But why is the rum always gone?! Our honeymoon!

Our Christmas wasn't too exciting and since the weather has been a bit dismal and I'm ready for NC to decide whether it wants to get hot or cold, I figured it was high time that I recapped our honeymoon for all of you! I mean, some dreamy photos of the beautiful beaches of Antigua can't hurt can they?! AND they beat staring at the pile of work you've accumulated while being gone on vacation.

So our story begins.. We left for our honeymoon on Tuesday morning at 6am to Miami followed by a flight to Anitgua and I would highly recommend leaving a day or two later for your honeymoon! We totally allowed ourselves to unpack some things from the wedding and repack things we may not have considered, like snacks, and making sure all the cameras were charged. Also let's not forget the mass amount of CASH you can take with you... A few taxi's here and there made the cash super handy.

Our honeymoon resort was called Cocobay and it is an amazing resort. It is a very quite resort with not a lot of activity but definitely what we needed to unwind and unplug. No TV's in the rooms, no wi-fi, just amazing views at every turn, the most gorgeous beaches you've seen and awesome rum!!

I just kept wondering in a Jack Sparrow voice, why the rum was always gone?! (Because I drank it, duh!) Seriously, one day I had about three drinks by the pool and said to hubs, "I need to take a nap" and laid down and passed out.. whoopsie daisy! 

We stayed at Cocobay for 8 nights and it was wonderful really. The view was superb. We arrived a bit after lunchtime and were greeted with cold towels and rum punch by the hotel manager in which we were informed of the little resort oddities, like the one restaurant in which you had to pre sign-up for dinner but none of this really bothered us. We were NOT on a schedule and had no place to go beside a beach or pool...

 

Our adorable Caribbean styled cottage!

 

Netting in case you want to sleep with the doors open.
 

HELLO hammock of relaxation!

 

Our bathroom decorated with local flowers upon arrival.

 

The view from bed..

 

The view from our porch.

Private couples massage on said porch...

 

If anyone knows us, we like champagne to get the party started.. OH and the awesome indoor/outdoor shower.. SO FUN!

I would definitely recommend this resort over and over though. It was so simplistic and yet authentic without the cheesy resort games, and mass amount of people because your hotel holds over 1,000 people. Our resort maxed out at I believe at 160 guests, all with their own cottage. We walked pathways lit with "C"'s on the lamposts on the way home from dinner and were greeted always by friendly staff. The food was also excellent. There were plenty of fresh vegetables that I loved and lots of fish to try, they even had homemade ice cream at lunch and dinner, in which the flavor was always different. YUMMMM! 

 

The grounds..

 

Nothing like local caribbean music..

 YUMMY caribbean spiney lobster... WOW!

 

OH and fresh coconut shrimp?! Out of this world!

 

 GOOD MORNINGGGGG!

 OK, enough chatting and more photos!!! Here are some more gorgeous photos of the infinity pools and gorgeous beach(es), yes beaches, there are 365 on the island, of beautiful Antigua!!

 

 Oh and we also had dinner on the beach.. super romantic, I'd highly recommend it!

I am saving the best for last though. Hubby and I decided to forego the private dip pool on the resort and opt for a private 8 hour cruise on a private yacht instead, a way to really leave a lasting impression and an awesome way to spend some honeymoon money. I have to admit, it was well worth it. It was just hubby and I and the the captain sailing the day away, with a trip snorkeling and looking at the many beaches that line Antigua's shores.. It was a day we'll never forget! Many thanks to Miramar Sailing and Captain Kevin for an amazing honeymoon!! 

That's all folks! Our amazing Antiguan honeymoon! Like I said, I loved the resort but even if the resort isn't your style, I'd highly recommend Antigua because it's a GORGEOUS island with the most beautiful beaches, warm weather, and soft sand. The people are friendly and so welcoming and it's not over populated with tourists susurprisingly, so it's easy to find a secluded beach with hardly anyone on it. Where else can you do that?!

Now if only we were there right now... Until next time.

xoxo,
mrs. a. 

ONE month!

EEEK!!! Ok I'm getting a little giddy.. IT'S HAPPENING. We're getting married in 31 days! But alas there are still things to do and things that have happened in the past month. 

Let's get on with it so I can remember to do what I need to, because this gal, has become a little scatter brained lately.. oops!

DONE-ZO:

bachelorette party

bridal portraits!!

trail hair and makeup

shopped for MOB dresses

paint chalk boards

groomsmen got measured

walk through with rental vendor 

purchased grooms/maid gifts
purchased a few parent gifts
ordered accessories for reception

met with florist again

mailed invitations

received our first RSVP

ordered rehearsal dinner invites

ordered men's golf outing invites
mailed men's golf outing invites

received our first wedding gift! eek!

got our MARRIAGE license

worked on timeline with photographer

got pom pom's for exit

completed ceremony details

booked rehearsal dinner caterer 

my veil arrived 
got dress for bridal luncheon

started packing for day-of wedding essentials

 TO DO:

finalize wedding menu

finalize music selections

talk with the band

decide on wedding cake design & flavors

 select rehearsal dinner outfit

create reception signage

work on chalk boards
keep working on timeline
distribute timeline, contacts, etc to vendors/family

finish wedding party/family gifts

work on slide show for rehearsal

have dance lessons with dad

work on bar linens

 work on final vendor payments
order small details (i.e. napkins, koozies, etc)
call guests who haven't rsvp'd
send out bridal luncheon invites

put together oot bags & drop off at hotel

But really, OMG we're getting married. It's happening. We're doing this. My mind is having a hard time grasping it but the reality is, that it's quickly approaching! It's a very surreal feeling because it still doesn't feel like it's happening to me and that I'm just going to another persons wedding even though the past 14 months of my life have been consumed with planning. But I'm excited guys, really! I'm also excited for a vacation...

 Can't wait to see you Cocobay!!

xoxo,

a. 

Honeymoonin'

Since we last spoke about honeymoons, I was very distraught about the situation. I didn't know what we really wanted to do and the travel agents didn't end up being much help. They did offer that Europe would be rather cold, which I knew, and that it could be rainy and put the mood in an awkward place, etc. I was aware but I guess it started to hit me that it might not be the best time to go. Also the fact that I just want to relax!


So that led us to Mexico being a great choice because it was a little less money than going to the Caribbean and because you get great service and wonderful hotel rooms. The one thing that seemed to lack was the beach though. I decided to keep looking and had been using some sites like Luxury Link, Jetsetter and Vacationist for inspiration. Luxury Link led me to a beautiful resort in Antigua called Cocobay Resort.


Cocobay has it all, literally. It's all-inclusive, right on the ocean, a welcome bottle of sparkling wine, bouquet of fresh flowers, snorkel gear, kayaks, and most importantly alcohol! (I heard the rum punch is awesome!) And after extensive research on Tripadvisor, the travelers bible, I decided that I really liked the resort. 


The selling point was that it was less expensive than the Riviera Maya, we could go for an extra night, (8 nights to be exact), and we would even have some leftover funds for a private champagne sunset sail!! The most exciting about this all is that the flights went down $100 bucks this weekend, so we maybe booking tonight or tomorrow! EEK!!! So exciting!! What a relief this feels like. Here are some photos of Cocobay Resort!

Not too shabby huh?! I recommend checking out Luxury Link if you're looking for an amazing vacation. They have some awesome deals on some of the top hotels in the world.

Wish you were here,

xoxo,

a. 

update!!!! it's BOOKED! we're going to antigua!!!!!!! yahoooo!!!! cocobay here we come!