With Valentines Day just around the corner, I started thinking about romantic getaways, and more importantly, honeymoon destinations. Emily started searching for honeymoon locations almost as soon as she began her search for wedding gowns. Needless to say, she was excited. Similar to wedding locations, honeymoon planning should be dealt with early on. Start thinking about where you want to go now, so that you can get better deals and book cheaper flights.
The Honeymooner’s Review Guide posted a detailed timeline to help you plan your dream honeymoon.
Emily’s Pick. After much research and discussion, Emily and Jose have chosen to spend their honeymoon in Phuket, Thailand. They will be staying at the JW Mariott Phuket Resort & Spa, located on Mai Khao Beach. They chose it because they wanted to go somewhere tropical and secluded, and somewhere that isn’t as popular as Hawaii. The beach overlooks the Andaman Sea, and is next to the Sirinath Marine National Park that has a protected turtle nesting area. According to Smart Travel Asia, it is rated eighth among the top 25 Spa Hotels & Resorts in Asia and 13th among the top 25 Leisure Hotels and Resorts.
Your pick. To help get you started, take the Honeymooner’s Review Guide Pefect Honeymoon Quiz. http://www.honeymoonersreviewguide.com/planning/your-perfect-honeymoon.html
It will help you determine the criteria you are looking so that you can begin your search.
According to their study in 2007, the top factors when choosing a honeymoon destination are:
1. Dream Location
2. Reasonable Price
3. Comfortable Guestroom
4. Good Quality and Selection of Food
5. Enjoyable Activities
Be open-minded. When searching for a destination, be open-minded. Although Maui may be somewhere you always envisioned yourself going, look into other tropical locations all around the world that may fit your lifestyle and budget perfectly. The Wedding Channel has honeymoon destinations listed by regions: The Caribbean, Europe, Hawaii, Latin America, Asia and South Pacific, the US and so on. Imagine yourself scuba diving in the U.S. Virgin Islands, or horseback riding in Thailand, or taking a bike ride along in Cabo San Lucas. You don’t need to plan the activities until later in the game, but keep in mind that you may be much more tired than you anticipated. Wedding planning is tiresome and if you plan on honeymooning directly after, you will probably need lots of relaxation time. Take time to think about where you want to go, look for deals ahead of time, and plan your trip to paradise.
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Emily is to be married 29 days shy of my 21st birthday. That leaves me, the maid of honor, planning a bachelorette party that I can only partially attend. My sister and I agreed that I should be there for most of the party, although, we haven’t fully figured out what I’ll do during the activities I can’t participate in.
Although Las Vegas is doable, spending the night cooped up in a hotel room while everyone is out until the wee hours of the morning is not exactly my idea of fun. Thankfully, Emily took this into consideration. She would like to spend the day in Temecula: pampering ourselves at the spa and then wine tasting. After, everyone would come back to the house for food, games, and the like. Because this plan is not set in stone, here are a couple other ideas to help you incorporate those under 21.
Theme it. The Knot’s article Bachelorette Parties: 14 Bachelorette Party Ideas & Themes recommends that you find a theme that fits you. If you like the outdoors, consider booking a cabin or a campsite for a night. Get information about all the different activities you can do there such as hiking, swimming, canoeing, fishing or horseback riding. Another theme idea is hosting a Victorian-style tea party, either at your home or at a fancy tearoom.
Cruises &Vacation Spots. During the off-season, you can get really cheap deals on flights and cruises. They also have cheaper rates for large groups. Look into a weekend to take off to for a couple days. Going to somewhere like Mexico, also includes your 18 and over bridesmaids in on the fun.
Comedy Clubs. Many comedy clubs require an 18 + audience. Call in advance to get a front row table. Also, ask about group deals if there is a cover charge. Tell them what you are celebrating and they are sure to be accommodating.
Games & Scavenger Hunts. Project Wedding’s article Unique Bachelorette Party Ideas describes Task Lists. The women will come up with a list that you have to complete. For example, you would be given a white T-shirt with several men’s descriptions on it and will have to find a man fitting that description to sign it or give them her number. Names include someone who is “Acting Lonely, Buying Something, Calling Someone, Drinking Beer… etc.)
Be sure to check out the Wedding Bee discussion board that gives even more great ideas to include those underage. You will be surprised at the possibilities.
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Recently, one of my sister’s bridesmaids, Natalie, had to drop out of the wedding. Just after Christmas she broke up with her long-term boyfriend Mike, who happens to be the best man for their wedding. Because things have been extremely awkward between the two of them, Natalie decided she couldn’t be in the wedding. Luckily, my sister has a replacement, Jose’s sister, who initially was not interested in being in the wedding party. Now, she happily obliged. This worked because Emily had yet to get Natalie fitted for the bridesmaid dress, so she could easily use Elizabeth instead. This got me to thinking, what happens when you have a bridesmaid drop out after the dress is ordered? When put in this situation, analyze your options.
If you want a replacement. According to InStyle Weddings advice column, a coworker or a newer friend will do just fine. Preordered dresses can be altered to fit your new bridesmaid; however, it is harder to alter the dress to make it larger. If making alterations on the dress is not an option, take your new bridesmaid into the store to see if they have the same dress and color close to their size. Also, you can call to see if they do rush delivery or can accommodate you some other way. You’ll be surprised.
If you don’t want a replacement. The Knot’s Basics for Bridesmaids says that it is perfectly normal to have an uneven number of bridesmaids and groomsmen. They suggest having two groomsmen escort one bridesmaid down the aisle or have every person in the wedding party walk down the aisle individually. The bottom line is that these issues come up and shouldn’t cause you more stress. One problem with losing a bridesmaid is that if the dress is already ordered, it cannot be cancelled. In this case, it should be the bridesmaid’s obligation to pay for the dress. Depending the reason she dropped out, you can offer to pay half of the dress, but remember, she had agreed to be in the wedding.
Whatever you decide, try to see it from her perspective and do not completely write her off as a friend without knowing the situation. If you have the time, checkout the discussion board on the Wedding Bee, where one woman (the bridesmaid dropout) seeks advice with her situation: an angry friend (the bride.) This will give you some insight into the other side of the story.
Also, the Knot has a Q&A of bridesmaid etiquette for the bride to look over. It provides helpful answers to problems like this that may arise with a bridesmaid. I highly recommend it.
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Meet the bride, groom, and her maids. Also, a sneak peak at the dress she picked for the bridesmaids.
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When I went with Emily to buy the wedding dress at Winnie Couture Bridal Salon, I absolutely fell in love with the store. So much so that one month later, I was working as one of their representatives at bridal shows. Some shows lasted two days while others were only for one. I would work up to one bridal show every weekend. This experience ignited my interest in weddings greatly and introduced me to a whole different world—bridal world. Just in case I have any readers unfamiliar with a “Wedding Expo,” it’s a company-hosted event that invites different businesses even remotely associated with a wedding to showcase their product for brides-to-be. They are usually held in a big event center such as a convention center, hotel, or fair showroom, and is put on so that clients and vendors can connect in one place. To understand more about bridal fairs watch a video, provided by The Wedding Salon.
Here are a few reasons why I think it is beneficial if not essential for a bride-to-be to attend a wedding expo.
You can attend at any stage in the game. Many women had a sticker with their contact information and wedding date that they would hand out to vendors. From the shows, I noticed that we received women with a wide range of time prior to their wedding day. I met women who were there two years in advance and were getting ideas, there were women who were there looking at last minute options for minor details they hadn’t finished, and I kid you not, I met more than one woman who had not even been proposed to, but assumed it would be in the near future. The point is is that there is never a bad time to go to a wedding show. If you want to be a head of the game and look far in advance more power to you, but if you are there months before the big day, that’s good too.
You can talk with vendors one on one. This is your opportunity to see what each business has to offer and talk with each one individually for your benefit. For the most part, they want your business but are in no way pushing you to come buy their product. You’re the one who knows your needs at this time, so talk to the vendors only you would like to. Pick and choose. Ask questions—they will be more than wiling to provide you with answers, even if you aren’t buying from them. Vendors want to show you who they are and get their business exposed as much as they want your individual business. Vendors can include: DJs, Salons, Shops, Wedding Planners, Photographers, Cosmetologists, honeymoon destinations and so much more. This time is for you.
You can get ideas and tips. Many times, bridal expos have runway shows once or twice in the afternoon. It’s inspiring to see the gowns down the runway and may get you thinking about your bridal party as well. Also with all of the different vendors, it may help you narrow down what you are looking for. For instance, with more than one photographer there, you can compare their works, and ask yourself what you prefer best: Do you like black and white photography?
BridalWorld, one of the major companies that holds wedding shows has a list of their upcoming events in Southern California.
Also, check out the Martha Stewart Luxury Wedding Expo Event coming up.
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On the side of the timeline, press the + button to one year for best results.
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