The Top Honeymoon Destinations

As I was working, I came across an article titled "7 Most Romantic Places In The World." With Valentines Day approaching I am sure that's why this post was featured. It immediately crossed my mind to do a blog post on it and twist it into top honeymoon destinations. I also found an article "Best Honeymoon Destinations Of 2014". Comparing the two I was able to compile a list featuring the top honeymoon destinations-if you can afford them.

• 1.) Bali, Indonesia- This is definitely on my bucket lists of travel destinations. It looks absolutely beautiful and that is why it is number 1. I feel like one of The Bachelor's or Bachelorette's travelled here for some dates, but I can't remember who. If you think of who it is let me know!
• 2.) Charleston, South Carolina- Random. when I saw this I was shocked. Out of all the places this was the only one that made both of the lists-and it's the only one in the United States! I am always told 'The Carolinas' are beautiful and this was a testament that it truly is. Looking at photos it definitely makes me want to visit. 
• 3.) Italian Riviera-The Italian Riviera is divided into two regions: east and west. The west side is your best bet for night life and beaches, but nothing beats the east side. Either way you go is a win win.
• 4.) Greek Isles- I always hear how amazing Mediterranean cruises are, and now I know why. Santarini has the best sunsets and Naxo has the flawless white beaches. If you're getting married in the spring or fall you are lucky, because that is the best time to visit.
• 5.) La Pez, Mexico- North of Cabo lies the beautiful city La Pez, which is the prime spot for the Sea of Coretez. It's all about the crystal blue water here so make sure you snorkel and check out the whales, sea lions, dolphins and sting rays.
• 6.) St. Maarten or St. John- Either of these two places in the Caribbean are perfect honeymoon destinations. You can't go wrong!

You might be able to find a cruise to some of these locations that will make it more affordable. Granted, you might not be able to get to these spots until you are retired so go ahead and add them to your bucket list. You'll get there eventually ;)

Emily & Mike O'Bryant

So my dear brother-in-law and now sister-in-law recently were married two days after Christmas. It was crazy we flew out on Christmas Day. We rushed through opening presents to leave for the airport at two o'clock in the afternoon. Our flight was then delayed turning what was supposed to be a four hour trip into a six hour trip! It wasn't very fun to say the least, BUT it was worth it. We were welcomed by 70+ degree weather and what felt like summer. It made it hard to fathom that it was still Christmas day.

The wedding was at the Los Angeles LDS Temple. It was very special because my grandparents served a church mission there. I was able to go to the visitors center and see where they served and was able to think about them as they are have passed on. The Los Angeles Temple is GORGEOUS and huge! We found it's the second largest temple and would be the largest if the Salt Lake Temple's underground areas weren't accounted for.

Anyways, the ceremony was beautiful. Mike & Emily make a very handsome couple and it was a pleasure to be apart of it. They had their reception at the Sterling Hills Golf Club in Camarillo. I was asked to help set up and got a few pictures before everyone got there. They're obviously not professional- as I took them on my phone and you can see some boxes on the tables and signs not hung up but you get the idea :) As you can see their colors were mint green and navy blue with some accents of grey and cream. It all turned out very nice.

I didn't get any pictures of the couples first dance, nor the father-daughter and mother-son dance unfortunately, but they did have that and have a video of them playing in the background.

The nice thing about paying for a good venue is not having to worry about the take-down of the whole thing. All we had to do was clean up all the decorations that we brought. We didn't have to worry about the linens or the leftover food because it was all provided.

Congrats Mike & Emily couldn't be more happy for you guys!

Experiencing 'Cold Feet'?

We have all heard of the expression 'Cold Feet' when getting married. We have seen it on tons of wedding movies. Unfortunately no one really talks about how to mentally prepare for your wedding day and avoiding cold feet. Getting married is a big step in your life and as a wedding planner, not only do I plan the wedding, but I am also here to bring you that comfort and assurance you may need. My hopes is after reading this post that you bride and you groom will feel relieved and much better about taking the step into marriage. 


The Wedding Knot says, "Got cold feet? Are you experiencing a chilling fear as you realize that you're about to spend the rest of your life with the same person? Don't worry, it happens. Most of the time, this freak-out period just means you're suffering from a case of pre-wedding jitters." So take it from a famous source and understand that almost everyone has these feelings. It's common. Below is a list to help you determine whether it's "Cold Feet" or something more.


Is this how you feel?

•               They're getting on your nerves. I can't express to you how many times Ty and I both got on each other's nerves the whole time we were engaged and planning the wedding. It is totally normal. I have had friends approach me and ask if it is just them. It happens almost with everyone who gets married. Think about it. You are both stressed, busy, not getting much sleep, and it's building up. Now that the wedding planning is winding down so should it and it will. 

•               Your'e freaking out because you're noticing changes in yourself. You're not eating, not sleeping, you're sweating all the time, panicking and then you start to question whether or not you're making the right decision. Stop right there and don't let it go any further. This is also very common amongst brides and will settle down once the wedding day rolls around. As girls we like to think and over-analyze everything. You know what I'm talking about and this is what is happening in this case.

•               More issues are arising about living together and what each of you wants in your future home. For example, you want a dog and he hates them or he is a pack rat and has too much stuff and you want him to get rid of it. Merging two lives together is not a breeze. These reasons are not worth thinking twice about. It will all work out in the end and you both will be happy.

There are several other issues similar to this that you may be experiencing and if that is the case than don't worry, it's just the pre-wedding jitters. If the issues are more serious than these like: abuse, drug/alcohol addiction, betrayal then you should talk with a family member or seek professional help and postpone or call of the wedding. 

Marrying your best friend and sweetheart is the greatest day of your life. Say goodbye to the cold feet and pre-wedding jitters! 

Avoiding Becoming A Bridezilla

Overtime I have collected a few tips to remember that will help you avoid becoming a "Bridezilla", as well as minimize your stress. No one wants to be a Bridezilla, but sometimes in the heat of all the planning we lose our cool. Hopefully this list will speak to you and you can remember to be kind and appreciative to those who are helping you plan your wedding.

Tips:

1.) Delegate sensibly. Delegating is key to keeping you sane. You CANNOT do this on your own. Fortunately, there will be tons of people eagar to help and be part of the day. Just make sure you give assignements to people that are capable of completing them. Your mom probably shouldn't plan your bachelorette party. Your grandma shouldn't be setting up chairs and tables. And your eight year old sister shouldn't be in charge of the parking situation. Also, don't overburden family and friends. They will want to enjoy this day with you.
2.) Sometimes family/friends/ etc. can be overbearing. Listen to every word of their input and thank them.
3.) Consider getting a wedding planner. If there's a lot to do and you and everyone else can't afford the time required to plan everything you need then this is a must. Generally speaking, the bride needs to be able to contribute a full 12 hours per week for planning, organizing, preparing, and getting the wedding put together.
4.) Take pictures and notes at bridal and event shows. This will help you when you start really planning your wedding.
5.) Be patient with your family, especially if they're helping split the bill. They just want the best for you and aren't trying to make you upset. It's a stressful, busy time and remember they're on your side.
6.) Put your foot down when you need to. If you're very set on a specific caterer then explain that without being too selfish. Let your mom know what is most important to you.
7.) Compromise. If you really want that caterer, and your mom has a strong opinion about the DJ then maybe you let her pick the DJ and you the caterer.
8.) Keep lines of communication open. Let your friends, family etc. know that they can come to you about anything. My mother-in-law came to me about the bridesmaids skirts I picked out. She explained that they weren't the most flattering on my sister-in-laws and offered to pay to have someone make the skirts. I was flexible on this, and the end product turned out great.
9.) Remember your marriage is more important than the wedding. Sometimes in all the hustle and bustle we overlook this and lose sight of what's really most important. In the end it doesn't matter who took your pictures as long as you have them, and who did your hair.
10.) Cross-off "non-essentials." If you're on a tight budget and trying to save money then go through your list and decide what is most important to you. Maybe you don't need to have that makeup artist who charges $100 an hour or those $500 shoes with the diamond studs.
11.) Have fun, you'll be married in the end.

Keep in mind, There's no "best way" to get married everyone does it differently.

Here are some websites that I have found useful to help with ideas and planning.

theknot.com
marthastewartweddings.com
brides.com
projectwedding.com

The Importance of Writing Thank You Cards

After the honeymoon and after you've opened all your lovely presents it's time to start writing and addressing your thank you cards. Make sure while you're opening your gifts that you designate someone like your mom to write down all the gifts you received and who they were from so you can be thorough in your thank you cards. Writing your thank you cards does take a while, but it is worth it and your guests truly appreciate it. As a rule of thumb you need to have all of your thank you cards sent out no later than two months after your wedding. That is a really easy deadline. Ty and I had all our thank you cards out less than a month after our wedding. So I challenge all your newlyweds to have your thank you cards no later than a month after.

This past August I attended a friend's wedding with a gift, and I have still not received a thank you card. Since that wedding I have gone to other weddings and brought gifts, and received their thank you cards. The long wait leads me to believe they aren't sending any. It makes me feel that my gift and presence there was insignificant to them. Don't be like this couple. Express your gratitude as quickly as possible.

You can find really cute thank you cards online. I have seen some where the couple has "thank you" written on a small chalkboard or piece of paper and they take a photo with it on their wedding day to use for thank you cards later. Or you can choose a wedding photo and create a thank you card from that. These are really cute ideas but you have to wait until you get all your wedding photos back from the photographer, which can take a while. Or you can also just buy some at Target like we did. I have known a lot of couples that do that. Do whatever is in your budget, because remember you also have to get stamps for them all too.

Make sure you are genuine and express true gratitude for their gift. Include what you like about it, or how it will be put to good use. Thank them for attending if they did. It is so important that that they feel that you appreciate their friendship and for bringing you a gift (because they really didn't have to). The notes don't need to be more than a few sentences, but you need to handwrite each one. It takes time but shows them your truly appreciative.

Happy Writing :)

Tips For Men: Planning The Honeymoon

This will possibly be your first time away together on vacation and of course you want to make it perfect. Here are some tips to make it exactly that.

Tip 1: Start saving money ASAP so you can go on a nice one-on-one vacation together.

Tip 2: Set a budget of how much you can afford to spend. It may be an awkward conversation to have but you will have lots of money conversations throughout your marriage, so this will be good practice. A honeymoon is about being together, not where you go. It is NOT worth breaking the bank to go on some super extravagant trip. Live within your means!

Tip 3: Buy your airplane tickets, book your hotel room, rental car, and make plans as to what you are going to do on vacation as far in advance as possible. Please don't be like my husband, Ty, and book the honeymoon the Monday before our wedding. Luckily, it all worked out, but I'm sure he could of saved money if he would have done it further in advance.

A lot of men like to surprise their soon-to-be wife and not tell her where they are going. This is a good idea but make sure to let her know what kind of clothes to pack beforehand. Some women actually prefer to be in the know and be able to assist planning and voice their opinions. So you might want to talk to you fiancé and get her opinion as to what she would prefer.

Tip 4: Most couples stay somewhere in town the night of the reception before they leave the next day. Also know that this is your responsibility, and you will need to book a hotel room or make arrangements wherever you are going to stay.

Tip 5: If you are planning to go out of the country be sure to have your passports or get them. It takes a long time to get these in the mail so be sure to start your applications early if you need to.

Also know, when you book the plane tickets to put your wife's maiden last name before her new last name on the tickets. Ty was so excited to put O'Bryant on the ticket instead of Giles. The problem being that my license still said Giles. The next day as we rushed to the airport last minute, two gargantuan issues presented themselves. The first being that my ticket said "O'Bryant" instead of Giles. The second, although I had my purse, my wallet was nowhere to be found. In the rush of getting last minute preparations completed, I had failed to double check that I had everything My wallet was in my temple bag, which I didn't have. At check-in they were nice and understood the situation, leaving it up to us to decide if we wanted to postpone our flight for another six hours or try and make it through security. Obviously, we didn't want to do postpone our flight. As we made it to security we explained our situation and fortunately had our marriage license to prove my identity and name change. They eventually let us through and we made our flight. Looking back, it was a miracle we made it through.  This all brings me to my next tip:

Tip 6: Have someone else be in charge of getting your luggage in the car, making sure your licenses/passports etc. are with you.

Tip 7: Pack a week before.

Ty and I were trying to save money as we were heading back to Idaho for school so we didn't go on a super extravagant vacation. We went to southern California, and did Disneyland, Universal Studios, Hollywood, Newport Beach and went on an "OC Tour" like in the TV series, and site seeing. It was so much fun. We stayed across from Disneyland and every night we could see the fireworks show from our hotel room it was very romantic. The only thing that was a bummer was when we got to pick up our rental car they didn't have what we reserved, and they tried to give us a Charger that smelled like smoke, and wasn't clean. So our only option was a Camaro (which was a gas-sucker) so my last tip:

Tip 8: Don't go too cheap. It's worth paying a tiny bit more to get a far better experience with reputable companies.

Going on a honeymoon is very fun and important as a newly married couple. If you can't afford a luxurious vacation that is fine go to the beach for a weekend or make a fun road trip back to school or wherever you're moving. All that matters is that you're together and enjoying your first few days as a married couple.

Invitations/Announcements

There are so many styles to Wedding Invitations & Announcements these days, which makes it so much fun to choose. You obviously want to play off your colors, theme, and tone but the options really are endless. Some people put an engagement picture with their invitation, which is typically people who don't send Save The Dates. If you send Save The Dates then you don't need to send another picture with your invite unless you want to. 

I wanted a more classic look so I sent a picture with an announcement and that is how I have seen most people do it these days. Another way is to send a picture with their announcement on the picture which is a great way too, and usually saves on costs.

A current trend in wedding announcements is designing your own. My mom and I looked all over at Michaels, Target and a few other places and I just didn't love any of them. My good friend Wesley Bird, was telling me how she has been designing lots of Baby Announcements and Wedding Announcements, so I asked her if she would do mine. She did a fantastic job and I got tons of compliments on them. She even used the same design from the announcements to make some food cards for our food table at our reception.

I have seen some very interesting announcements over the years. You can definitely tell from an announcement how the wedding reception will be. The more fancy the invite, the more fancy the reception/ceremony. I once received a wedding announcement that was in the form of a magazine. It looked like a modeling magazine. There were different pages of engagement pictures of the couple, and then finally on the back was the actual invite. This to me is overkill and unnecessary. 

When do you send Wedding Invitations/Announcements?

Six weeks before is good so people don't get them too early and lose it, or misplace it. If you send it later, there is a good chance that they will already have plans, especially over Holidays or in the summer. Make sure you have accurate lists from the Groom's side and your side. If you don't do RSVP's you can expect to have half of your guests show up. If you are having a more formal dinner, you need to send out RSVP's that include: Yes/No attending, How many attending, What dinner option (if you're having two options which I recommend), when they need to send it back by, and an envelope with a stamp on it so they can easily send it back. Once you get some RSVP's back that aren't able to attend you can put someone back on the list and send them an invite.

How many Wedding Invitations/Announcements do I order?

Add up the two final lists and then order 10% more after that for mistakes. Make sure to proofread your invitations over and over, and it's always a good idea to include printed directions. Always write the addresses on them. Your return address you can stamp or get a sticker but write the guest's address. 

Please brides do not put where you are registered at on your announcement.  It looks very tacky. If you want people to know where you are registered most registries give you little pieces of paper you can stick in with your announcement, or you can make a separate little card for that purpose. For LDS weddings, you can insert a small card that invites them to the Sealing. If you're going to have events at your reception like: a line, dancing, bouquet toss, garter toss, speeches/toasts, cake cutting, couples first dance, daddy/ daughter dance etc. you can include that with times so people can get that party feel and can plan accordingly.

I have attached my announcement, my good friends Ryan and Lisa Barker's wedding announcement that her and her husband designed together, and an announcement that my aunt Angela designs and sells on Ebay.

Angela Atkin-Classy Invites

Lisa & Ryan's Announcement