The most stressful thing, as I have previously blogged about, was our honeymoon. I felt like we kept on getting excited about a place, only to find out that 1) We ran a 90% chance of running head-on into a natural disaster 2) it was going to be FREAKING HOT or 3) it was WAY out of our price range. We started out our honeymoon quest wanting to go to somewhere like New Zealand. Great idea! Ya. July = winter in New Zealand. Out. Fiji. Too expensive. Greek islands, ditto.
So, we decided to enlist the help of a travel agent we found on Yelp. She helped us put together a few packages, and then we she realized what a pain in the ass we were, she enlisted back up from another agent. We were really excited after our initial phone call with this new agent, because she seemed to understand what we wanted, and thought we had a lot of latitude with our budget. She turned us on to the idea of Puerto Rico (have to admit that whenever I hear that I always think of West Side Story .... such a nerd. I blame my dad for introducing me to that musical :) ) She talked to us about the phosphorescent pools and the zip lining, and it just sounded exactly like what we wanted. So, we waited, and she sends us something that is totally in our budget. Then, I looked closer. It was totally within our budget, but only included the hotel and the flight! What!? No food. No transfer from the airport. No excursions (such as the phosphorescent pools or zip lining). Uh, what do you hear when I say budget, travel agent lady? Anyway, we tried not to feel dejected for too long, and went with a place that is always trustworthy, and never lets us down. A place where you can get anything from frozen chicken breasts to car batteries. Engagement rings to tire rotations. That's right people: we went to Costco.
We started scanning their packages, and found a lot of cool options in parts of the Caribbean that aren't ridden with natural disasters. Our interest was piqued and so we continued our investigation. We found that the Dominican Republic had a lot of really nice all inclusive resorts and lots of fun activities (golf, cigar factories, rum distilleries, zip lining) We were quickly falling in love with the place. When we started to look at some of the resorts, we were sold.
We will be staying at the Majestic Elegance Resort in Punta Cana, DR. An amazing resort, where we will be enjoying a swim up room with an outdoor bed and private jacuzzi, all inclusive amenities, VIP service and lots of relaxation. (we also put ourselves in the "adults only" section so we won't be disturbed by the chorus of voices of vacationing children...) Check out the hotel link below.
So, that was one huge checkity check check CHECK off the list! That was on our way to San Fran this morning, where we continued the quest for Mike's wedding band.
For those of you who don't know, searching for a band for a man is a difficult task. Most men don't wear a whole heck of a lot of jewelry, and so having a ring on their finger is a new, and strange feeling. For this reason, we haven't had a whole lotta luck in this department. We knew he wanted a more low key metal (such as titanium or palladium) though at one point in our search he was pretty much sold on a platinum band at Tiffanys. For a while, he was trying to convince me that he needed not one, but TWO wedding bands. One for every day, and one "blinged out" option that was for fancier occasions. No I am not joking and yes this is the man I want to marry. He just cracks me up. Lucikly he moved on from that relatively quickly.
Today, my MOH and one of Mike's groomsmen (who is coincidentally married to my MOH) took us to Union Street in the city, where a large collection of jewelry stores are located. We went to 3 jewelry stores, and each was a very unique experience. I should also say, that I am looking to have a wedding band made from some of my Grandma Charlotte's old rings. We were very close, and she has passed away, and so I wanted to have her be a part of my day somehow. So the first place, Mike found a few rings he liked, but nothing he was super excited about. So, I asked about my dream ring, and was quickly shot down by the "charming" clerk, who essentially told me that what I wanted would look terrible with my ring, and then suggested that I just stick a few of the diamonds from my Grandma's ring onto my engagement ring! Uh, NO WAY! We moved on.
The next place was actually where Em and Nick got Nick's ring. We liked a few of their things, but the one Mike liked best was going to be too high maintenance, as the finish would rub off and continually have to be revamped. They gave me a lot of suggestions at this place regarding the possibilities I had with my diamonds. My dream ring wasn't really a possibility, but they had a lot of ideas. I left my rings there to be evaluated and so that they could measure all of the stones, and then we moved on again.
The third try was a success. Mike found 3 rings that he liked and they definitely all suited him well. He eventually went with a brushed palladium band - very plain and timeless. We put the deposit down today, and will return in about 2 weeks to pick it up! I am so excited that he found something that he loves!
Also, my dress arrived on Thursday of last week, and I will be returning to the store for my first try on this Thursday! I can't wait to see my beautiful dress again. I am currently on the hunt for my jewelry (I want antique/vintage looking stones) and a hair piece (I am looking for white feathers, instead of a veil). Hopefully these things will magically fall into my lap!
Next on the list is to finalize our rehearsal dinner site, but that feels like cake now that we have so many things accomplished.
Stay tuned!
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