step instructions on how to tie the perfect cravate or bow tie.

How to tie a cravate for a wedding suit

How to tie a cravate

How to tie a bow tie

How to tie a bow tie

Forward these to your H2B, wish him good luck and don’t forget that practice makes perfect!

Preserve your top tier cake
Preserve your gown
Preserve your bouquet

You can also download checklists such as:

Change your name
Moving
Buying your first home
Merging money
Create a will

Other fun and creative post-wedding ideas are also showcased such as:

• Root the greenery from your bridal bouquet and watch it grow.
  
• Frame your invitation and/or your marriage contract.
  
• Create a time capsule of your wedding day with a copy of the newspaper from that day, your horoscopes, and jot down your favorite song, book, movie, TV show, restaurant, etc. Seal it up and open it on a future anniversary.
  
• Save (or buy) a bottle of wine from your reception dinner to drink on your anniversary.
  

Lot’s of help, advice, practical tips and ideas at your fingertips to ensure a smooth transition into married-hood.

Safety pins

Extra hair pins

Aspirin/Paracetamol (also for the morning after)

Smelling salts (for the faint hearted)

White iron-on sticky tape for wayward hems

Breath mints/spray

Small brush/comb

Strong hold hair spray

Lip gloss

Small packet of tissues

Heel protectors (for country chic weddings on the lawn)

Strong glue for shoe heels/decorations

Clear nail polish for stocking runs

Scissors, cellotape and white/blue tack for decoration disasters

Flat shoes for dancing (or flip flops for beach weddings)

Sun cream for beach weddings

Tampons/sanitary towels

Mobile phone (or someone else’s – to track down vendors or lost guests)

Snacks (even Brides2B get hunger pangs)

Once you have assembled your emergency kit, entrust it to your maid of honor or attendants and relax!…everything will be wonderful, especially now that you are prepared for the worst!

1. It’s the best way to get a feel for your photographer. Don’t forget that one of the only physical memories of your wedding day will be your photos. It is therefore paramount to get a feel for your photographer’s work and style before the big day.
   
2. A great way to get comfortable with being in front of the camera. Most couples are not used to being photographed constantly, this is a great way to get comfortable and prepare for the big day.
   
3. Some brides use the engagement pics for their Save the dates (STDs) or wedding invitations. This is a cool way to announce the wedding destination, especially if you have the engagement photos taken in your destination country.
   
4. Provides you with a nice picture to send with your engagement announcement to your local newspaper.
   
5. Test your make-up. Take advantage of the photo shoot to try out your wedding day make-up, this is especially useful if you plan to do your own make-up. The photos may also highlight other things you wish to change about your appearance before the big day.
   
6. Use the best engagement pictures as table numbers or display them on a table at the reception. Always a good conversation sparker.
   

Some photographers include engagement photos in their package. For those who don’t, it can be expensive, but just think of all the advantages listed above!

Here is a selection of engagement photos from some of our couples who got married this summer in the French Loire Valley. If these romantic photo reportages are not enough to convince you or your H2B to have engagement photos done then we don’t know what will!

Photo credits: Studio Cabrelli and Champar