Our year in review

What a year we had in 2008! We are now sold in 311 Barnes & Noble stores across the USA from Hawaii to New York and 74 Borders bookstores. In Toronto we are at select locations across the GTA including salons in the fashionable Yorkville area. In Atlanta we are at cake designers, salons and florists like Foxglove and Ivy. High-end event planner Susan Graham has handed out both issues to her students of 'The secrets to destination wedding planning' at Emory University. The magazines were also given out in the gift bags to guests at Savvi Formal Wear/Anya Bridal summer trunk show at Villa Christina. In the Caribbean we are now distributed by Moving Magazines Inc. and are in eight islands so far but growing quickly. We are also in the rooms of select hotels, salons, spas across the region, and villas like West Coast Villas/Sotheby's International Realty in Barbados. Caribbean Bride has also been shipped to locations in the UK, Russia and even Turkey!

We have attended several trade shows this year and we handed out over 1000 copies at BMEX in Barbados this year. We have also attended Caribbean Fashion Week in Jamaica, Carnival Catwalk in St. Vincent and Caribbean Fair, which is part of Caribbean Week in Toronto put on by the Caribbean Tourism Development Corporation. Last month we launched our new blog as well and it has been quickly becoming quite popular. US bridal design house Watters has also mentioned us on their press page of www.watters.com. We are about to launch our newsletter in a few days as well. Yes...we have been quite busy!

2008 was quite an adventure for us but we have enjoyed the thrills and spills of producing a high end wedding publication. Wait until you see what we have coming for 2009!

Wishing everyone a new year filled with hope, love, and fabulous weddings.

The CB Team

We would like to say

Happy Holidays to all our friends, family, clients and viewers.

The CB Team
Dave, Jaime, Sarah, Andrea, Paula, Neil, Juliana and all of our contributors.

Totally off topic but still dealing with love

Over the weekend I had a house guest and while out at the market they decided to pick up some mangoes for me knowing my love for this divine fruit. They were the perfect colour, smell and firmness so I savoured them until that perfect moment and then prepared for the experience. NO! It tasted more like a tamarind than a mango. I was thoroughly disappointed at this false advertising.
I started to think and realized that I could remember all the great mango experiences in my life. Please tell me I am normal and everyone has their greatest fruit moments memorized. I remember the mango I had coming home from school when I was about 10 yrs old that I saved for a few days and then dropped when I was about to eat it. There were the giant mangoes that came from the mini tree of a family friend. There were the mini mangoes from the lady in my mum’s church choir that I could put all in my mouth at once. I remembered staying in the Dominican Republic for ten days and looking forward to the mangoes at the buffet at breakfast each morning. Then there is the pepper mango that I always buy at the airport in Trinidad and the mango I bought from an old woman in the hills in St. Lucia while driving to the sulphur springs. There was the mango at breakfast at my hotel on a recent trip to St. Vincent and I cannot leave out the green mango salad at the Thai restaurant on Bloor + Lansdowne.

Yes, the only thing I love more than a beautiful wedding is a delicious mango. It is an intense love affair that has been going on even before I knew what love was. My big challenge is how to combine these two passions. Mango wedding cake anyone?

Recession...part 1

For years I would hear that the wedding industry is recession proof. We were confident and untouchable as we had what everyone wanted...the dream wedding. Now as the world's economy has taken a gigantic belly flop this mantra is now being put to the test. I have been talking to friends in the industry and the outlook calls for some concern. Yes they were right, people would never stop marrying because of a recession but what we are seeing is that the price tag for the event is coming down. So instead of the $5,000 gown some people are looking for the $1,000 gown from last season, instead of the open bar at the reception and the seafood buffet people are starting to scale back their events. For the first time I can remember for many potential brides the concept of the big bad 'B' word...BUDGET...is now something that has to be established and followed. Be it a recession or not no one wants to start their lives together in debt.

So what happens next?

As stated earlier, there will still be weddings but it now forces vendors and couples to be more creative. For vendors they must look at redesigning and rebranding their services making them more in line with the changing demands of the consumers. For couples you have to look at new ways of staying on a budget but still getting that amazing wedding. There is no need to panic as creativity is not a bad thing. We will look at some ideas for both parties in another post.

The White Collection

Canada's unofficial design ambassador Alfred Sung delivered his much anticipated White Collection recently at L'Oreal Fashion Week in Toronto. This collection is soft, feminine, and romantic with the signature tailoring, workmanship and exquisite finishing you expect fron an Alfred Sung gown. Swarovski crystals, pearl-edging, and tiny loop-and-covered-button closures adorn these pieces. The designer chose angel tulle, silk essense chiffons, satins and shimmering organzas to produce this gorgeous collection.

Sung remarks, "I love beauty and what is more beautiful than a bride on her wedding day?"

Alfred Sung Bridal is sold at bridal salons across Canada, U.S.A and England.
Visit www.alfredsung.com

Special Online Ad Rates!!!

We are just about to launch our new newsletter and make some cool new updates on WWW.CARIBBEANBRIDE.COM. To celebrate we are offering 50% off our online ad rates.

Email us at advertising@caribbeanbride.com for more information.

press

Just saw two mentions of Caribbean Bride Magazine in cyberspace and I thought I would share them with you.

Caribbean Bride Magazine Promoting the Local Wedding Market

David Media Photography

Enjoy.

London to Tobago

Congratulations to Michelle and David Wild who got married in Tobago on September 6th 2008. The couple traveled from London, England and the event took place at the fabulous island getaway to the stars, the Villas at Stonehaven.

Michelle wore a gown by Collezione Sposa and David wore Giorgio Armani. The couple describes it as a non tradition affair as their aim was to make they guests feel as comfortable as possible in this romantic island setting. The Caribbean BBQ which followed the ceremony included grilled mahi mahi, baby back pork ribs, homemade mango icecream, and rum soaked pineapple in banana leaves. They were given an amazing surprise when Michelle’s Colombian family performed a traditional Colombian dance where three generations took part, from her youngest cousin (aged 4) to her grandfather.
The newlyweds honeymooned in Curacao and both stated the highlight was swimming with the dolphins at the Dolphin Academy.

Congratulations to our new Caribbean bride!...and David as well.

Photos: Graeme Ottley www.fotograe.com

Spectacle???

Listening to a recent bride talk about what she wanted for her reception she stated over and over that she wanted it to be a spectacle. Something over the top and distinct from anything guests have ever seen before. It made me think about the true purpose of the wedding reception. Is it a party to celebrate the love and style of the couple or is it a chance to show the wealth of the couple and family. Well I guess depending on the culture and your zip code it can be a bit of both.

She was talking about live animals, a helicopter, circus performers and exotic cars. The more I think about it I realize it is the word spectacle that rubs me the wrong way. There is something ostentatious and insincere about making your wedding a spectacle. Maybe I am being a bit naïve and a purist here but when I go to a wedding I go to see laughing and crying and grandparents dancing with their new in-laws. I go to see hugging, friendships new and old, fashion and the overall presentation as well. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE incredible floral design, ice sculptures, floor shows and light displays but when you start to incorporate beast and fowl and thirty member trapeze troupes is when you enter the realm of wedding production. Everyone wants their wedding to be remembered forever but it is always better to be remembered for all the right reasons. The weddings I remember are the ones I danced so much that I went home with my suit soaking wet. I remember the ones I met really interesting people and started friendships and the ones where I got to experience new foods and cultures. Go as big and bold as you want but don’t lose sight of what this day is really about. Don’t focus overly on the production and forget to dance, laugh and cry because it is one of the most special days in your life. Enjoy the moment.

Luxury For Less

Visit Cheap Caribbean for fantastic honeymoon and vacation deals!

Liquidation

Bridal gown liquidation sale at the Bridal Warehouse!
Save 50-75% off all in-stock and sample bridal gowns.

They need to make room for new inventory so this is only until stocks last.

For the gown of your dreams at a price you can afford!
www.thebridalwarehouse.net

Green Luxury Living in Grenada

Beyond Luxury Villas, owned and operated by Grenadian born developer, Perry Douglas, has completed what will be the first of fifteen new villa properties on Grenada, often referred to as the Spice Island of the Caribbean. The first luxury villa, called the Art Gallery will be available for vacation rental as of January 1, 2009.

Now living in Toronto, Douglas’ vision is a testament to his genuine dedication and love for his native island. A unique mix of contemporary style and Grenadian charm, the interior and exterior of each villa has been uniquely selected and designed by luxury home designer, Petal Douglas of PD Designs. Both she and husband Perry believe that luxury means going beyond the decor and so the couple have incorporated the experience of gracious Caribbean living into each villa vacation. The Art Gallery boasts a spectacular display of Grenada’s top artists throughout the villa. Works of art can be purchased by vacationers who rent the villa, as an endearing reminder of their stay in Grenada.
“My vision is to create a carbon neutral sustainable product which I call ‘Green Luxury Living’. Everything we do supports local economic growth, such as the promotion of local artists and the provisioning of villas with organic produce to support the local farmers” states an enthusiastic Douglas. “The villa package also includes on site 100% natural organic spa treatments, an eco-friendly saltwater pool, and our privately branded natural bath and body products manufactured right here in Grenada”.

The Art Gallery is a three-bedroom, three-bath villa, which sleeps up to 6 people and offers a private concierge service as part of an all-inclusive experience, with no tipping allowed. Amenities include maid service, cook, chef, pantry service, airport transfers, nanny and spa treatments. A car service package and a Trump International Golf Club package on nearby Canouan Island in the Grenadines are also available to vacationers upon request.

For more information call 416 358-9897 or email stay@beyondluxuryvillas.com.
Visit www.beyondluxuryvillas.com

Royal Caribbean Cruises on Sale!

Royal Caribbean is on sale for two days this Wednesday and Thursday. Book a new cruise or cruise tour departing from February 1, 2009 through May 31, 2010 and you'll receive Royal Caribbean's great low rates plus a 50% reduction in deposit and a shipboard credit that can be applied toward spa treatments, gratuities, shore excursions or any other onboard purchase. The shipboard credit will be $50 per stateroom for cruises of 3 to 5 nights, $100 per stateroom for cruises of 6 to 9 nights, and $200 per stateroom for cruises of 10 or more nights. The offer is for new bookings only, and other restrictions may apply. Go to www.royalcaribbean.com to book your perfect Royal Caribbean cruise now and book on Wednesday or Thursday (December 3 or December 4) for the shipboard credit and a lower deposit.

ALSO:
Royal Caribbean has signed a $122 million contract with the Port Authority of Jamaica to develop a new cruise ship terminal in Falmouth, a town on Jamaica's north coast. Scheduled for completion by May 2010, the Falmouth Cruise Pier will be designed to accommodate the 5400-passenger Oasis of the Seas, the largest ship ever built and the first of Royal Caribbean's Genesis Class ships.