My husband and I took a kid-free trip in the Spring, and it
was pure bliss (because having some alone time is hard to get sometimes!). We
spent a week in Runaway Bay, surrounded by lush green mountains and blue skies and beautiful sunsets.
Runaway Bay is a town in Saint Ann Parish on the
northern coast of Jamaica and is considered one of the most naturally
beautiful places on the island. It’s also located 16 km west of Ocho Ríos.
There, we stayed at the beautiful Grand
Bahia Principe Jamaica.
When you walk into the grand lobby of the resort, you’re
greeted with nothing but smiles from the resort staff. The service at this
resort was nothing short of exceptional. They truly aim to please; especially
when the first thing they hand you is a welcome drink.
The resort itself is family-friendly and I was actually
surprised at how many children were at the resort (including many infants).
Having said that, we hardly noticed they were even there. There were no screaming
or crying kids, there are plenty of kid-friendly activities, and the resort is
so big that we hardly ever saw them. I guess that can happen when your resort
has 850 rooms.
There are a lot of activities to do at the resort; this
includes windsurfing, tennis, snorkelling, catamaran, kayaks, and bicycles. You
can also check out the shopping centre or the nightly entertainment. We really didn't do any of the resort activities; we really just had a relaxing vacation and spent a lot of time by the pool and on the gorgeous resort beach. To sit by the pool all day, for three days in a row was bliss I tell you. Pure bliss!
There are also plenty of things to do outside of the resort.
We went on a tour to Ocho Ríos that included a botanical garden tour, a visit to a local
flea market, a visit to Dunn’s
River Falls. On this particular day we had a truly authentic Jamaican Beef Patty. You really haven't had a beef patty until you've had one in Jamaica. It was ah-mazing!
On our last full day there, we took a raft ride
down Martha Brae River. It was so calm and romantic. A truly perfect way to end a perfect vacation.
The vacation itself came at a really good time for Doug and I. We are constantly striving to improve our relationship and I feel like this vacation really helped us communicate and get to know each other more as a couple. We really couldn't have asked for a better destination. I would truly recommend going to Jamaica if you ever get the chance. It's such an amazing country, the people are fantastic and the food is amazing.
Picture this: You’re recently engaged. You’re happy, excited, and more in love than ever before – just as you should be! Congratulations to you both!
You’re now in the beginning stages of planning your wedding and can finally start thinking about all of those DIY Pinterest projects that you’ve been pinning for years. But before you get too involved in your do-it-yourself (DIY!) projects, you need to ask yourself, “Is this really worth it?”
Booking your venue, photographer, and cake designer are easier once you’ve determined the overall style and design of your wedding, but there is a lot to consider when planning to tackle invitations, décor, and all of the other nitty-gritty details, DIY-style!
Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE all things crafy and DIY, and had actually incorporated some cute little projects in to my own wedding, but here are a few things to consider before embarking on the DIY wedding path.
{Time Management}
DIY projects take time.
A lot of time.
Do you have the extra time to spare in between your work, fiancé, family, and friends to spearhead all your DIY projects (and get them done on time!)? What looks oh-so-simple on Pinterest can actually take dozens and dozens of hours to complete.
When considering your time invested in a project, don’t ignore quantities. A grand affair of 300 of your nearest and dearest will tax your time budget for DIY invites far more than an intimate gathering of 40. The same applies to favours, programs, centerpieces, etc.
Ensuring you have time to complete projects is critical as there is nothing worse than being half-way done your project, with life catching up with you, and then having to scramble last minute leading up to your wedding day. So much stress! And it’s all unnecessary.
Sure, you might be saying… “Oh, but my bridesmaids! And my friends, and family. They will all be there to help me. That will save a lot of time.”
But make sure you think about their own time with other wedding duties, their own families, out of town guests, significant others, and friends. And if they’re still willing to help, that’s awesome!
…. but are you sure that you actually want their help?
What if your mother-in-law ends up gluing all your single-faced satin ribbon on the wrong side? or what if your Maid Of Honour’s penmanship doesn’t stay consistent across ALL of your escort cards? Not only are you left having to carry out an awkward conversation, but on top of that, you’re going to have to re-do what they’ve already done (increasing time and money invested in to what was supposed to be a simple, DIY task).
{Money Talks}
And if we’re on the topic of money, I’ll be honest with you… some DIY projects can get surprisingly pricey.
Be careful with what you pick up at the dollar store. The glass is usually less dense, the candles are made of the lowest grade of wax available (just ask Mary about the one time a bride nearly burned down her venue), and adhesives don’t boast the same durability of higher quality options.
Hobby stores have beautiful, great quality items, but purchasing everything through them may end up costing you as much as it would to have everything professionally done, especially if you’re spending your own time putting it all together. Some craft stores have lovely pre-made stationary sets though, and you can design and print your own invitations, ceremony programs, reception menus, and Thank You cards at a fraction of the cost of ordering from a vendor.
To help brides stick to DIY project budgets, the WG website launched The Shops @ WG, where you can buy items like vases, candles, mirrors, vase filler, ribbon and decor items directly from our wholesalers; robust event quality, on a budget!
{Décor}
The reality of making things beautiful, and I mean really, really BEAUTIFUL, takes either time, or money, or both.
Décor will be among the most expensive and time consuming of all your DIY projects. There are so many elements of design when it comes to adorning your wedding with all-things-stylized-and-gorgeous.
Centerpieces, for example, depending on the theme of your event, are made up of a handful of elements that need to be seamlessly designed together to create a beautiful cohesive look.
Not only are there a number of small details that should be included to create depth, balance, and personality for your centerpiece, if you’re not able to make all the elements of it yourself (or can’t buy in bulk), retail costs will climb quickly.
Oh… and as far as bulk is concerned…. I won’t tell you how many times I’ve seen brides in discount department stores begging the manager to start making phone calls to find a large quantity of the onespecific item they’re looking for… to no avail.
But let’s say you do find the items, you do put together all your lovely centerpieces and they’re happily residing around the perimeter of your living room, dining room, and across the kitchen counter. Now, what about setup? Do you have access to your wedding venue the night before the wedding or have they given you a narrow time frame on the day of? Do you have people who can help you set up? Do you have a large enough vehicle (or access to more than one) to transfer all the fruits of your labour safely and efficiently?
Don’t forget that etiquette suggests the night before the wedding should be spent at your rehearsal dinner with friends and family (and out of town guests) and not painstakingly setting up your venue, last minute.
Weddings are stressful enough – the night before should be spent being pampered and in love, not worrying about whether your escort cards were set up straight.
If you’re DIYing an outdoor wedding, have you considered whether everything that you need to set up (the day before, or the day of) is in place?
Yup.
It’s stunning alright!
But if you’re using natural elements as part of your design scheme, make sure you don’t forget your ladder at home! Oh, and if there’s a chance for wind, make sure your lanterns are heavily weighted (but not too heavily, as you don’t want the branch snapping and crashing in to your cake).
Note: As a wedding planner, it is my responsibility to warn you that there is always a chance of wind.
--------------
Check out this video that Mary made for eTalk last year about DIY weddings.
Yes, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds had a crazy-gorgeous barn-set DIY-inspired wedding. But did you know that it took a team of SIXTY of Martha Stewart’s planners and coordinators to make it come to life??
As a crafty, seasoned DIY-er, I’m not here to dissuade you from your creative ideas and budget-savvy decor. If anything, I want to see you DIY-away!! But as a wedding planner, it is my job to make you consider the details…ALL of the details.
It’s my job to make sure that a bride, who is usually planning her wedding for the first time, knows the good, the bad, and the ugly of the feat she’s about to undertake.
The trick, ladies, is balance.
If you love the personal touches of DIY details, pick a few that are most important to you and leave the rest to an expert. Consider cost before hastily making purchases, and remember that your time is valuable too.
Most importantly, make sure to ask for help. If you’d DIY’d your entire wedding day vision, you best be bringing on board a Day Of Coordinator who will work alongside you pre-wedding to ensure that all the intricate little details are set up exactly how you imagined while you’re busy with hair, makeup, and bridal portraits.
A wedding is a production, but getting married is about being in love. Go ahead, be crafty… but don’t let your commitments to 184 DIY favour tags overshadow your excitement to walk down the aisle and say, “I do.”
--------------
If you have questions about DIY styling or want to get in touch about hiring a Day Of Coordinator to help make your wedding day flawless, email me: lisa@weddinggirl.ca
To buy decor items from The Shops @ WG, or to have our budget-savvy floral team help you boast beautiful blooms without breaking the bank, make sure to get in touch! I’d be happy to help you custom-pick your items and style your designs.
Today I decided to take the 2014 Inspire Me Blog Challenge hosted by (Showered With Design) and (Happiness Blog). Each day I will try to post their suggested topics in an effort to provide my readers with more content and so they can get to know me a bit more. Today's prompt is: What did you do for New Years? We actually kept it pretty simple for New Year's. We had about 10 friends over for food, poker and movies. I made some chili and we had everyone bring a snack; there was absolutely no shortage of food. The guys then played poker and the remaining three ladies watched Pitch Perfect (which is one of my favourite movies). Seriously, if you haven't seen it yet I would highly recommend it.
The one thing we all did though was watch the ball drop in New York City during the live broadcast. Everyone then gave kisses and hugs before going back to playing poker or watching the movie. However, I did attempt to get a 'selfie' of my husband and I right after midnight and as you may have seen in my 2013 recap post, we were hilariously photobombed by our friend Chris.
On New Year's day, our family went over to my parents house for some Chinese Food. My sister and her family were there, as well as my grandparents. We had a really nice time and the kids had a great time playing with each other. There is really nothing like ringing in the New Year with your friends and family.
.JPG)
