Milan Style

You’d probably have an easier time listing the celebrities who haven’t worn Vera Wang on their wedding day since the designer is so ubiquitous at bold weddings. While she may have started her career in true posh style with a bridal boutique in New York City’s The Carlyle hotel in 1990, today Wang oversees a lifestyle brand that includes ready-to-wear, accessories, fragrances and housewares. She’s even branched out with a fast fashion linefor Kohl’s and a line for David’s Bridal.

If you ask us, however, one of the most surprising facts about the designer with her wrinkle-free complexion and lush mane is that she’s about to turn 66. Here’s a look at 10 other things you may not have known about one of the most respected women in fashion.

Photo: lilac bridesmaid dresses

It’s fitting that Wang has the strong work ethic required to succeed in fashion since she grew up rigorously training as a competitive figure skater (she tried but failed to make the 1968 U.S. Olympic team). As an adult, she spent 15 years working as a senior fashion editor at Vogue and then as a design director for Ralph Lauren. She designed her own wedding dress before opening her first bridal boutique. “The ongoing, unmitigating truth is I would have done anything to be in fashion,” Wang said. “I would have swept floors, which I did at Vogue, swept up hair from a model’s haircut, pack up clothes, stay on a Friday night after the store closed to get it ready for the next day, which I did at Ralph (Lauren). Still, I always felt privileged to have this job. How lucky am I to have gotten here?”

In the quarter century she has spent working in the bridal industry, Wang has tried “short, long, deconstructed, constructed, bustiers, working in fabrics, working in color.” Who else, she says, would do an entire collection dipped in tea? “I did that one year. My design team dipped every single dress in tea in a bathtub. I did that just because I wanted to work out of the vocabulary of white. Those have been quite challenging parts[…] I think the greatest women, the ones I most respect in design—Miuccia Prada, Jil Sander, and Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons—are all women extremely confident about their vision. These are women who never stop evolving and developing and sticking to their vision.”

Wang was born into an affluent family in New York City. Her parents were immigrants from Shanghai. Her father was an entrepreneur who made his fortune in the pharmaceutical industry, while her mother worked as a translator at the United Nations. Wang credits her mother with introducing her to fashion. “My mother and I went to a couture show when [Yves Saint Laurent] was on Rue Spontini,” she told BoF. “That was his first couture house. It was a little atelier — 33 Rue Spontini, I still remember the address. So I really have been educated in fashion. I grew up with it, exposed to the greatest.”

The designer’s best career advice is to do something you really love. “It doesn’t matter what it is: being a mom, teaching, whatever you love. If you love it, it’ll get you through the hard times, and if you don’t, it’s not authentic or real anyway. When you love something, every day goes by in 10 minutes.”

Wang may be known for evening and bridal, but she has a T-shirt obsession. In fact, she has an entire room filled with nothing other than T-shirts. “The tops are all carefully organized by designer and are almost exclusively in what Wang terms ‘Armani colors: You know, gray, black, navy,'” according to an interview the designer did with Harper’s Bazaar.

She may have been born into a family of privilege, but the designer most certainly didn’t buy her way into the fashion industry. She diligently worked her way up to the top of the fashion chain. “It’s a calling. Like being a musician. I mean, the hours of practice, the loneliness, the dedication. It was a very obsessive job for me. My father didn’t get it. I’m in the middle of the Place de la Concorde, and I had a military jacket on with pins, tape, and clamps. I looked like a terrorist or something, and my father said, ‘Can’t you just comb your hair and put a dress on and come to dinner with me?’ I said no. And he said, ‘I don’t know why you want to do this,’ and I said, ‘I do.'”

She may be the creative and business head of a billion-dollar company, but Wang isn’t immune to the effects of failures. When asked how she deals with disappointment, she explained that she tells herself, “Okay, I’m feeling really sorry for myself and life’s impossible and I cannot go another step. I dwell on it to the point that I get it out of my system, and then I’m able to move on.”

Wang considers Anna Wintour a close friend. In fact, Wintour once dated the designer’s brother.

Even after all these years, Wang takes criticism personally, especially when it comes to the red carpet. In an interview with WWD, Wang said that “the worst is when someone is criticized. You take that very personally on behalf of the star[…] [The red carpet] is a gamble of the highest order. It’s Vegas and then some.”

When it comes to her office’s dress code, “Employees are expected to dress professionally, per their department’s needs.” Those needs do not include jeans.

Celebrities have been now sporting the chevron print trend for a while , be it in the form of a black- and-white chevron print or mixing and matching with other colour combinations. In addition to putting together some of the best chevron looks from the recent past, we present other forms where you can play with chevron prints. Here's a dekko...

CARRIE UNDERWOOD

Singer-songwriter Carrie Underwood knows how to carry her style on her sleeve. The Hollywood beauty rocked the style in an asymmetrical chevron dress, which she paired with minimal accessories. With a jazzy touch to her print, this dress is perfect for parties or red-carpet events.

Credit: lace wedding dresses

LESLIE MANN

Leslie Mann can give us all some fashion lessons on how to work the sheer trend with a chevron print. Her black-and-white gown caught the eye of many fashionistas on the red carpet recently. We also love how she paired the look with an elegant bracelet and box clutch, and kept her makeup minimal.

JENNIFER LAWRENCE

Trust Jennifer Lawrence to be different! The Hunger Games actress added a twist to the print. Instead of going the `dressgown' way, she sported a pair of trousers bearing the print. We also like the fact that she chose a hoodie over her plain black top, making her look casual yet super stylish!

OLIVIA WILDE

Olivia Wilde doesn't really have to put in too much effort when it comes to looking good. The actress and model carried off the trend with so much ease. Take a look at the chevron print maxi dress, paired with an uber-cool leather jacket, sling and casual sneakers. Cool, no?

ADD A POP OF COLOUR TO YOUR CHEVRON OUTFITS

While the Chevron print is most classic in its black and white form, if you like colour, there are many ways for you to add a pop of glamour to it. Take a cue from Ileana D'Cruz, who wore the print on her lehenga or Taylor Swift, who paired her broad Chevron print top and pencil skirt with neon pink strappy heels.

SPLASH THEM ON ACCESSORIES

Not just clothes, you can go on a chevron blast with your accessories, too. There are chevron print phone cases, earrings, clutches, watches and even shoes!

CHEVRON CAN MAKE YOUR INTERIORS LOOK CHIC TOO

Be it pillows or tents or carpets - this pattern works well at your house too. They add a contemporary touch to your decor. But make sure you don't go over the top with these prints when decking up your home. Make a minimal use of it, or just go in for one chevron print item in your room. Too many prints might make your room look cluttered. So, use them sparingly.

If you’ve ever been a bridesmaid, you know that being asked into the wedding party is a real honor. And it’s fun too! The parties, the socializing, the drinking, the dancing…it’s a great feeling to be asked to stand up for the bride and groom on the most special day of their life. Unfortunately, being a bridesmaid also means subjecting yourself to constant verbal diarrhea from others. The lead-up to the big event is replete with cringe-worthy discussions around ridiculously expensive dresses you’ll never wear again, boring gift registries (is she really going to use that fine china? She doesn’t even know how to cook!), and unnecessary responsibilities, like holding up her dress while she uses the bathroom.

Credit: bridesmaid dresses cheap

Not only that: weddings are a bridesmaid’s cesspool of inappropriate questions and unsolicited opinions about her relationship, sexist assumptions about marriage, and clichéd statements about her appearance. And it’s not just the bride who’s guilty of these things: more often than not, it’s the whole shebang of folks involved in a wedding who carry on this kind of annoying bridesmaid banter.

If you know a bridesmaid-to-be, it’s time to stop saying these eight things right now. She will (silently) thank you for it.

1. “It costs $350, but you can totally wear your bridesmaid dress again.”

Brides-to-be are often guilty of trying to verbally justify the wardrobe investment that bridesmaids make. And sure, a bridesmaid may be able to re-purpose her dress. But that’s providing she has a suitable event to wear it to, that she still fits the dress months or years post-wedding, and — oh — that she actually likes the thing.

2. “My wedding registry fine china cutlery bedroom linens blah blah blah…”

It’s hard enough to get excited about dishes and soap dispensers and pillowcases when youreceive them. But when you’re a bridesmaid, you are subjected to constant inane chatter about things you never, ever wanted or needed to know. Like how much the bride loves the color periwinkle, but abhors all things chartreuse. Meanwhile, because bridesmaids are expected at most if not every bridal shower, you find yourself frequently wracking your brain for synonyms to “cute” and “lovely,” just so you can contribute to the conversation come gift-opening time.

3. “I always thought you’d get married before her.”

Seriously, why do people say this? There are so many negative beliefs and connotations wrapped up in these eight words. It reeks of sheer disdain for the bride. The person saying this is also insinuating that the bridesmaid has disappointed him or her by not being “first” to get hitched. It’s as if the so-called “race to the altar” is not actually about the engaged couple, but a competition among women. People who say this tripe tend to assume that marriage is something every woman not only wants, but needs.

4. “You know what they say: three times a bridesmaid, never a bride, hyuk hyuk!”

Hilarious. But not really. First, cliche much? Second, some women would really, really like to be married, and being a bridesmaid can bring up feelings of loneliness and depression (trust me, I’ve been there). So to make fun of one’s single status is kind of mean. Not to mention sexist: after all, there are tons of single guys out there who have been groomsmen gads of times — and nobody ever seems to make an issue out of this.

5. “So when are you and X going to tie the knot?”

This question is really inappropriate unless you’re super tight with the person you’re asking. Unfortunately, weddings (and all the events leading up to them) tend to bring out the “romantic busybody” in people you barely know. So you get hounded by distant aunts, the bride’s grandmother, and friends of the bride you’ve never met but who think you should be married (because, well, they’re married). But here’s the thing: bridesmaids don’t sign up to put their relationships on display. Bridesmaids are there to support the bride. The status of their relationships should therefore be off-limits.

6. “Hey, I know this single guy/girl who you should totally meet…”

Too often leading up to and during a wedding, bridesmaids are subjected to unwanted matchmaker mentality. Upon learning that a bridesmaid is single, at least one person (say, a shower and/or wedding guest) is likely to try to set them up or offer unsolicited relationship advice. Despite the matchmaker’s good intentions, not all bridesmaids are jumping at the bit to be paired off.

7. “Ladies, you all look lovely.”

This statement is a go-to reception standard for the toast to the bridesmaids (often said by the groom, groomsman or best man). It’s never said with much feeling. So why say it at all? Trust me: most bridesmaids would prefer to be genuinely recognized for their friendship and/or contribution to the wedding celebrations.

8. “Can you come with me to the bathroom? I need someone to hold my dress for me.”

When did it become part of the bridesmaid’s job to assist the bride on the shitter? Gross! Isn’t that what flower girls are for?

See also: http://www.sheindressau.com/beach-bridesmaid-dresses

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EmailCommentsLauren Conrad’s transformation into a modern-day Emily Post is nearly complete. Sure, she doles out life hacks on the regular via her website (you can learn about everything from how to get theperfect side braid to why using the word skinny has no place in a post-body shaming world towedding advice and attire recommendations), but everyone’s favorite reality-star-turned-lifestyle-guru just officially outdid herself this time: she came up with a pocket guide of wedding fashion dos and don’ts, perfectly timed with the peak of wedding season.

more: Everyone Chill, Lauren Conrad Has The Best Wedding Style Advice

LC was always a girls’ girl on The Hills and, looking at her wedding commands, that’s still clearly the case. LC’s wedding rules are all about letting the bride thrive on her special day—especially when it comes to her gown. Lucky for you, we pulled out all her main tips straight from Who What Wear article. Check ’em out below!

Don’t wear white.

“You would think this rule wouldn’t need repeating, but you’d be surprised. Almost every wedding I’ve attended has had a guest or two who could have used a little wedding etiquette refresher. The bottom line is this: Let the bride stand out from the rest of the crowd. Since more and more brides are opting for a hint of color these days, it’s best to avoid cream, blush, and any variation of eggshell in addition to bright white. If I don’t know what the bride is wearing and how she feels about the matter, I personally like to stay away from subtle prints with a white background too, just to be safe.” Don’t wear anything overly sexy or revealing.

“This is not the time or place for that! Weddings are family celebrations, so if it’s not something you would wear in front of your own grandmother, don’t dress that way in front of your friend’s grandmother either.” Do take note of the dress code.

Photo: SheinDressAU wedding dresses online

“If a couple goes to the trouble of listing the dress code on their invitation or wedding website, take note. If no dress code is listed, you can usually infer how dressy a wedding will be based on the venue. Beach weddings, for instance, tend to be cocktail attire or dressy casual, while ballroom weddings call for more-formal attire.” Do opt for pretty, romantic looks.

“A wedding is a celebration of love, so keep that theme in mind when you’re deciding what to wear. Think floral prints, crepe, ruffles, and lace. Edgy, sultry, or even overly fashion-forward ensembles should be reserved for other occasions.” Don’t wear anything that is terribly uncomfortable or waiting to be a wardrobe malfunction.

“It’s a shame to spend the entire evening pulling your strapless dress up or having to skip a beautiful meal because your dress is much too tight!” Do wear your dancing shoes.

“You want to look chic and put together, but you also want to be able to dance the night away with the couple. So make sure that whatever shoes you pair with your outfit are the perfect mix of style and comfort. Wedges, mid-height heels, dressy sandals, and even chic ballet flats are all good options. If you really want to wear sky-high heels for the ceremony and cocktail hour, I suggest stashing a pair of flats in your bag for later in the night. Some couples are even providing flip-flops for their guests, which is what William and I did. If flip-flops aren’t provided for you, however, stick with flats, as flip-flops could be considered too casual for a more elegant event.”

Ah, weddings on Pinterest: 38 million boards brimming with white, pink and gold for all to admire.

Except when it’s not. Except when the planning is too personal – or too secret. Or when you don’t really have a wedding to plan at all.

Jessica Zahn, a 25-year-old marketing specialist in Atlanta, has two wedding boards: one private, one public. And more importantly, no significant other with which to plan a wedding ... yet.

“I know some people feel that pinning/planning for your wedding before you are even in a relationship is silly, or even offensive,” she said. But by all accounts, a lot of pinners are doing it.

According to Pinterest – the social network that’s part scrapbook, part vision board – making a wedding board “secret,” or private, is becoming more and more popular. Since January 2015, secret wedding boards have grown from 15 percent of all boards to 30 percent of all boards created across Pinterest.

View photos: princess wedding dresses

This kind of power is unprecedented in the Pinterest world. According to a recent study from Millard Brown Digital, 96 percent of pinners are using Pinterest to plan for wedding purchases – and 87 percent made a wedding purchase because of something seen on Pinterest.

That doesn’t necessarily mean more pinners are getting engaged. As Mashable wrote when secret boards debuted: “Pinterest is the perfect place to plan your wedding, whether you’re wearing a ring or not.”

Wedding boards aren’t breaking any norms of Pinterest. They’re dreamified road maps for future nuptials. And, of course, for the products, services and mason jar chandeliers you’ll buy – or (ideally) (pinterestingly) handcraft for yourself.

And yet there’s a subculture of undercover wedding pinners who never show their boards to anyone, tucked away from the larger world of DIY crafts and fresh tomato salads pinned for everyone.

“I haven’t shown my significant other my Pinterest board,” one Internet friend said of her secret board. “I don’t want him to get the wrong idea and think I’m ready to get married or that I’m always thinking about our future wedding.”

So what are these secret wedding-pinners thinking about – if not the big day?

“It’s a kind of dreaming, a kind of fantasy,” says Pepper Schwartz, a sociology professor at the University of Washington. “It’s like reading bride magazines, but it’s also like people reading Architectural Digest ... I should say 99 percent of them cannot afford – even 99.5 of them can not afford what they’re looking at. But they think about it.”

And then come actual wedding day, everything has effectively been mythologized. The pins tell their own story: a farmhouse wedding, with chalkboard nameplates and a mason jar chandelier.

Your Pinterest board is your “perfect” wedding.

At least, it is on Pinterest.

More than 38 million Pinterest boards are dedicated to weddings.

That’s a lot of pins to peruse. Pinterest is different from bridal magazines in that there’s no page limit – you don’t hit a final page in a photo spread or back cover of the book that snaps you out of wedding Fantasyland and back to reality. Sara Fields, an Asheville, North Carolina-based wedding planner, encourages her brides to pin – to a point. “I’ll have a bride who stayed up all night with a bottle of wine and pinned and changed her mind,” she said.

“It’s not just that it’s limitless,” Schwartz explains. “But that you’re actually doing something. When you do something, you invest more in its reality. You put together the pictures. You make it real, in a funny sort of way. It’s more real in the fact that you’ve assembled your dreams. It’s personal. Now you have a better sense of what you’d really like to do, and that makes you more invested than you would be if you were just flipping through a bridal magazine.”

And that’s exactly why Fields tells her brides to stop pinning at a certain point in the wedding planning process. Partly to solidify a vision for the big day – but partly to quell the pinning mania.

“You kind of can’t stop yourself,” she says. “ ‘Oh,’ you’re second guessing. ‘Oh, I thought I wanted this.’ It’s a lot of additional stress.”

Fields says she requests access to her clients’ secret pin boards – even though, as she admits, a secret pin board is “almost like a diary.”

“I can see, ‘This is what this wedding looks like inside this bride’s head,’ ” she says.

“Before we had Pinterest, that was such a hard thing to cultivate. ‘What are you seeing in your head?’ You can describe it with words, but on Pinterest you’re seeing it all.”

Monica Lewinsky wore a red prom-like dress to the Tony Awards, and most people thought she missed the mark completely. According to Mail Online, Lewinsky looked “frumpy” in the red gown, which wasn’t very flattering at all. She paired the dress with gold pumps, which may have been fine in some other circumstance, but in this instance, they looked rather tacky.

According to Yahoo! News, the look was just too matchy-matchy, and didn’t work for Lewinsky, who is clearly making a career move this year.

“For a woman her age (Lewinsky is in her 40s now), it reads just a bit too young. While the silhouette is lovely, the lace bodice, with white underlay, is a bit distracting. Also matching the red-hot shade to her clutch was a slightly prom-y move (even more so if the shoes completed the trifecta).”

Monica Lewinsky in a red prom-like dress at the Tony Awards certainly didn’t do much for her ego. While she undoubtedly looked “bold,” it’s hard to applaud her on her fashion sense, especially when she steps out in numbers like this.

Pictures: simple wedding dresses

Lewinsky attends the 2015 Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on June 7, 2015 in NYC.

However, people seem to really like Lewinsky, even if she doesn’t wear the best outfits to red carpet events. After spending many years out of the spotlight, Lewinsky gave quite the TED Talk back in March. She addressed cyberbullying by relating her own situation (with Bill Clinton), and she explained the importance of putting an end to these intimidating and threatening messages.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Lewinsky referred to herself as “Patient Zero” of the cyberbullying epidemic.

“Not a day goes by that I am not reminded of my mistake, and I regret that mistake deeply … In 1998, after having been swept up in an improbable romance, I was then swept up into the eye of a political, legal and media maelstrom like we had never seen before. It was the first time traditional news was usurped by the Internet, a click that reverberated around the whole world,” she said at the time.

So, while Monica Lewinsky’s red prom-like dress at the Tony Awards wasn’t a hit, she is certainly using her bit of fame to do good in the world. Regardless of what she chooses to wear, many people seem to like her message, and that’s more important than any dress.

Monica Lewinsky wore a red prom-like dress to the Tony Awards, and most people thought she missed the mark completely. According to Mail Online, Lewinsky looked “frumpy” in the red gown, which wasn’t very flattering at all. She paired the dress with gold pumps, which may have been fine in some other circumstance, but in this instance, they looked rather tacky. According to Yahoo! News, the look was just too matchy-matchy, and didn’t work for Lewinsky, who is clearly making a career move this year. “For a woman her age (Lewinsky is in her 40s now), it reads just a bit too young. While the silhouette is lovely, the lace bodice, with white underlay, is a bit distracting. Also matching the red-hot shade to her clutch was a slightly prom-y move (even more so if the shoes completed the trifecta).” Monica Lewinsky in a red prom-like dress at the Tony Awards certainly didn’t do much for her ego. While she undoubtedly looked “bold,” it’s hard to applaud her on her fashion sense, especially when she steps out in numbers like this. image: http://cdn.inquisitr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/GettyImages-476293042-466x700.jpg Lewinsky attends the 2015 Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on June 7, 2015 in NYC. However, people seem to really like Lewinsky, even if she doesn’t wear the best outfits to red carpet events. After spending many years out of the spotlight, Lewinsky gave quite the TED Talk back in March. She addressed cyberbullying by relating her own situation (with Bill Clinton), and she explained the importance of putting an end to these intimidating and threatening messages. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Lewinsky referred to herself as “Patient Zero” of the cyberbullying epidemic. “Not a day goes by that I am not reminded of my mistake, and I regret that mistake deeply … In 1998, after having been swept up in an improbable romance, I was then swept up into the eye of a political, legal and media maelstrom like we had never seen before. It was the first time traditional news was usurped by the Internet, a click that reverberated around the whole world,” she said at the time. So, while Monica Lewinsky’s red prom-like dress at the Tony Awards wasn’t a hit, she is certainly using her bit of fame to do good in the world. Regardless of what she chooses to wear, many people seem to like her message, and that’s more important than any dress.

Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield are apparently working on their relationship. The couple has been spotted on various dates during the past week. Now, it looks like Emma and Andrew could also be planning a future wedding.

A new report claims that Stone and Garfield were spotted shopping for an engagement ring in New York City. The couple also went on a dinner date on Tuesday night. During their date, Stone wore a gray T-Shirt with white pants and a leather jacket.

As for Andrew, he looked younger and fresher than his usual typical scruff self, according to the Daily Mail.

“Andrew, looking more rugged of late, wore a youthful beanie hat to cover up his long hair.”

The actor also wore a gray sweater, black skinny jeans, and black New Balance sneakers to complete his look.

In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, Garfield revealed that he would like to be a father someday.

“I have a longing to be a father myself. Being a dad is something I’d to be at some point.”

Pictures: wedding dress

That very interview fueled the wedding rumors about Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield. In fact, the wedding rumors have been hounding the couple ever since they began dating. Back in 2013, Us Weekly claimed that Emma and Andrew were already discussing marriage.

According to a new report in HollywoodLife, Andrew can’t live without Emma. He wanted to shower his girlfriend with gifts and promises. According to the alleged source, Emma may call the shots in their relationship, but she was won over by his affection.

“Emma is an adorable girl, and she called the shots in that relationship. She had the courage to take a break and focus on herself for a while – while he went and did a movie on the other side of the world. But he couldn’t live without her. He called her all the time from Taiwan begging for another chance, and she gave it to him. He’s been showering her with gifts and promises, but there are a lot of people that question if things will really change in the long run.”

Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield announced that they were taking a break earlier this year due to their hectic schedules. A new report then claimed that Garfield cheated on Stone with a one-night stand. Now, friends are concerned that Stone and Garfield are getting back together for all the wrong reasons. Not only is the couple focused on fame, but they also have their hearts set on marriage.

What are your thoughts on Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield’s relationship? Do you think their relationship will last this time around? Do you think they should get married? Share your thoughts below in the comments section.

Let’s face it. Weddings are as much about planning and preparation as they are about love and togetherness. The day one gets married is one of the most important days in a person’s life, and most people hope to have only one such day.

Getting married and inviting 200 of your ‘closest’ friends to the wedding reception is one of the most important – and expensive – undertakings in the lives of young couples the world over.

Needless to say, the pressure to make it perfect can be unsurmountable and most people prefer to let someone else take the headache.

A customised destination wedding package should fit the style, needs and budget of your client. You as an expert will be there for the client every step along the way – before, during and after the wedding – handling all the details, so they can focus on the joyous occasion.

Some things you will need to consider are the group size and availability of hotels and flights on the dates, assistance with completing necessary legal requirements and paperwork, managing travel arrangements, entertainment and outings for the whole wedding party, and round-the-clock customer service for the client.

Pictures: red bridesmaid dresses

THAILAND

The international wedding and honeymoon market in Thailand is valued at around 30 billion baht ($89.1 million) per year or about three per cent of the overall tourism revenue.

Thailand as the wedding and honeymoon destination offers a variety of impressions either with a cultural or beach atmosphere. Thailand’s hotels in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Samui and other destinations have the capability to arrange weddings of varying sizes and themes.

Juthaporn Rerngronasa, Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) acting governor and deputy governor for International Marketing – Europe, Africa, Middle East and Americas says, “TAT recognises the potential of the wedding tourism segment, as it helps generate revenue to the Thai economy, both directly to the tourism industry and to the grassroots level. In expanding the destination wedding market, we see the opportunity to increase income for various business sectors – transportation, accommodation, venues, food and beverages, local supplies, and so on.”

Thailand is one of the world’s popular wedding and honeymoon destinations, an acclaim that is backed by several awards and honours. Earlier this year, Thailand was named Asia’s Sexiest Romance/Honeymoon Destination by the US-based Recommend magazine’s readers, and one of the world’s Best Honeymoon Destinations for 2015 by Fordors.com. In addition, the paradise island of Samui was listed by Veryfirstto.com as one of the top ten romantic destinations in the world alongside cities; such as, Paris and Venice.

ITALY

Be it Tuscany, Amalfi Coast or Florence, you just cannot go wrong with a wedding in the country that invented la dolce vita (the sweet life). Art, ancient history, ethereal vistas, top-notch cuisine and abundant grape – what more can one ask for?

April through June, September, and October are the best times to explore Italy, mainly owing to the mild temperatures and smaller crowds. August can be quite hot, and many shops, hotels, and restaurants may be closed as it’s the time the Italians take off on a break. Winters in the north are cold and rainy, while the south stays on the warmer side.

The small village lining the Lake Como region to the big cities such as Milan packed with art, architecture, fine dining and fashion, northern Italy offers wedding destinations galore. There are ample shopping opportunities for the fashion-savvy wedding party in Milan. In Venice, there are the romantic gondola rides through the canals. Cruise around Lake Como and the guests may find themselves in the company of George Clooney or Richard Gere, as both have homes here.

Notable properties in the North of Italy are Fonte de’ Medici, a cluster of farmhouses tucked away in the Tuscan vineyards between Florence and Sienna; Hotel Principe di Savoia, a one-stop shop for couples looking to plan a sophisticated Italian weekend with a youthful edge; Villa d’Este, Cernobbia, a regal former sixteenth-century residence for European aristocrats; Grand Hotel et de Milan, and many more.

While the north has its ample charms, it’s hard to beat southern Italy’s natural beauty, with its majestic peaks, gentle valleys, and lovely coastline. Couples with a slightly adventurous and brave demeanour could tour the Catacombs of the Capuchins, which contain thousands of mummified bodies. Less macabre activities include the cathedral at San Giorgio dei Genovesi, where Sicily’s kings and queens are buried; a drive to Piazza Armerina, a town with a spectacular hilltop view; and a day at Mount Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe.

Some hot wedding properties here are San Domenico Palace, offering sweeping views of Mount Etna; Massimo Plaza Hotel, the perfect setting for a princess bride; Grand Hotel Ortigia, and more.

SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa’s arid heartland, the Karoo, a vast, semi-desert area lying in the middle of the country and taking up 40 per cent of the country, is fast becoming a favoured wedding destination. Karoo weddings offer the whole romance package at much lower prices than regular urban venues.

Accommodating large numbers of guests in the Karoo is easy in the bigger centres like Graaff-Reinet, Beaufort-West, Oudtshoorn, Calvinia and Cradock. A team of hairdresser, photographer, make-up artist, flower arranger, caterer or décor specialist all come as part of the wedding package.

Cradock in the Eastern Cape, for instance, is a little river town with a church that’s a spitting image of St Martin in the Fields in Trafalgar Square, London. It offers a heritage street of Victorian cottages that can accommodate more than 170 guests.

If the arid heartland of South Africa is too obscure, go for well-established resort properties instead. Located on the eastern head of Knysna on the exquisite western Cape coast, Conrad Pezula Resort & Spa is set on South Africa’s famous Garden Route between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth; a haven of peace, privacy and luxury.

The resort boasts 76 exquisitely appointed junior suites and two grand suites, and has indoor and outdoor facilities to cater up to 140 guests. The resort offers wedding rewards such as complimentary overnight accommodation in a deluxe suite, exclusive accommodation rates for guests and the assistance of weddings specialists catering to personalised needs. The hotel also offers a variety of on-site activities for guests including archery, canoeing, golf, hiking and more.

SEYCHELLES

Seychelles, a breathtakingly beautiful archipelago of 115 islands is only a few hours away and there’s no need for a visa. The Seychelles islands have an immense diversity and variety with a wide range of unspoiled islands, some of the most beautiful and deserted beaches in the world, untouched forests and bird sanctuaries, facilities and accommodation to detailed insights into niche interests such as sailing, diving, fishing, romance, flora and fauna.

While it’s true that Seychelles is renowned for having some of the most gorgeous beaches on earth, framed by some of the world’s oldest and most magnificent granite boulders, a Seychelles weddings can be so much more than just sun, sea and sand. At the top end of the hospitality market are properties that offer ultimate luxury accommodation with personal butlers in exclusive and secluded villa-style accommodations with private swimming pools affording total privacy and exclusivity for the big-budget weddings.

With an increased focus on the needs of the Arabic traveller, key hotels and resorts now offer Arabic cuisine, Arabic-speaking staff as well as kids’ clubs and programmes for the family traveller. These hotels and resorts are flexible in their service offering and are able to meet the personalised service requirements of the discerning Middle East traveller.

Although the Seychelles is blessed with the perfect weather around the year, with temperatures ranging between 24° and 32° Celsius, the southeast trade winds from May until September, ensure a drier and cooler climate, perfect for an outdoor wedding. Unlike its Indian Ocean neighbours, the Seychelles lies beyond the cyclone belt.

MAURITIUS

Mauritius is among the top five best places to get married on our list, thanks to its stunning scenery, warm tropical climate and the natural hospitality of the Mauritian people. Most hotels offer extensive wedding and honeymoon packages and have their own experienced wedding coordinator who will organise every last detail making your job easier.

In Mauritius it is possible to say ‘I do’ many metres below the Indian Ocean in a glorious underwater wedding experience. For those couples searching for a more traditional location on the island, with a surface area of 2,040 square kilometres, however, there are several options available.

On a private island just off the coast of Mauritius such as the beautiful Île des Deux Cocos, a location so beautiful it will make the wedding extra special.

When in Mauritius, the wedding can be conducted in an old colonial house, where a friendly Creole mama will help prepare the bride for her big moment, following age-old traditions. Colourful Indian weddings are a common sight, as are services in one of the island’s ancient cathedrals.