Your Holiday Season Elopement

From Christmas to New Years Eve, what better time for shopping, meeting family and friends, exchanging gifts, and . . . getting married. When you think about it, what better time during this “season of giving” than to share the most important gift of all — your marriage. And yes, the holiday season is an ideal time to elope.

The holiday season elope is popular for many reasons:

– Your marriage is one of the greatest gifts that you can give and share;
– Elopement destinations are specially decorated and offer more picture opportunities;
– The holiday festivities and goodwill of others add to the romance of your wedding; and
– Combine your elope wedding with a winter sport honeymoon — a ski vacation, for example.

Picking the Perfect Gift

Picking the perfect gift during the holidays is one of life’s most difficult chores. You want your gift to be: romantic; heart-felt; represent an important part of me; valuable; and most of all — forever. It is difficult to think of a more priceless gift than the gift of love and support of each other throughout time.

The Most Festive Season

During the holiday season, all the travel destinations are decorating their establishments with festive Christmas trees, garlands made of evergreens, wreaths with poinsettia, gift-wrapped packages, twinkling lights, ornamental holiday characters figurines, fancy red and gold ribbons, the crackle of wood in a burning fireplace, and much more. Imagine the wonderful wedding picture opportunities these festive holiday decorations will offer. And in addition to the decorations, many destinations will also be offering holiday feasts and menu specials to celebrate the holidays — and of course your wedding, also.

Beware though, the holiday season is also the most popular travel time and some destinations may be crowded. Always call ahead and speak to the manager about your ideas and plans. In most cases, early reservations will be the safest. On the other hand, brides tend to be lucky and your destination may be able to accommodate you on short notice. Either way, call ahead for details.

Romance in the snow

A holiday season elopement is also a great opportunity to travel to a wintry location and enjoy a winter sport honeymoon. There are a multitude of travel destinations that offer every kind of winter sport and activity imaginable: alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, tubing and sledding, sleigh riding, ice skating and much more. Add a few extra days to your elopement and enjoy the outdoor winter activities. The most important thing is to remember to bring warm outdoor wear; you can easily rent sport equipment everywhere. And if you don’t know how to ski or snowboard — professional lessons will have you schussing and gliding like a pro in a few hours.

What’s In And What’s Out

Wedding Cakes

Gone are the days of white cake, white icing and a figurine of the couple on top. Many couples are taking their cakes to new levels with unique fillings such as caramel apple or cream cheese, while others are making each layer of the cake a different flavor. The days of the white cake are over. Brides are opting for cakes with bold colors and abstract shapes.

The cupcake wedding cake is also becoming extremely popular. Instead of a fancy, expensive multi-tiered wedding cake, many couples are opting for cupcakes arranged in the shape of a cake. This is a much more affordable alternative to a traditional wedding cake. Your guests, young and old, will enjoy the cupcakes at your reception. What’s fun is that you can get the cupcakes in a variety of flavors.

If you’d like, you can still have a smaller, separate one tier cake used for the cake cutting ceremony.

Wedding Food

Instead of a sit down or buffet dinner, many couples are saving money by serving only cocktails and appetizers at their wedding reception. If you aren’t serving a meal at your reception, be sure to plan your wedding away from traditional mealtime and indicate that it is “cocktails only” on your invitation. You don’t want hungry, disgruntled guests who were expecting a full meal.

Dessert action stations are also becoming very popular. You can rent a chocolate or caramel fountain and provide lots of fruit, cake and other treats for dipping. A build-your-own banana split or ice cream sundae station is also a terrific idea.

Fried food and heavy entrees are out. Lighter fare, organic cuisine, and vegetarian cuisine are definitely in. Serve guests an organic feast of foods produced without chemical fertilizers, antibiotics or pesticides, and top it off with organic drinks. During cocktail hour, for example, try Square One vodka and Juniper Green gin, both fermented without additives.

Wedding Flowers

Symmetrical floral centerpieces are out. Choose centerpieces of varying size, shape and color. Stay away from using the same vases at each reception table. Choose local, organically grown flowers. After your wedding, donate the arrangements to nearby hospitals or other facilities.

In color palettes, green is still the most sought after color with accent shades of creams and white or hot pinks and mango coral. However, combinations of deep burgundy red Black Magic roses, Black Forest mini Callas and rich purple, almost black, tulips are striking against ornate damask linen. No more white linen on guest tables for sure.

Destination Weddings

Some reports indicate that as many as 20 percent of all weddings are now destination weddings where the bride and groom travel to a vacation destination to host their wedding ceremony and reception.

Celebrities have been hip on the destination wedding trend for years. But destination weddings aren’t just for the rich and famous.

Because of the travel expenses, most destination weddings are relatively small involving only the couple, family and close friends. Resorts and hotels offer packages that make planning a destination wedding relatively simple. Many offer the services of their own on-site wedding coordinator who will plan all the details of your wedding from decorations to sightseeing activities for your guests.

Though it may seem expensive to hold a destination wedding, it actually may be cheaper than holding a large wedding with a seated dinner in your hometown. It is commonplace for the bride and groom to pay for the hotel rooms, food and other guest expenses. However, normally guests pay for their own airfare.

When planning your destination wedding, keep your guest list small. Choose a destination with inexpensive airfare and avoid traveling during peak season.

The biggest drawback of a destination wedding is that unless you are wealthy, all your family and friends will probably not be in attendance. Many times all your invited guests will not be able to travel or get off work. Consider the schedule of your most important guests when selecting your destination wedding date.

All in all, a destination wedding can be a wonderful choice that allows you to experience your wedding in an exotic locale, combining your wedding and honeymoon in one destination.

Wedding Colors – These are interesting ideas for wedding colors

Tangerine with Azure Blue and a shot of Espresso
Sky Blue, Navy Blue, Celadon Green and a splash of Purple Wine
Glossy White, Metallic Gray, Bold Magenta and Sleek Black
Dark Cocoa, Seafoam Mint, Metallic Silver on Ivory
Blueberry, Raspberry, Lavender, Black and Charcoal Gray
Jewel tones mixed with antique metallic for fall and winter
Black and White, add a splash of Apple Green or Citrus Yellow

Should You Elope?

Planning a wedding can be full of different stresses. Right from the beginning the bride and groom are pulled in many different directions. Where to have the wedding, who to invite and, even more stressing, who not to invite can be the most difficult decision of all. Decisions can be difficult and feelings can be hurt. On top of all of this is the cost: how much will we need to spend to have the wedding that we want? Where do we cut back? Where can we cut back? More and more of today’s couples are paying for their own wedding. The cost of a wedding is just something a great deal of bride’s parents can no longer afford to pay for. Even if they want to! The cost of housing alone puts an added strain on paying for a wedding. Many couples today even buy their house before they get married with the goal of having a wedding ceremony later that may never happen.

There are, of course, many ways to deal with these potential problems. Some will be easy and some may step on some toes. Thousand of couples get married every weekend across the country and enjoy the experience of a wonderful wedding day. One thing for sure, there will be a lot of decisions to make.

One way some couples deal with all of this is to, actually, not deal with any of it. They elope! Eloping answers or avoids having to answer many of the questions mentioned above. There are, however, other questions that will need to be answered.

What are some of the pros and cons of eloping? The main drawback is that you may hurt the feelings of your close family members if they are not invited. There is something to be said for all the planning, the ceremony, getting dressed up, and being the center of attention on your special day–you may appreciate the memories when you are older.

Once you decide that you want to elope, your choices of where to elope are almost endless. I googled ‘elope’ and got 802,000 hits. Everything from locations, hotels, photographers to Officiants were listed. This leads to more decisions. You may want to start with deciding what kind of surroundings you want to get married in: beach, mountains, tropical settings, what fits you best? If you travel out of the country you may want to have a simple ceremony before you go so you won’t have to worry about getting a copy of the marriage license from another country. Some countries make this easy and some not so much. Also, some countries don’t let you get legally married in their country so it may be a necessity. The basic things you need to take care of are; marriage license, travel plans, lodging, location of ceremony, officiant and a witness or two. Every state and every country will have different requirements regarding the marriage license. Making a few inquiries on the state or country websites regarding marriage would be a good idea.

Without going into detail, there are a couple of other options available to couples who are getting married. One would be the micro wedding. This can happen by traveling to a destination where you can invite up to 15 of your family and friends to meet you at a designated location for an intimate ceremony. The next option would be a destination wedding. This could be a location arranged ahead of time to host your wedding; a cruise ship would be another great option. In this case you can invite more people and they not only attend your wedding, but enjoy a nice vacation as well. (In both of these cases your guests pay their own way.)

Eloping is not for every couple, but it can be a great option for others. The vast majority of couples getting married have a full wedding. However, thousands of couples elope every year. It can be a great way to avoid some of the pressures and financial obligations associated with it. Which ever way you go, make sure you think it through because this is your special day and you will want to make sure it’s done right.

Congratulations to all of our September couples!

A big Congratulations to all of our September couples!

Elizabeth and Ron 9/3 at Poets Walk
Elizabeth and Dana 9/3 at New York Country Club
Melissa and Jeremy 9/4 at The Links at Unionvale
Nicole and Nick 9/4 at Twin Lakes
Jill and John 9/4 at Millbrook Winery
Kellie and Mark 9/4 at The Falkirk Estate and Country Club
Gabrielle and Dean 9/10 at West Park Winery
Laurie and Rick 9/10 at The River Grill
Kaitlyn and Brian 9/10 at The Onteora Mountain House
Luciana and Eduardo 9/11 at The Ashokan Reservoir
April and Jill 9/16 in Central Park, NYC
Kaeleigh and Cory 9/16 in Gardiner, NY
Nichole and Peter 9/16 at The New York Country Club
Michelle and David 9/16 at The Glen Island Harbour Club
Jennifer and Marcelo 9/17 at The Stony Ford Golf Course
Stacy and Craig 9/17 in Yorktown Heights, NY
Veronika and Brainerd 9/17 at Oak Hill
April and Heath 9/17 in Kinderhook, NY
Sarah and Justin 9/17 at West Settlement
Beth and Hermann 9/17 at Del Posto Ristorante, NYC
Melissa and Kyle 9/18 at The Grandview
Nicole and Derek 9/23 at Arbor Ridge Catering & Banquet
Adam and Erin 9/24 at Mary’s Parish in Greenwich, CT and Westchester Country Club
Jessica and Kyle 9/24 at All Souls Church
Peter and Nicole 9/24 at The Historical Harness Track
Daria and Lukasz 9/24 at Mohonk Mountain House
Nicole and Ryan 9/24 at Overlook Lodge
Aimee and Michael 9/24 at Highlands Country Club
Katie and Rick 9/25 at Mohonk Mountain House
Jessica and Todd 9/30 at The Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel

Congratulations to all our August couples!

A big Congratulations to all of our August couples!

Shelly and Frank 8/4 at Belvedere Mansion
Sierra and Bryan 8/5 at The Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel
Victoria and Isaac 8/5 at Brookside Manor
Damian and Shawn 8/6 in Rhinebeck, NY
Nicole and Rina 8/6 in Rhinebeck, NY
Tista and Prashant 8/6 in Jewett, NY
Crystal and Pedro 8/6 at Hunter Mountain
Lauren and Corey 8/6 at Windham Mountain
Ashley and Ismael 8/7 at Catlin Gardens
Jeremy and Sonya 8/7 at The Marist College Gazebo
Kristine and Vincent 8/14 at Full Moon Resort
Russell and Meiling 8/14 at Kefi Restaurant in New York, NY
Lance and Folami 8/18 at Riverfront Park
Kimia and Terrance 8/18 at The Grandview
Melissa and Ted 8/19 at The Grandview
Andrew and Ashley 8/20 at FEAST Round Hill
Vicky and Holly 8/20 at The Whitecliff Vineyard & Winery
Sherry and Eric 8/20 at The Grandview
Robin and Michelle 8/21 at The Rhinecliff
Michelle and Matt 8/26 at Trump Hudson Valley
Tina and Rami 8/27 at The Grandview
Priscila and Ed 8/27 at The Grandview
Michael and Melissa 8/27 at Mohonk Mountain House
Melissa and Luke 8/27 at Rolling Greens at Dutchess Golf and Country Club
Heather and Blake 8/27 in Salt Point, NY

Congratulations to all our May couples!

A big Congratulations to all of our couples that were married this May!

Katherine and Kellan 5/1 at The Poughkeepsie Grand
Amanda and Jeremy 5/1 at Full Moon Resort
Liz and Ray 5/5 at Belvedere Mansion
Kristin and Danny 5/6 at Locust Grove & The Poughkeepsie Grand
Amy and Alen 5/6 at Villa Borghese
Laura and Steven 5/7 at Poets Walk
Kim and Clinton 5/7 at The Cadet Chapel & Eisenhower Hall
Chad and Victoria 5/10 in Central Park
James and Jennifer 5/13 at Marist College
Brenda and Al 5/15 in Stone Ridge
Bridget and Sean 5/15 at The Grandview
Kristen and Daniel 5/20 at The Grandview
Chris and Breanna 5/21 in Millbrook
Christine and Jonathan 5/22 at Colden Manor at the Spruce Lodge
Erica and Evan 5/28 at The Grandview
Amber and Kevin 5/28 at Hunter Mountain
Catherine and Bryan 5/28 at The Grandview
Jennifer and Jesse 5/28 at Four Brothers Restaurant
Helena and Dan 5/28 at The Mt. Beacon Bed & Breakfast
James and Rebecca 5/29 at The Highlands Country Club

Congratulations to all of our June couples!

Sloane & Matthew – Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, Willow

Elizabeth & Brian – Bykenhulle House, Hopewell Junction

Dianna & Faraz – Lyndhurst, Tarrytown

Nicole & Anthony – Doubletree Hotel Tarrytown, Tarrytown

Avery & Ryan – The Rhinecliff Hotel, Rhinecliff

Paola & Vincent – Colonial Terrace, Cortlandt Manor

Emily & Brendan – The Puck Building, Manhattan

Ornella & Kevin – Private Home, Poughquag

Nicola & Brendan – Central Park, Manhattan

Erika & Patrick – Private Home, West Park

Jo & Eric – West Park Winery, West Park

Giuliana & Robert – CV Rich Mansion, White Plains

Randi & Scott – HVC, Rhinebeck

Gabrielle & Anthony – Anthony’s Pier Nine, New Windsor

Arlene & Edward – Private Home, Hyde Park

Crystal & Junior – Shadow Brook, Wappingers Falls

Kimberly & Robert – Walkway Over The Hudson, Poughkeepsie

Brigid & Steven – Inn at Erlowest, Lake George

Mim & Mihai – Harvest on Hudson, Hastings

Ana & Arnold – Glen Island Harbour Club, New Rochelle

Linda & Ben – Gazebo at Marist College Waterfront, Poughkeepsie

Dana & Gary – HVC, Rhinebeck

Marie & Andre – Private Home, Middletown

Congratulations to all of our winter wedding couples!

Heather & John – Southeast Grill, Brewster

Meghan & Brian – Mohonk Mountain House, New Paltz

Marcia & Jose – Villa Borghese, Wappingers Falls

Jennifer & Kyle – VFW, Poughkeepsie

Eneida & Alexander – Wampus Pond, Armonk

Tamyka & Philip – Locusts on Hudson, Staatsburg

Allie & Paul – Central Park, New York City

Keishon & Rishad – HVC, Rhinebeck

Romey & Tom – Clients Home, Wappingers Falls

Suzanne & Pierre – Zuppa Restaurant, Yonkers

Maeve & Rick – La Chateau, South Salem

Irina & Andrzej – Sea Shore Restauant & Marina, Bronx

Nicole & Brian – Mohonk Mountain House, New Paltz

Joanne & Jonathan – HVC, Rhinebeck

Jordan & Andrew – Glen Sanders Mansion, Scotia

Jaclyn & Justin – Cunneen Hackett Theater, Poughkeepsie

Colleen & Matthew – HVC, Rhinebeck

Crystal & Donovan – Central Park, New York City

Maria & Wilson – Clubhouse of The Classic Condo, Hartsdale

Sanela & Michael – Anthony’s Pier Nine, New Windsor

Cynthia & Donald – Mohonk Mountain House, New Paltz

Dawn & Robert – La Mirage, Ulster Park

Terese & Matthew – HVC, Rhinebeck

Nancy & Steven – Our Lady of Restoration, Cold Spring

Lesley & Paul – Mohonk Mountain House, New Paltz

Diane & Christopher – Herron Farms, Gardiner

Amy & Chris – Overlook Lodge at Bear Mountain State Park, Bear Mountain

NYC Elopement From Louisana

Perfect Day For A Wedding

Crystal and Donovan from Louisiana came to NYC to have a once in a lifetime elopement. These two were so much fun. We started with a ceremony in Battery Park, then started to walk to Wall Street, met a big bull along the way, and don’t forget the needed Manhattan Hot Dog. A nice trip on the subway brought us to the Brooklyn Bridge where we walked, in heels, half way across the bridge. Kimberly Coccagnia took some fantastic and unique photos. It is always a blast to do elopements in Manhattan with Kim and Barry.

All my best to this wonderful couple, and here is a reminder of the wonderful vows they said to each other.

Vows:
Crystal, today I become your husband and you become my wife. I promise to love you without reservation, comfort you in times of distress, encourage you to achieve all of your goals, laugh with you and cry with you, grow with you in mind, and spirit, always be open and honest with you, and cherish you for as long as we both shall live.
Donovan, today I become your wife and you become my husband. I promise to love you without reservation, comfort you in times of distress, encourage you to achieve all of your goals, laugh with you and cry with you, grow with you in mind, and spirit, always be open and honest with you, and cherish you for as long as we both shall live.

A Very Happy Couple

Congratulations to our September Couples!

Annemarie & Richard – Rhinebeck

Dyanna & Josh – Catlin Gardens, Slate Hill

Cathy & Jimmy – The Grandview, Poughkeepsie

Melissa & John – Pine Bush

Tracy & Thomas – La Mirage, Ulster Park

Meghan & Jared – Vassar College Chapel, Poughkeepsie

Cindy & John – Beckwithe Pointe, New Rochelle

Nancy & Joe – Shadows on the Hudson, Poughkeepsie

Christine & Henry – Addison Park,  Keyport

Elaina & Rick – The Grandview, Poughkeepsie

Laura & Chris – New Leaf Cafe, NYC

Veronica & Jim – Croton Point Park, Croton on the Hudson

Marjorie & Charles – Patriot Hills, Stony Point

Fernanda & Leandro – Millbrook Winery, Millbrook

Meredith & Cesar – Villa Borghese, Wappingers Falls

Cristen & Matt – Prospect Park Boat House, Brooklyn

Jeanine & Mark – Mohonk Mountain House, New Paltz

Melissa & Robert – Doral Arrowwood, Rye Brook

Elizabeth & Kyle – Mt Gulian Historic Site, Beacon

Samantha & Josh – Gideon Putnam Resort, Saratoga Springs

Anne & Robert – West Park Winery, West Park

Rachael & Larry – Full Moon Resort, Big Indian