Under normal circumstances, after months of wedding planning, of course you’d hanker to hide away in a luxurious retreat with the love of your life to recuperate from all of the wedding activity. But, these days? Now? After staying inside for months and learning to bake banana bread every which way; after standing six feet […]
Beloved local jewelry designer Mignon Faget has designed a charming necklace that undoubtedly resonates among New Orleanians. The Rebirth Butterfly Fleur de Lis Pendant features a classic fleur-de-lis accented by a small butterfly, and it is available in sterling silver ($65), two tone ($120) or 14K gold ($495). Inspiration for the piece is drawn from […]
[gtx_gallery] Bride: Elizabeth Claire Sargent Groom: Saul Henry Munoz Jr. Date: June 14, 2020 Ceremony Location: City Park, New Orleans Coordinator: Ibay Photography Gown: Galina at David’s Bridal Bridesmaids’ Dresses: David’s Bridal at David’s Bridal Men’s Attire: Macy’s Rings: Kay Jewelers Florist: Kim through Ibay Photography Photographer: Ibay Photography Hair + Makeup: Glam NOLA
[gtx_gallery] Bride: Blakeley Roberts Groom: Tripp Fayard Date: February 8, 2020 Ceremony: Immaculate Conception Getting Ready Location: Roosevelt Hotel Reception: NOMA Planner: Blue Gardenia Events Gown: Savannah Miller at I Do Bridal Couture Baton Rouge Shoes: Jimmy Choo Groom’s Attire: Black Tux Rings: Custom made by a friend – Bob Meadows at Elebash Jewelry Company […]
[gtx_gallery] Bride: Mallary Matherne Groom: Dr. Ryan Wolfe Date: Postponed due to COVID (original date April 4, 2020) Actual wedding date: June 13, 2020 Ceremony Location: Camp Lucy Sacred Oaks, Dripping Springs, Texas Reception Location: Camp Lucy Sacred Oaks, Dripping Springs, Texas Coordinator: Jessica Moore, Something to Celebrate, Austin, Texas Gown: Enzoani Store: Linen […]
Don’t stress about how you’re going to make it to your wedding. With so many options for couples in New Orleans — whether you want to make it to your ceremony by land, air or sea — you can arrive in style. Each choice has its own charm and beauty and can be perfectly tailored […]
There are no rules about music at your wedding. If you want to walk down the aisle to a recording of “Cotton Eye Joe” and hire bagpipers to get the party started during your reception then you go for it. The only “rule” to remember is that the right music can enhance every moment of […]
There once was a young couple who hired a renowned New Orleans wedding photographer with a fancy office on St. Charles Avenue to shoot their wedding at the New Orleans Museum of Art. A few days before the big event, the renowned photographer’s office called the young couple to say that there’d been an unfortunate […]
Smaller weddings have become more popular over the past several years, and this shift couldn’t be more welcome in the age of social distancing. Not only do couples reap the benefits of a more cost-effective venue, but they also have the added pleasure of hosting a cozy and relaxed event with only their closest family […]
Crowding elbow to elbow, mingling by a buffet table and grazing as a group — that reception scenario doesn’t match the 2020 mentality. Although communal congregating may not be the ideal way to feed your guests, there is a groundswell of excitement about innovative approaches to reception cuisine. Consider this pivotal moment a chance to […]
There’s no denying we all love an open bar at a wedding. But for the time being, we’ll need to pump the booze breaks a bit and come up with inventive ways to imbibe in a socially responsible way. Luckily in New Orleans, where there’s a swill, there’s a way. When your guests arrive at […]
Two-tiered, almond pound cake iced with American buttercream, in stucco and marble, adorned with sugar dragees, by Swiss Confectionery, swisscakes.net. Three-tiered devil’s food cake, filled with raspberry cream cheese and iced with white buttercream icing, covered in fondant. Decorated with a sponge-painted finish, Gambino’s Bakery, gambinos.com. Three-tiered almond cake filled with fresh strawberries and Chantilly […]
Today the ever-classic combination of black and white for the bride and groom continues its reign as the most traditional of color schemes. From season to season, elite designers like Vera Wang and Carolina Herrera punctuate their collections with black accents on white gowns in the form of embroidered lace, beading, belts and bows. For […]
This modern invitation letterpressed in black ink is designed by Smock and printed on smooth cotton white 2-ply paper made exclusively at a historic mill in New England. The use of serif and script fonts help define important information without distracting the eye. A blush liner completes the design with a soft touch of color, […]
With wedding season coinciding with summer, all brides need to know the secrets to smudge-free make up that won’t melt or streak no matter how high the mercury rises. These top 10 products are sweat-proof, tear proof and have the staying power to keep you looking fresh all wedding long. [gtx_gallery]
Whether you like to wear your hair in big, bouncy curls or super sleek, as soon as the humidity hits around 60 percent you’ll start to see the dreaded halo of frizz. Pick products to match hair type and desired style, to stay smooth, calm and collected. Dehydrated hair is frizzy hair, so start with […]
Summer in the South is like a marathon for our skin. We move between sweaty temps into cold air-conditioning, from salty days at the beach into chlorine-filled hours at the pool. All the while, for some us the only change we make in our skincare routine is adding extra sunscreen and laying off the heavy […]
Heaven Scent The all-natural perfume company dubbed Smoke Perfume & Co., opened its first storefront location in The Good Shop in the Lower Garden District. Founder Kathleen Currie first developed her signature Smoke fragrance — featuring vetiver, citrus and jasmine — in 2013, while working out of her French Quarter kitchen. “It’s light yet also […]
Over the past few years we’ve frequently seen, read and heard the phrase, “Love is not cancelled.” It was a mantra when the United States Supreme Court ruled same sex marriage legal in all 50 states in 2015. Recently, it applies to the countless couples continuing to move forward with their (safely distanced) weddings amid […]
[caption id="attachment_155339" align="alignnone" width="800"]Cliff House[/caption]
Under normal circumstances, after months of wedding planning, of course you’d hanker to hide away in a luxurious retreat with the love of your life to recuperate from all of the wedding activity. But, these days? Now? After staying inside for months and learning to bake banana bread every which way; after standing six feet away from other human beings; after memorizing the shape of every blade of grass in your backyard — you’re like a kid on the last day of school. You’re chomping at the bit to escape. You want the honeymoon of your dreams. You earned it (though you may want to wait until the time is right, when you feel comfortable).
As resorts and hotels open up across the United States, they’ve met the challenge to make things safer and more worry-free for you. From social distancing to mask-wearing to enhanced hygiene protocols across the board, they’ve amped up their game in preparation for your arrival. Here are a few worth the wait.
The Resort at Paws Up, Greenough, Montana
A copper tub for two that lords over the foot of a king-sized bed, adjacent to a roaring fire — in a tent? That’ sounds like the recipe for honeymoon ecstasy. Add that to the way silky lingerie juxtaposes with the textures of untamed wilderness, and you might have found the meaning of newly married life. Paws Up, a 60-square-mile ranch in Montana, excels in leading guests to the sort of recreation they need most in a vacation. Whether a spa treatment to the sounds of birds chirping, a bareback gallop on a mighty steed, a lesson in cowpoking as you drive a herd of cattle, a fly fishing cast that actually results in a fish or an exhilarating float down a rushing river, this spacious resort launches newlyweds into their new life with verve.
Inn at Perry Cabin, St. Michaels, Maryland
Ahoy matey. In this pocket of paradise along the Eastern Shore, you won’t find a stoplight to remind you of city life. Instead, the sound of water slapping rhythmically against a moored vessel defines romance here on the Chesapeake Bay. Romantic, a haven of crab and oyster fishing (and eating), this retreat may seem familiar. “Wedding Crashers” was filmed here. How apropos. Imagine sipping cocktails along the waterfront, sailing at sunset in a vintage boat or teeing off at the new, Pete Dye-designed Links at Perry Cabin, 18-hole championship golf course. Opt for the one-bedroom suite with water views. The Skip the Bridge package provides for a water arrival on the inn’s Hinckley yacht , champagne flutes aloft.
Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, Sonoma, California
Oenophiles: Sonoma awaits. Home to 425 wineries, the county, just 45 minutes from San Francisco, also boasts stunning beaches, redwood forests, charming towns and some of the nation’s top restaurants. Base at Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, one of the only luxury spa getaways in the country with its own source of healing, thermal mineral water. That means besides wine tasting and early morning balloon rides above the vineyards, you lovers will want to canoodle in the 40,000-square-foot Willow Stream Spa to soak and repose. Hikes through the woods, gourmet breakfasts in bed, rejuvenating couples’ massages, complimentary afternoon wine tastings and dinner at legendary Sante seal the deal. Book a spacious Mission Suite for its in-room, sunken hot tub and wood-burning fireplace.
Cliff House, Maine
So, you want to be a downeaster? That’s what they call folks from the sublimely beautiful, far-flung state of Maine. Together, explore untrammeled wilderness, moody beaches and quaint villages, as you nosh lobster rolls and sip local brews. Immerse in the best of the “Pine Tree State” at luxurious, 70-acre Cliff House, a century-old resort, perched atop Bald Head Cliff. Though nearly every room showcases views of the sea, choose a Sunrise Suite for memorable mornings. Two swimming pools, a 9,000-square-foot spa, and activities from sea kayaking to lobstering balance quiet afternoons in the hotel’s historic nooks with a book.
Amangiri and Camp Sarika Lone Rock, Lake Powell, Utah
“Is that a mirage?” will be your first words when you catch sight of magical Amangiri, designed to meld into the terrain, a remote otherworldly dreamland of pumpkin-hued mounds, lacelike slot canyons, ginger boulders and uncanny hoodoos, which stretch to the heavens like misshapen fingers. Set amid 600 acres of ancient desert-land, the secluded luxury retreat has been a social distancing hideaway since its inception. Its new hotel-within-a-hotel, Camp Sarika, however, redefines middle-of-nowhere bliss. An on-property enclave of ten luxury tents, each with plunge pool and soaking tub, the stylish outpost stands alone, but has access to Amangiri’s signature activities, including its heart-thumping via ferratas, archeological expeditions and hikes. A portal to five national parks, the resort’s location makes memorable field trips possible.
Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Golf Club and Spa, Carlsbad, California
You’ll feel the heyday glam of this SoCal grand dame upon arrival. The boulevard-like approach sets the scene, as does the vista of the Pacific Ocean in the distance. Though the beach is a quick, complimentary shuttle ride away, you might rather spend long hours by the adult-only pool, flirting in your private cabana or on the golf or tennis courts or supine in the immense spa. Book the Premium Coastal Suite, a posh lair that overlooks the Batiquitos Lagoon and the Aviara foothills. Near Legoland (you know you want to go), the resort lies just thirty minutes from San Diego.