Subscribe    

Follow Hotels.com   
Home Welcome About Nicole Video Press Clips
 

Must-Read Tips for Planning a Destination Wedding

Posted on: May 24th, 2013 at 9:35 am by Nicole

It’s wedding season! Time to get out our party frocks and prepare to usher happy couples into wedded bliss. Perhaps you’ll be packing your bags, too, to attend a destination wedding?

destination weddingDestination weddings are growing in popularity thanks in large part to celebrities making it the way the cool kids do it. From Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel’s Italian dream wedding, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ Charleston “I dos,” and Anne Hathaway and Adam Shulman’s wedded soiree on a private estate on California’s Big Sur coast, many celeb couples are taking the plunge in places far from Hollywood and home.

Destination Weddings are also a great way to extend the celebration and give friends and family a two-for-one experience: both a wedding and a vacation. Now, who wouldn’t love that! If you are considering turning your wedding into a remote celebration then here are some helpful tips to get you started.

13 Must-Read Destination Wedding Tips courtesy of The Knot.

Tips for Choosing a Destination Wedding Hotel

For destination weddings, often the hotel is the site for both the ceremony, the reception and the accommodations for your guests. The nice thing about that is everything is usually taken care of – the caterer, cake designer, team of servers and bartenders, wedding coordinator, ceremony, and reception site are available all in one place. There’s not much to worry about in this setting. And most hotels, at the very least, can provide you with a list of trusted vendors.

Try to get a special rate for guests. You will need to work with the wedding or event coordinator for a special rate for your guests at the hotel you’ve chosen. It helps if you can guarantee a certain number of reservations when negotiating rates. Try to do this four to six months prior to your wedding date.

In Las Vegas, some couples end up hosting part of their wedding day festivities in a hotel suite. Luckily, with so many hotel choices, Vegas can accommodate small in-suite ceremonies, receptions or post-reception cocktail parties…and really knows how do a great wedding party!

If you are booking both the rooms block and the wedding reception at the same hotel, there is a good chance that your wedding package includes a complimentary room. In my experience, many hotel wedding packages include a complimentary room for the bridal couple and often discounts for other services and amenities for both the couple and their guests.

Consider a Cruise. More and more couples are turning to cruise lines for affordable and fun getaways. This option is great for couples that want to extend the party with their guests; it especially works well for second marriages or vow renewal celebrations. Cruise weddings have grown a massive 60 percent over the last ten years, according to the New York Times.

Plan for Weather. A Caribbean wedding sounds amazing but maybe not at the peak of hurricane season. Make sure you seriously consider the weather when choosing any destination. Weddings during the off-season can be a great way to save money, but be sure to have an inclement weather plan just in case Mother Nature decides to attend the wedding.

Bride and Groom With Bouquet on BeachWedding Resorts

American Idol season four winner Carrie Underwood wed Ottawa Senators hockey player Mike Fisher in June of 2010, at the chic 251-room Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Georgia. Weddings at this resort can fit all budgets and the staff will even provide welcome baskets, bridesmaid and groomsmen gifts and a variety of other special amenities to help add that personal touch to your wedding*. *Costs for all items vary.

The Kahala Hotel & Resort located on the Hawaiian island of Oahu is the state’s most legendary property. Weddings at the resort reflect the setting and can either be traditional with a Hawaiian officiant and a conch-shell blower, or modern and lavish at formal reception sites with sweeping sea views. No matter your preference, couples and their guests enjoy delectable cuisine (Polynesian-style buffets are popular) and the attention of an on-site coordinator (wedding packages start at $3,000 and include site fees and ceremony set-up and some décor.)

At the 16 beautiful properties (across 5 countries) of Barceló Hotels & Resorts, book as few as 25 room nights at participating properties and get a free ceremony at one of these family-friendly, all-inclusive resorts. On-site planners handle decor, ceremony and menu requests, as well as helping with any legal requirements.

Sprawling beachfront grounds, tons of watersports and festive nightly entertainment are just a few of the marquee amenities of Iberostar Hotels and Resorts, an all-inclusive five-star chain located in Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Mexico. Couples holding their wedding at one of the resorts also get a free room upgrade, champagne toast and spa discount. Only five rooms must be booked for three nights to enjoy this deal.

Know any other fun destination wedding ideas? Let us know in the comments section!

 

 

Similar Posts:
 

 

Unconventional Weddings & Destinations

Posted on: May 22nd, 2013 at 1:30 pm by Travel Smart Blogstars

Everyone dreams of having the perfect wedding — whether it’s in front of a balmy, breezy beach, at a lush botanical garden, or in a quaint, country barn. But not all people imagine picturesque trees and fancy ballrooms for their big day. There are those that dream of unconventional weddings that take couples to the most extreme and daring situations, or provide a unique and one-of-a-kind experience.

Roller Coaster WeddingFor those that wish to make their wedding day a bit of an adventure, below are five examples of out-of-this-world wedding ideas, anywhere from the sky to the sea.

Take the Plunge: One unconventional way to get hitched is to do it while scuba diving. Couples inclined to go on extreme adventures, and who feel no remorse from diving into the sea with a full wedding gown and tux, can consider this as a unique ceremony option. Saying your “I Dos” while strapped to an oxygen tank are not as uncommon as you may think. Some hotel resorts, such as the Presidente InterContinental Cozumel Resort & Spa, offer their own scuba-wedding packages for couples that wish to tie the knot under the sea.

Leap of Faith: Those who want even more of a thrill can soar over 120 miles per hour through the air and wed while skydiving. Couples can choose to either tie the knot on the ground before jumping out, or do it after they land. For the more adventurous types, some packages even allow “skydiving preachers” to perform the ceremony in the aircraft on the climb to jump altitude. Many packages also provide fully edited DVDs of the entire skydive for you to relive the experience long after the jump.

Not for the Faint of Heart: Weddings at haunted houses have actually been around for quite some time. For example The Crescent Hotel has been hosting weddings for nearly 125 years. According to Glamour, a construction worker fell to his death during the hotel’s construction. He landed in what would become room 218, where the toilet flushes itself and footsteps fall once everyone’s in bed. At the Kewaunee Inn, children staying at the hotel are often seen playing with a mysterious little boy, reportedly the ghost of a 5-year-old who died there more than 100 years ago. Ring bearer anyone?

Destination Wedding: Planning a destination wedding? Why not hold it at Poldark Mine in the UK, a genuine 18th century tin mine? Experience an atmospheric tour through the partially candle lit mine before having your underground ceremony in an area of the mine known as the Holman Chamber. The site contains everything needed for a wedding facility: parking lot, restaurant, evening function room, children’s play area, and baby changing room. What more reason do you need to host a wedding at this cool venue?

Weightless Wedding: If you don’t like diving of any sort, try having a zero gravity wedding. Zero G provides weightless weddings for those who want an out-of-this world experience. Hop on board their Boeing 727, G-FORCE ONE, that creates about 20-30 seconds of zero gravity at a time while at 24,000 feet in the air. They will give you all the proper pre-flight orientation you need to be ready for take off, so there’s nothing (much) to fear.

What are some unique wedding experiences & destinations that you’ve seen before?

 

 

Similar Posts:
 

 

Oklahoma Relief

Posted on: May 22nd, 2013 at 10:41 am by Nicole

We’ve responded on the Travel Smart Blog before in times of crisis, sharing helpful advice for people traveling in and out of the affected areas (see our Hurricane Sandy post here for tips to keep in mind).

We wanted to let everyone in Oklahoma know that our hearts go out to them, and if anyone is looking to help – here are some links to organizations that are providing disaster relief to those affected by the tornado in Oklahoma:

Please keep the affected families in your thoughts and offer to help in any way that you can.

 

 

Similar Posts:
 

 

Gap Year Experience

Posted on: May 20th, 2013 at 9:32 am by Travel Smart Blogstars

Graduating can be both exhilarating and terrifying. For many, the path ahead is still yet to be laid and in today’s day in age, more and more young adults are choosing to take some extra time to consider all of the options abound before forging ahead into a new career.

The number of newly graduated students opting to participate in a “gap year” is continuing to rise year after year. This travel trend has spurred an increase in organizations and specialty companies whose expertise is in helping these young adults choose just the right experience for them to help them discover their passion, inspiration, life’s goal, etc…

The Travel Smart Blog team has compiled the below list of Gap Year connoisseurs to help the class of 2013 get a head start on their gap year travels. Don’t forget to check out our post on the “Top Travel Gifts for Grads” before heading out! Safe Travels!
Big Ben

Gapyear.com
A must-visit site for gap year travelers. Here you can meet people, find information, and obtain gap year travel tips. We strongly recommend you check the site before making the decision, because they have all you need to build a perfect gap year trip. It is also the biggest social networking platform for gap year students to connect with each other and share their experiences.

Real Gap Experience
As a leading gap year and student adventure specialist, Real Gap Experience has sent more than 50,000 travelers around the world. It provides a wide range of trips for people seeking different experiences. See their top 10 trips for adventure, volunteer and work broad, or become fully immersed in local culture via their “Experience Trips” offerings. Don’t forget to check the latest special offers if you are on a budget.

Adventures Cross Country
ARCC is a 30 years-old pioneer in guiding young adults through the year of transition. The specialized gap year programs send students to fascinating destinations across the globe and teach them the skills they need to achieve their future goals. Not to mention, a meaningful trip with responsible trip leaders can inspire lifelong friendships, leadership skills and self confidence in a safe and fun environment. Visit the site and find your ideal trip.

Gap 360
If you want to have a short break, or “gap week,” consider Gap 360. It offers both full year program and weeks break travel options. Its travel advisor can help you figure out what is the best for you and help you well-prepared whether you are going on adventure or working abroad. Its website also includes basic advice so be sure to read it before you take off.

TrekAmerica
Do not want to go too far away from home? TrekAmerica can help you to find short adventure tours within the U.S, Canada and Mexico. You can be guaranteed to travel with people around your same age and have fun while fully exploring America. Adventure options include Hiking in the National Parks, Exploring Monument Valley with Navajo Indians, Horseback riding on an authentic western ranch and Mountain biking on the “slickrock” train in Utah.

 

 

Similar Posts:
 

 

Top Travel Gifts For Grads

Posted on: May 15th, 2013 at 10:40 am by Nicole

gradAnother crop of bright-eyed, big dreamed high school and college graduates are ready to take on the world. But before they do, perhaps they should see it first! I was so eager to get out and start working right after college, (which wasn’t a bad thing) but I do wish that I had taken some time, even if only the summer after graduation, to travel before I officially took on all of life’s responsibilities. So, if you are looking for that perfect graduation gift, consider the gift of travel or some encouragement to help facilitate a big graduation adventure!

Give the gift of travel!
A number of the airlines, cruise lines, hotels and other tour operators have gift certificates and gift cards available for purchase online through their websites. I’ve even seen Southwest Airlines gift cards in the grocery store. You can even gift your airline miles to someone. There’s still an associated cost, typically $15 per 1000 miles, but it could make a big difference for someone’s travel budget.

Oh The Places You’ll Go
Personalized Luggage Tags tucked in as bookmarks in the quintessential graduation book, “Oh, The Places You’ll Go” by Dr. Seuss

Where I’ve Been Travel Scratch Map
Who doesn’t love a scratch and win lottery ticket. Well, this travel scratch map makes the trip “the prize”. The traveler simply commemorates his trip by scratching off for each country that he visited.

When the Grad’s iPhone Camera is Not Quite Enough…
Thanks to photojojo.com, cell phone users can convert their phones into super impressive cameras with fish eye, wide angle, and telephoto lenses. There’s even an attachable extension that has all three.

For the Traveling Professional
My husband recently gave me this exact business backpack to use on my work trips. Not only does it have lots of room, protects my laptop and is super great on my back, but it is super cute too. I get compliments on it all the time. Check out Mobile Edge for other business bags.

Don’t Forget to Call Mom!
Before you send your graduate out to conquer the world, make sure they have a good international cell phone plan. You may want to hear every detail, but not at $5-a-minute.

Know any traveling grads out there? We’d like to hear from them at TravelSmartBlog.com!

 

 

 

Similar Posts:
 

 

Birchbox: How to Pack Your Carry-On

Posted on: May 13th, 2013 at 11:40 am by Travel Smart Blogstars

Birchbox is the leading discovery commerce platform for beauty and lifestyle products, so they know a thing or two about doling out expert advice that makes your life easier. One of the brains behind it all, Meredith Stebbins, editor and content strategy manager for Birchbox, caught up with another industry guru, Melanie Charlton, the CEO of Clos-ette Luxury Closets to gather her insights on packing best practices.

Melanie has been living a life of travel and fashion since her childhood. Commuting back and forth between multiple homes across the country, topped with an extensive career in the fashion industry have helped her develop keen packing skills, especially when it comes to beauty supplies and accessories. Check out the below video for her tips to help you get ready for your Spring/Summer travels.

 

 

Similar Posts:
 

 

All Aboard For National Train Day!

Posted on: May 10th, 2013 at 1:07 pm by Nicole

Kids on the Train

My son, Travis, and his buddies were super excited for their ride on the Historic Georgetown Loop Railway in Georgetown, CO.

Trains. Some say the invention of the railway was the single most important invention in our history.  It catapulted the industrial revolution and brought worlds together.  And even today with all of our modern ways to get places faster and even virtually, trains are still inspired, offering travelers convenience and an opportunity to experience the passing landscapes en route to their ultimate destination.

Whether simply for entertainment or for actual transportation, add a train-ride into your summer plans, such as a historic ride along a Narrow Gauge Rail such as the historic Georgetown Loop Mining Train to the modern cars and amenities of Amtrak.

Trains are often overlooked in favor of planes, but are in fact a great way of traveling. Europe, for example, has the InterRail service – a network of trains that enables people to travel from one country to another.  And even here in the US, it’s so easy and comes without the hassle of security lines; you can get to the train station 30 minutes before your train, and you even have nice options to dine and sleep comfortably.

National Train Day – May 11, 2013
Train stations and museums around the US are all celebrating National Train Day this weekend.

Los Angeles
The National Train Day event at Los Angeles Union Station (on May 11 from 11 A.M – 4 P.M) will feature free kids’ activities sponsored by Chuggington, interactive and educational exhibits, model train displays and giveaways.  Visitors will have the chance to tour private luxury railcars, freight and commuter trains, as well as current Amtrak equipment.

Grand Canyon, AZ
Take a ride at the Grand Canyon Railway on the Cataract Creek Rambler: a 45 minute train ride in either First Class streamliner cars or vintage Pullman coaches. This year, the Rambler will be pulled by Diesel Locomotive 6793, built by the American Locomotive Company in the 1950’s. Trains depart every hour on the hour from 10:00am to 4:00pm.

San Antonio, TX
The San Antonio Amtrak Station is playing host to a special one-day, large scale, and family-friendly event that is free and open to the public.  Visitors will climb aboard vintage Southern Pacific engine No. 794 for a rare chance to the see the inside of the locomotive cab and have a feel for what it was like to engineer a puffing steam engine a century ago.

Sacramento, CA
At the California State Railroad Museum, visitors will have the opportunity to tour modern-day Amtrak/Amtrak California passenger cars and learn more about train travel options in California by watching short films, browsing timetables and travel literature, and talking with rail transportation providers. Rides aboard the Museum’s Interpretive Handcar and a children’s “Chuggington Station” activity area will all be part of the fun. Admission to all activities – including the Museum – is FREE!

Kansas City, MO
The Kansas City Northern Miniature Railroad (16 inch gauge parktrain) will be celebrating its 20th year of operation by running trains on our half-mile oval of track in Line Creek Park. The Brush Creek & Western HO model railroad will be open to the public. Kansas City Parks and Recreation Department will provide entertainment, facepainting for children, and the zoomobile animal exhibit. Wooden toy trains will be on hand for the little folks to engineer around a tabletop layout.

Boston, MA
At the Boston North Station, Boston Cyclists Union Presents: 5th Annual National Train Day Bike Tour We will bike along the routes of parts of the old Eastern, Boston & Lowell, and Boston & Maine Railroads north of Boston. Along the way, they will stop to look at a number of historic railroad stations and talk about the competition between these railroads in the years surrounding the Civil War.

Share your Train Day photos with us here at Travel Smart Blog or to my Facebook!

 

 

Similar Posts:
 

 

Safety Tips for Social Sharing

Posted on: May 9th, 2013 at 2:30 pm by Nicole

FB-f-Logo__blue_512  official_twitter  Instagram_Icon_Medium  official_youtube

After the Travel Smart Blog post on how to document your travels online, I think its important to share a few safety tips for social sharing while you are on vacation or any trip for any reason.  The excitement of sharing your experiences with the world can also be fraught with some very real dangers.

There are a few reasons why you should hold off from posting the latest and greatest details from your vacation until you get back. For one, when you Tout, Facebook or tweet about your trip, you are advertising to everyone that you are not home. That means your unoccupied residence is that much more vulnerable to people who are trolling the web for personal information.

When you return from your trips, you can upload your videos to YouTube and post the link on Twitter or embed it on Facebook so friends and family can watch. Use a (#) hashtag of the city or the geotag function on photo sharing sites like Flickr or Instagram to show the world where you’ve been.

If you simply can’t wait to share about your travels before you return, be sure that you remember:

1. Keep personal information to yourself.

2. If you are traveling alone, be very cautious about using geo-location services, apps, Foursquare, or any app that shares where you are in that moment.

3. Avoid in-person meetings with someone you’ve met online. If you must, don’t go alone. Have the meeting in a public place, tell someone you trust about the meeting and coordinate a time to check in; and if possible, take some friends along.

4. Keep communications with family through private messaging, telephone or email — not posting on social media. Often, relatives who are new to social media don’t understand the difference between public and private conversations and how they take place online.

5. As reliant as we all have become on our smart devices, you will feel not so smart if something happens to it while you are traveling.  Keep a list of ICE (in case of emergency) numbers such as important phone numbers and travel contacts, and carry them on you…consider it like keeping an umbrella. If you have it, you probably won’t need it.

Find More Travel Safety Tips Here

 

 

 

 

 

 

Similar Posts:
 

 

How to Document Your Own Travel

Posted on: May 8th, 2013 at 11:46 pm by Nicole

Nicole and kids

My favorite travel tales to share are the ones that include my family!

When you explore a new destination, city, hotel or discover a new super restaurant, it’s always nice that you share it with others; if not to prove that you’ve actually been there then to give great advice to those that may want to follow in your traveling footsteps.

Gone are the days of the private travel diary! In its simplest form, you can detail you trip highs and lows on many an Internet site. From reviews, to videos and even your own blog, digitally document your next sojourn. Here are few tips to get started!

Take lots of pictures and videos. This may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many people take a road trip and forget to take any pictures, because they are too busy driving. Or, how many people are so in awe of the scenery that they don’t take out the camera to pose for a photo until the end of a tour; or never take a photo inside their unique hotel room and only grab a drab snapshot outside of the building.

Use Tout & Vine. It sounds like a hip new restaurant but Tout and Vine are both social video sharing apps designed to work with your smart phones. Tout can be used in combination with Facebook and Twitter to create short video Status Updates. Vine is a new free Twitter-backed iPhone app, letting you seamlessly post six-second video clips on-the-go.

If you review it, they will go. After a hotel stay, after dining at a fabulous restaurant, or experiencing a fun attraction or service: Immortalize your experience when you visit someplace new with a review on sites such as Tripadvisor, Hotels.com, and Yelp. And don’t just give advice, tell others all about your trip. Why you went and who you were with are important pieces of information to share with others who may be in the trip planning mode.

Become a travel blogger. In today’s world pretty much everyone has a blog. To make yours shine a little brighter, keep adding those photos and videos. And don’t forget to connect with other travel bloggers to join in the blogging community. At the very least, create this online diary for your family and friends to keep track of all your adventures! Blogger and WordPress are both solid options for templates and tutorials. Also, post links to your blog on Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites.

Don’t forget your map. Maybe you want to include a travel map of all the places you visit. Check out TravBuddy!

 

There you have it: a few tips to get you going on your quest to travel documentation. Now, get traveling and share with us here at Travel Smart Blog where we can read about your experiences!

 

 

Similar Posts:
 

 

Hotels.com #GuestCensus

Posted on: May 6th, 2013 at 2:47 pm by Nicole

guest-census-smart (1)With National Travel & Tourism Week in full swing (May 4-12, 2013), Hotels.com is taking steps to empower travelers everywhere by hosting a Guest Census.

What are your preferences as a traveler in a hotel room? What services or amenities do you look for when planning your stay? Hotels.com wants to hear your thoughts and will be hosting a Twitter Chat on Tuesday May 7, at 3 p.m. EST.

Join in and engage with Hotels.com (@Hotelsdotcom), Taylor Cole (@TravelwithTLC), and several of their hotel partners by tweeting what’s most important to you as a traveler, using the hashtag #GuestCensus. Not only will you have the opportunity to discuss the wants and needs you have during your hotel experience, but participants will have a chance to win free hotel stays, earbuds & Hotels.com Welcome Rewards credits.

Follow @Hotelsdotcom on Twitter and join in on the discussion tomorrow by tracking and tweeting at #GuestCensus. We look forward to seeing you there!

 

 

Similar Posts:
 
« Older Entries