Last night, one of NYC’s most beloved venues for Italian wine-filled concerts and performances, set itself apart with a different audience in mind: Brides-to-be. Wedding photographers, planners, editors, bloggers and media gathered at City Winery in SoHo for a glimpse at what this large, lodge-like space might feel like as a wedding reception hall. The result? Quite nice, and very out of the box. I took some photos last night, but thought it would be much more useful to show you these beautiful shots from Ruffledblog.com – Renee and John’s “Manhattan Winery Wedding.”

City Winery is one of the city’s most unique establishments: It’s a 21,000 square foot restaurant, bar and event space with a state-of-the-art sound system for their nightly live music performances. Additionally, it’s Manhattan’s first winery in 40 years, harvesting its own wine and barreling it in their on-site wine cellars. Members can even own barrels and make their own private label wines from vineyards all over the world. Wine tastings, seminars and winemaking classes set this venue apart as a cultural and educational experience center.

And – for the right wino couple – the perfect modern wedding venue.

For a seated reception, City Winery can hold from 75-185 guests, or for a more casual cocktail style reception they can hold up to 400. Cocktail hour for a seated reception takes place in Manhattan’s only fully-functioning winery (photo just below, via City Winery). Last night there were large boards of delicious cured meats and cheeses along with savory passed appetizers and fine desserts. For your wedding, Chef Andres Barrera will cater up a customized storm that most importantly, they’ll pair perfectly with selections from their 500-strong wine list.

So, if lots of fine wine, extraordinary sound quality and an industrial yet sophisticated space at a downtown NYC landmark sound like the makings of your dream wedding, I would highly recommend City Winery.

Now, here are some of those photos that I took last night:

Congratulations, you’re getting hitched in 2012! It’s hard enough finding balance in every day life, but now that you’re engaged you have a lot more to juggle. Most importantly: finding the right balance between your own personal style and what’s hot and current. This is especially true when it comes to your wedding dress. But don’t stress. Here’s the plan:

First, knead out those knots of stress with a wedding planning massage. (We insist!)

Then, narrow down the gazillion wedding dress options by knowing the top trends of the season, as told by The Knot.

Here’s a glimpse at what’s timeless yet modern – check out the top 10 wedding dress trends for 2012, according to theknot.com.

1. Sheer Lace Capes

Alfred Angelo

Last season it was all about long sleeves a la Kate Middleton, but the latest craze is gracefully draped capes. Try this trend for a modest, traditional look on your big day.

2. A Hint of Tint

Rivini

Peach, champagne, cotton candy, sorbet, lavender and mint – you’ve seen stars like Gwen Stefani and Portia de Rossi rock partially-tinted wedding dresses and brides like Kholé Kardashian and Reese Witherspoon add colorful accents to their gowns in the past, but this year the runway is totally dipped and dyed with a rainbow of feminine and romantic hues.  This trend is definitively not for the faint of heart.

3. Embellished Bodices

Anne Bowen

It’s all eyes on you with a glitzy bodice paired with a soft and simple skirt. This style option is great for pear figures who want to enhance their chest, cinch their waist and hide curvy hips.

4. Illusion Necklines

Ines Di Santo

According to The Knot, “Sheer bateau necklines continue to be all the rage on the bridal runways, and this season, crystal and pearl appliques give these see-through styles a more glamorous vibe.” This style is perfect for showing off toned shoulders, arms and back.

5. Hi-Low Hemlines

Oscar de la Renta

Often refereed to as a “mullet dress,” this style of gown is incredibly fashion-forward and edgy (and all business in the front, party in the back, ha!) ; perfect for a beach or outdoor wedding. Plus, the peekaboo hemline is the chicest way to show off amazing wedding shoes.

6. Romantic Ruffles

Pronovias

Use ruffles and ruching to your advantage! Fluffy fabric and cascading frills – when used properly – can accentuate or diminish curves where needed, in order to create a perfectly flattering shape for your individual body type. Plus, they will add the perfect amount of fairytale drama to your special day.

7. Cap Sleeves

Reem Aarca

By opting for a dress with cap sleeves, the eyes are drawn upwards towards the face, elongating your appearance and creating a flattering balance between the lower and upper halves of the body. Depending on the style, cap sleeves can also mask a bra stap, if you need the extra support.

8. Voluminous Ball Gowns

Maggie Sottero

For a traditional, princess-themed event, the bigger the ballgown skirt the better. This style is great if you’re a confident, all-eyes-on-me bride who wants to accentuate that tiny waist you worked for during your engagement. Show it off, girl!

9. Soaring Slits

Monique Lhuillier

Try this sexy trend if you are on the taller side and/or have great gams. Sky-high slits are great for adding drama to fashion-forward or old-Hollywood themed weddings. Want to try the trend but apprehensive about baring so much skin at the service? Save the slit for your reception dress and dance the night away with the freedom to shake a leg.

10. Cold Shoulders

Marchesa

Off-the-shoulder gowns can help you get the look of a strapless neckline and show off those collarbones without the awkwardness of always having to pull up your top. This style is perfect for larger busted brides.

Images via

For what’s always one of the most memorable nights of the year, last night the Spa Week team had our annual company holiday dinner party! Our CEO Cheryl Reid always picks a famously delicious restaurant in the touristy midtown area so that we can marvel at the exalted Rockefeller Christmas Tree or some other must-see NYC holiday destination. This year we headed up to The Sea Grill inside Rockefeller Center, with a view right onto that most famous ice skating rink.

We enjoyed an evening filled with crab cakes (the kind with 95% crab!), steaks, decadent desserts and many refills on our bubbly, wine and key lime martinis. It was also an evening filled with girl talk, as we somehow got onto the topic of how the married folks among us got proposed to.

Without naming names, I will tell you what we learned about three our fellow ring-wearing Spa Week colleagues:

PROPOSAL #1: One of us got proposed to on a romantic horse-drawn carriage in New York’s Central Park. But the only problem – this girl happens to be a crime show junkie and kept pointing out the parts of the park where people got raped and murdered. As the ride was coming to an end, her now-hubby finally interjected: Can you PLEASE stop talking about death, I’m trying to propose to you!

PROPOSAL #2: One of us was watching an awards show, gushing over the gorgeous dresses. While sitting on the couch, she saw her boyfriend trying to get her attention out of the corner of her eye. She ignored him (why is he being so weird?) and continued to comment about how stunning one particular celebrity on the red carpet was. Turns out, he was trying to show her that he was holding an engagement ring.

PROPOSAL #3: One of us had been dating her boyfriend for a while, and they suddenly felt it was time they finally make things official. With no formal proposal, the two secretly escaped to Canada… and eloped! And lived happily ever after.

And in the middle of this juicy conversation, we turned to the ice rink and saw PROPOSAL #4… everyone crowded around the middle of the rink – someone was getting proposed to right then and there! And it happened again for ANOTHER couple (PROPOSAL #5?) during dessert too. Now that’s what I call getting ICE!

Even with a dinner table of mostly single women who just work together, it was the most romantic evening we could have hoped for in a holiday party. Check out some pictures from our love-struck evening.

And those 95%-crab crab cakes... YUM.

Whoah, 2011, where have you gone!? It’s been quite the exciting year here at Spa Week. Our gift cards just launched in over 17,000 retail stores, the company is expanding quickly, our Facebookers and Tweethearts have doubled (and are better than ever – we love you!), and Spa Week Daily has taken on a real life of its own.

Kick back and let’s reminisce: After analyzing all the blog stats from 2011 along with social media impressions, we’ve compiled the most popular blog posts, memories, and moments of this incredible year. THANK YOU times a million to every single one of you who reads Spa Week Daily. You know – on those days it seem like we’re blogging into oblivion (fellow bloggers, you know what I’m talking about), it’s YOU, our wonderful readers, who keep us going. Thanks for the memories, the likes, the tweets, the comments, the suggestions and the LOVIN’ – we can’t wait to do it all over again in 2012!

11. YOU DITCHED SODA

Joy Bauer challenged Spa Week Daily readers to quit drinking soda for two weeks, and look how much healthier you are now! Yes, one of the major blog features we launched in 2011 were our Health Challenges hosted by industry experts – little lifestyle changes to try out for two weeks to make you feel your best. Out of all seven thus far, ditching soda remains #1 in terms of traffic and participation. Click through our growing Panel of Experts to your right, my left, to see each expert’s priceless life tips along with their challenge. Stay tuned for more fun in 2012!

10. FEATHERS IN YOUR HAIR

Did you fly away with the hottest hippie hair trend of 2011? Pheasant Feathers, those long, skinny pops of color that began infiltrating everyone’s hair last winter and spring, were featured right here on Spa Week Daily before they hit the bigtime. Stacey Gersten, who was later featured in the New York Times for her red-hot feather business out of her studio apartment, gave you the Pheasant Feathers How-To right here first. This beauty phenom was certainly not one for the birds!

9. THE NO POO MOVEMENT

Speaking of hippie hair trends… women from all walks of life joined together for the No Poo Movement in 2011, ditching their trusty, but often too harsh, shampoos in the name of healthier, smoother and more lustrous locks. The theory is: that annoying “grease” that builds up is actually good for your tresses, and if you can hold off from cleaning it for a bit, it’ll do you good. Some managed for two whole months, while others, like Michelle, experimented for just a week. See how she fared for 7 days with the help of hair tools, products and accessories, and YES it was totally worth it!

8. SPA WEEK JOINS FORCES WITH THE BIGGEST NAMES IN WELLNESS

First came our Get Fit For Summer sweeps with America’s toughest trainer, Jillian Michaels, then Today Show nutritionist Joy Bauer co-hosted our Fast Track to Health giveaway. Then we gave away spiritual leader Deepak Chopra‘s brand new Leela video game along with an Xbox + Kinect. Now, we’ve partnered with nutrition expert and author Keri Glassman to give away a grandiose nutrition package and a lavish trip to… WAIT, you didn’t see it yet!? It’s time to change that.

7. THE HOT MOM SPA SQUAD GOT HOTTER

Although born in 2010, 2011 was really the year our Hot Mom Spa Squad caught fire. In an effort to encourage moms everywhere to trade in Pampers for pampering, our squad is filled with mommy blogging influencers, blogging about spa and spreading the wellness word.  We’ve got nearly 100 (VERY HOT) moms involved so far, and our squad is expanding all the time. We also hosted our first ever big Hot Mom Spa Night NYC. There were much-deserved massages, mini-facials and perfect eyebrow waxes for all, and check out the video… your kid did WHAT!?

6. AND YOU THOUGHT VAJAZZLING WAS DEAD…

“Vajazzle.” “Vajazzling pics.” ”Vajazzling during sex.” ”Vagazzle” spelled wrong, although it does admittedly make more sense that way. Although in 2011 we’ve hardly let out a peep about that infamous break-out beauty trend of yesteryear (landing #1 on our 2010 roundup), we still get a significant number of curious folks Googling their way to Spa Week Daily to get the lowdown on putting sparkly crystals on their lady parts. If our organic blog traffic is any indicator, vajazzling is not dead, my friends! (Even though vajazzling trendsetter Cindy Barshop’s reality TV career is.) On a more 2011-y note, the boys have hopped on the bandwagon too. Our Pejazzling photo shoot is where it’s at.

5. TWEETING YOUR LITTLE HEARTS OUT

In July we launched our first ever “Tweet-a-thon,” a fun, fast-paced product-a-day giveaway called #WinDailyWinItAll, where the grand prize winner literally won it ALL. The theme was “summer fun,” so graphic yoga mats, sunglasses and popchips all made the hot list. To close out the year, we twisted the tweet-a-thon and wrapped it in tinsel for the holidays – have you checked out #12DaysOfWellness yet? It’s gotten thousands of twitterbirds singing, come join in the fun!

4. A 9/11 NOD TO FREEDOM

This year we held hands and held our heads high as the ten-year anniversary of the saddest day in recent American history came and went. We were thrilled to be able to feature an exclusive look behind the rebuilding of Ground Zero, from the point of view of one of the construction workers on the job. Check out Stephanie’s exclusive interview and close-up photos from One World Trade Center, proudly one of our post trafficked posts of the year.

3. HERE COMES THE BRIDE, THERE SHE GOES VIRAL

Whether you’re getting married soon or not, our Wedding Wednesday column has proven to be fun for all. We’ve posted a handful of wedding diddies this year that got quite the resounding I DO. Take a walk back down the aisle with the top wedding posts of 2011: The most epic wedding video ever (Dirty Bit!), that phat throwback 90s wedding music video invitation (saved $1000, yeah don’t be jealous!), 12 adventurous cake concepts, and how to be super creative about announcing your engagement on Facebook.

2. EATING FOR BEAUTY

Amazing, healthy skin is something we all strive for, and understandably one of the main reasons many of you visit Spa Week Daily in the first place. Well, one of THE most popular blog posts of 2011 was Michelle’s triumphant skincare diet experiment: Dr. Perricone’s 3-day “Eat for Beauty” Skincare Diet. In 3 days this strict diet made her skin glow like no other, and made us all believe that salmon, eggs, greens, olive oil and a handful of other specific natural foods could trump any serum or scrub in your beauty cabinet. In fact, Dr. Perricone made this diet his Spa Week Daily Health Challenge. If you haven’t yet, try it for your next big event!

1. ALL YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW: WHEN IS SPA WEEK!?

In the ranks of our most trafficked posts, it makes us smile that the Official Announcement of the Spa Week 2011 Dates came out in the top of the top! Those $50 spa treatments are the core of our company, indeed. Between social sharers and Googlers, it’s a fact: Everybody wants to know when Spa Week is. So, what are the Spring and Fall dates for 2012, you ask? You’ll just have to wait for the official blog post to come in the New Year! Blog traffic aside, we can’t wait to spread word about Spa Week’s flagship event; to pamper North America once again in $50 relaxation, beauty, health and wellness.

Here’s to another great year – see you in 2012!

Sure, fresh white snow on the ground looks beautiful. But when it comes to your wedding, wouldn’t you rather have your toes dipped in white sandy beaches? Today we’re pleased to feature Acqualina Resort & Spa on the Beach in Sunny Isles, Florida as a fantastic location for a destination wedding. Enjoy southern Florida’s warm weather at this oceanfront property and bask in relaxation of one-on-one attention from the on-site wedding planner.

The resort features 54 hotel rooms and 43 hotel suites with scenic views, 5 star amenities and private terraces. Your out-of-town guests will enjoy the many services Acqualina has to offer like 24 hour room service (late night sundae, anyone?) and interactive child care programs to entertain the tots.

Get pampered at the resort’s award-winning 20,000 square foot spa: ESPA at Acqualina. Perhaps a Stress Releasing Abyhanga? There are 16 treatment rooms including a private hotel spa suite for two, a private spa pool and a heated jet pool with a Roman waterfall, Finnish Saunas, Crystal Steam Rooms, Ice Fountains, Experience Showers, and Relaxation Rooms. There are even spa treatments for men – so bring the groomsmen, too! If you can’t sell them on the spa, just get them out of your hair and ship them over to one of the many golf courses for the day.

Privacy, attention to detail and all hands on deck! The resort hosts only one wedding on the property at a time, ensuring that the bride and groom can take full advantage of all the options available on the premises. The four banquet rooms can accommodate up to 130 guests or you can host a larger party on the oceanfront lawn. Couples don’t have to worry about the minor details knowing that the in-house catering staff will help plan the entire menu. But don’t take it from us – check out all their wedding testimonials – that’s a lot of happy couples.

All you have to do is slip into that gorgeous gown of yours and say “I do!”