Project Wedding Blog

We have a little something special for you today!  If you’re planning your honeymoon… or perhaps a getaway for Valentine’s day… you’re probably hoping to go somewhere extra romantic. We caught up with travel expert Fathom and they shared their picks for the ten most romantic hotels in the U.S. and Caribbean! Needless to say we’re checkin’ in to see when we can get away and book a stay at one of these romance hotspots… Enjoy daydreaming about your next vaca….

1. Wheatleigh Hotel in Lenox, Massachusetts

Photo: Courtesy of Wheatleigh Hotel

What’s to Love: Very romantic year-round, but especially during the winter months when you can make the most of your in-room fireplace. The gardens were designed by Frederick Olmstead, and the restaurant is incredible.

Good to Know: Tanglewood — the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra — is just down the road. Pack and a picnic and enjoy sonatas under the stars.

2. Twin Farms in Barnard, Vermont

Photo: Courtesy of Twin Farms

What’s to Love: Tastefully appointed everything, smack in the middle of nowhere. Super private, homey, and, even when full, feels like you have the place to yourself. Individual cottages are decorated with the owner’s incredible art collection. A hushed, darkened dining room is set up so that all parties face the fireplace and the kitchen sticks to local goods even in the depths of winter. Meals are made to order according to a pre-arrival food questionnaire; you never see a menu.

Good to know: Go here instead of the nearby ski resorts: There are a half dozen downhill trails on the property and the most fun thing ever is that they cart you around the mountain on snowmobiles. Hit the furo (Japanese soaking tub) on a cold snowy night — a car service brings you to and from the tiny shack which is hidden in the woods.

See More romantic hotels in the Northeast.

3. The Inn at Little Washington in Washington, Virginia

Photo: Courtesy of The Inn at Little Washington

What’s to Love: Consistently ranked as one of the country’s best restaurants with an eighteen room inn. Engagements and special occasions are de rigeur around here.

Good to Know: The Gamekeeper’s Cottage has a bedroom loft that’s like an elegant treehouse.

4. The Villa by Barton G. in Miami, Florida

Photo: Courtesy of The Villa by Barton G.

What’s to Love: Opulent and very private ten-suite villa and restaurant located in the heart of South Beach. Stunning Italian features like the Thousand Mosaic Pool.

Good to know: Yes, this used to be Casa Casuarina, the infamous former home of Gianni Versace.

See More romantic hotels in the South.

5. Wandawega Lake Resort in Elkhorn, WI

Photo: Courtesy of Wandawega Lake Resort

What’s to Love: A Prohibition-era summer camp turned artist retreat with every camp activity from canoeing to archery. A favorite with musicians, artists, and adventurer types.

Good to Know: If you book a teepee, boy scout cabin, or the three-story treehouse, bring extra batteries for your flashlight.

See More romantic hotels in the Midwest.

6. Auberge du Soleil in Rutherford, California

Photo: Courtesy of Auberge du Soleil

What’s to Love: Built as if it grew out of the hillside with an unobstructed view of the Napa Valley. Quiet elegance, privacy, very peaceful.

Good to Know: The service is immediate and understated. There’s no reason to leave your thoughtfully stocked room, but you should for a magical dinner at the restaurant up the hill. The atmosphere is an intersection of nature and elegance.

7. Farmhouse Inn in Russian River Valley, California

Photo: Courtesy of Farmhouse Inn

What’s to Love: Tucked away in the backwoods of beautiful Sonoma, the dreamy hotel has a fireplace in every room, fluffy feather beds, and huge soaking tubs. In the lobby, there are different kinds of homemade bath salts and soaps and they hand you warm chocolate chip cookies and cold milk when you check in.

Good to Know: Rent a car. The Michelin-starred restaurant is amazing and there are several low-key wineries within a short drive. Take the on-site wine class taught by the restaurant’s sommelier.

8. Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, California

Photo: Courtesy of Beverly Hills Hotel

What’s to Love: Old-school glamour, secluded bungalows, and the best chopped salad and fries in the world. (Along with the occasional Reese Witherspoon sighting).

Good to Know: It just had a massive renovation, so it’s very old-meets-new.

See More romantic hotels in the West.

9. Carlisle Bay in St. Mary’s, Antigua

Photo: Courtesy of Carlisle Bay.

What’s to Love: There is a European vibe here that makes it feel far away. Very good spa, beach barbecues, and minimalist, tasteful rooms add to the overall Zen aesthetic.

Good to Know: For true romance, book dinner on the jetty for just the two of you, enjoy delicious tuna tartare and beautiful candlelight.

10. Cotton House in Mustique, The Grenadines

Photo Courtesy of Cotton House

What’s to Love: This place is tough to get to, so it keeps other people away. Rooms are utterly simple — billowing linens and soothing, neutral tones — with tasteful plunge pools so you never really have to leave your suite. Dinner is freshly caught lobster on the veranda; there’s a weekly island cocktail party in case you feel like socializing.

Good to know: Bring lots of sunscreen. The rays are seriously strong here.

Find more romantic hotels {here}.

Tags: Fathom Away, romantic honeymoons, top ten most romantic hotels in the U.S..

Thinking of a destination wedding?  You have to check out Ria and John’s destination wedding in Puerto Vallarta.  This lovely couple wed at Las Caletas, on a stretch of secluded beaches only accessible by boat!  We’re so please to feature the utterly gorgeous photographs by Jillian Mitchell as our Real Wedding of the Week!  Get ready to fall in love with the coral, vermillion, lime green, and teal color palette, the rustic beach reception, and the romance of Mexico!

Photographs by Jillian Mitchell

Ceremony & Reception at Las Caletas

Event Design by Las Caletas Adventure Weddings

Bridesmaid Dresses by twobirds

Bridal Gown by Lea-Ann Belter Bridal

See More…

Tags: beach, coral, Jillian Mitchell, Las Caletas, lime green, puerto vallarta, rustic, teal, vermillion.

I’m sooo excited to share this!  The founders of Project Wedding, Margaret and Joe, have started a new travel website, called Enrout.  Margaret has the inside scoop on fabulous honeymoon locales and places to stay off the beaten path… and she has hand-picked some of her favorites to share with us!  Enrout is so great for savvy travelers who are looking for an experience outside of the norm…who want to live more like a local and less like a tourist (or maybe a little bit of both)! So romantic sounding, right?  Check out the new site to find everything from charming Parisian apartments with huge windows overlooking the Eiffel Tower, to San Francisco Victorian homes complete with hardwood floors, flat-screen televisions, and a cozy armchair for reading Hemingway at night.

Our first stop is Santorini… where Margaret and Joe traveled for their honeymoon (and also where Margaret obsessively checked the PW forums every day)!  Take a peek into a spectacular Santorini Honeymoon in the {full feature}.

Tags: Enrout.com, honeymoon, romantic, Santorini.

Here’s some sunshine and color for your Wednesday afternoon!  Lety and Ryan celebrated their vows with a destination wedding on a beautiful private beach in Puerto Vallarta. Their orange and blue color palette complemented the beach vibe perfectly!  The stunning photos were captured by KLK Photography, Adventure Weddings handled the coordination and planning.

Our faves: The festive save-the-dates, fruit centerpieces, and a Mariachi band!

Photos by KLK Photography

Planning by Adventure Weddings

Tags: destination, fruit, limes, mariachi band, orange and blue, puerto vallarta.

Michelle and JP headed to warm weather, white sand beaches and tons of sunshine to say “I do.”  Before the actual wedding, they posed for some last minute e-pics with diana m. lott.  The colorful bunting is too cute, perfect against the backdrop of a vibrant island!  And polaroids?  Yes please.  It reminds me that I’ve been wanting to get my hands on one of those Fujifilm Instax cameras.

The beach ceremony was simple and scenic.  Teal accents were incorporated into the creative paper goods and fresh reception décor.  It was a day of beach wedded bliss!

Photos by diana m. lott

Coordination by Tropical Destination Management

Catering by Kissing Fish Catering

Tags: Destination Real Wedding, Diana M. Lott, teal, Turks & Caicos.

I am in love… with this wedding.  I love the colors, the vibe, the beautiful scenery… all of the special little touches… Jeff and Allison had a Día de Los Muertos- themed wedding in Sayulita, Mexico.  Allison shares all about the planning below!  A special thanks to Jillian Mitchell and Yazmin of Sea of Dreams for sharing this vibrant wedding with us!

All Photos by Jillian Mitchell

A few words from the bride:

Jeff and I chose to look into having our wedding in Sayulita based on a recommendationfrom a friend. We went for a visit in March and knew it was the place for us. At that time we also met Yazmin from Sea of Dreams Weddings and immediately could tell that she was the person to help us make it special. Close to 50 friends and family joined us for some or all of the week’s festivities. We even had a friend travel all the way from Japan to celebrate with us (and serenade us with his rendition of ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ during the reception).

Our week at Casablanca was amazing, but nothing compared to the wedding celebration. It started off with a beautiful ceremony overlooking the ocean. Once we were pronounced “husband and wife,” the mariachi band started playing. We greeted guests, took photos and began the celebrating. My highlights of the evening included sharing a churro with my two year old nephew Cooper, my one year old niece, Lucia, taking her first steps under the palapa, and some seriously great dancing. The “grand finale” of the night was a spectacular fireworks show that helped start our marriage off with a bang!

Working with Yazmin was one of the best decisions we made while planning our wedding. She really cares about her clients and takes time to understand their tastes, preferences, goals and special requests. Yazmin and Nierica provided custom decorations specifically for us and designed to our taste. The Day of the Dead bride and groom theme was a hit and we loved it! I will forever remember this day and all of the people (and Sayulita!) who helped make it amazing.

Tags: colorful, destination, dia de los muertos wedding, Mexico, offbeat, Sayulita.

Seeing this winter wedding in New Mexico makes me want to wait until next December! Held at the Tamaya Resort, Stephanie Williams Photography snapped all of the dreamy pics. I adore the bride’s wrap, gardenia bouquet, baby’s breath decor, pine cone wedding cake and most of all – the marshallow roasting around the fire! What a magical day!

Images courtesy: Stephanie Williams Photography

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I am loving the work of the talented photographer Stephanie Williams. Feast your eyes on this orange, gray and succulent-themed wedding in the quaint city of San Miguel De Allende, Mexico.

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One Lovely Day welcomes Mary, lifestyle blogger and creative bride-to-be, as she plans her fabulously fun and breezy ‘destination hometown’ wedding.  You can catch a daily dose of Mary’s style on Olivet.

I’ve been engaged for nearly 2 years and since the day I said yes, I had the hardest time finding the right location, dress, and vendors for our wedding… until two weeks ago.  My fiance, Tim, and I live in Orlando, Florida.  In early February we decided to have a ‘Destination Hometown’ wedding in Melbourne Beach, Florida (about an hour and a half away). It was really important that we find a place where guests could have a relaxing weekend and walk everywhere they need to go, including our ceremony, reception and rehearsal dinner.

Ceremony: Melbourne Beach Community Chapel

Reception: Ryckman Park

Having the reception at a public park is a great, affordable alternative to a private estate or residence. I was inspired to have an outdoor wedding after spotting this wedding in the first Martha Stewart Weddings magazine I ever bought, in Summer 2008, when I got engaged. I was instantly drawn to the details, soft colors, and overflowing flowers used in the bouquet, table settings, lanterns - everything. I recently designed an invitation suite at invitationconsultants.com (and pictured above), similar to the one used in their wedding. I loved seeing the peach favors last summer on Sunday Suppers and will be doing the same thing but with locally grown oranges (leaves still attached)!

Rehearsal: Dinner on the Beach

I love, love having dinner on the beach, it’s one of my favorite things to do. Since the beach is right across the street from the B&B and only 0.4 miles from the chapel, it was a no brainer. I quickly saved these images by Rolland Bello when I saw them on Frolic! a while back.

Stay: Port D’Hiver

Our immediate family and bridal party will be staying at the Port D’Hiver Bed and Breakfast. Port D’Hiver is a very special place. It used to be an old abandoned house when I was a little girl. My family and I used to drive past it every time we would go to the beach or visit my grandparents. I could have sworn that one day it would be torn down and turned into a CVS, but it wasn’t. About 5 years ago a couple rescued and restored it to the Bed & Breakfast that it is today. Tim’s stepdad actually did the electrical work for the project, (small world huh)?!  I think it will be the perfect place to share a great weekend and get ready for such a special day!

Other Walkable towns good for Destination Weddings:

• Santa Barbara, California
• Seaside, Florida
• Kennebunkport, Maine
• Savannah, Georgia
• Charleston, South Carolina

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Vicki emailed me the most striking images from her gorgeous tropical wedding in Bali, Indonesia…

… photos by The Photo Factory

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