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You've made the decision to get married away from home, and you've decided what precise location you want to travel to, but within that beautiful backdrop, where will you tie the knot? Choosing a venue when you're hundreds (or thousands!) of miles away can add a little extra stress to your already-full plate, but it doesn't have to provide any more headaches than picking a venue at home.

One thing to know -- and communicate -- is what exactly you want from your destination wedding. If you want to tie the knot in Paris, do you see yourself saying "I do" at a private chateau or at the Four Seasons Paris? When you first start Googling, it can certainly become overwhelming if you haven't narrowed down your desires beforehand. If you see yourself getting crazy in Las Vegas, is it with Elvis presiding or in the Venus Garden at Caesar's Palace.

Sit down with your partner and decide why you chose your destination to begin with -- the stunning mountains, the thrilling nightlife or the twinkling lights of a busy cityscape. When you both get the picture in your mind's eye out in the open, it'll be much easier (and less stressful!) to pick the perfect venue that matches what you've been envisioning.

A beautiful destination wedding is in the cards for you, and, the really good news? It doesn't have to be more work and stress than a wedding in your own backyard.

Speaking of stress: next week, we talk budgets!

We've already mentioned that we think a fun purse is a great gift for bridesmaids, and if you're having a Parisian-themed wedding, we still think it's a great idea. Of course, you also need a fabulous bag for yourself ...

We've got it right here -- the Eiffel Tower Bag by Timmy Woods. Granted, they're $375 a pop, so, even if you won't be able to give one to each of your bridesmaids, you might be able to splurge and get one for yourself! There are always other Parisian gifts to give your girls.

This purse isn't only good for your wedding, either. It's one of the bags being featured in the Sex and the City movie, carried by none other than Miss Carrie Bradshaw herself. So not only will you be a beautiful bride, you'll also be a serious fashionista any time you carry it!

For many people, Paris, the City of Lights, is the epitome of romance. A city that oozes history, culture and unbridled luxury. It's a magical place and it's no wonder that so many couples want to have their wedding there. From the Champs Elysee to the Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower to the Sacre Coeur in Montmartre, there isn't a thing about Paris that doesn't attract, n'est ce pas?

But, romance aside, getting married in Paris isn't a matter of choosing a date and booking the church. France has stringent requirements for tying the knot and it can be off-putting to all but the most determined among us. Basically, at least one of the couple needs to have lived in the district where they want to get married for 30-40 consecutive days.

Additionally, proof of residency is required along with a slew of other documents, including a birth certificate, a certificate of celibacy, and a medical certificate, all of which must be less than three months old. Furthermore, if you want a church wedding, then you must first have a civil ceremony in France. (A civil ceremony back at home doesn't count.)

If it sounds difficult, that's because it is. However, it's not impossible. You do need to be resourceful and resilient though, with a whole lot of patience thrown in for good measure.

Many couples choose to marry in their own country then hold a symbolic ceremony in Paris. But, if your heart is set on having the full works in France, then rest assured it is possible - you simply need to 'gird your loins' and be prepared to do whatever you must to fulfill all the legal requirements.

We took a peek at super-luxury weddings to create this inspiration board: From record-breaking bouquets to Indian weddings that are truly over the top, we found that you don't have to be an LVMH heiress to add a few luxurious touches to your real life wedding.

However, it doesn't hurt to dream, does it? So let's get to it!

This week we're thrilled to be chatting to Kimberley Petyt, of Parisian Events, a first class American wedding consultancy in Paris.

How did you come to be a wedding planner in France?

Eight years ago I married a French man and after planning my own wedding in France, long-distance from San Francisco, I decided to start a wedding planning agency. I already had years of event planning experience in the USA, and I had also learnt so much about the differences between French weddings and American weddings through my own experiences, so it was almost a natural progression.

What are the major challenges of planning a wedding in Paris?

The biggest challenge for any couple is the long list of legal requirements. The main requirement is that one of the couple needs to have been a legal resident in the district in which they plan to marry for 30 – 40 consecutive days prior to their requested wedding date. And that means really living there, and being able to provide proof of residency (such as a utility bill) and not just bunking down in a hotel and being a tourist for a month!

If a couple wants a full wedding, with the civil ceremony followed by a church blessing, do you sort all the paperwork out?

I provide clients with a global road map of the documents that are needed for a civil ceremony, and the overall timing for submitting the documents. I'll also give them direction as to where they can find additional assistance, but I always recommend that a client contact their local embassy as well as the city hall in which they wish to marry directly for more information.

I provide the same type of assistance to those clients who are marrying in a religious ceremony. A lot of people in the U.S. don't realize that in order to have a wedding in a church in France, you first HAVE to have had a French civil ceremony.

Because there are SO many restrictions here in France, the majority of our clients who come from out of the country do choose to marry legally in their home country and have a symbolic ceremony or a religious blessing here in Paris.

You've weighed the pros and cons of getting married at home or away and away won. So, it's now time to decide where exactly to go? Some couples who opt for a destination wedding have a specific location in mind when they begin planning but others only know they want a sandy beach or somewhere near a lake or a picturesque mountain scene. How do you decide the exact place then?

Here are a few things to consider:

• What time of year do you want to get married? Are you set on a holiday wedding? Or, perhaps, springtime nuptials? Do you want to get married outside or do you envision a church setting? These are all questions to ask yourself right before you spend a nice afternoon with Google to make sure the location in your head is compatible with the other criteria you've laid out for your wedding day.
• What's the weather like? If you're planning a destination wedding, it's likely the setting is just as important as any other detail. Meaning, if you want a Mexican beach wedding, the weather will be crucial to a happy day. If you want an Irish celebration you'll want to avoid getting married in April -- an unpredictable time of year there. Weather.com is a fantastic resource for all brides-to-be and the site offers regular e-mail updates for the location of your choice.
• How easy will your wedding be to plan? The Internet has made planning a destination wedding much easier these days, but you still want to be sure the place you have chosen has a variety of things you will need for a destination wedding: local and professional vendors, accommodations (hotels, lodges, etc), a nearby airport. You not only want your wedding planning to be as stress-free as possible but you want your guests to enjoy their time there with few headaches.

Before you can dive into the joy of planning your dream wedding away from home, you want to pick the perfect spot. Is it a ranch in Santa Fe or a hilltop in British Columbia? Regardless, you want it to be right for you and your needs. Think it through before you dish out deposits, and you're sure to have a magical (and picture-perfect!) wedding day.

We aren't the least bit ashamed to admit that we ABSOLUTELY didn't see this one coming -- Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon eloped and are married! Reportedly, a source close to the couple confirmed the marriage to Latina.com.

Mariah and Nick got hitched yesterday, in an "impulsive" small island wedding, attended by just a few of their close friends, including rapper and Mariah BFF, DaBrat.

We reported just a couple of days ago that the couple might be engaged, but we weren't holding our breath since Nick's five month engagement to Victoria's Secret model Selina Ebanks went belly-up not too long ago. In fact, there are rumors that Mariah's engagement ring was actually the same one Nick used to propose to Selina, in which case we're giving this relationship about a minute before they opt for an equally impulsive divorce. If that's not the case, we'll give it an hour. Though, maybe they're happy and all of this isn't quite as crazy as we think it is ...

Located in Lake Huron between Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas, Mackinac (pronounced Mack-in-awe) Island is a 3.8-square mile piece of tourist heaven -- and a very popular summer wedding destination! You can get to the island year-round, but the main tourist season is in the warmer months, from May to October, as winter in this part of the country can mean bitter cold and lots of snow and ice, and lots of the local businesses close down in the off season.

Though the island is barely eight miles in circumference, you'll have plenty of options for your Mackinaw wedding. The tiny island boasts more than 2,000 hotel rooms along with its variety of restaurants and many other attractions.

Yes, there are castles all over the world. If a real castle can be less than a couple hundred years old, we even have some here in North America!

But if you want a lot of choice for your castle venue? It sure looks like Scotland is the place to be! The country appears to be full to bursting with castles: big ones, small ones, pretty ones, rugged ones, pristine castles, crumbling castles ... Whatever your castle preference, they have it. Unless you want pretty white fairy-tale castle. Them they don't got.

But history? Rugged natural beauty? Pipers and men in kilts? THOSE you can have by the truckload.

If you're getting married in Miami, why not take advantage of the glamorous Art Deco pools that are the signature elements of many of the best hotels in town? Throw a swanky pre-wedding cocktail party for out-of-town guests - it's an easy way to ease your guests into the sexy Miami vibe.

Imagine the pool glittering under the starts, the warm evening breezes twinged with saltwater, the not-too-distant sound of the ocean in the background as guests mingle and drink stiff drinks. (Think 1930s elegance - mojitos and martinis - and FORGET anything that requires a blender.)

We did this for our wedding, and it was so gorgeous and elegant I almost fainted with happiness. I recommend it!

While destination weddings and unusual venues are growing in popularity, many English couples still prefer to have a traditional church wedding. However, it isn't as easy as you might think. It's not simply a matter of finding a pretty church in a beautiful setting and booking it for your wedding. Oh no. The Church of England has long been quite snippy about who may exchange vows within the hallowed walls of their church buildings.

An old law states that you need to live within the church's parish, or attend the church, if you want to get married there. It made no difference if you grew up near the church, or your parents still live close by. You had to reside there yourself. Which wasn't always possible, especially with climbing house prices in those picture perfect villages forcing newly weds to leave their picturesque home towns and buy a more affordable house elsewhere.

But all this is set to change. The new law which should take effect in autumn, mean that you will be able to get married in a church that has special significance to you, even if you don't attend it or live nearby. Which we think is very good news indeed.

Perhaps we'll see a rise in the number of church weddings in the not-too-distant future.

Villa Vizcaya sits on the edge of Biscayne Bay and is an impressive thing to see, especially at night, when it glitters as the site of grand parties - just like in the Great Gatsby. It was built in 1916 as James Deering's winter residence and he lived and entertained there until his death in 1925.

It's the perfect setting for a Roaring 20s wedding - and it's available for rental. From a small daytime wedding ($750) to a Grand wedding for 125 people (rental rates start at $12,500) you too can recreate all the glitz and glamour of the 1920s in an authentic setting.

Take a look at our gallery for a tour of this historic home and its gardens. Even if renting it is out of reach, touring this beautiful home might just inspire you into puttin' on the Ritz!

What's the most unusual wedding you've ever heard about? Underwater? Skydiving? Performed by a clown? Those are all old news, now, thanks to Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Galactic.

Virgin Galactic is planning the first EVER space-wedding, and eccentric British billionaire Branson is to be the officiant. See, we told you it was unusual! (This actually isn't the first time Branson has played the part of officiant. Just last year he conducted the wedding of Virgin America marketing director Dimitrios Papdognonas and Coco Jones, on, of course, a Virgin flight.)

Cape Town, situated in the Western Cape, South Africa is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world. With it's combination of pristine beaches, stunning scenery, wonderful vineyards, fabulous food and sophisticated city shopping, it's easy to understand why it attracts visitors such as Elton John, Bono and even British royalty. (It's also the home of Chelsy Davy, Prince Harry's gorgeous girlfriend).

For couples in search of an unbeatable destination wedding experience it's hard to ignore the almost irresistible allure of the Western Cape. It's also fairly easy to get married there as there are no residency requirements and a South African marriage is recognised world-wide, including in the UK and the USA. Another huge advantage is that the local currency, the Rand, is very weak against the US dollar, the Euro and the Pound, which makes it that much more affordable. At the time of writing, one Dollar will buy you almost eight Rands.

By far the best time of year to visit this region is during the spring and summer months, from November to February, when average temperatures are around 26 degrees Celsius. Keep in mind though, that this is also the tourist high season and venues, beaches and other attractions will be crowded and more expensive. The Cape autumn (March to May) can also be very pleasant and mild, with an average temperature of about 22 degrees Celsius but be aware of the famous Cape wind, known locally as the Cape Doctor.

Besides being set on beautiful Waikiki Beach on Oahu and offering everything that romantic Hawaii promises, the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, or "Pink Palace of the Pacific" takes the stress out of planning a destination wedding. Start with the Wedding Budget Planner worksheet that gives you options and costs upfront so you can design a great day without breaking the bank. They will help with everything from food to flowers, photographers, and finding an officiant. The hotel also assists you with meeting Hawaii's marriage requirements and has partnered up with a technology company to offer live Internet broadcast of your ceremony for guests who can't be there in person. Finally, you can set up a honeymoon registry so that after the big day you and your new spouse can stay and enjoy all of the hotel's vacation amenities along with the beach and sun.