If you are considering a trip to Santa Barbara, check out some of these hot spots for food, fashioned and fun:

Where to Eat & Drink

Food

• The Santa Barbara Shellfish Company: At the end of Santa Barbara’s historic Stearn’s Wharf, The Shellfish Company provides a casual dining experience coupled with some of the best seafood the city has to offer.
• Arigato: Santa Barbara is full of amazing sushi restaurants! Arigato offers a delicious range of rolls, sushi and other menu items with plentiful wine, beer and sake options.
• Opal: Cozy up next to your new spouse in one of the chic tables facing all the action on State Street. The perfect place to watch the many parades and festivals go by, Opal combines California cuisine with international flair.
  
• The Biltmore: This Four Seasons Resort offers breathtaking views and the utmost in luxury. Stop by for brunch that can’t be beat at the Bella Vista restaurant.

Drinks

• Soho: Check the website for Soho’s calendar of events, or just slide up to the bar to enjoy Santa Barbara wines and a range of premium cocktails.
• The Boathouse: Enjoy your cocktails while taking in an amazing view of the Pacific! The Boathouse offers great happy hour specials, a fun crowd and some of the best scenery in the city.
• Joe’s Cafe: Strong drinks, cushy booth seating and a casual vibe combine to make Joe’s the go-to spot for late night cocktails.

What to Do

• The Santa Barbara Zoo: It might be small, but the Santa Barbara Zoo is full of cute little animals and amazing views of the surrounding area. You’re sure to love the quaint and cozy atmosphere.
• Whale Watching: Every year gray whales migrate past Santa Barbara on their way to Mexico, providing the perfect reason hop aboard a boat for the afternoon!
• The Santa Barbara Mission: Step back in time with a tour of this California landmark, and then fall in love all over again in the Mission Rose Gardens (a popular site for weddings!).
• Beaches: Santa Barbara has a wealth of beautiful beaches where you can spend days lying in the sand and soaking up the sun!

Where to Shop

• State Street: This famous stretch of road features some of the best shopping in California! Cruise down toward the beach to visit shops like Blue Bee and Blue Beetle, which feature fun and fashionable designs for you and your hubby, respectively.
• The Closet: Also known as designer resale heaven, The Closet offers vintage and consignment designs that will make a thrift store convert out of you!

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What would you expect your family and friends to dish out for your destination wedding? How would you try to keep the costs down? Do you think prohibitive prices are a detriment to wedding destinations, or is the fact that your wedding would end up small and exclusive a plus? Does the price of your dream destination make you want to rant or rave?

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• Grand Bahama Island:  You can look forward to a memorable mix of historic charm, modern attractions and ecological wonders on your visit to Grand Bahama Island. There’s truly something for everyone. The warm welcome you’ll receive is just extra insurance that you’ll return again and again. (courtesy of Bahamas.com)

Grand Romance Wedding Suite; Grand Bahamas Island.

• Nassau/Paradise Island:  You’ll find the capital city, Nassau on New Providence Island, neighbor to Paradise Island. Offering a distinct blend of international glamor and tropical ease, this unique island pair gives you the freedom to do everything or nothing at all. So, kick back. Enjoy. (courtesy of Bahamas.com)

Nassau Chic Wedding Suite, Nassau/Paradise Island.

• The Out Islands:  These hidden gems we call The Out Islands come in the form of small remote villages and a simple way of life. Here you’ll find some of the world’s most stunning beaches, dive sites, and fishing sites – a welcome surprise if you’re looking for that perfect mix of relaxation and adventure.  (courtesy of Bahamas.com)

Out Islands Wedding Suite, The Out Islands.

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Many brides take their bachelorette party as a fun excuse to get out of town, but some fail to realize that this means their bridesmaids and close friends all feel obligated to dip into their savings to come along for the ride.

As this bachelorette party planning checklist from The Knot attests, it’s important to give the bride the bachelorette experience she wants, but when do you draw the line? Would you sign up for a trip to Palm Springs? New York? Mexico? Europe? Would you be excited or annoyed?

Do out of town bachelorette parties make you want to rant or rave?

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From L to R: Crystal Bandeau Bikini; Dior Sunglasses ; Tory Burch Sandals; Juicy Beach Tote; Beach Survival Kit

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Each and every Tuesday, look for a new feature on Diva Dialogue called Diva Dish.  Send us your questions about all things wedding and our Divas will dish out their best advice.

Send questions titled “Dear Divas” to blog@weddingpaperdivas.com.  We can’t wait to answer your questions!

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-Redbook has 100 Great Date-Night Ideas.  Pick one and treat yourselves each month.  If you want the fun to last even longer, check out Redbook’s book, 500 Great Dates, by Lisa Sussman.

-For 50 more date night secrets, check out About.com, where you’ll find ideas like local road trips and sharing a milkshake at a sweet diner!

-The Nest has an entire page dedicated to different date night categories.  Whether you’re in the mood for a cheap date or a high-rolling rendez-vous, you’ll find an option to suit your needs.

-Visit ThirtyDollarDateNight.com and click the big red button.  A new $30 date idea is generated with each click!  Visit this site on a whim to plan your weekend.  There is even an international city guide and the ability to add your own date ideas to the database!

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-The Big Day has a detailed honeymoon registry with the option to personalize each gift that you list with your own images and copy.  Visit some of the sample registries available on their site to get a better idea of all that you can do.

-Honeymoon Wishes is a similar site with the same great options, including the ability to cash out on your gifts at any time and planning assistance.

-If you want to be your own travel agent and already have the destination, hotels and activities in mind, Honeyfund will be your perfect online destination.  No setup fees, transaction fees or travel booking is required to take advantage of this detailed honeymoon registry.

-The Honeymoon offers a network of professional travel agents local to your zip code so that you can actually meet with someone in person to plan your trip instead of relying on phone and email.

-Say thank you for your honeymoon gifts with style.  Check out Wedding Paper Divas for some chic thank you notes, like this Palm Leaf Thank You to reflect a tropical honeymoon.  With your note, include a photo of you doing whatever activity was purchased for you through your honeymoon registry.  Your guests will love that you were thoughtful enough to not only use their gift, but to think of them while you were doing it!  Such a personal touch will truly show your appreciation.

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2. If you have trouble sleeping in new places, check out the new alarm clock everyone’s talking about. Brookstone’s Travel Tranquil Moments alarm clock is a clock, sound machine and voice memo recorder all in a compact style so that you can take with you where ever you go.

3. Tired of all those distorted, squished photos of the two of you? Bring along the Gorillapod so you won’t have to worry about who’s going to take your picture. Just attached your camera to this funny looking but useful tripod. (L.L. Bean, $22)

4. Planning on bringing home a ton of gifts for friends and family? These chic, reusable shopping bags fold up into a tiny little pouch that’s great for packing them up and taking them out to fill with all those great gifts!

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1) If you’re heading for somewhere cold, this gorgeous Fair Isle Sweater dress will keep you warm and in style. The flirty little rosette dress is perfect for a night out with your new husband. The cure for the end of the summer blues? Warm sand, ocean breezes in a tropical dream. This halter maxi dress will help you get there. All from Victoria’s Secret.

2) These chic weekender bags are a stylish and useful accessory, carrying everything you need for short and long vacations. From left, Billabong Road trip bag, $74 from Swell, Victoria’s Secret Pink travel duffel $59.50, and Fossil Weekender Duffle $138.

3) Bring your wedding thank you cards with you and be inspired by the beautiful scenery to send out your words of appreciation!

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