10 Valentines Gift Ideas

Here are 10 ideas for him and her on that special day.

1. Michael Kors watch with rose gold.

2. All black male Michael Kors watch.

3. Buy an MP3 and fill with your loved ones favorite tunes.

4. Monogrammed robes for his and her. 

5. Passes for an adventure outing. A helicopter ride around the city, kayaking or a guided tour and picnic. 

6. Nothing says Valentines day like Chloe perfume.

7. A bath set is perfect for a friend or loved one.

8. Luxury candles set the mood and fill the room with enchanting scents.

9. A DVD set of her favorite show or a collection of her favorite Rom-Coms to watch during those nights at home.

10. The presents continue to come with the wine of the month club!

Romantic Valentines Day Ideas: A Day of Relaxation

VALENTINES DAY IDEAS

A Day of Relaxation

Ditch dinner and a movie, and spend the day in the city with your loved one. Make Saturday your Valentines Day. No one said you must celebrate on Friday. You can each choose something to do and enjoy it together. Rent a hotel room in the city to enjoy the day of relaxation to the fullest. The London NYC in Midtown West is a luxurious escape in the middle of the city, with signature touches recognized with David Collins hotels. Make a dinner reservation at one of Gordon Ramsay's restaurant in the hotel, including his restaurant Maze. But during the day, enjoy what NYC has to offer. Sleep in and order room service for brunch. Enjoy a couples massage at the spa at the Mandarin Oriental located in Columbus Circle. After you are well relaxed, enjoy tea service at Bosie: a pot of tea  or two glasses of champagne with treats, both savory and sweet. Enjoy a carriage ride through Central Park (yes, during the day), and enjoy being chauffeured around. Enjoy a show at Lincoln Center, or catch a popular Broadway show you have always wanted to see. With a day like this, the only thing you have to do is enjoy each others company. 

Romantic Valentines Day Ideas: A Night In

VALENTINES DAY IDEAS

Four days until Valentines Day and the urge to plan the perfect night/day is held by many couples. Dinner out can lose its spark, but I will present some ideas the next few days to inspire different couples new ways to spend Valentines Day.

Romantic classic

Perfect for cheese and chocolate f

Portable fireplace

Chocolate truffles, easy to make

A Night In

February is the month of love, and with the chill still in the NYC air a night in can be a perfect choice for this Valentines Day. Staying indoors allows for you and your special someone to enjoy each others company without the interruption of a waiter or the chatter of others. An intimate dinner at home is the perfect romantic moment. Continue the night by making chocolate truffles together and enjoy them with a glass of champagne. Or skip the dinner and go straight to dessert! Share some chocolate fondue with delicious treats. Set the mood with music, light the fireplace or cozy up and watch watch a romantic movie. If you have an outdoor space move the night outdoors with lots of blankets and an outdoor fire pit. 

10 Ways to Save on Your Wedding

1. Keep the guest list small - This is a way to keep costs down. Instead of inviting your parent's friend who you have only met once, keep the guest list to those who are close to you.
2. Consider non-peak dates and times - Saturday and Sunday evenings are peak dates and times for weddings You will be competing with other prides for vendors and venues. Choosing other days may also get you lower prices from your vendor because you are the only wedding that day.
3. Choosing your venue - Be creative with your venue choices. Locations outside of reception halls or venue halls can offer better deals. A Botanical garden, a friends gorgeous backyard or a Zoo may offer more affordable options.
4. Keep it together - Keeping a ceremony and reception in one venue is efficient and allows for easy travelling for guests.
5. Ceremony music - Look at local performing art schools with the possibility of hiring students to perform at the wedding. A string quartet or a piano player consisting of these talented students allows you to cut costs on the DJ and only use him for the reception.
6. Reception and cake - There are different choices that are equally wonderful for your reception. Have a lunch reception; limit your sit-down dinner to three courses; provide different stations of food favorites; have a dessert-only reception later at night. A cake can be more waste than a bride and groom anticipated. Choosing alternatives like a dessert bar or cupcakes will provide the same deliciousness that the guests will enjoy.
7. Decor choices - Flowers can be very expensive. To keep costs down, use flowers that are in-season for your wedding date. Use an abundance of candles instead of huge flower arrangements. Large Candelabras are a great elegant alternative to flowers.
8. Make it special - Have specialty drinks available for guests instead of an open bar. Creative names for the drinks that are personal to the bride and groom make the drink even more special.....and fun!
9. Photo and Video - The photographer and videographer capture the special moments throughout the day/night, but they do not have to stay the whole time. After the cutting of the cake, the dances and a bit of dancing, these vendors can leave. As the guests continue to dance, the images begin to become repetitive.
10. Hire a Wedding Coordinator!!! - Some think this is just an extra expense, but a wedding coordinator is a valuable  asset to your wedding planning process. With their vendor contacts, the coordinator is able to negotiate and get you the best price. They also help you stay on time, avoiding overtime charges from your vendors.

Valentine's day is approaching and the search for the perfect engagement ring is on the mind of some future grooms. I always say that every bride and groom are different and the engagement ring is a reflection of that. A tip to the groom: trust your instinct! Searching for the perfect ring can be overwhelming, but you know your future bride better than anyone else. There are so many ring choices available that each bride has the perfect ring out there for them! Here are some different rings that show a range of cuts, settings and styles.

Zales - 14K White gold with a round stone surrounded with smaller stones

Blue Nile- Three stone platinum setting with the opportunity to customize

Kay Jewelers- 14K Princess-cut with a white gold band

Tacori - Emerald-cut available with a white gold or platinum band. Both traditional and unique.

Tiffany & Co.- Round Brilliant with Tapered Baguettes

Tiffany & Co.- Schlumberger Rope Ring

Decor Ideas: Flower Walls

Flower walls are a creative decor choice that provide the perfect background for any picture. The wall may be made of paper flowers or real ones, equally beautiful, and equally unique, a wall of flowers can either be posh or ethereal, perfectly complimenting the feel of your special day. Paper flowers are less expensive than real flowers, but a great option that paper flowers have over real flowers is the opportunity to use colored lighting to transform the wall and focus on its beauty.

Don't only use the wall for one part of the day! Get the most out of the wall and re-purpose the wall for your reception as well as your ceremony. Place it against a wall  as the background for guests to take pictures before or place it behind the Sweetheart table highlighting the married couple. Here are some looks to give you some ideas of incorporating a flower wall into your day:

Top 5 Guest Book Alternatives

Guest Books are a keepsake for the Bride and Groom as a reminder of the family and friends that shared their special day with them. The guest book can sometimes get lost in the corner or pushed off by guests until "later". A popular trend is to eliminate the traditional guest book for more creative and personal alternatives. These are my top 5 guest book alternatives:

1. The Engagement Photo: Display engagement photos in a book, or one main picture on an easel, and allow guests to write their names and a quick message to the bride and groom.
   
2. Puzzle: The Puzzle Piece or Jenga Blocks are fun and quirky. Allow guests to write messages and set up the pieces after the honeymoon. Have fun reading the messages as you put the puzzle together, or take the Jenga tower apart!
   
3. Envelope Guest Book: I know I said alternatives to guest books, but this is very different from the traditional guest book. Guests write well wishes to the happy couple and insert it into an envelope on the page. The notes are private, only for the bride and groom to open and receive. 
   
4. Wish Tree: The wish tree allows guest to hang their well wishes for the bride and groom and their future, while creating a piece of art. Wish Trees are gorgeous decor pieces that continue to grow as guests add more wishes. A great way to preserve these wishes is to frame them. They make a gorgeous piece, that all of your guests helped to create for your home.
   
   
   
   
5. Fingerprint Tree: This is my favorite alternative. Guests press their fingerprints, in whatever color you choose, onto a tree template (or any other template like below), slowly creating the actual artwork. Guests can also initial their fingerprints.They can be customized with the names of the bride and the groom and the wedding date. Since no two fingerprints are the same, this will truly be a one-of-a-kind piece of art.