Sitting here in Cayman, I got to thinking about beach weddings and how you can still have a ton of style no matter where you choose to get married. I would suggest staying away from the tuxedo though, as beaches are known to bit quite warm and standing out there in a black tux with your bow tie may be a bit much. But never fear, there are plenty of alternatives; I have chosen to talk about 3 to start you thinking.

It’s A Casual Beach Party With A Wedding Thrown In

Don’t get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with this, your wedding…your style! For a simple beach wedding most guys go for the white short sleeved shirt and khaki shorts, well the wedding is simple but your style doesn’t have to be. If you want to stick with a white shirt you can, but style it up a notch. Instead of a plain shirt head over to www.englishlaundry.com and take a look at what they offer. Short or long sleeved, these shirts will add style to any event. For the shorts, chuck the boring khakis and maybe try a pattern, if you can, get a cool pair of shorts with a pattern (can even be a simple check or plaid design) that match your wedding colors. Grab a funky pair of cargo shorts and keep the rings in one of the many pockets, maybe put some other surprises in there you can pull out during the ceremony. Please stay away from the “man-pri’s” though. Yeah you know what I’m talking about.

Oh Yeah! That’s Been Done

Khaki pants with a shirt, jacket and maybe a tie. Wow how original. Yeah, I get down on khaki stuff. Why you ask? Well because it’s been done. I have seen countless pictures of beach weddings and for the most part they all have one thing in common. Khaki pants and some sort of shirt. You don’t want your wedding to look like everyone else’s so put a little thought into it yeah. I’m not meaning to offend anyone here but you have so many other choices. A light grey suit, you don’t have to wear the jacket, if you go with a tie, don’t tie it tight, unbutton that top button and wear the tie casual. I like a double Windsor knot for effect (it’s bigger…”that’s what she said”) Get the tie in your wedding color, your bride will love that you thought of that little detail. Instead of the jacket, wear a vest. They are classic and in being so never go out of style. I was chatting with a groom the other day and he is getting married in Jamaica, we discussed a few choices and he settled on the one he felt comfortable with…I can’t wait to see the pictures, and by the way Congratulations Chris.

Takin’ It All Up A Notch

If you want to go all out, get a slim fitting white suit. Hell, get the jacket with tails if you like. It’ll look amazing and you won’t be super hot in the sun. Outfit your groomsmen in light grey and those pictures will look stunning. You and your bride in white with the color pop of the tropical ocean behind you. Wow dude…that’s a keeper! Tails are often over looked when choosing a suit and granted, they are not for everyone but if you can pull off the style you’ll have the whole island talking about your wedding. You can also go with the funk, I love this jacket but my wife is not a fan so if you do want to funk it up, I suggest letting your fiancé know your plans

Simon’s Gutsy Groom Advice

The beach is a simple place, add some style to it, make those heads turn and the people talk. Do as much as you feel comfortable with but don’t push it. You need to feel good and be secure in your wedding attire or you will feel out of place all day and that sucks! Shoes are also a really cool way to add style to your beach wedding, but don’t get me started on shoes.

Hats are always good for a beach, but get a nice one, and I suggest if you’re getting your wedding party hats, get your guys ones that match but are different than yours. A set of sunglasses for your guys also makes a great gift. Place some coolers around with ice and water in them for your guests and have your best man hang onto a bottle for you just in case. Always make sure you have a pocket for Kleenex in case you need to rescue your bride from some tears and be careful putting the ring on her, the warm weather makes fingers swell, don’t jam it on there.

You can do pretty much anything on the beach, book a nude beach and have an au natural wedding if that’s what you want…but make sure it’s a nude beach first ok guys! If that’s not your thing, wear a black bow tie and crisp white Speedo, the choices are up to you. I will leave you with this one chunk of advice, no matter what color the suit, the shoes should always match the belt…

Brown shoes + white suit + a shirt= A BROWN BELT!

Your honeymoon can be the best trip of your life or it can be a complete and total let down.

Hey- it’s sad but it’s true. The honeymoon gets all built up to be this dream trip but truthfully, it’s just another trip.

Sorry to burst your bubble ladies but I know you love me because I’m totally straight up with you. I’ve heard lots of stories of disappointing honeymoons from it raining the whole time in the tropics to catching the flu to being too exhausted after the wedding to enjoy it at all. And I can tell you that my honeymoon was one that we came back from saying “do over.”

When Simon and I got married not only was I planning our wedding but about a dozen others. We only had time to go to Vancouver for our honeymoon as I had another wedding 2 weeks after our own. But we’d booked ourselves into a really high-end hotel and since neither of us had really been to Vancouver much before we thought it would be a great time. What ended up happening is that I was so exhausted I got sick the first night and left my husband to watch a Bruce Willis movie alone while I slept in his lap, our high end hotel did not live up to the hype (at all), and we ended up sitting on the beach in Vancouver so weary and exhausted that we came home a day early…. Yep, definitely a “do over.”

But that’s the thing about honeymoons, the idea around them builds up your expectations almost as much as they’re built up for the wedding so it’s really disappointing if things don’t go well. But I’m going to give you some tips that I’ve learned over the years when it comes to planning successful honeymoons.

3 Tips to Having A Great Honeymoon

1. Don’t leave right after the wedding – If you leave right after your wedding to go on your honeymoon then you have to book extra time at your destination because you are going to need at least 3 days to recover from the exhaustion that is your wedding. I suggest, give yourself those 3 days at home, don’t work and don’t entertain stragglers from your wedding. Take time to nap at home with your honey, pack for your honeymoon, and unwrap your gifts (but wait until you get back for the Thank you cards). Just give yourself some actual downtime in your own environment. Then leave for your honeymoon rested and ready for a romantic romp.
2. Be cool with the weather – You’ve got to decide that you’re going to be cool with the weather on your honeymoon even if it isn’t ideal. If you’re going somewhere tropical and it rains the whole time there’s only so much time you can spend in the room (sorry husbands). Research some indoor activities in case the weather does not suit your original plans. Then at least you’ll still have some fun outings together and good memories
3. Choose a destination that truly suits you – Most people think that a honeymoon has to be somewhere tropical but it doesn’t. Your honeymoon could even be somewhere that’s only a couple hours away by car. The important thing is that it’s a trip together to enjoy being newly married. You could go to a lakeside cabin an hour from your house if the two of you love fishing and that’s what you really want to do. Maybe you’d prefer hitting up a city like New York and taking in all the urban highlights. And if the tropics are for you figure out if you’re an all inclusive kind of couple, or would you prefer a boutique hotel where you can dine at various restaurants or maybe a condo with a BBQ is the best choice for you.
4. Make him the fun coordinator – Chances are you’ve planned most of the wedding and maybe you’ve planned the honeymoon too. That’s a lot to take on. Let him know that when you go off on your honeymoon that he’s the designated fun coordinator. He can plan some activities and surprises for the two of you. It’ll be great to let go after everything falling on your shoulders for the wedding and he’ll probably get really into it.

Ciara’s Bridal Advice

Just realize that the honeymoon truly is just another trip. It’s the first of many trips as a married couple. If the honeymoon isn’t great, then plan a “do over.” Simon and I have had many “do over’s” with simple trips locally to Banff and Lake Louise to more elaborate vacations to Cabo San Lucas, Australia, Ireland, Maui and coming up the Grand Caymans. The honeymoon is the first of many trips together so don’t let it stress you out.

If you’re looking for somewhere tropical then I suggest Sandals. Just click here for access to the latest information on their various properties.

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It’s Ciara and Simon Daykin here and we’re in Wailea, Maui. We’re having fun in the sun but watch for some great She & He Plan Wedding videos filled with tips for your wedding (even if it’s not in the tropics), destination wedding and honeymoon. Here are some pictures from when we arrived and rented a JEEP (our fav mode of transportation anywhere we go) and the view from our condo. We’re off to the beach today so we’ll catch you later.

So everyone is boo-hooing over the current economy. I say SCREW THE ECONOMY, choose not to participate in the “recession” and go have that dream stag. Gutsy Groom has a few condos down Las Vegas way and you have access to them. You know what that means? No crazy Casino room rates, and thanks to the economy…flights are cheap! This is a great time to take advantage of being a loyal reader of the Gutsy Groom ezine and book that condo. We offer a full program that not only includes the condo, but dude, we’ll stock your bar, set you up with food for a BBQ night and yes, we are located on the strip, 5 minutes from the airport and the shuttle to the casino’s are FREE! We also offer custom programs for you and your guys depending on what you need.
Oh, and I still have a few tickets to the Playboy Mansion Party on June 6th, but they be going FAST!!!

Just got back from 2 meetings in Hermosa Beach, Cali. What amazing weather we had, and the energy down there is great. It was a bit of a shock to get back home and have to face the snow. Seems a little better now though, at least I can see blue skies and the sun. Before we were out in Cali, we had the pleasure of spending the weekend as the guests of The Chateau Lake Louise. We got a full tour of the hotel and all the ballrooms, we even got to head into the kitchen and chat with the chefs. I have to say, the experience was amazing. If you’re looking for a Rocky Mountain Wedding and Banff just doesn’t do it for you, take a look at Lake Louise. You’ll be glad you did. We’re jetting off to Maui next week for a meeting, but we’re going to be touring the Four Seasons to take some notes, so if you’re looking to get married in Maui, I’ll have some notes for you when I get back.

Firefly Occasions is proud to be a sponsor of the VIBE 98.5 $98,000 Dream Destination Wedding Contest! 

For rules or to enter, Click Here now!

The Top 10 Finalists will be announced Friday, February 13th, and the WINNER will receive an entire wedding package for a dream destination wedding in Jamaica (including a Bon Voyage party from Firefly Occasions)!

Click the link below for more details!

Are you craving a wedding venue that goes above and beyond anything you could ever find close to home?  Then maybe a destination wedding would be right for you.  Romantic and unforgettable are two words that come to mind when I think of destinations… but there are also some things you need to keep in mind while planning.

1. Plan on making at least a couple trips to your wedding destination before the big day.  You will need to do so to find and secure key venues (church, reception site, hotel, etc.) AND to schedule tastings, sample bouquets, do a test run with your hair and/or makeup person… let’s just say that you will want these trips in themselves to be well-planned in order to fit everything in!

One way you can minimize some of this is to bring people from home.  Do NOT hesitate to fly in talent you trust from home for things such as photography, hair and makeup, etc.  Flowers may be a little harder to fly (bouquets and such) but if you really want to, where there’s a will there’s a way!

If you do end up having to hire some vendors sight unseen, make sure you get lots of pictures and at least three references from them.  Do your research so you know what you’ll be getting!

2. Tell your bridal party about your destination plans before you ask them to be in your wedding.  They will appreciate it, in case they need to gracefully decline if their finances are a little tight.  On the same note, do not be upset if some of your closest friends and family do not attend.

3. Welcome those who do make the trip with a gift basket of essentials for the trip and some things to remember it by.  They’ve gone the extra mile for you (literally), so the gift will mean a lot to them.

4. Hire a wedding planner!  Seriously.  If you sign up for a destination wedding package, you more than likely will be provided with the services of a wedding planner.  If not, you will want one to carry the burden of researching, auditioning and securing vendors.  They will also be extremely instrumental in greeting guests, coordinating activities, getting everyone to where they need to be on time, and taking care of special requests.  After all, YOU will be on vacation!