Archive for category Honeymoon

J and I were at Sam’s Club over the weekend. As we walked in we were cattle prodded to a section of the store where a woman was selling trips at a really really ridiculously cheap price. 5 days 4 nights in Cancun for $149 per couple. WHAT?! We would have to provide our own airfare, but we figured that would be about $300 per person… so for $750 (plus food… which we’d buy even if we were just in Birmingham) we could be swimming and sunning and enjoying our marital bliss while sipping mai tais in Cancun. Sounded good to me. We asked the girl a mazillion questions trying to figure out what the catch was. Surely we’d have to sit through a time share seminar. Nope. Or maybe there were bugs in the room. Nope. She assured us that the only “catch” was that we had to provide our own airfare and that she’d be gone by Sunday. Of course we were still skeptical, but when she told us that there was a 100% money back guarantee she had us sold. If we changed our minds we could bring our receipt back to Sam’s and get a full refund. No questions asked. Yes siree…

So, we bought ourselves a $149 honeymoon and high tailed it to the closest internet connection to find out if we got ourselves a good deal.

First place I checked was Trip Advisor. My “go-to” website whenever I take a trip. I love that the reviewers can post their own pictures, what a good way to get an idea about what the resort or hotel REALLY looks like. Sans Photoshop and airbrushed models. The reviews weren’t great. But I’ve found that most reviewers are hyper critical about things that wouldn’t bother me. The pictures were fine. Not the most gorgeous beach resort I’d ever seen but for the price we were willing to overlook that. Then we read that the beach resort wasn’t really on a beach, more of a rocky hill near the ocean, or a boat dock. That frustrated us. And then after a wee bit on Trip Advisor we discovered that flights out of Birmingham were really $400 rather than the $300 that we thought they might be. The reviews and expensive airfare meant two things.

#1. It wasn’t nice enough for the most spectacular and romantic trip of our lifetimes
#2. It was too expensive for a “hey, let’s go to Cancun” spur of the moment trip

Which meant the very next day we were back at Sam’s Club returning our honeymoon. Ya know what they say, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Oh well. On to bigger and better.

All pictures Traveler Photos on Trip Advisor

(ARA) – You made it through the wedding, so now comes the relaxing part — your romantic honeymoon in a faraway destination. But what do you pack and how much do you need? Gone are the days of multiple suitcases stacked at the doorway to accompany you on your flight. With airlines charging fees for checked luggage, today’s friendly skies will only allow you just so much, so you’d better make the most of your checked bag and your carry-on.

There are three basic honeymoon destination types: the beach, the mountains and the city. Each one requires careful pre-planning on your part to make sure you have enough, but not so much that you wind up forking over extra cash at your airline’s check-in counter.

If the beach is your destination — a great choice for all the northerners who spend most of the winter digging their driveways out from under mounds of snow — there’s a chance that you may have to carry on all your items if you or your spouse want to bring along the golf clubs. But have no fear, it can be done.

“Chances are you’re just going to be at the pool most of the day, so two swimsuits, a wrap or two and flip-flops will take care of most of your daytime needs,” says Anne Hankey, a fashion marketing & management instructor at The Illinois Institute of Art – Chicago.

Hankey also suggests neutral T-shirts, sexy dresses that can be dressed up or down, shorts, a couple of skirts and a pair of casual and dressy sandals. Don’t forget your sunglasses, a small, unique “statement bag” and a big bag you can use as a carry-on, on the plane and as your beach bag once you get to your destination. If you have room, Hankey also suggests a big collapsible hat, but you can always buy one when you land.

And what do you wear on the plane when you’re taking off in sub-zero weather and landing in a heat wave? “My favorite trick is to wear black exercise clothes,” says Stephanie Schuller, fashion marketing and management instructor at The Illinois Institute of Art — Chicago. “They’ll insulate you so in cold weather they’ll keep you warm and they can keep you from sweating in warm weather because they are designed to regulate your body temperature when you work out.”

If you decide to head to a winter ski resort on your honeymoon, you can still keep your bulkier winter wear to a minimum. Hankey suggests you pack your ski boots with your skis in your checked luggage. “Wear your ski parka on the plane with a nice pair of jeans, a sweater and casual boots.

Bring two pairs of leggings and a few thermal T-shirts to layer under your parka when you hit the slopes and don’t forget your socks, gloves and ski goggles. “Pack a few sparkly tops or tank tops that you can pair with the jeans you wore on the plane and don’t forget your swimsuit for the hot tub,” says Hankey.

Schuller also suggests a matte jersey dress that can be rolled up and won’t wrinkle for one special night out. Just throw in a pair of dressy heels to wear with the dress and jeans and a pair of flip-flops for the hot tub and you’re ready to go.

If you decide to jet off to a destination like Paris or New York for your honeymoon, Schuller stresses you should not forget to bring along a pair of comfortable and stylish shoes on your journey.

“You can pack a little more, because you won’t have golf clubs or skis in tow,” says Hankey. She suggests you wear jeans and flats on the plane, along with a simple sweater and dressy jacket or coat. Bring a pashmina in a fashionable bag as your carry-on.

Your suitcase should contain a couple of simple dresses. “Wrap dresses work very well because you can roll them up,” says Hankey. Don’t forget your basic black slacks and a variety of thin tops and sweaters that can be dressed up or down. “Jewelry and a Hermes scarf can really transform an outfit,” she points out.

No matter the destination, Hankey stresses that you should always take along travel size toiletries — they’re usually under the three-ounce carry-on limit and take up little room in your checked bags.

Schuller adds, “Don’t forget to allow room for souvenirs, because if you over-pack, you can’t bring anything new home.”

Both Hankey and Schuller have one last piece of advice: don’t forget the lingerie. As Schuller points out “it’s not like it takes up a lot of room.”

To learn more about The Art Institutes, visit www.artinstitutes.edu/nz.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Looking for a little something to make your wedding night that much more special? Well I found just the thing. In the store called Astroboy 772 on eBay I found the cutest and sexiest corsets at reasonable prices.

Top- $12.09

Middle- $27.79

Bottom- $26.58

Top- $31.95

Middle- $31.95

Bottom- $31.95

These are just a sample of what you will find at Astroboy 772 on eBay. There are tons of beautiful corsets for you to chose from.

*prices vary with different sizes*

One way save money on your honeymoon expenses is to have a honeymoon registry! With the average age to marry increasing, most couples are living on their own before they get married, and have all the household things they need! This is part of the reason why many couples are considering honeymoon registries. If you are one of those brides who really doesn’t want a bunch more ‘things’, and would love a nice honeymoon instead, consider a honeymoon registry!

Most travel agents and tour operators will offer a honeymoon registry service. You can visit your local travel agent for more details. There are also services that will allow your guests to purchase particular parts of the honeymoon, so they know what they are contributing to! One of the ones we liked was www.honeyluna.com but there are many more.

Once you have registered, have your friends and family spread the word:) You can have some fun with it to. Get yourself a free website with a site builder and use it to share wedding and honeymoon details:) You can track how much has been contributed, share the wedding plans, post thank-yous to those who contribute, and include information on were to contribute for those who need to know:)

You could also have a “Honeymoon Shower” with a suitable theme (beach theme for a beach honeymoon, etc.) and guests can contribute to your honeymoon as their shower gift to you!

On piece of advice that I have often given brides is to consider a B&B honeymoon. Generally, when you are working with a limited wedding budget, you have a limited honeymoon budget as well. There are plenty of great options out there for lower budget honeymoons, but there is nothing like an inverness bed and breakfast for a honeymoon. A bed and breakfast has a few great benefits:

1. Location – you can usually find a bed and breakfast close by, no matter where you live. By choosing to have your honeymoon in a place that is within driving distance, you can save a bundle on airfare.

2. Intimacy – A B&B is kind of like a mini hotel – with all the perks and less of the distractions. In fact, you can find bed and breakfasts that only offer one or two rooms for guests, which means you will have a great deal more privacy in the B&B and outside as well.

Of course, one bed & breakfast is not like the next. Each will offer a unique location, a unique environment and a unique experience. A little researching will mostly likely find you a perfect, romantic B&B for an affordable and yet unforgettable honeymoon.

One thing I hear a lot is “I can barely afford the wedding, we can’t afford another $3000 for a honeymoon. We’ll take one later.” My response? “You only get married once – you need to celebrate it. You can honeymoon without spending that kind of money.”

How? By changing you definition of what a honeymoon is. You don’t need an exotic location or a expensive resort – just a quiet, romantic place to get away from everyone and enjoy your first days as husband and wife.

So how do you do that? A bed and breakfast! These small hotels are generally much more private and intimate then a hotel for a number of reasons. They are smaller. generally with only a few guests at a time which means you have more privacy. They are often located in unique, quiet places with beautiful scenery and romantic, character homes.

You can find Bed & Breakfasts in almost any area you wish, like the Dallas TX Bed And Breakfast.  Prices vary, but if you pick a location that is only a few hours away you can easily find a location that will allow you to have an entire weeks honeymoon for less then $1000. Still to much – make it a weekend and spend just a few hundred.

In the end – the point is just to get away for a little while so you don’t spend the first days of your marriage fielding phone calls, surprise visitors, etc.

I say honeymoons, most people say Jamaica, Bahamas, Mexico, Florida, etc. If you are looking for something a little more unique and exotic: how about skiing in the Charmonix Valley of France? Not a fan of the cold? How about rock climbing?

Of course, anything in France is romantic – but many brides are looking for something romantic but more fun then sitting on the beach. Skiing and rock climbing are both a great way to get physical and have a blast for the couple who is a little to adventurous for white sandy beaches!

Basically, a honeymoon can be anything you want it to do. When you start planning a honeymoon, most people start with the expected choices and go from there. I suggest that you start with your interests. If you were just going on vacation, no wedding involved, would you still want to go there? Pick a vacation destination that you would be attacked to for ANY vacation, and you are more likely to really enjoy your honeymoon.