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7 Celebrity Castle Weddings

Thursday, March 12th, 2009

Many celebrities are choosing to say “I do” at exquisite and remote castles, a trend that has been on the increase since the turn of the century. A wedding in a castle setting is appealing in several ways: most castles are in remote, hard-to-reach locations, which makes for better privacy, and the ornate historic setting of a castle can make any bride feel like a fairy-tale princess.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes chose Odescalchi Castle in Bracciano, Italy as the site for their November 18, 2006 nuptials. Andrea Bocelli, the noted Opera star, sang at their service.

Madonna and Guy Ritchie

The Castle Skibo in Scotland was the site for Madonna and Guy Ritchie’s December 22, 2000 wedding. This 7,000-acre estate was built in the 1100s and its name means ‘fairyland,’ or ‘place of peace.’

Eva Longoria and Tony Parker

Eva Longoria and Tony Parker were married at City Hall in Paris and had a reception a few days later at the incredible Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte in France. The evening was capped off by a magnificent display of fireworks.

Pierce Brosnan and Keely Shaye Smith

Ashford Castle Hotel, located in Ireland, hosted Pierce Brosnan and Keely Shaye Smith’s nuptials in August, 2001. Ashford, a castle-turned-hotel, is nestled among hundreds of acres of beautiful green Irish hills.

Elizabeth Hurley and Arun Nayar

Elizabeth Hurley and Arun Nayar selected magnificent Sudeley Castle in England as the location for their March 2, 2007 wedding event. Donatella Versace designed Hurley’s wedding dress and was also present at the celebration.

Paul McCartney and Heather Mills

Although their ending was most definitely not from a fairy tale, the wedding of Paul McCartney and Heather Mills at the Castle Leslie in Ireland was. The 17th-century castle was the site for their nuptials in June of 2002.

Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster

The beautiful Villa Durazzo in Italy was the location for the June, 2007 wedding of Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster. The rocker’s third marriage to a bride half his age took place in the 17th century castle, which is located on a hill and overlooks the gulf of Santa Margherita.

There are a variety of resources available for the bride who wishes for a castle wedding. ‘The Castle Wedding Planner,’ by Grace Sydney and Paris Permenter, is a complete guide to selecting, budgeting for, and planning a wedding held in a castle setting.

Tags: castle weddings, celebrity castle weddings, celebrity weddings
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Why Shooting Breaks in Scotland are so Popular

Monday, March 9th, 2009

Scotland offers plenty of opportunities for shooting breaks for beginners and expert marksmen alike. Going afield with gun in hand has never been so popular. Historically, shooting breaks have been considered a gentleman’s sport but that’s no longer the case.

Pistol and rifle shooters have large numbers of private and public shooting clubs to choose from. Many of the clubs are upscale with specialized shooting and private membership required. Other clubs are more generalized in nature and provide numerous opportunities for anyone wishing to participate.

Competition is part of the enjoyment in shooting breaks. Contests of skill are always on the board and have a great following, both among participant shooters and spectators. Prizes are dependant on the contest but there’s always a lot of pride involved for the winning shooter.

Hunting breaks are equally as popular and perhaps even more so.

Game birds and animals include an abundance of wild game that make shooting breaks in Scotland very popular. The eminent place that hunting occupies in Scotland is due in large part to the natural hunter that resides in most men and the elevated view Scottish men and women have of the environment. There is a venerable history of sportsmanship and shooting skills in Scotland and the sport has carved a niche out of both history and the present.

Grouse are among the most popular game birds and provide excellent and challenging shooting for shotgunners. Pheasants, geese and partridges aren’t far behind in popularity and create pleasant diversions afield for friends and family. Whether hunting individually or in a group, hunters can spend many enjoyable hours on shooting breaks and take home plenty of birds for the pot.
Whitetail deer are the largest game animal in Scotland and have a dedicated following. Fox, rabbits and vermin attract their share of shooters as well and create challenging hunts of their own. Scottish gamekeepers do an excellent job of controlling the hunt and managing game populations at the same time. Whether moors, manors or club woodlands, the conservation ideal is held high and hunting is viewed as a sustainable natural resource.

Guides are available in some areas that can lend a hand in making a successful hunt. Guides for hire often specialize in a particular bird or two but many are quite capable of providing an excellent multi-species hunt, depending on the season and location.

Tags: corporate shooting, shooting break
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5 Reasons to Arrange a Staff Break in a Castle

Friday, March 6th, 2009

A staff break in a castle will be one of the best investments you’ll ever make in your business. Taking the time to enjoy the beauty and elegance of Birkhill Castle will create opportunities for growth that you won’t find during the hustle and bustle of the everyday business world.

Here are five reasons should arrange a staff break at Birkhill Castle.

Refocusing

Being together with your staff gives you all an opportunity to refocus on your business priorities, make decisions, and review goals. Getting back on track after a hard year is easier away from the pressures of the office.

Brainstorming Opportunities

This may be an overused term in some places but there’s a solid basis for accepting its value. Staff will feel encouraged, in a fresh environment, to talk about new ideas and strategies. Your business can receive an infusion of creativity and thought.

Team Development

Management teams don’t develop overnight and they don’t become effective without being designed. Your staff needs to have times of interaction and fellowship. Meetings in the office become routine without anyone realizing it. A staff break in a castle provides new opportunities to develop as a team.
New surroundings can become the stimulus that will take your team development a step further. As staff members talk and eat together, relationships tighten and become more supportive. As the group interacts, your business will prosper as a result of the increased involvement and personal commitment that a growing team energizes.

Restoring Connection between You and Your Staff

A castle staff break provides the safe social environment that you and your staff need to communicate. Poor communication develops over time and making a fresh start often requires a change of scenery.
You can walk with staff one-on-one, eat with them as a group, and participate in sports as a team member or in good-natured competition. This interaction helps to re-establish your own relationship with those so important to your business.

Rest and Relaxation

Sometimes the most effective thinking can be done when you’re not trying. Being surrounded by manicured grounds and within forty minutes of dozens of golf courses has a way of opening up the mental floodgates.
Everyone needs to unwind. A castle break can involve shooting and fishing or a good game of billiards if it’s raining. The dining room offers plenty of delicious fare and there is lots of time to chat.

Tags: corporate trip, staff breaks
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10 Most Expensive Wedding Dresses Ever Made

Friday, March 6th, 2009

Wedding gowns are truly beautiful sights to behold, and some designers have the talent and vision to create dresses that only a very few brides will be fortunate enough to wear. These gowns are highly priced, exquisitely made, and admired by many. Here are ten of the greatest wedding dresses ever, some worn by celebrities and some so extravagant that they are for display only:

1. Princess Diana

The gown that Princess Diana wore in her 1981 wedding is one of the most well-known and widely viewed. Designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel, this elegant dress features a 25-foot train and is crafted from antique lace, ivory silk taffeta, and over ten thousand pearls and sequins. The fabric for the gown is hand-woven and the lace is sewn with gold thread.

Diana Wedding Dress img credit

2. Renee Strausse Sparkly Wedding Gown

In 2006, designer Renee Strausse partnered with Martin Katz Jewellers to create a sparkly wedding gown that is adorned with diamonds and worth a staggering $12 million. The Diamond Wedding Dress is the most expensive gown in the world.

3. Grace Kelly

When Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier in 1956, she wore a Helen Rose design that is made with 100 yards of silk net and 25 yards of silk taffeta. Widely regarded as one of the most lovely gowns ever, it features a fitted bodice, round collar, and full skirt, designed using century-old lace and peau de soie fabric.

Grace Kelly Wedding img credit

4. Yumi Katsura

Japanese bridal designer Yumi Katsura crafted a legendary gown that is valued at $8 million US dollars and $1 billion yen. The design includes an 8.8 carat green diamond, a rare 5 carat white gold diamond, a thousand pearls, and zari embroidery stitched onto silk and satin.

5. Melania Knauss

When Melania Knauss married Donald Trump in 2005, she wore a John Galliano gown that weighs an incredible 50 pounds. The dress, which has a 13-foot train, is created from 300 feet of white duchesse satin and features 1,500 pearls and crystal rhinestones.

6. Imperial Pearl Syndicate

In the early 1950s, the Imperial Pearl Syndicate debuted a $100,000 wedding gown made with 100,000 cultured pearls over a silk net and satin gown. The 27-pound dress was the most expensive of its time and was modeled by celebrities such as Gloria Swanson and Nina Foch.

7. Catherine Zeta-Jones

Catherine Zeta-Jones wore a beautiful Christian Lacroix wedding gown in November 2000. The dress, with its 6-foot train, was greatly admired by the hundreds of guests who attended the $1.5 million event.

8. Mauro Adami

Mauro Adami of Italy is the designer of this unique platinum wedding gown, made with 40 meters of fabric and sewn with platinum and silk thread. The dress is valued at £240,000.

9. Victoria Beckham

Victoria Beckham’s wedding gown is a creation from famed bridal designer Vera Wang. This strapless wedding dress design is often requested by brides who desire a less expensive replica.

10. Glittery Gown

A Hong Kong designer crafted this 40 pound wedding dress out of 9,999 karats of various jewels. The glittery gown is worth $130,000 or 999,999 yuan.

Tags: wedding, wedding dresses
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