By Private Trade Winds

So you’re tasked with planning the honeymoon of your dreams. Now what?  Do you pick a villa on a private beach, a romantic cruise around the world, or what about a trek through India?  Where do you even begin?  Instead of stressing out, why not let a professional design your perfect honeymoon, while you focus on the big day? Your wife will think you are a hero for life.

Think about it. 90% of the battle of finding the right person has now been completed, and now comes the “fun” part – planning an unforgettable honeymoon.   Every husband to be faces the same pressure – rifling through numerous details to find the perfect destination that fits both ideals, booking the flight, choosing the perfect hotel or resort, AND making sure that the small romantic details such as having sparkling champagne flutes on your bedside, will be in place.  Your honeymoon trip should be a memory that both of you have waited your entire lives to fulfill, and there’s no need to be wasting your time on endless websites or on hold with various hotel concierges.  No.  You want luxury. You want value.  You want the freedom to have both.

Ask yourself…What would make our honeymoon memorable?  Wouldn’t you want to be bathed in luxury and comfort on a vacation personalized to your unique tastes?

Just a snapshot of what an Italian honeymoon has to over.

Enter Private Trade Winds whose mission it is to provide discriminating travelers with an unforgettable luxury travel experience without planning hassles.

Why waste your time trying to plan the perfect honeymoon, why not let a personalized travel service such as Private Trade Winds Plan it for you.

Here are three solid reasons to allow a travel planner to plan your vacation:

CONVENIENCE- Instead of worrying about every particular detail involved with your trip, hiring a professional travel service will allow you to focus  on relaxing during your travel experience.  Services such as Private Trade Winds combines the full range of travel agency and concierge services, giving you the luxurious accommodations and amenities that you desire, during your time of travel bliss.  Leave the work to them.  Your job is to relax.

LUXURY- Services such as Private Trade Winds, offer a standardized list of expectations including professional management and services.  Other 5 star services include room service, maid service, concierge, chefs, babysitters and more.  You have the choice of individual homes, villas, condos, fractionals, condo-hotels, and residence clubs from the Global Villa Portfolio.

NUMEROUS LOCATIONS- A customized travel service should also provide you with the freedom of having luxury accommodations all around the world.  Private Trade Winds has 400+ properties from Tuscan Villas to cozy homes in Park City, Utah.  If you’re in the mood for a warmer climate, how about luxurious Villas in Oahu, Hawaii with furnishings from the Adriana Hoyos collection?  Or if you’re craving ultimate luxury and privacy, there’s always the grand estate in Bastides de Lavande in Provence, France, that can accommodate up to 16 adults and 12 children.

So, if you’re looking for the ultimate in customized luxury and service while planning the honeymoon of a lifetime, try a professional travel service.  Then all you need to do is sit back and enjoy the ride.

Private Trade Winds is a new California-based private travel service and luxury villa registry. The company provides all the services of a destination club without any of the commitments, resulting in an affordable one-stop approach to ‘modern’ villa vacations that features service plans allowing clients to choose as little or as much help as they desire in planning their leisure, business and group travels. Services include travel arrangements, concierge services, housekeeping, and all the luxuries one would expect from five-star hotels. PTW specializes in providing access to more than 350 highly-qualified  luxury villas, resort residences and unique experiences in the air, on land, or at sea, ranging from one-bedroom French ski chateaus to multi-bedroom Hawaiian beach estates, nine-bedroom European villas to private jet, space and yacht travel.

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private trade winds is a sponsor of the man registry’s groomsadvice blog

Guest Blogger Marie O’Mara of Honeymoons.com checks in with info on a top honeymoon locale in France

An aerial view of La Bretesche in the French countryside

A popular question honeymooners have is about traveling to Europe, particularly the romantic country of France. My last trip to Europe I had the pleasure of stopping in Paris France for an amazing & very magical few days.  I quickly fell love with the timeless city & romance of Paris. After a few days in Paris, I recommend that couples explore the country and enjoy its rural and historic towns that offer a storybook feel and totally different experience of the fast pace of Paris.  I came across, and fell in love with, the hotel “LA BRETESCHE” located in the spectacular Missillac district of the Loire Atlantique in north-western France. La Bretesche is a majestic Relais & Chateaux hotel steeped in history and stunning natural beauty that will make any new bride feel like a queen in her own castle.  Steeped in history and established in the 15th century, today, La Bretesche stands impressively at the centre of a stunning 200-acre estate surrounded by moats, a vast lake and even a watchtower.

A typical room at La Bretesche

A Contemporary Estate Room

I was not shocked to hear that the hotel gained 4-star status and has joined the prestigious Relais & Châteaux group. This romantic and intimate Relais & Château Domaine de la Bretesche offers 32 luxuriously appointed rooms & suites (6 Prestige, 7 Deluxe, 4 Superior and 15 cottages). Each room is individually styled and enjoys views of the lake or the sandstone-paved courtyard. Guest will enjoy affordable room rates, and special treats like breakfast in bed, couples spa packages and 200 acres to explore and enjoy a romantic picnic. This Relais & Chateau boasts plenty to do for couples including use of two swimming pools – an indoor pool and outdoor heated pool amongst tennis, cycling, walking, mountain biking, golf, day trips around the region, and there is even horseback riding, polo and hunting available nearby. For those who prefer relaxation, the newly opened, state-of-the-art Spa de la Cour Carrée provides an ultimate pampering experience.  The spa is known as a haven of romance and tranquility, where guests can indulge in treatments, or bespoke face and body care programs.

A Red Treatment Spa-Room

The Spa

The spa, which is housed in the beautifully restored outbuildings of the chateau on the edge of the forest offers its own indoor swimming pool, fitness room with bike, cardio training, multiple treatment rooms featuring jet massage, sequential zone massage, aromatherapy, oligotherapy, chromotherapy and music therapy. One of these rooms even offers the ultra-futuristic use of hydrotherapy treatments!

The hotel features plenty of places to dine including “Le Club” Brasserie, a contemporary “Club” that offers relaxed all-day dining and even traditional afternoon tea! The Bar des écuries that translates to stable bar, located in the former estate stables, offers a wonderful range of whiskies and liqueurs and with Mozart and Vivaldi playing in the background, it makes for a perfect rendezvous before – or after – a round of golf or perhaps for a nightcap after dinner. “Le Montaigu” is the properties gourmet dining and is run by the hotel’s young & talented Chef Gilles Charpy, who scored an impressive 16/20 in the GaultMillau Guide and boasts one star in the esteemed Michelin Guide.  Charpy’s cuisine combines the flavors of Brittany and Provence, using carefully selected produce from the best local producers. An outstanding wine list features wines from France’s finest vineyards.

The Montaigu Restaurant at La Bretsche

The Montaigu Restaurant
As you will see in the photos, this historic property is without a doubt a leader in offering guest a castle experience with service & atmosphere fit for a king and queen, making this a honeymoon haven.

For more information, vistit www.bretesche.com.

We’ve all been here… right?

Can someone please tell me what this commercial is for?

Considering having a destination wedding? Then you will need to ask yourselves the following questions to get a handle on one of the greatest decisions you will ever make!

Destination Weddings are:

* A great way to spend time with your friends and family on the most amazing weekend of your life!
* Can be cost saving in addition to weeding out the 3rd and 4th cousins that mom wants you to invite….
* Allows you to turn what is normally a 5 hour party into 48 hours!

What you need to keep in mind is that a destination wedding can seem like the “easy” way out when couples are trying to plan a wedding without a hassle or the cost, but sometimes couples are not aware of what are about to undergo!   There are several types of destination weddings and they may be as simple as an intimate ceremony with just the bride & groom to an extended weekend with lots of activities with hundreds of your closest friends and family! Be sure to read the following list together to see what type of wedding you are going to have!

These questions will guide you in the right direction, as well as help you organize yourself as you move forward. It will help you determine the “who”, “what”, “where”, “when”, and “how” as well as help you feel more in control of this huge event.

* When do you want to get married? How much time will you be giving yourself to plan and organize?
* How much does the couple plan on spending?
* What type of climate do we want to get married in? Cold, warm or hot?
* How long do you want your wedding “weekend” or “retreat” to be?
* Will you be having your honeymoon at the same location as your destination wedding?
* How far do you want to go or willing to travel?
* How far are your most important guests willing or able to afford to go?
* What will the cost be for your guests?
* How important is your ceremony and what locations can accommodate your religious needs?
* Will you be providing any rooms, airfare or meals for your guests?
* How many guests do I want to share in my special day?
* It is important to establish how many guests you want to invite and how many guests you will be happy having join you.
* Do you want a formal or casual destination wedding and location?
* Some resorts set the tone for you by having a dress code, so be sure to pick a resort that matches the style wedding you want!
* Establish what you plan on offering your guests. (Some couples like to host a full weekend of activities including welcome receptions, rehearsal dinners, bonfires on the beach, golf outings, spa trips, post wedding brunches and more.)
* Do we want to book an all inclusive resort?
* How do we plan on inviting our guests to our wedding? (Invites set the tone on what your guest will experience if they decide to join you on this special adventure.) Your invites should be very descriptive as to what you (bride and groom) will be covering, if anything, for your guests.
o For Example if you plan on offering your guests a full weekend of activities, have an invitation made that tells the guests that you plan on hosting a weekend of activities in addition to the wedding and that they should RSVP to what activities they want to attend.
o If you don’t plan on hosting anything but a simple service and cocktail party immediately following, be sure to clearly state that in your invites with a simple, “Please Join us for our nuptials & cocktails on the beach at the San Jose Hotel at 5pm”

Once you establish the above questions you will be able to begin to research what properties are best for your special day.

Thanks to Marie O’Mara of Honeymoons.com for this guest post

Travel Concepts KC, a travel agency from our hometown, is hosting a contest that will award a free honeymoon to one lucky couple.

The Essence of Romance Video Contest asks couples to submit a video and explain why they should win a free honeymoon.

Check out the couples that are vying for a free honeymoon.

The leading vote getters so far are Matt Bernier and Melissa Shinn. They are paying cash for their wedding (so could definitely use a little help with the honeymoon).

Another couple, the Van Heckes, submitted a video featuring a surprise wedding proposal.

There is still time to enter. You can visit the Travel Concepts KC Essence of Romance page for more info on submitting a video. The Man Registry encourage you to vote for your favorite video!

Cheers!