{Coming to New York} for Vera Wang

Welcome back to The Big Apple! For your third visit to Vera Wang, it's time to leave the upper quadrant and stay downtown! The Greenwich Hotel, located in Tribeca, one of the most hip neighborhoods in the city, is an oasis of luxury in the middle of the busy city. The hotel was actually envisioned by actor Robert DeNiro and his partners, and features paintings by DeNiro's father throughout the hotel. Every detail of the hotel is exquisitely and thoughtfully decorated, down to the elevators with their italian tiled floors and leather paneled walls. 

None of the 75 rooms and 13 suites are the same. They all feature Duxiana Beds, Siberian oak floors, large soaking tubs, Ipod docks, complimentary internet and organic bath amenities from McBride Beauty. The hotel hosts a restaurant, Ago, which features authentic Tuscan Cuisine as well as in room dining 24 hours a day. The hotel's Japanese influenced spa, Shibui, offers a variety of relaxing treatments to take the stress out of planning a wedding!

When you book at the Greenwich Hotel you will get access to their exclusive library, and when you book a suite with ClassicTravel.com, you will get a 30% discount VIP card at Mulberry's downtown store. 

After you visit the Vera Wang flagship store, head over to Cartier's Madison Avenue Boutique, located about 6 blocks away. No matter what style your dress is, diamonds are always a girl's best friend! While you are there, don't forget to get jewelry for yourself and your bridesmaids. This is also a good time to think about a special gift for your groom! We love this classic Ronde Louis Cartier watch, a timeless gift that will be remembered for a lifetime. To make it even more special, you can get your initials and wedding date engraved on the back. Another great idea while you are at Cartier is to get cufflinks for your groomsmen. This will ensure that on your special day everyone looks uniform, and it is a gift they will definitely use again.

For more information about this or any other hotels on ClassicTravel.com, please contact Jerry Hirshon at 212-404-6777 or at jerry@classictravel.com.

{Exciting Hotel Updates} Amazing Destination Wedding & Honeymoon Locations Give Us Details on Their Newest Deals

On Tuesday, March 24, 6 different hotel representatives and travel professionals came to visit us to give us the latest update on their deals and packages.

Brigitta Hartl-Wagner of Hotel Sacher came to tell us about their "Austrian Journey In The Age Of The Emporers" package. Imagine for your honeymoon, spending a few nights at the Hotel Sacher in Vienna, then taking the "Majestic ImperatorTrain de Luxe," modeled after the dining cars of Austria's former royalty, to the Hotel Sacher Salzburg, where you will stay for another luxurious few nights. When you book three nights at either hotel, you will be guaranteed an upgrade for the duration of your stay. Both locations offer amazing guest services and amenities such as spa treatments, and your choice of a classic or contemporary style room. 

Maria Berlese, a representative of the Alvear Palace Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina told us about the exceptional service you will receive as a guest at the hotel. "Service is our top priority," she says. The hotel has 3 employees per room, and offers a butler service for all rooms, not just suites! Everything down to the color of flowers you would prefer is taken care of. As for weddings at the hotel, The two restaurants, L'Orangerie and La Bourgogne "are the place to see and to be seen," even for the local Buenos Aires elite, and are the perfect place to hold your Argentinean Wedding. 

From the same company, Ana Carla Polla of the astoundingly beautiful Llao Llao Hotel & Resort wowed us wish photos of the Hotel, situated in the middle of a national park. They recently constructed a new wing with larger rooms, air conditioning and private balconies that look to the mountains and sorrounding lake. This location is ideal for your honeymoon because of the variety of activities offered. They offer pilates classes, tango lessons, mountain biking trips and the hotel touts a championchip golf course, which is only $40 for hotel guests. 

Mohan Narayanaswamy, Managing Director of Travelscope India, provides on-site services to our clients who travel to India. Think of an On-Site at your personal, local concierge while you are travelling. Travelscope customizes and plans your trip so you can be a traveller, and not just a tourist. They specialize in activities that are off the beaten path such as heritage walks, cooking classes, yoga with masters, and sessions with art and tea experts, but will custom design your trip to India to include anything you want.

Anna Loser, of the legendary Dolder Grand in Zurich, Switzerland showed us pictures of the historic hotel's 2004 $450 million restoration, during which 2 wings were added to the hotel. "What is old is still old, what is new is new" Anna explains, about the hotels unique combination of classic elements from the original 1899 hotel, with contemporary elements from today. The hotel features astounding views of the Alps, and is the closest five star hotel to Zurich's International Airport. "It is the most beautiful hotel I have ever seen or stayed in" exclaims Richard Beck, President of ClassicTravel.com, who stayed in one of the hotel's Junior Suites for their reopening. 

To book any of the hotels mentioned above, or for more information, please contact Jerry Hirshon at 212-404-6777 or by e-mail at Jerry@classictravel.com.

{From The Experts} Michelle Rubin of The Kahala Hotel & Resort of Honolulu, Hawaii Gives Us The Inside Scoop On The Perfect Hawaii Wedding

Michelle Rubin, Sales Manager at The Kahala Hotel & Resort of Honolulu, Hawaii gave us the beat about amazing (and affordable!) destination weddings at The Kahala. For only $2,300 you can have an incredible and intimate Beachfront Wedding Ceremony. The ceremony will be performed by a Non-Denominational Minister and the bride and groom will receive a traditional Hawaiian Lei. The wedding party will receive a photographer for 45 minutes and 24 4x6 photos, as well as a champagne toast for up to 10 people. This ceremony has a maximum of 10 people but you can also arrange for larger wedding packages. Ms. Rubin was a concierge for 5 years, and carries that experience into her current work. "We will do anything and everything for a guest!" she exclaimed. 

The hotel is about to be featured on the Style Network show, Whose Wedding is it Anyways, which follows the stories of couples working with wedding planners to coordinate their special day and make it perfect. 

The Ko'olau Partial Ocean View Suite

For the bride and groom, the hotel has two marvelous suites, which are 30% off per night until December 20, 2009. When you book a suite at The Kahala, you will receive a VIP greeting upon arrival with a special lei and will be escorted to your suite by the manager. In your suite you will find personalized stationery, and will receive an unpacking/packing service, and ironing service upon arrival. You will get morning coffee with a newspaper, breakfast buffet for two at the Plumeria Beach House, late afternoon cocktail service with light appetizers and VIP turndown service daily. You will get booked for preferential times in one of the hotel's 12 spa suites, full complimentary use of the Hotel's Business Center and preferred ocean front seating at the hotel's two restaurants, The Plumeria Beach House and Hoku's. 

When you book with ClassicTravel.com and Virtuoso you will be eligible for an upgrade upon arrival (subject to availability) and will receive a special Kahala coffee basket with a Hawaiian CD. When you book a suite, you will also receive a reserved beach cabana! To inquire about this or any of our other properties, please contact Jerry Hirshon at Jerry@classictravel.com or by phone at 212-404-6777.

{Coming to New York} for Vera Wang

Now that you have picked out your Vera Wang wedding gown and you're ready to come back to The City That Never Sleeps for your first fitting.

For your second trip we recommend staying at the Mandarin Oriental. This fabulous hotel overlooks Central Park and features such luxuries as Bose sound systems and flat panel televisions in the suites. 

The hotel features Asiate, a renowned restaurant combining French and Japanese cuisines. The Spa at Mandarin Oriental combines modern techniques with Asian-based rituals. An amazing 75 foot lap pool overlooks the Hudson River, and the lobby bar features gorgeous views of Central Park.  

When you book at the Mandarin Oriental with Classictravel.com and Virtuoso, you will receive a one category upgrade upon arrival, subject to availability, daily continental breakfast for up to two in-room guests, via room service or restaurant and two cocktails and a "signature"

 appetizer at MO Bar once during your stay. 

Now is a great time to start looking at invitations. When we need help with invitations here at Classic 

Travel, we always call our friend, Nikola at Smythson, a luxury leather goods and stationery company with a store located on 57th St., just a few blocks from the Mandarin Oriental. 

They offer the ultimate hand engraved & calligraphied invitations, with their own exclusive fonts and exceptional service. Nikola recommends ordering the invitations about 5 months before the wedding, or even longer (6-7 months) for a destination wedding. The proofing process takes only about a week, but to actually hand engrave the invitations takes 2-4 weeks. 

He also informed us that if your invitations are hand engraved, you will probably want the envelopes to be hand addressed by a calligrapher, which also takes about 2 weeks. He mentioned that for destination weddings, clients often send out an informational card closer to the wedding with all the finalized travel and hotel plans. Don't forget to put your travel agent's information on your invitations to let them take care of all your guests!

For more information about booking a room at the Mandarin Oriental, or planning your trip to New York City, please contact Jerry Hirshon at 212-404-6777 or at Jerry@classictravel.com. 

{From the Experts} Tips on Planning Your Luxury Destination Wedding and Honeymoon from Anna Lena, Event Specialist

Anna Lena Shahrivar, the VP of Meetings and Plannings at classictravel.com was kind enough to give us some Do's and Do Not's that anyone planning a luxury destination wedding or honeymoon needs to know about.

DO NOT make reservations in your married name

Some brides get excited and make all the reservations in their married name, however if your honeymoon is directly after the wedding, the name will not match your IDs (passport, drivers licence etc) as these take a while to get changed. In addition, you will actually need the marriage licence to make any changes to official documents, so if you are having a destination wedding it will be impossible to make reservations under any name but your unmarried name. 

DO NOT make a group reservation for your entire party

Anna Lena says that sometimes, guests want to come earlier or extend their trip, trying to get a vacation in as well as the wedding, especially with destination weddings in Europe. Let your travel agent take care of all the different travel arrangements for your guests, so you will have less to worry about on your special day.

DO check with your airline to make sure you can hang your dress in a closet on the flight

A bride's worst nightmare is to find, on the day of the wedding, that the airline has lost your dress. If you find it is not possible to hang the dress on board, use one of our partners, Luggage Free, a door to door luggage shipping service, who will pick up anything you need shipped to your destination, and make sure it gets there on time!

DO arrive at the destination a few days ahead of the wedding, and leave at least one day after This will ensure that you will have time to deal with every small detail, and will make your experience less stressful!

DO have one travel agent in charge of all your guests' travel arrangements

Most people do not realize how much coordination it takes to put together a destination wedding. Put your travel agent's contact information on your Save The Date card and/or Invitations, so your guests can directly contact the agent. That way, you can focus on all the other details. 

DO use a travel agent for out of town guests' travel arrangements

Your travel agent can also arrange for guests coming in for local, non-destination weddings.

DO have at least 15 people in your party traveling identically

This means coming and going at the same time on the same flights. This is the minimum to get any group rates. 

DO have all proper travel documents and documents you will need to wed in your destination

Find out what kind of documents you will need to enter any countries you will be traveling to. There are so many laws & regulations that many travelers are not aware of. For example, some countries will not let you enter if your passport expires within 6 months. This is why it is important to have a great travel agent to alert you to these rules. In addition, read up before hand on the laws of marriage in your destination. Some places require that you stay there a certain amount of days before you are able to married, while others just require certain documentation.

DO let your travel agent take care of the little details

For example, your agent can coordinate with your guests to split rooms, and make their other travel arrangements. ie, one of your guests has an Egyptian passport and needs a certain type of visa to enter Sweden. 

For more information on planning your destination wedding or honeymoon contact Anna Lena Shahrivar at 212-404-6723 or annalena@classictravel.com.

{Coming to New York} for Vera Wang

So you've decided that the perfect dress for you is one of Vera Wang's timeless, elegant gowns. But for a gown this special there is a process that goes along with it! First, you must go to the Vera Wang Flagship Store at 991 Madison Avenue, to choose the perfect dress for you. Then there is a series of 3 fittings to custom tailor the gown for you. Make sure you make your first trip there at least 8-10 months before your big day, because these gowns take 4-6 months to make! 

If you're going to be coming in to New York, for your first Vera Wang trip, we recommend staying at The Carlyle. It is near the Vera Wang Flagship Store, and is a great way to experience NYC in style! This hotel has been host to dignitaries and celebrities from around the world, and is in one of the most exclusive and upscale neighborhoods in the city. This was the first and only New York hotel we suggested when planning one of the Dalai Lama's first tours of the United States. 

When you book at The Carlyle Hotel with Classic Travel & Virtuoso, you will receive an upgrade upon arrival (subject to availablity), $80 of breakfast credit that can be used via room service or in the hotel's restaurant, complimentary high speed internet access, a welcome amenity, and an addition $50 food or beverage credit, to be used once during your stay. Leave it to our friend Maureen Stella, Director of Sales and Marketing at the Carlyle to see to it that your stay is nothing but luxurious and relaxing as you start your preparations for your wedding!

If you are planning on actually having a destination wedding in NYC, now is the perfect time to go to different venues and sample menus, and learn more about their wedding packages! Here are our top 3 picks for wedding venues that any New York City bride needs to see!

The Carlyle - As mentioned before this is one of the most luxurious and beautiful hotels in the city! They offer many different sized halls for special events, with great menus & amenities.

The Plaza Hotel - This well known and world renowned hotel is the perfect place for a classic elegant wedding. It is right across from Central Park, which is a great spot for wedding photos!

The St. Regis Hotel - This amazing, extravagant hotel is the top in luxury. Boasting 16 different event spaces, you are sure to find the one that is perfect for your dream wedding. 

For information about any of the hotels mentioned, please contact Jerry Hirshon at 212-404-6777 or jerry@classictravel.com.

Gramercy Park Hotel: Luxurious Wedding Package!

The Gramercy Park hotel is amazing to begin with. It is located on New York City's only private park, and features beautiful, luxurious custom designed furniture. Off the lobby are Rose Bar and Jade Bar, two of New York's most glamorous and unique cocktail lounges. The timeless Private Roof Club and Garden serves Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, and offers a unique and beautiful view of the city. All guests of the hotel receive keyed access to Gramercy Park (something any resident of NYC would vie for!)

Now imagine all that and more as part of an all inclusive wedding package. Leave all the details of your wedding to our friend Jennifer Kane, Director of Sales and Marketing at The Gramercy Park Hotel. As part of the package you receive a private wedding ceremony and reception at the exclusive Private Roof Club and Garden (with a minimum of 50 people.) Gramercy Park Hotel will provide all of your wedding consultation and planning, including floral design, decor, lighting, menus and even custom invitations by the Ian Schrager Design and Marketing Team. They will provide a champagne reception, and an open bar! Music at the reception will be provided by the creative director of the Rose Bar. They will even give you a custom keepsake iPod loaded with music from your wedding! You will get access to Gramercy Park for photographs of the wedding party, and a picnic lunch for bride and groom to enjoy in the park. The newlyweds will receive complimentary overnight accomodations in one of Gramercy Park Hotel's luxurious and extraordinary suites. The hotel looks after every detail, going so far as to provide one dozen long stemmed roses in your suite! Of course, you will get to have a romantic breakfast in bed & late check out! All this and no worry starts at $50,000. For more information on planning your wedding please contact Jerry Hirshon at 212-406-6777 or jerry@classictravel.com.

Aqualina Resort & Spa - Perfect for Honeymoon!

The Acqualina Resort and Spa is the perfect place for a relaxing honeymoon. This romantic Virtuoso property is inspired by beautiful Mediterranean villas and is located on one of the best beaches on South Florida's Atlantic Coast. Each of the 97 rooms and suites features its own balcony, with breathtaking views; especially at sunrise and sunset. The hotel features beautiful architecture, including iron gates, sculpted archways, baroque fountains and a grand porte-cochere. Acqualina has three beach front swimming pools, as well as the world famous Espa Spa. 

The Spa is dedicated to combining ancient and modern spa therapies, enhanced by their full line of Espa products, made with high quality organically grown plants. The spa also features his and hers saunas, steam rooms, relaxation lounges and an outdoor spa veranda with outdoor spa pools. Perfect for a relaxing and romantic day.

When you book your honeymoon with Classic Travel, the Virtuoso rate includes:

• An upgrade upon arrival (subject to availability)
  
• Romantic Continental Breakfast for 2 (by room service!)
  
• Special Virtuoso Rates on Rooms
  
• Early check in & Late check out (subject to availablity)
  
• $100 in food and beverage credit
  

Visit Classictravel.com for more information on this and other virtuoso properties that are perfect for your honeymoon.

The Trousseau: Not Just For Your Grandmother!

We all remember stories from our grandparents about dowries, arranged marriages and the trousseau. Well, the first two are still relics, but thanks to D. Porthault, a luxury linens designer & Italian luggage maker Schedoni, the romantic trousseau is back!

Traditionally the trousseau was a hope chest which would hold everything a girl would need for her new married life, from bed linens to ball gowns. Here are some creative ideas for your own custom trousseau!

Vintage Style Lingerie from The Urban Fox Co.

Coyuchi Organic Sateen Sheets

Organic Soap from Skinny Skinny

A Sassy Bathing Suit for your Exotic Honeymoon from Karla Colletto

Diamonds - Still a Girl's Best Friend

Fragrant & Romantic Massage Oil from Sabon