Posts from — July 2008

Imagine two weeks of relaxing with gentle breezes & fantastic sunsets.  Picture the houses, the Mediterrean, the fabulous food.  Well one of my past couples, Jin & Matt, chose a two week honeymoon in Greece & I knew I had to share it with everyone.

Here are some gorgeous shots of their two week trip, that included Athens, Santorini and Naxos.  First up was Athens with the Acropolis and the Parthenon.

Small out of the way taverna in Plaka for romantic dining.

Temple of Poseidon at sunset.  So golden and warm.  How gorgeous is that!?!? 

They stayed the night near the Temple and then took a 4 hr. ferry ride to Santornini.  They views they had from their hotel patio were spectacular!

Jin & Matt enjoyed the strolls around the island, the volcanos and mingling with the locals.

From there it was a 2 hour ferry ride to Naxos where they enjoyed more great food, beautiful sunsets and a guided horseback riding trip.

Thanks so much to Jin & Matt for sharing your pictures.  Here’s one last shot of the sunset from Greece. 

Mark Kingsdorf of The Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants sent over a beautiful Cancun wedding he coordinated recently.  The event took place at the Moon Palace Golf Resort & Spa, an all inclusive resort with a Catholic Chapel on the property and a local priest to perform the ceremeony; something that was very important to Michelle.  She and Tony also wanted a resort that offerred lots of amenities to their 125 guests in attendance.  And as you can see, the views from the chapel are gorgeous!

For Michelle, photography was very important, so she chose to hire Laura & Paul Eaton of Laura Eaton Photography, as well as, Drew DeMarinis of Tangerine Media Group for video. 

Michelle & Tony wanted to keep things simple, so the chose to go with the floral services offered by the resort.  Mark and his team designed program fans & floral cones for petal tossing and even brought in perfectly place shells for that warm, beach feel.

I love the colors of the cake and decor! 

Mark’s advice to a bride planning a destination wedding?  Always try to hire a coordinator but if you choose to diy he has three excellent points.  One is make a site visit, don’t depend on websites and pictures alone.  Two is get everything in writing and even do communications initially via email so they have time to review your requests, especially if you’re dealing with language barriers.  And three it’s always, always try to fly nonstop if possible.  You don’t want the stress of multiple connections if you can avoid it.

Congrats to Tony & Michelle!  Thank you Mark for sharing this beautiful Cancun wedding.  You and your team great planning an event for 125 guests. 

The photo from last week is Porta Nigra in Trier, Germany. Matt and Evonne got it correct. But can you guess this week’s?

• Lots of rich people live here
• Hitchcock liked it here
• So do I!

Ever since posting my photo the week before last of Sagrada Familia in Barcelona for Travel Photo Tuesday, I’ve been thinking about that life-changing trip.

This was a trip that almost didn’t happen. I actually had to be talked into it but my best friend Lisa. I’d been through a bad breakup and had been down in the dumps for a while. It seems so silly now. We left LAX on the day of my 30th birthday for Ireland. Spent two wonderful weeks in Ireland, which really is an amazing country. Then, we decided we just couldn’t go home yet so we extended out trip for another week and went to Barcelona, Spain.

Ah, Barcelona. The architecture, the food, the people. This is such a magical city! I was absolutely enchanted by all the architectural wonders of Antoni Gaudí scattered throughout the city, from Sagrada Familia to La Pedrera to my favorite, Park Güell. Lisa and I had the hardest time finding Park Güell. We wandered around the city and kept asking people. They kept pointing us in the right direction, or so we hoped.

Finally, after hours of looking, we came across it. Such an amazing place. Words really can’t describe the fantastical place. Imagine Disney minus the cheese. Gaudí was a genius. All his works are truly unique. You really have to see it to believe it. Even photographs don’t do it justice.

After we explored the park for about an hour, it started to rain. Lisa wanted to leave, but I didn’t. I actually love the rain. Especially on a warm, sultry day. She took a cab back to the hotel, and I had one of the most amazing afternoons of my life. I stayed at Park Güell for quite a while taking it all in.

Then I spent hours just wandering around the city in the rain. I can’t even explain the sense of freedom and wonder. I was literally skipping through puddles. There were lots of Spaniards tucked into alcoves all over the city, watching the rain and looking at me like I was crazy.

This is my favorite travel memory, (so far, anyway!) wandering around one of the most amazing cities in the world in a warm rain.

What’s your favorite travel memory? We’d love to hear it! Please email us at: flyawayphotog@gmail.com

Here are some links on Park Güell:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Guell

http://www.gaudidesigner.com/uk/parc-guell.html

http://barcelona.arounder.com/park_guell/

Choosing an international destination wedding is a big, exciting decision but can also be a challenging one.  Working with vendors who are in a time zone hours ahead of you plus the language barrier could make it stressful and confusing.  However, hiring a coordinator, who has experience planning a wedding with an international community of vendors makes it go a lot smoother. 

Nicole Kaney of NK Productions is an expert at destination weddings, here in the US and abroad.  In fact, she has not only planned international weddings for clients, she also coordinated her own intimate wedding in Florence Italy.  ( She kindly shared a few pictures from her wedding almost six years ago.  I love the one of them on the bridge! )

Nicole has great ideas on planning an event that may only involve the two of you privately saying your vows or the coordination of 100 guests for several days of activities.  She advises couples to consider their location in regards to language barriers, convenience for guests and activities for them as well.  Keep in mind many of them will plan a vacation around your wedding. 

In regards to vendors, she advises to get as many referrals as possible.  Ask the hotel about florists and DJs.  Even ask for a few past clients since you can’t meet face-to-face with the vendor. 

Another great suggestion Nicole gives is to design a great website with information for guests.  Something elegant yet resourceful that will help them stay informed of your event and the area.  Plus it’s gets them excited about your wedding. 

Something I think that’s great besides the website, is she always recommends doing a welcome packet that has lots of information on the local area.  Pack it full of things like restaurants, sights and local transportation.  Do it up creatively, send it out a month before the wedding and make it even pocket size so they can throw it in their luggage.  

She admits the dollar is low and that might worry some brides considering a destination wedding but you can make it a memorable vacation for yourself and your guests.  Just make sure you choose a place you feel is right for the two of you; that reflects your taste and style.

If you’re planning an international wedding, visit Nicole’s site, NK Productions for advice and assistance.  And thanks Nicole for sharing your pictures and wisdom!

I featured this on my personal blog, too, but it was so good it deserves to be repeated!

This was my first event at South Seas Island Resort, and I was so impressed. Located at the very tip of Captiva Island (next to Sanibel Island), you really feel like you are a world away. Which is exactly why James and Glenn chose this location. They live in Naples, but wanted to provide both their local and out-of-town guests something extra special. And they did. Everybody loved the venue!

Kelly McWilliams of Weddings by Socialites did an amazing job putting this all together and was also lots of fun to work with. Amanda Deminie, the Catering Sales Manager at South Seas Island Resort, is a total sweetie and also super great to work with. I highly recommend this venue if you’re thinking about a wedding in Southwest, Florida. Or even just a vacation!

One of our readers, Maritza, submitted her wonderful honeymoon, The One&Only Palmilla in Los Cabos, Mexico. This sure makes me wish I still lived in L.A. so I could go for a weekend visit. It’s only a two-hour flight from Los Angeles. This place looks amazing.

One&Only Palmilla is located within the Los Cabos Corridor, a 21-mile stretch between San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas at the southernmost point of Baja California Sur along the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez.

Maritza is also the designer of a cute travel tote called the Honeymoon Bag. Here’s what she had to say about her honeymoon:

“It was amazing there! Like a dream… like we walked into a post card. We stayed a JR Beach Suite and loved every minute of it. The service there is impeccable and we got lots of complimentary goodies because I carried my bag everywhere!”

Thanks for sharing your honeymoon, Maritza.

You must check out this wonderful new resource for brides from the fabulous Rebekah and Ami of Elizabeth Anne Designs, The EAD Library. They have really outdone themselves! This is going to be helpful for so many brides.

Here’s what they have to say:

We are incredibly excited to announce our new project, The EAD Library. After months of development and research, we are launching a new resource for brides on Tuesday July 22nd. The Library is filled with hundreds of useful links, from photographers to shops to stationers. Our goal is a simple, comprehensive list of vendors. The Library will help every bride, no matter her location, find the vendors and inspiration she needs for a beautiful event.

Shari did a great job keeping everyone guessing last week.  Matt & Amy were correct, even guessing the exact church.  And kudos to Ed for guessing Barcelona.  If you have any great travel photos you liked to try and stump our readers with, drop us an email. 

So here is this weeks travel photo.  Does it look familiar?  Recognize the style?  If so post your guess in the comment section below.  And if you need some hints, they’re listed under the picture.  Good luck and I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with for an answer!

1. built in the 2nd century
2. monk buried here
3. Napoleon destoyed part of the structure

Considering taking your precious pooch with you for your wedding?   Maybe you even want them in your wedding but you’re not sure which resorts will accomodate your requests.  Well here are a couple of excellent hotels that not only allow pets but they pamper them too.

The Loews Miami Beach Hotel

This upscale luxury hotel welcome all dogs of all sizes as long as they are “well behaved”.  In fact they have a program “Loews Loves Pets” that welcomes him/her with special treats, a Loews tag & bowl.  And check out their room service menu for pets!  How cool!!  They are happy to  show you several dog walking routes, so your pet can get some exercise, as well as, refer groomers and vets if needed.  They also have beds available if needed.  And their fee for all this attention is only $25. per stay.  Definitely pet friendly.

Mayfair Hotel & Spa

 The Mayfair is a chic boutique in the Coconut Grove area of Miami.  They are allow up to two pets per room and only charge a flat rate of $25.  They have pet amenities such as a pet bed, pet lounging mat, bottled water with bowl for your little friend & the ‘Mayfair’ biscuits.  Another great resort to consider when planning your destination wedding in Miami.