Spanish Country Weddings - Ibiza

With its endless days of sunshine, blue skies, perfect med sunsets its no wonder that Spain is fast becoming a firm favourite as a convenient “ wedding abroad” destination .

Few guests and family can not be tempted to a few days or a week in the Spanish sunshine!

Now many of you might think that all that Spain and in particular IBIZA has to offer is romantic beach weddings , with white sand, white linen clad guests and unspoilt local fish “restaurantes” on the beach hosting relaxed chilled out lobster and chilled white wine feasts………

Well yes this can be found, created, and enjoyed in IBIZA, this is true, but there is also another ambience of wedding that has just begun to evolve. Small, traditional country hotels are now becoming the venue for both a beautiful country wedding ceremony and also the perfect location for an intimate family celebration reception.

With Rural hotels and Casas ranging in size from 6 rooms to larger 30 room venues, you are able to find a venue the perfect size you need, for the size of your own personal wedding party.

What are the advantages of this type of wedding you may ask. Well, where else can you take over a hotel entirely for your own guests if you wish too? ………

Think of the joys of having everybody in the right place at the right time and no body having to worry about travelling or driving to the ceremony or back from the reception after a few drinks .!!

Where else can you be tucked away in the beautiful country side, yet only a short drive or taxi away from a beach, secluded cove, a club for those who wish to live it up after the party or during their stay . ( In Ibiza nothing is more than approx 30 mins away from any where!!)

Where else can you be looked after so warmly as in a family run Hotel ,where they see each wedding and each guest as an extension to their family , enjoying and priding them selves on creating a traditional family wedding for you .!!

And if you want a few days away on your own after the wedding you can always book into a sister Rural hotel many often boasting relaxing spas and honeymoon suites and get the best of both worlds!!

If you want your guests to feel the WOW factor at your wedding, try this IBIZA cocktail of sunshine , intimacy, Spanish tradition and the Latin philosophy of just enjoying life to its full at your IBIZA country wedding .

Luxury Weddings Abroad in Ibiza now available at WeddingsAbroad.com

Media Mayhem!

In the blink of an eye, I found myself surrounded by two piles of inanimate objects. In this case, it was three pairs of killer heels (didn't I already mention how highly they feature in my life?), about fifteen pieces of neck and arm adornments, three pairs of jeans, and various bags and boxes. Two problems were obvious to me, my indecisiveness and secondly the amount of choice.

I found my "choices" now by the front door awaiting the arrival of Claire (Claire Barber PR), who appeared like a vision with her basket resplendent of little red riding hood, brimming with yet more "inanimate objects".

If you saw two blonde girls, tottering on their heels, carrying a huge silk wedding gown, a beautiful bridesmaid dress, vintage veils a flowing, Louis Vuitton luggage, a cow print holdall and an rather large inflatable penguin, you must have been in my town yesterday!

Yep, that was us en route to the studio of one of Britain's Top Photographer's Les Pringle.

PR guru Claire, keeps my email box full with media requests, so those photo's I've been touting around for the last year are no longer fresh...or truthful :-)

After another addition to my family and a few more worry lines, let's just say some new true life shots were required. The "boudoir" photo session of last April isn't cutting it anymore, nice while the memory lasted and I shall always have the photo's to prove I did once have a body worthy of the lens....ok so "those shots" for my husband's eyes only, but a girl can dream.

Anyway, I digress, as usual. So Claire and I arranged the plethora of objects we had lugged into Les's studio, and deposited them all over his viewing room sofa and floor. Les can tell you in second what he likes and dislikes from the vast selection of outfits and accessories laid out before him...told you I was indecisive,hence the very full studio !

Then I saw the sign! Oh my goodness,no it can't be, no heels up the stairs or in the studio, what was I to do. Before I started hyperventilating Les assured me it wouldn't be a problem I just had to carry the heels and tip toe on the backdrop, over to the lens....phew panic over! and Armageddon avoided.

What fun I had, Claire asked Les if she could take some shots of him in action, he had no objections, so Claire was able to catalogue life behind the lens, behind the lens.



As a fully qualified ski instructor too, Les is particularly knowledgeable about the full workings of one's skeleton and muscles hence he told me how to stand, where to put my weight add into that his photography skills and he knew where to put my chin and nose too! After about the first hundred clicks of the camera I felt a little more relaxed.

Claire was a great help, I'm sure she's worked on a movie set before, comb in one hand and powder poised in the other. Claire filled my LV luggage to make it look like it had some shape, she omitted to tell me the filling was my heavyweight handbag containing Filofax, Ipod, mobile, make-up bag and every single thing a mother of three carries around. Tottering on my 4 inch heels trying not to mark the floor, I had to look as cool as a cucumber carrying a bag, that Mike Tyson would struggle to lift let alone carry.

Wind machine blowing, the curls I had endeavoured to put into my hair fell out in seconds, but after the heat of those lights the wind was a refreshing change. Oh what fun we had.

Les, the true professional had me turning this way and that, holding my arm here and there and he knew how best to show off the beautiful oyster coloured silk gown I had borrowed to encompass the wedding theme. Many thanks to Truly Madly Deeply bridal boutique in Whitley Bay for the loan of this gown and the veil....thanks again Debbie.

So after the day was "wrapped" Claire and I shot away for a much needed caffeine injection, whilst Les worked his magic on the raw images. Within ten minutes he had got what must have been 200 shots down to 17 ......then his hard work had to begin, I know he's a photographer and not a magician, so my requests for him to airbrush 2 stone and 10 years fell on deaf ears :-)

He then invited Claire and I to watch his professional wedding screen show in the private viewing lounge. Oh my we were blown away at the utterly amazing images and emotions packed into this presentation. No wonder this guy is on the Europe's best...check out his work.

Anyway as they say "it's a wrap".....thoroughly exhausting day but we had such fun.......not sure I would fancy being a model for a living (well if I had the face and body), but boy are the final cuts things of beauty.

If you are ever lucky enough to use the services of a top photographer, please please don't hesitate, just go for it, you will be more than pleased you did.

Hopelessly devoted to who?

My husband need not worry, it is not another man....I'm hopelessly devoted to shoes!

My love affair with shoes began very early in life. I recall playing for hours with my mums shoes. I have fond memories of wearing black wooden heeled mules, with matching chunky platforms - just like the ones worn by Sandy (aka Olivia Newton-John) in Grease - as I strutted around the house, dreaming I was being swept off my feet by Danny!

In reality I've been rowing upstream for weeks, working long hours, combined with sleepless nights, due to baby snuffles, really I should have given in to an early night, but the lure of seeing Carrie's closet brimming with Manolo's, had me running to the movies last night, to lust over the heels adorning the big screen in Sex and the City!

I am surprised!!! I have now written a few blog posts, without the mention of shoes.... yet my whole life revolves around my love of footwear.

Shoes may not change your life, says who? but boy they certainly change the way you feel!

I have a whole wall closet dedicated to my precious shoe collection, I kid you not. Until recently the only souvenir I ever brought back from any trip was a pair of shoes, I must have over 300 pairs and I can tell you the exact history of each and every pair, I can also remember the emotions I have felt at wearing each pair for the first time.

It's true, no matter what size we are, we can usually find a pair of fabulous shoes to make us feel sexy, sassy, feminine, confident, powerful and pretty.

No other accessory can transform a look, or the wearer with such intensity.

Girls and their shoes—it's a curious love affair that leaves men utterly baffled. Why do we women love shoes so much? More importantly, why do we collect dozens of pairs that are often, uncomfortable, expensive, and above all, take up so much space.

We girls don't need a rational explanation for our relationship with shoes. Sometimes it's just for pleasure, sometimes it's for necessity and sometimes it's, well, just because!

When I get a new magazine I immediately scan through it to get a look at the shoes, not just for me you understand, but are there any suitable for brides.

The first thing I look for from any collection, is what a specific designer is doing, and which if any may be ideal to walk up the aisle! Whilst browsing the photo's of the latest celeb weddings, forget the dress I am zooming in on the feet.....looking out for the Gorgeous Gina's, the Lustworthy Louboutin's, the Divine Dior's, and the Vivacious Vivier's!

My husband, still fails to understand such longings, even after 10 years of marriage, he still says " haven't you got a pair like that already?"

So next time your partner says " haven't you already got a pair exactly like that" just say with a wry smile, "you don,t understand and I doubt you ever will".

Keeping the balls up in the air!

Most mum's use their maternity leave to settle into the newly acquired motherhood role, becoming accustomed to baby's feeding times and the needs of their new baby, all the while battling sleep deprivation!

Not me!!...and do you know what? This is my third baby and I have only just realised I have never had the "traditional" maternity leave. Whilst my "mummy" friends are all discussing their return to their workplace over the past few weeks, I realised I never left mine :-)

All my babies have been breastfed at the laptop whilst I've planned weddings or discussed various business opportunities with my fellow wedding planners across the globe! I have to say I don't think my kids have suffered for it either.

Newborn babies tend to nap a lot so I find myself sneaking to another room to tap away at the keyboard, and whisper down the phone. I can often be found deep in conversation on my mobile phone, Filofax balanced on top of the pushchair, to take notes, whilst strolling along the seafront.....any woman reading this will identify this as multitasking and us female species are experts at it. Only recently have I decided to "embrace the chaos" of motherhood, rather than fighting against it!

Ok, so my new found laid back state is still hard to get to grips with, but hey as I have no cleaner at present I find this the perfect excuse for an untidy dwelling! My eldest two children think it's great the "one in one out" rule on the toy box seems to have gone astray. My Orangery resembles a multi coloured assault course of plastic and wood, but I just take a deep breath and look past the mess out to the garden, which is so much tidier than the toy room :-)

My mantra is I am passionate about everything, and I mean everything! I strive to be the best at whatever I do and sometimes I should cut myself a little slack. However my "Mummy Mantra" this week shall be - "In order to succeed, my children and I sometimes have to accept failure"

The glamorisation of mums feels empowering to some, yet others feel the yummy mummy title is totally unrealistic for today's women anxious to appear to have it all. As much as I would love to be the yummy mummy, I struggle to find the balance between the single sexpot (I think!) I used to be, the woman I've become, the professional I work hard to be, the wife I aspire to be, and the mother I have to be. Basically, today's wannabe yummy mummy's, like me are confused and exhausted!

I like to think all yummy mummy's are a myth - my friends and I all tried to think of one, just one mum we know that we would call a true yummy mummy and between us we couldn't think of any! Yes we all know plenty of mums who we think have it all, but none like the celebrity-led trend of mums with matching designer clad babies and bags.

Yet perhaps that not so suprising as deep down all of us aspiring yummy mummy's know in reality that the celebrity "yummy mummy" has a whole host of support that we don't see, yet still we dream, and so we should!

MTV Casting Call - Destination Wedding Brides Needed!

MTV Casting Call...

You don't have to be a celebrity to get married like one! Destination weddings are becoming more accessible to couples looking to add a "twist" to their big day. Make your wedding more unique by having MTV document your adventure, from the planning process down the aisle.

Do you have a unique love story?

Are you between the ages of 18-28?

Do you plan to get married in July or August?

If so, tell us about you and your plans for the big day!

Email: married2@mtvn.com


Deadline for submission: June 20th

Coleen and Wayne are married - An Italian Dream Wedding!

Wayne Rooney married childhood sweetheart Coleen McLoughlin yesterday, in a lavish Italian ceremony that cost a reported £5 million.

The couple started the day with a 20-minute civil ceremony at the Villa Durazzo, where they were married in front of a small group of close family and friends.

SEE COLEEN AND WAYNE'S WEDDING GALLERY HERE

The bride wore a white strapless dress, with fitted bodice and full chiffon skirt. She topped off the look with a pair of white Christian Louboutin court shoes. The groom went tie-less in a brown suit.

Although the couple jetted to the sunny Italian Riviera for their nuptials, Coleen faced every bride's worst nightmare as the day saw heavy rain and thunderstorms, and she made her way to the bridal car flanked by huge umbrellas.

The bride was reportedly tearful as she was pronounced Mrs Rooney, by Santa Margherita Vice Mayor Gianni Costa.

Click here to read the entire article

Will you marry me at the airport?

Harriet Baskas writes about travel etiquette for MSNBC.com and is the author of Stuck at the Airport

It's June and wedding season is officially underway. Look around and you'll start noticing folks getting hitched in churches, formal gardens, backyards, courthouses and hotel function rooms.

And once in a while, in airports.

Yes, airports. For many travelers, an airport may be the least romantic spot on earth. But airports have played an important role in plenty of love stories. Many couples first meet while working at an airport. Others meet while flying on an airplane or while hanging around at an airport. Some folks then get engaged or married at the airport because that's where they fell in love. Others just find the airport a convenient jumping off point for the rest of their – married – lives.

Click here to read the entire article

Cost of the average wedding soars past £20,000 as couples are inspired by celebrities

By Daily Mail Reporter and Sean Poulter

A desire by brides to chase the 'Hello' dream of a wedding with all the frills and bling has seen the average cost soar past £20,000, it is claimed.

Weddings like those of Wayne Rooney and Coleen McLoughlin have set a new benchmark for the nation's blushing brides.

But for those couples who don't have the backing of a celebrity wedding planner and a glossy magazine, the costs of the festivities can leave a nasty hangover.

The credit crunch may be leaving its mark on most households, however it appears an increasing number of young women expect to be waved on the path to married life in style.

Click here to read the entire article

What do women love more than a beautiful dress and gorgeous shoes....Chocolate!! And now they can have it all!

What do women love more than a beautiful dress and gorgeous shoes....Chocolate!! And now they can have it all!

Imagine the delight of your friends and family when they receive this elegant yet decadent gourmet chocolate gift asking them to be part of the most important day of your life. Each bride's dress has a tulle veil and is made of tissue with coordinating white tulle and a satin sash tied in a bow to enhance the waist. The bodice is covered with edible sprinkles and is adorned with an edible pearl necklace.

The bride is perfect with this label on the box: "Dad will you walk me down the aisle"? or "To the Mother of the Bride" (Grandmother, Sister, Aunt, Mother In Law are also available).

Wouldn't these also make a wonderful prize for the winners of the games at your bridal shower? Each one is supported on a stick, which can easily be inserted into an inverted paper cup, to make wonderful decorations.

View the entire collection of Gourmet Chocolate Gowns here....