Very happy to welcome Christine to the blog this morning - some of you may already know Christine, but if you don't, she is the associate editor of The Best Wedding Sites Magazine as well as the travel editor for this blog. She recently headed down to the Poconos for a media stay with her husband and I will now turn the blog over to Christine who will tell you all about the venue she stayed at and her weekend away.

---

Cove Haven Resort, nestled in the Poconos Mountains near Lakeville, PA, is one of 3 sister properties of Cove Haven Entertainment Resorts and is the perfect location for a couple's retreat. My husband and I were recently invited to stay as guests at this all-inclusive property, which included accomodations in one of their premier suites (The Champagne Tower), daily complimentary breakfast & dinner as well as a wide array of activities and live entertainment. We were also invited to an exclusive tour of the property to see the different suites and ammentities they offer.

Cove Haven is situated on 136 acres of beautiful property and features 256 luxury suites as well as a vast selection of indoor and outdoor activities. Upon our check-in, we were greeted by exceptionally friendly staff and given the daily Hot Spot brochure which outlined the resorts daily activities, dining options and special events. This was a great resource in helping us plan our day so that we could make the most of our stay at the resort. We proceeded to our suite to unpack we were quite impressed when we opened our door to see a 7 foot Champagne Glass Whirlpool bath, private heart-shaped swimming pool, fireplace and sauna all included in our room. Truly unique!

Since it was such a beautiful day, we spent most of our afternoon walking the property and enjoying the on-site activities and entertainment before we headed to our 5 course Saturday evening dinner experience "Strip Night" (a cute play on words). Although group seating was available, we opted for a private table and enjoyed a truly romantic and delicious meal which included fine wine, shrimp cocktail, salads, steaks and of course dessert! There was even an instrumentalist that came to our table to serenade us which was very romantic. 

Although we did not experience any weddings taking place during our stay, Cove Haven does offer various Wedding Packages to fit every style (and budget) as well as Honeymoon Packages that can be customized to suit your needs. It is said that nearly 65,000 couples, both honeymooners and vacationers, visit the three Cove Haven Entertainment Resorts (Cove Haven, Paradise Stream and Pocono Palace) per year! There are also more than 80,000 members enrolled in the exclusive Pocono Mountain Resorts "Forever Lovers Club", which is available to guests who have visited the property three or more times.

We truly enjoyed our experience at Cove Haven, and found it to be a great place to relax and enjoy each other, meet new people and re-kindle romance.

color palette: navy blue and khaki
location: Atlantic City, NJ

Today's beautiful wedding of Molly and Dan took place at One Atlantic which is a gorgeous over the water venue in NJ that is simply stunning and overlooks the iconic Atlantic City boardwalk. The floor to ceiling windows allow not only for great views but for a very versatile space. This wedding was filled with unique aspects that included:
• pearl jam groom cufflinks
• king/queen of hearts dad cufflinks
• bride/bridemaids sea shell jewelry from etsy.com (mermaids baubles)
• recycled button boutonniere (etsy.com)
• blue seashore cake (thebakeworks.com)
• treasure chest gift box (made by bride's dad)
• picture playing card with lottery ticket and taffy in a sea shell (guest favor)

I'm loving the braid in the brides hair {seen below}, it's so pretty.

Vendors:
Photography: Michael Branscom
Hair/Make-Up: Bellezza Salon (Caesars Location)
Event Coordinator: One Atlantic’s Jacklyn McBeth and Elizabeth McGlinn
Venue/Catering: One Atlantic
Floral Design: Rain Florist
Bridal Gown: Maggie Soterro

This past weekend myself, my husband and our 4 year old daughter were able to do exactly what the High Peaks Resort tagline says "Celebrate Life. Naturally." And, it was an amazing experience. From the moment we arrived in Lake Placid and started our drive along the river we knew we were in for a treat. There's something so special and peaceful when you see waterfalls along the rocky mountain edges, water rapidly flowing over rocks along the side of the road, a moose crossing sign {which I believe read "next 30 miles"} and being able to see so much of nature undisturbed. Thank you so much to Lori and everyone else that made us feel so welcome for our entire stay at your resort.

When I arrived at High Peaks Resort, Lori took my daughter and me on a tour of the facilities. There's actually 3 ballrooms where events can be held - one of them can even hold up to 300 people. Brides have the option to marry on the lawn overlooking Mirror Lake which is just gorgeous. You can hold your cocktail hour on the patio overlooking the pool before heading into the reception. All the guest rooms at the resort overlook the lake with spectacular mountain views and they each have either a patio or balcony. The High Peaks Resort has a wedding coordinator on site to help brides plan their event as well as a full-service catering facility. Brides can select their own flowers, photographers, bakeries, etc or the resort can make suggestions.

Attached to the resort is it's very own Aveda Spa which is wonderful for brides and her bridal party to have their hair and make-up done before the big day without every having to leave the venue.

In the fall and winter, the Lobby Bar is open for tapas and cocktails in front of the roaring fireplace and cozy leather furniture. And, you won't want to miss dining at the attached restaurant, Dancing Bears. Our first nights stay, we dined at Dancing Bears and the food was superb. We also had breakfast there each morning and their blueberry pancakes and home fries were delicious. We also enjoyed their indoor pool and before calling it a night - which our daughter LOVED.

And, from now thru May 31st with a signed agreement for a wedding at High Peaks Resort either this year or in 2012, the bride will receive a complimentary Spa Day at the Resort's Aveda Spa {valued at $250}. And, the couple can also enjoy a complimentary first anniversary stay at the resort and a wedding cake replica in their room.

Our stay was wonderful and I can only imagine what having a wedding at such a beautiful location would be like. It's definitely one I'm sure your guests will love - especially if they get the opportunity to stay at the resort. Oh, and I forgot to mention the bathrooms - they are amazing. There's a rainfall showerhead, rock walls and a sliding pocket door to enter. I have to say, it's probably the nicest bathroom we've ever had the luxury of using in all the places we've stayed. To see more about High Peaks Resort you can view the destinations post on the Lake Placid Resort.

Credits:
Photography: Todd Bissonette
Flowers: Lake Placid Flower & Gift

While High Peaks Resort hosted us for a 2 night stay at their resort, the views expressed in the above post are my own.

The Copperfield Inn on Main Street in North Creek, NY is the perfect destination for your Adirondack Wedding, a pre-wedding party or even your honeymoon location. Recently, I was invited to stay as a guest at the inn and received a full tour of the facilities and loved every minute of my stay. Their quote. "the amenities of a resort, the charm of an inn, the experience of a lifetime" couldn't be more true. You will truly love your stay at the Copperfield Inn.

At The Copperfield Inn, they are able to accommodate up to 200 guests in their ballroom {Great Room} and in the Hunt Room, they can hold 80 maximum with 60 being average. The Hunt Room is ideal for smaller weddings or the after party. From the custom wedding menus to the cakes and pastries that are made to order with a pastry chef on staff - the award winning culinary staff at The Copperfield Inn will happily create your special menu. And, if this is a destination wedding for you - the wedding specialists at the inn can help plan not just the wedding, but a complete itinerary for your group covering anywhere from 2 days to even a full week.

Should you like a special location for your ceremony, there is a pond just 5 minutes away or across the street from the inn is a pavilion. Other options include the back terrace of the inn, the Hunt Room or even getting married on top of Gore Mountain which is just minutes away. A shuttle is available to bring your guests from the inn to the mountain.

After your reception, the newlywed couple receives a complimentary nights stay in The Copperfield Inn Suite. The Copperfield Inn features 31 deluxe rooms and suites {many with whirlpool baths}, free wifi, a sauna, fitness center, outdoor hot tub and swimming pool, spa treatments, both pub-style and fine dining within the inn, and complimentary ski shuttle.

If choosing the Copperfield Inn for your bachelor/ette party, there is great whitewater rafting nearby, even hiking, horseback riding or wine tasting. After your day's activities, you can come back to the inn for some great food at either the Trappers Tavern or Lorenzo's. The Trappers Tavern offers classic adirondack atmosphere in the style of a woodman's camp. And, Lorenzo's features authentic Northern Italian cuisine with a wood fired oven being the focal spot inside. It's most definitely a "memorable cuisine" that awaits you at the Copperfield Inn. And, there's also a delicious breakfast that is served each morning.

No matter the season, you and your guests will be sure to find something to do while at The Copperfield Inn. From the whitewater rafting to skiing at Gore Mountain to shopping and dining at the quaint shops and restaurants along Main Street . . . it's a beautifully quiet area that you will quickly fall in love with. I know myself, hubby and daughter have and we look forward to being able to make a trip out to The Copperfield Inn again in the future.

This is a review of my stay at Copperfield Inn, I was not monetarily paid to make any of the above statements.

I received an email today {well actually yesterday as I'm writing this post a day early} but I just have to share it with you on the main blog. Usually all wedding and honeymoon locations are posted in the destinations section of my blog. If you haven't checked this section out recently, please do, it's filled with amazing locations and even some special limited time deals.

In San Diego, there's a beautiful wedding location, Keys Creek Lavender Farm (in Valley Center, CA). It's actually San Diego County's only USDA Certified Organic lavender farm. It's a picturesque and intimate venue with seemingly endless rows of lavender. The farm is nestled in a serene valley affectionately described as the end of nowhere. In addition to the eight acres of land and more than two dozen varieties of lavender, the farm also houses a labyrinth, bee hives where delicious lavender honey is made, a peace garden where visitors can plant lavender in memory of their loved ones, and an essential oil distillery – all great spots for those wedding photos. Just look at the photo below...who wouldn't want to have their photo taken in a gorgeous lavender field?

And, if you're looking for a little lavender inspiration, here's a lavender infused inspiration board I put together a while back {way back in 2008, wow, thinking it's time for a new one}. And, here's a peach and lavender wedding inspiration board {more recent}.