Archive for the ‘Groom with a View’ Category

From advice on your fiancé seeing an ex, to wedding night whoopee and the 10 WORST ways to save money at your wedding, enter theplunge.com. Magazine worthy editorial, with smart-boy banter, there’s a reason I was addicted from the get-go. It’s got a dash of wiser, in-the-know older brother advice, and is funny as hell (yet not at your expense in that “cooler than you” snarky vibe that’s pervading many online communities these days). The Plunge knows how to keep me engaged, being an aficionado of the classic men’s magazine: I read Details and Esquire because I embrace and appreciate a savvy, humorous male voice with a dash of the satirical and sublime. Think Chuck Klosterman or A.J. Jacobs, elder statesmen in the print publishing world but young enough to garner the street cred when dispensing advice.

Theplunge.com goes even further: it is also a stellar resource for brides to help them navigate, the “what’s he really thinking?” conundrum. Reading The Plunge is like getting all the answers to the exam before the test. It’s a road map to the lizard mind of man, as well as a mirror on the female psyche. After reading The Plunge, a bride might find it necessary to do a reality check and ask herself if it’s really worth going on a tri-state killing spree over the wrong color of cake icing. I went ahead and took their Bridezilla test, to see how I scored, and wasn’t surprised with the results: Alarmingly Mellow Bride. But remember, my hubs and I registered for surfboards and wetsuits, as opposed to silver settings.

ThePlunge.com Bridezilla Quiz Excerpt:
Sample Question
She jokes with you about how stupid most weddings are, how everything gets blown out of proportion, how she wishes the whole production would just disappear.
A) Yeah. It’s weird. She’s more like the typical groom-she thinks the whole thing is a chore.
B) Are you serious? Are there any brides who act like that? Can they please call mine?

With funny and useful offerings such as:

How Wedding Porn is Brainwashing Your Girlfriend
Breaking Down Bridezilla, What Kind of Bride is Your Girlfriend
The Ex Factor: Should You Invite Your Ex Girlfriend?
How to Get the Bride to Listen to Your Ideas
Wedding Night Sex: 10 Rules
Staying Out of Prison: Avoiding Newlywed Pregnancy

All great information for the groom and a reality check for the bride (if the groom feels she is suffering from temporary insanity or turns into a Bridezilla). In one of the magazine articles I wrote for Destination I Do Magazine, I pose the question: is the guy waiting for you at the end of the aisle your future husband or a hologram?

It’s important to remember that the groom is a 50/50 part of this wedding equation, and has a say, a voice and equal rights. Theplunge.com is great resource for anyone, bride or groom ready to take the plunge all the way down the aisle…..and  beyond.

Chamberlain Hotel – West Hollywood

Retro regency meets mod in the ultimate urban retreat

Whether your goal is business or romance travel, take a step off the beaten track and sink into the Chamberlain West Hollywood. A self-described metropolitan boutique hotel and residential pied-a-terre, designed by the hipster hotel interiors maven Kelly Wearstler (of Santa Monica’s Viceroy fame), the Chamberlain is about discreet luxuries and hidden pleasures. What’s its got: privacy and peace in the center of the bustling West Hollywood Sunset Strip district, (located a mere two blocks away), spectacular interiors rendered in icy blues, greens and teal, and eclectic mash up where regency meets mod. You can’t put your finger on why it all works, but it’s the hipster crib you wish you had with the coolest most covetable light fixtures. What its not: see and be seen, loud house music and a big agent/model/celeb scene replete with the 5’ heels and bikinis, poolside. By the way, there are probably celebrities here, but they are just hiding!

My favorite part: the quiet and blessedly scene-free rooftop pool, with enclosed cabanas for a tete-a- tete, a glass of wine under the stars, a view of the cityscape of Hollywood, or a chaise-bound afternoon with a stack of movie magazines and iced tea.

The rooms are the definition of comfort, again, I will stress the quietness of the place, with 400-thread count sheets, an entertaining lounge area, and muted tones that are easy on the eye. The price is right too, with a Chamberlain Fall Special designed especially for you: there is no reason not to enjoy luxe for less than at the Chamberlain!

35% off standard room rates – along with a complimentary bottle of Prosecco on arrival to toast the Fall with your sweetie by one of Chamberlain’s in-room fireplaces. Guests must enter the promo code “DESTIN” to receive this special deal.

Right off the lobby in a green house type setting that reminds me of an enclosed garden in New Orleans or Paris, where the noise of the City of Angels fades to a distant memory, and banana fronds wave gently in the early evening breeze, we begin our culinary adventure with Chef Mark Pierce and his charming Chamberlain’s American bar and bistro. His point of view is French-influenced and farm to fork, with a dash of Americana, taking classics and reinterpreting them with zesty new point of view. “It’s all about quality and flavor,” says Pierce on his use of sustainable cooking. “I love color and vibrant fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables make a dish modern and flavorful.”

To travel is to unearth rare gems, hidden treasures and true luxury (for less). For a honeymoon, an intimate “pop the question” or rehearsal dinner, or a hot date, if sublime is what you seek, all roads lead to the Chamberlain.

Chamberlain Fall Special

Book by 10/31

Valid 11/01 – 1/31

Black out date 12/31

Promo Code: DESTIN