travel

Peggy Post’s Top Ten Honeymoon Tips (6-10)

Friday, January 27th, 2012 | etiquette, travel | No Comments

Here are the remaining tips for honeymoon planning. I wouldn’t have paid much attention to the ones about having someone look after pets, etc. at the time we got married…I’m glad we didn’t have our pug Lulu then as I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed being away for almost a month…and it would’ve been a huge shame to have missed out on our 3.5 weeks in Italy…they were perfect and glorious! The other destination that was in the running was Bora Bora…those glorious over water huts…

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6. Take care of the caretakers. As a matter of security as well as courtesy and common sense, leave a written schedule of your trip, including telephone numbers, with the people who maintain your home, take care of pets, water plants, or pick up mail. The same, of course, applies if you have children and you’re leaving them with a relative or other caregiver. Be sure to give your parents or other close relatives copies of your schedule, as well. Take with you on your honeymoon the phone numbers of any caretakers. Leave written instructions for feeding pets, giving medications, or watering plants. Be sure to stock up on food and the like so that caretakers are not obligated to spend money on supplies. Don’t forget to write thank-you notes and perhaps even purchase small gifts for those people who took care of things while you were away.

7. Don’t neglect post-wedding tasks. Take care of post wedding loose ends so that they don’t burden anyone else while you are away on your honeymoon. It’s fine to delegate tasks to others; just make the arrangements ahead of time. These jobs could include dealing with rental returns, keeping an eye out for wedding gift deliveries, mailing your wedding announcements, and delivering your wedding gown to storage.

8.  Plan for wedding announcements. If you’re sending wedding announcements, it’s a good idea to have them addressed and stamped before the wedding, either by you or someone helping you. Ideally, they should go into the mail soon after your wedding day. Traditionally announcements are mailed the day after the wedding, but that’s no longer necessary. Mailing announcements anytime a few days- or even weeks- after your big day is fine. Ask a friend or relative to mail your announcements if you would like them sent during the time you’re away on your honeymoon.

9. Set aside time to talk. It’s easy for couples who are swept up in countless pre-wedding details and duties to become somewhat myopic about preparing for life after the wedding. Make sure to set aside time during the honeymoon to discuss ways to make the transition to married life go smoothly. For example, the realities of keeping a household budget and dividing household chores are something you’ll need to discuss. Talk about how you plan to communicate in general, making sure you are both committed to open communication. It helps enormously to commit from the start to a certain flexibility and willingness to compromise- and to stick to it. It’s a lifelong pledge.

10.  Pamper, indulge, relax! This should be a once-in-a-lifetime event for the two of you. So don’t be afraid to splurge on a few extras. It could be his and hers massages at the hotel spa – or supplies for giving each other spa treatments in the privacy of your own room. Other possibilities: a sunset sail if you’re near a beach, or an extravagant meal of lobster tails and filet mignon. Whatever the indulgence – enjoy! This is a special time.

“Emily Post’s Wedding Etiquette” (fifth edition), 2006, p.379

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Peggy Post’s Top Ten Honeymoon Tips (1-5)

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012 | etiquette, travel | No Comments

I know that when my husband & I got married I was way more excited about the honeymoon than the wedding. I’m not sure if that is a professional hazard of being a wedding planner or not…so many wedding planners come to the business after they plan their own wedding and I had been planning weddings for 12 or 13 years before I got married…so perhaps the wedding felt like old hat to me…I’m not sure…but I know that I was SO excited about the honeymoon…that was the part that was just about the two of us…and the 3.5 weeks in Italy were absolute PERFECTION!!

This was the view off of our terrace above Positano…sigh…why do I torment myself looking at this photo in the middle of winter?!?

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Thank you to Peggy Post for these great honeymoon tips:

The honeymoon is the romantic interlude bridging your past and future lives. It’s the time to revel in your nuptial bliss and recuperate from the hectic planning and activities of the weeks and months before the
wedding – and from the big day itself. Here are some tips to help make the honeymoon live up to the romantic myth – and create an experience that you’ll both look back on fondly for years to come.

1.      Tap into the tradition.  In the Middle Ages, mead, a fermented drink made with honey (the symbol of fertility, health, and life), was drunk by the bride and groom for thirty days – the cycle of the
moon. During this period, the couple stayed hidden from their parents and friends, the mead no doubt loosening their inhibitions and getting the marriage off to an auspicious start. Even if you have been together for quite some time, you can enrich your getaway by tapping into the traditional spirit of the honeymoon as a period of treasured communion between the couple – a time like no other.
Note: You certainly do not need to drink mead, or other alcoholic beverages!

2.      Plan together.  Both of you should be involved in planning the honeymoon. That includes doing the research, meeting with a travel agent, and making reservations. Discuss what type of honeymoon
experience you want. A lazy beach retreat? A tour of a European country? A week of sky and scuba diving? Make sure you are in agreement. If you dream of biking in Italy, but he’s visualizing cocktails by the pool, aim for something in the middle.

3.      Plan ahead.  The honeymoon, for many couples, is a top-priority decision – with good reason! Some couples make all of their other wedding decisions around their honeymoon plans. Make the preliminary decisions as early as possible, such as the honeymoon date, location, transportation, accommodations, and length of stay.

4.      Set a honeymoon budget. Honeymoons need to be planned in advance for budgetary reasons as well. It is all too easy to get caught up in the frenzy of planning the wedding and reception, only to find you don’t have the funds you need for the honeymoon you dreamed of. So don’t forget to add up all of the expected
(and unexpected) costs of the honeymoon. Beyond transportation and lodging, the honeymoon budget should also include meals, transfers, souvenirs, sightseeing and sports-related costs, tips, taxes, and the little luxuries, like a massage or poolside charges for lounge chairs and towels.

5.      If you have children, plan for them and your honeymoon. Many couples marrying for the second time bring children into the marriage. Remarriage can be unsettling for kids, especially for young children who are dependent on their parent. They may feel that they are being abandoned or will become less important in your
life. If your kids feel threatened by your marriage, you may rightly be concerned about leaving them immediately after the wedding to go on a honeymoon. This is a clear conflict, as you and your new spouse may be eager – and certainly deserve – to share some private time together.

Some couples decide to take their kids on the honeymoon with them, making the trip a family vacation. This is fine – as long as you and your mate are enthusiastic and in complete agreement about this. Others find ways to divide their honeymoon, with the first part a time for the two of them alone and the second part a trip as a new family. This gives your children something to look forward to during the few days you are away from them.

Or you could plan a special kids’ party after you get home from the honeymoon. If you do decide to take a honeymoon away from your kids, think of ways to remember them while you are gone. Call often and send plenty of postcards or e-mails. You can even make videotapes or audiotapes to mail overnight to your children, describing your vacation spot and sending your love.

“Emily Post’s Wedding Etiquette” (fifth edition), 2006, p.378

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chocolate-dipped honeymoon

Monday, March 28th, 2011 | travel | No Comments

I’m always a fan of anything that involves high quality dark chocolate. In fact, part of my 3 1/2 week honeymoon in Italy included a visit to the Perugina chocolate factory, a night in the Etruscan Chocohotel, and a six-course tasting menu – each of which included chocolate. So when I heard about this new, oh-so-fabulous resort in St. Lucia, I knew I had to find out all about it.

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Hotel Chocolat is the brainchild of two British chocolatiers, Angus Thirlwell and Peter Harris .

On this 140-acre, 18th-century plantation, you can learn the entire chocolate-making process, helping to harvest and roast the beans and, of course, taste the finished product. Or you could simply retire to one of the six cocoa- and cream-colored cottages with gauze-draped four-poster beds, ocean-facing chaise longues, and open-air rain showers. (Eight additional villas will open in October.) The restaurant takes its inspiration from the hotel’s crop, with dishes like yellowfin tuna with cacao pesto. Talk about a delicious getaway.  Definitely my idea of hot chocolate!

http://www.thehotelchocolat.com/

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to destination or not to destination….

Monday, September 27th, 2010 | etiquette, media, travel | No Comments

I’ve been interviewed numerous times on the issue of destination weddings – including a 2 part piece on global news…but this is the first time I’ve written about it.

Here is an article from the latest edition of The Calgary Bridal Guide…enjoy!

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Sex & the City 2 is such fun!

Thursday, May 27th, 2010 | media, travel, trends | No Comments

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Went to see Sex & the City 2 last night…it was such fun…loved it!

The reviews are totally abysmal, I realize, but if you approach it with the right mindset you should really enjoy it. There’s a crazy over-the-top wedding which features Liza Minelli officiating.

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There’s the ubiquitous SATC fabulous couture…and a LAVISH journey to Abu Dhabi. It’s worth watching just to see their suite!

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A suite on the plane, chauffeur-driven Maybach, your own personal butler and a $22,000 a night suite – what more could one want on their Middle Eastern sojourn?

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Weddings & Wildebeests

Friday, March 19th, 2010 | travel | No Comments

I meant to blog about my last vacation but never quite got around to it…but I clicked on a link on Sympatico.msn.ca about the 10 best hotels in the world to daydream about some future vacation…and the #1 picture looked suspiciously familiar…HEY…that was our room!!
http://travel.sympatico.ca/RobinEsrock/Articles/worlds_best_hotels.htm
Yes, really, we actually stayed in this amazing & decadent tent during our magical safari in Kenya. It was so magical, and everything was SO special…I couldn’t help but think what a perfect honeymoon destination. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
From the thousands of zebras, gazelles, and wildebeests, to the prides of lions, journey of elephants and copious herds of giraffes it was totally surreal. But what was even more amazing was the service we received at the camp. We had our own private guide, driver, waiter and butler.
They always went out of their way to make each day special and unique. Not just unique from the day before – but unique from the other guests as well. One day we came back from our afternoon game drive and our entire tent (floors, bed, desk, tables) was covered in rose petals with candles lit everywhere. And they had brought one of the gorgeous (and HEAVY) carved solid wood tables onto our terrace with crisp white linens and candelabras and served us dinner (all 4 courses) on our verandah.
AMAZING!
When we arrived there was a mommy warthog & her piglets about 3′ outside our tent…I totally fell in love with the piglets – so ridiculously cute…and a couple days later there was a wee little zebra munching on the bushes right outside our tent….Oh Look! We have our own private zebra!!
If you’d like to see some of our photos have a look: http://hanslipjakab.shutterfly.com/1810
My husband even got to cut his birthday cake with a machete after being serenaded by a tribe of Maasai warriors…definitely a trip for the record books!imgp2694

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Damask & Apple Green…majestic wedding in the mountains

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009 | travel, trends, weddings | No Comments

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This couple was so cute – we loved working with them…the ceremony had the majestic mountains as a backdrop and the beautiful ballroom was all decked out in damask with yummy apple green accents.
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Everything from their invitations to the custom menus, seating chart and gobo had their monogram. Those little details really make a huge impact. aug-09-305

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I Do! on top of the world…

Monday, July 27th, 2009 | travel, weddings | No Comments

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We had two gorgeous weddings on top of the world this weekend. Kicking Horse always makes for a spectacular backdrop for summer or winter nuptials – but the hot clear blue skies this weekend were a lovely contrast to the snowy white-out with our last wedding on the top of Kicking Horse.
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However there are drawbacks when EVERYTHING must get to the top in the gondola – and a bit nerve-wracking when our Saturday wedding got evacuated due to lightning and then the GM calls a couple hours before the Sunday wedding to let you know there’s another storm blowing in and the gondola might stop running altogether (meaning no once-in-a-lifetime I DOs at the top of a mountain)…but as you can see from the photos the skies were clear & blue and from the couple’s perspective everything turned out perfectly. (Any good wedding planner is adept at keeping potentially catastrophic news from their clients – and thankfully we didn’t have to put Plan B into action!) july-09-043
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Glorious Blue Skies at Kicking Horse

Saturday, July 25th, 2009 | travel, weddings | No Comments

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It’s a glorious day on top of Kicking Horse today…with the bright blue skies I know our clients getting married today and tomorrow will have amazing photos. It is HOT though…I’ll have to make sure I have a surplus of sunscreen in the emergency kit.
I’ll post some detail shots when I return to the office next week.
Have a great weekend!

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Kim Returns From the Jewel of the Rockies

Monday, April 20th, 2009 | travel, trends, weddings | No Comments

 

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The team at the Chateau Lake Louise extended a very warm welcome to our team to come and experience first hand what their hotel has to offer our clients.  Their AMAZING staff did a wonderful job at making the hotel feel like a luxurious home away from home.  Everything from their friendly staff, romantic turndown service, and luxurious suites with breathtaking views makes this hotel a great choice for a destination wedding of any size.

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If you’re thinking of having a wedding in the Rockies give us a call.  Our personal relationship with the team at the Chateau Lake Louise will guarantee the very best service at the best price.

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