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Register For Your Wedding the Healthy Way

FitSugar — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 10:15:00 -0700

It's never too early to get in shape for your wedding, but you also can't be blamed for thinking about the wedding gifts right off the bat. You can go the traditional route and register for home and kitchen items, or you can mix it up with some fitness-related finds, from tandem bikes to gym memberships.

I was actually surprised to find a number of online retailers that let you register for fitness-related gifts. Even if you're already married or not getting hitched anytime soon, these make great gift ideas for any fit newlyweds on your list. To see what I've come up with, read more.

Yoga and Pilates Gear: Alternative online retailer Gaiam has a gift registry where you can choose from yoga gear and DVDs, as well as Pilates accessories and exercise balls.
At-Home Fitness Equipment: Through Amazon's wedding registry, you can register for items like treadmills, dumbbells, and other gym equipment for your new love nest.
Outdoorsy Options: Hiking and camping enthusiasts should check out the gift registry at REI, where you can shop for everything from climbing and cycling gear to tandem kayaks.

Did any of you register for fitness-related wedding gifts? If so I'd love to hear your stories. To see all of our wedding coverage, check out IDoSugar.com.

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Cool Idea: Hanging Wedding Flowers

CasaSugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 07:45:03 -0700

Miss Cherry Pie recently posted photos of her hanging wedding flowers. She's still perfecting the idea, but I think they look great already. She writes that she "spent some time this weekend with my shepherd’s hooks and cache of jars working out how to attach one to the other. First, I picked out 20 jars of a similar smallish size, and set them aside. Then, I went a-crafting. I took a trip down to Michael’s to pick up some wraphia (aka raffia), a natural-looking, grassy ribbon that’s strong enough to use as a hanger."

Then, she tied the wraphia around the mouth of each jar, fashioning a handle out of it, and hung them from the shepherd's hook. This is such a lovely, simple idea for displaying large flowers. It's a beautiful, easy arrangement for any couple planning a DIY wedding.

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Cool Idea: A Haunted Wedding

CasaSugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:00:29 -0700

After I wrote my post about California haunted houses, one of my Sugar friends emailed me to say that she'd actually gotten married in one of them!

She writes, "I got married at Madrona Manor in Healdsburg. It’s such a beautiful old house, and the grounds are absolutely breathtaking. The main house is the part that’s supposed to be haunted, and I have to admit, it is a little creepy. It’s charming and old-fashioned, full of gorgeous antiques, but it absolutely feels like a haunted house. We held our ceremony in the gardens, our reception on the patio, and stayed in a carriage house behind the main building, so we pretty much avoided the potentially haunted areas entirely (and that wasn’t an accident)!"

Have you ever attended a wedding in a haunted home, or someplace that was rumored to house spirits? Tell me about your experience in the comments!

Photo courtesy Kristyn Stroble Photography

Cool Idea: A Romeo and Juliet-Style Wedding (Without Tragedy)

CasaSugar — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:15:46 -0700

If you're a fan of Shakespearean romance (without, you know, the death and deception), then consider heading to Verona to get married on the same balcony where Juliet supposedly lived. The balcony is located on the second floor of the supposed 14th-century Casa di Giulietta (home of Juliet) in Verona, Italy. While Italian folklore claims that the balcony was part of the home of the Renaissance-era Cappellos (supposedly the family portrayed in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet as the Capulets), there is no solid evidence to confirm this claim.

However, if you're still into the fantasy, starting in April you can get married on the balcony for a fee of 1,000 euros ($1,300 for us non-Europeans, unfortunately). This payment will ensure you rental of the house (and balcony) for a wedding, although the ceremony itself will be performed inside the home. However, an after-service kiss on the balcony outside sounds fabulously romantic, yes? Contact the Verona Tourist Center for all the details.

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Fit and Fun Engagement Parties

FitSugar — Tue, 12 May 2009 03:00:00 -0700

Weddings call for many celebrations, but all those parties don't need to be formal affairs. There are many fun ways for you to celebrate your engagement and bring guests together without having to stress about seating arrangements. Here are a few of my ideas for healthy and fun engagement parties.

Garden party: In my mind, a garden party is just a little more formal than a BBQ, but games are a featured activity nonetheless. You can play badminton and croquet. The Italian lawn game bocce ball is a fun way to engage (pun intended) guests of all ages. I also like that the Italian word for kiss, bacio, sounds a lot like bocce - it adds a romantic twist to the game.

Healthy cooking class: Many chefs, restaurants, and catering companies offer hands-on cooking classes, where every guest gets to play chef. Guests are placed into small groups to prepare different dishes. At the end of the class, you all sit down to eat the feast you created. Many of these schools allow you to participate in planning the menu, so you can opt for healthier fare.

See my third idea when you read more.

Square dance: How long has it been since you have been to a square dance? Not only does a square dance offer the perfect opportunity to wear your fave cowboy boots, but you will also burn some serious calories while you do-si-do. This is a great way for everyone to mingle.

Need more wedding inspiration? Check out all of the Sugar network’s wedding coverage here.

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Cool Idea: Floating Flower Balls

CasaSugar — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 08:00:45 -0700

This photo, which was taken at a destination wedding planned by Alison Events, took my breath away when I spotted it. The wedding, a black-tie beach wedding in Mexico, featured a giant floral arch that overlooked the ocean, tequila shot toasts, fireworks, and these stunning floating flower balls. I'm in love with the idea of covering the surface of a pool with these oversize floral decorations.
These flower balls would look great at an outdoor semi-formal party, too. Have you ever been to a celebration that used something similar?

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How-To: Decorate With Parasols

CasaSugar — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 10:00:28 -0700

Whether you're planning on updating your home with a fresh Spring look or planning a wedding or outdoor party, parasols can really add a festive element to your decorating scheme. And since they're quite inexpensive, you can afford to go big with your parasol party props. To get some ideas, check out the slideshow.
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Five Honeymoon Ideas For Foodies

YumSugar — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 03:00:20 -0700

Yesterday I gave you some tips about scoring restaurant reservations on your honeymoon, but how about planning an entirely food-centric getaway? Many galloping gourmets choose a destination city known for its dining - think Las Vegas, New York, and London - but you can also take it a step further and give your whole honeymoon a culinary flavor. Here are five honeymoon ideas for food-loving couples.

Plan a getaway at a cooking school. Many of the world's top culinary academies offer vacations that combine cooking instruction with relaxation.
Choose a resort with cooking classes. Just interested in a slight food focus? Some upscale resorts, such as the Four Seasons, offer one-off cooking courses that you can take during a stay.

For more tips on planning your wedding go to IDoSugar. To see three more ideas, read more.

Traverse a food and wine region. Rather than just picking a city with great restaurants, tour a region known for its gastronomical delights, such as California's Napa Valley, New York's Hudson Valley, Tuscany, or the Australian wine country.
Buy a culinary travel package. If you don't want to plan your own tour, there are a number of companies, such as Culinaria and Artisans of Leisure that offer package tours designed with foodies in mind and focused specifically on the wine and food of different regions.
Get away with a private chef. If a relaxing beach or wilderness vacation is more your thing, rent a private villa or house and hire a private chef to cook for you for a week.

For all of our wedding coverage, visit IDoSugar!

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Cool Idea: String Theories

CasaSugar — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 08:30:15 -0700

I'm always keeping an eye out for unexpected centerpieces for your next party. This pretty alternative to flowers, which was created by New York event designer David Stark, was fashioned by first shaping wire into floral shapes. Then, biodegradable sisal twine was carefully wound around the wire forms. The unexpected effect is equal parts modern art and kindergarten craft project - definitely an effect I love. I think this would look great on tables at an Autumn wedding, and it looks so easy to make that if you were going to be DIYing your wedding, you could involve a number of friends and relatives in the process of making these.
If you're interested in seeing more of Stark's ideas for centerpieces, check out the slideshow at The New York Times.

Marilyn K. Yee for The New York Times

Money Talk: If a Meal Is Comped Should You Still Tip?

Savvy Community — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:45:31 -0800

This sticky tip etiquette question comes from Angelica, part of our Money Talk group.

I had brunch with a pal recently at a fairly upscale new restaurant and the entire experience was a bust. We had just worked out and were starving so we put in our order as soon as we sat down. Unfortunately, there was a mix-up over who our server was and we ended up waiting over an hour for our food. When we realized how long it had been and finally caught a waiter, my friend politely reminded her when we'd ordered and the waiter said our meal was next up. That was a lie because they served two tables ahead of us, and when our food did arrive (about 15 minutes later!), my friend's order was wrong. Ultimately, the manager came by the table to apologize and let us know our bill would be comped. When we were finished with our very long brunch, I wanted to leave a tip because I was impressed they were gracious about their mistake, but my friend didn't like the idea of rewarding them after the wait and messed up order. We settled on what was probably a 10 percent tip after agreeing it was kind of them to comp the meal. Do you think we should have left a tip for good measure, or do you think it was unnecessary considering the service?

Join our Money Talk group and dish your awkward money and finance experiences, learnings, and tales! Have a post you want to see featured on SavvySugar? Private message me here to pitch your ideas. I can't wait to hear them.