American couples continue to choose destination weddings in record numbers.

The allure is great: the opportunity to celebrate both a wedding and a once-in-a-lifetime adventure in a fabulous location with family and friends. And of America's many premier locations, Hawaii has always been on the top of the list. Hawaii's beautiful beaches and tropical weather make it a romantic and exotic wedding destination, yet with all of the conveniences of home.

So many wedding gifts are universal - appropriate for any couple, or even any occasion. Yet one's wedding is the most singular and personal of occasions, and it deserves a truly personal and unique gift.

There is a new wedding gift option that lends true meaning to the expression: "They're playing our song." Imagine having a song written and produced expressly for you...a musical work of art that immortalizes your love story in beautifully crafted words and music.

For some couples, deciding whether or not to invite kids to the wedding is not an easy, slam-dunk kind of question. Kids certainly add an air of "unpredictability" to a wedding, But as we all know...unpredictability can go any number of ways. If you are on the fence about whether to include kids or have a strictly adults-only event: read on. Or, worse yet, if you and your fiancé are on opposite sides of the fence on this issue: read on. These are some points to consider, which will hopefully help you make the right decision.

I was invited to promote my book, Destination Bride: A Complete Guide to Planning Your Wedding Anywhere in the World at a wedding fair in Limerick, Ireland. The fair was very interesting, and we learned a great deal about how dramatically destination weddings are growing in Ireland and other European countries.

But who can go to Ireland without exploring some of the places that we Americans have heard so much about? And why go back to the states without experiencing what so many American couples dream about when they consider a European wedding: a castle location?

When booking a hotel or choosing a restaurant, sight unseen, many of us rely on a rating system to narrow down our choices. Whether it's the diamonds of the American automobile Association, the stars of the Mobil Guide, or the smiley faces of Travelocity's customer ratings, we know that the more of them we see (usually within a range of one-to-five), the better (and more expensive) the accommodations or meal will be.