A Bicoastal Wedding Gown Takes Flight

Planning the wedding was fun. The stressful part? Lugging my Alfred Angelo gown, altered just in time for us to leave town, across the country through three airports. Today, my husband shares his recap story about the infamous bicoastal wedding dress.

Looking back, I’m thankful Heather chose a light wedding gown, or at least a dress lighter than some of the crazy 80-pounders she’s pointed out on Say Yes to the Dress. After carrying the dress all around the Chicago O’Hare terminal, if it had been any heavier, I don’t think I would have survived.

Not only did the weight of the gown pose a problem, but the shear size of the garment bag made it incredibly difficult to carry, first through security at Reagan National in D.C., then all around the Chicago airport, and finally upon arrival in Los Angeles. Escalators, doorways, and even trying to find a place to sit down in a crowded airport became so much more tedious with a wedding dress in the picture.

Leaving D.C., I hadn’t yet seen the dress, and I wanted to try my best to avoid seeing it before the wedding day. But even though its bag was opaque, I could ultimately see some details when it was backlit. The most noticeable part was that there was a dark sash, although I couldn’t tell what color it was. However, at that point, even Heather was resigned to the fact that there simply wasn’t any alternative.

Though we were flying first class and had been relaxed at the beginning of the day, a cancellation, a couple gate changes, and another delay had us frazzled sooner rather than later. Once on each plane, there was thankfully a first class closet available in which to store the dress. But unfortunately, even this space was not large enough to hold the gown without folding it.

In the end, we made it through the trip without any damage to the dress, and I also got a great workout. But it sure wasn’t easy, and it got our wedding week off to a pretty stressful start!

Will you or did you travel with your wedding gown? Is yours a heavy dress, whether carrying it or wearing it?

(Photo Credit: Personal Library)

Destination Wedding? Keep It ‘Simple’ – Part Two

In the second half of our Q&A, destination wedding expert Jeff Copeland of Simple Weddings shares his advice about choosing the best location, finding a reliable vendor long-distance, and avoiding common beach wedding sound snafus. Enjoy!

What are some of your favorite destination wedding locations, and why?

Well, I'm obviously partial to Florida, particularly the Gulf Coast from Tampa Bay to Naples, where the sand is sugar-white and the beaches face west for the sunset. I think a lot of people don't realize that Florida truly has it all.

Of course, we have the beautiful beaches, but we also have the "nature coast" area that is very rural and outdoorsy. We have the "space coast" with NASA and the Kennedy Space Center. We have the upscale international ambiance of Miami. We have the laidback island lifestyle in the Florida Keys, and of course, we have the theme parks if you're into that sort of thing.

Another of my favorites would have to be Hawaii. We were fortunate enough to live on Oahu for two years, and visited all the other islands while we were there. You just can't go wrong with any destination in Hawaii, if you can afford to get there!

When choosing a destination wedding site or vendor, what questions should a couple ask, and what elements should they look for to be sure they are trusting their wedding details to a reliable, dependable company?

Well, I think the appearance of a company's website says a lot about how they perceive and portray themselves, especially when it comes to destination weddings. So, I'd suggest that if you just don't get the "feel" you're looking for from a company's website, move on.

Secondly, years from now, all you're going to have are your memories and your wedding pictures. So, I think it is critical to choose a company that does its photography in-house. You should know well in advance who your photographer is going to be, and you should speak with him or her to plan your pictures according to your desires and the photographer’s advice. Your photographer should not just be some nameless person who "comes with the package."

Other things to look for are reviews and testimonials written by actual past clients – and make sure these are on a site where the client has to log in or validate an e-mail address to write a review. Otherwise, they're easy to fake! We funnel all of our client reviews to our profiles on OneWed.com.

Lastly, make sure the company you use provides a written contract and an invoice that clearly spells out exactly what they are providing, and where/when they are providing it.

What is one tip or piece of advice you can share that people may not think about when planning a destination or beach wedding?

Most people don't think about it, but there is a lot of "white noise" on the beach with the wind and waves. Something I see all the time with our beach weddings are clients who think they can save money by providing their own music or forgoing a microphone for the ceremony. So, they bring a little iPod speaker or CD player out to the beach, and no one can hear it. Same goes for an acoustic guitar. You just can't hear it on the beach from more than about two feet away.

When I see this happen, I just think it's such a shame that the bride and groom spent so much time choosing their music or musician, writing their own vows, or personalizing the ceremony, and their guests traveled all this way...and then nobody could hear a thing during the wedding ceremony! So, that's my tip. Make sure you use the right equipment for your ceremony sound and your music. You'll be glad you did!

If you’re planning a destination or beach wedding, what are some of the challenges you’ve faced along the way? Or, if your big day already happened, what’s your advice for future beach or destination brides?

(Photo Credits: Claire Copeland of Simple Treasures Photography)

Jeff Copeland is the owner and marketing director for Simple Weddings by Simple Treasures Photography in St. Petersburg, Florida, and the author of the Florida Beach Wedding Guide. His company offers Florida Beach Wedding Packages on Florida's Gulf Coast from Tampa Bay to Naples. Simple Weddings was recently named "Best of 2009" in two categories – photography and wedding planning – by OneWed.com based solely on feedback from happy customers! Be sure to check out his website and his Florida beach wedding blog, or drop him a line at jeff (at) simpleweddingsflorida.com.

Destination Wedding? Keep It ‘Simple’ – Part One

Who says planning a destination wedding can’t be simple?

Jeff Copeland, owner and marketing director for Simple Weddings by Simple Treasures Photography in St. Petersburg, Florida, recently shared with me the ins and outs of planning the destination wedding of your dreams – the easy way!

What should couples just starting the planning process take into consideration when trying to determine whether a destination wedding is right for them?

Obviously, budget is one of the top considerations for most people. On the one hand, a destination wedding can be less expensive, because they generally tend to have fewer guests, and you can often eliminate one of the top expenses associated with weddings – the venue rental.

Popular destination wedding venues, such as beaches and parks, are usually "almost" free. Sometimes, a permit is required, but this generally costs less than $100. And of course, even if you opt for a more traditional venue, you still save money by having a smaller guest list, which requires less space, food and drink. On the other hand, you do have to factor in the travel expenses – but see the next question!

What are some of the top benefits of having a destination wedding?

In my mind, one of the top benefits is being on vacation the days before and after your wedding. We all know that after a few days of vacation, the problems and stress of your day-to-day life at home just seem to fade away. What better way to ease into your wedding? I also like the idea of combining your wedding and your honeymoon. With destination weddings, they kind of overlap, which I think allows for a much lower stress level, and a much higher fun level!

What are some key challenges that might arise when trying to plan a destination wedding, and what are your tips to help a couple get past those issues?

Obviously, it can be hard to pick things like a venue, an officiant, and a photographer from hundreds of miles away. You have to find someone who can be your eyes and ears, and who you can trust. But again, that can be hard to do over the phone or via email. We have found that the best way around this is with the old adage "a picture is worth a thousand words."

We have designed our website and blog to cater to out-of-state couples planning a destination wedding, and both sites are chockfull of pictures. We have pictures of our most popular wedding beaches and venues, pictures and bios of our staff, pictures of actual weddings we've done, and tons of useful planning information online. We want our clients to feel like they can somewhat get to know us through our website and blog. And I have to say, it works. Often, our clients seem like old friends, even though we may be meeting them for the first time. We work hard to always maintain that personal touch!

Are you planning a destination wedding, or is it something you’ve considered? Why do you or don’t you think it would work for you?

(Photo Credits: Claire Copeland of Simple Treasures Photography)

Jeff Copeland is the owner and marketing director for Simple Weddings by Simple Treasures Photography in St. Petersburg, Florida, and the author of the Florida Beach Wedding Guide. His company offers Florida Beach Wedding Packages on Florida's Gulf Coast from Tampa Bay to Naples. Simple Weddings was recently named "Best of 2009" in two categories – photography and wedding planning – by OneWed.com based solely on feedback from happy customers! Be sure to check out his website and his Florida beach wedding blog, or drop him a line at jeff (at) simpleweddingsflorida.com.

Long-Distance Wedding Planning – Strategies & Stress Relievers

A couple months ago, my bridesmaids went dress shopping without me. But I didn't mind. How could I? You see, my bridesmaids live in California, while I live all the way across the country in Washington, D.C.

As I mentioned in my first blog post yesterday, I'm a "bicoastal bride" - busy planning a wedding 3,000 miles away, with the added challenge of bridesmaids and groomsmen scattered all over the country. With one bridesmaid now living in Germany, I guess I should say scattered all over the world!

Challenging? Yes. Impossible? No.

Since I'll only be traveling to Thousand Oaks - my California hometown and wedding location - four times tops before the big day next June, I've had to become extra organized very quickly. Check out the top lessons I've learned so far (sometimes the hard way), and feel free to share with me your own tips and strategies. I can definitely use all the help I can get!

· Simplify, simplify, simplify. During my first "get-started" trip this summer, I discovered that I don't realistically have time when I'm in town to meet with 10, or even five, different florists, photographers, caterers...you get the picture.

By zeroing in on what I want ahead of time, doing (a lot) of research, and reaching out to vendors by phone or email - in many cases having multiple conversations, I can easily narrow my choices to two top favorites long before I ever get on the plane. After all, I love a cake tasting as much as the next bride, but don't think that even with my extreme sweet tooth I would hold up too well hopping from bakery to bakery in just one day!

· Speaking of vendors, try to develop a good relationship ahead of time. While I definitely prefer to meet in person before contracting, in the case of our fantastic, highly-recommended photographer, I knew that by the time we got to town, our wedding date would have been long ago snapped up.

By asking tons of questions during a great back-and-forth web discussion, I was able to at least get a feel for whether our personalities would mesh. And in the end, he even agreed to sign with us ahead of time, but refund our deposit should we decide to go with another photographer after finally meeting face to face.

· Create an individualized timeline that works for you. Traditional month-by-month planning schedules may not be very useful for a long-distance bride. Instead, I chose a couple popular guides to rework into my own unique guideline, even if it has meant that I have to tackle certain tasks (like choosing my wedding gown) earlier than usual.

And finally...

· Ask for help, but not from those who will put their ideas before your own. I feel so lucky that my mother is a friend who is completely open to and respectful of my ideas for my wedding day, and, when she disagrees, offers truly constructive advice.

Since we'll only be getting to town a week before the wedding, Stephen and I also quickly decided that hiring a month-and-day-of coordinator was a smart idea, and made sure our chosen wedding party members felt up to the task of lending an even bigger hand than might usually be necessary.

And maybe that's the biggest lesson I've learned so far - that the key to a great wedding is having a truly great team that's got your back.

A Bicoastal Bride

Ever since my engagement several months ago in April, I've enjoyed perusing the funny, helpful and heartwarming stories of blogging brides across the country. Now, with only seven months left until my big day, I've graduated to full-swing planning mode, and am eager to share my own best advice, tips and lessons learned with brides-to-be everywhere.

My name is Heather, and I'm a busy bride-to-be living in the Washington, D.C., area while planning a June 2010 wedding in my much-missed hometown of Thousand Oaks, California. A passionate writer, I have experience in journalism and communications.

Just a few months ago, the prospect of planning a wedding on a tight (and self-funded) budget from the other side of the country initially scared me as much as it excited me. But with a little time, organization, and the support of a wonderfully engaged and involved fiancé, I am learning to focus on the things that matter, forget about those that don't, and, most importantly, savor what has become the most fun and enjoyable time of my life.

As much as I'm looking forward to sharing my thoughts with you, I'm equally eager to receive your feedback, ideas and suggestions. Are you planning a long-distance or destination wedding? What are the biggest challenges you have faced? What topics are you interested in hearing more about?

Feel free to shoot me a message, and check back soon for more!

(Photo Credit: Jessica Wilbur)