honeymoon

September: A Month of Milestones

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My 29th Birthday, 2014
My 23rd Birthday, 2008
My 17th Birthday, 2002
My 26th Birthday, 2011
My 26th Birthday, 2011
My 22nd Birthday, 2007
My 27th Birthday, 2012
My 21st Birthday, 2006

Ah, September. It’s my favorite month! A lot is happening for me during the month of September. First of all, it’s my birthday month. I was born on the 17th and sometimes my birthday falls on the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, but usually not. As a child, I always looked forward to September to celebrate my birthday. I would look forward to it months in advance. So far in advance that my parents would tell me that I’m not allowed to talk about my birthday until a few months before it! I started school young, so I’m always the youngest in my grade. Everybody reached their milestones before I did. But, to my advantage, I am the last of my friends to reach the Big 3-0 birthday! I’m looking forward to my birthday, but not so much the turning 30 part. If being the youngest wasn’t enough, I also look really young for my age. I still get carded for rated R movies, and always at the liquor store. Once, in college, an airport security worker asked if I was in middle school when I was with my mom. Crazy. I’m not THAT young looking!

Secondly, September is the month I got engaged. People who know my husband and I know that I waited a LONG time for that proposal! 7 years to be exact. My husband (then boyfriend) and I moved in together in the summer of 2011. We had been dating since junior year of college and were twenty when we met and first got together. Then, after graduation, my husband did the prosthetics program at Northwestern University in Chicago and had to go on site for 3 months in addition to a 6 month prior online program. He moved back home after he graduated from the program and began his residency. He went on to take boards and become certified and licensed in prosthetics. I lived with roommates for a while and then eventually we moved in together.

We’re Engaged! 2012
Our Family Engagement Celebration, 2012
My ring! 2012
Engagement Photos, 2013
Marietta Square Engagement Session, 2013
Save the Date Session, 2012

I knew the engagement was coming, but I didn’t know he was proposing that day. He picked up my ring on September 11, 2012 but decided 9/11 was not a good day to propose. So, he proposed on September 12 in our apartment after I had gotten home from work. I was so happy and my ring was gorgeous! We started planning our wedding, and set the date a couple weeks later. I set the date around my Rabbi’s schedule. We probably would have gotten married in the beginning of October if Rabbi had been available then. He wasn’t, so we decided on September 29, 2013. When we chose our venue, we made sure they had that date available and booked it during the tour. We had already been to the venue before at a friend’s wedding and knew it was going to be perfect. We got married at Villa Christina in Perimeter area in Atlanta, Georgia. I highly recommend that venue. Everything was perfect and I loved our event coordinator, Julie!

Perfect Wedding, 2013
Husband and Wife, 2013
Cutting the Cake, 2013
Our Wedding Party, 2013
Our First Dance, 2013
True Love, 2013

Wedding planning was so much fun! Read more about my wedding plans here and here. Read my advice for newlyweds here. We went on the perfect honeymoon to Kauai, Hawaii and it was amazing.

First Anniversary Road Trip, Napa Valley, 2014
First Anniversary Road Trip, Redwood Forrest, 2014

For our first anniversary, my husband and I went on a road trip from San Francisco to Vancouver, Canada and back. It was very rushed, as we did it all in 6 days. But, we still had a great time and saw very cool sights. We wine tasted in Napa, Drove through a redwood tree in the redwood forest, went to a rose garden and Powell’s City of Books in Portland, went to Pike Place Market and Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle, and spent time in Stanley Park in Vancouver. You can read about our first anniversary trip here.

On the day of our first anniversary, we went to dinner at a nice seafood restaurant called Chequers. The next day, we picked up our anniversary wedding top of the cake from our cake lady Eileen Carter. She tells the brides and grooms to go ahead and eat the top of their cake after the honeymoon and then makes a replica of the top of the cake for all her client’s first anniversaries! It’s such a nice thing to do. The cake usually doesn’t taste so good after being in a freezer for a year, so that’s why she does this.

This year, we are not going on a lavish anniversary vacation. We had a nice vacation in the spring where we spent a week in Las Vegas. So, this year, we decided to take the day off work and spend time together doing something fun in Atlanta. We decided to go to Fernbank, an interactive science museum. I used to go there on field trips in elementary school, but I think it will be nice to go back as an adult. We plan on going to see one of the IMAX movies there and enjoy the exhibits. Then, for dinner, we will dine at Villa Christina’s restaurant. We have never gone there for dinner before and can’t wait! From what we tasted at our wedding tasting and the food they made for our wedding, it will be a gourmet treat!

My husband and I have been keeping up with the tradition of giving the customary anniversary gifts to each other in addition to something each of us had wanted. The first anniversary gift is paper and the second anniversary gift is cotton. We use Amazon.com with lists so that we know we are getting each other what we want. It works out really well for us.

There’s a lot to look forward to this month. I will be having several birthday celebrations with friends, family and my husband. My mom is coming in town for my big birthday and I’m really excited to see her!

Here’s to many more years of birthdays and anniversaries in September!

Honeymoon, Hawaii 2013
Hawaii Honeymoon, Beach in Kauai, 2013
On a boat touring the Na Pali Coast, Hawaii Honeymoon, 2013

Life after your Wedding: Advice for Newlyweds

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Picture taken waiting for our plane to Hawaii.

Picture taken waiting for our plane to Hawaii.

What should you do after your wedding? Once the planning, the organizing, dreaming, is over, what do you do next? You spent so much time getting ready for this day, but it is over in the blink of any eye. Are you having wedding planning withdrawals? It was a big part of your life for so long. You dreamed of your wedding day since you were a little girl. Depending on when you got engaged or started really deciding what you wanted your wedding to be like, you have been preparing for your big day for months if not years. Do you feel a void now that it is over? Some newlyweds do, but being married is an adventure in itself. Now you are on the next chapter of your life and you should enjoy every moment. Now that your wedding is over, look at it in this perspective: I don’t have to feel stressed anymore. No more seating charts or making favors. I can just sit and relax and enjoy being an Mrs. Enjoy being with my husband and establishing our lives as a married couple.

I planned for my wedding for quite a while. My husband and I have been together for over eight years, so I had plenty of time to dream of and plan for my wedding. I did most of the planning myself, only having a day of coordinator, but I loved every second of it. I made a binder, did my own research, and had a ball with it. Our wedding was the most wonderful day of our lives thus far. The wedding was a blast. The reception, the way everything turned out beautifully and, of course, the hora. People are still talking about it. As much as I enjoyed planning, I have to say I am glad it is over. I do remember mostly everything that happened on our special day, but it did feel like it was over in a flash. We had an amazing honeymoon. Read about it here and here. We have been married for about five months now and marriage is bliss. However, sometimes I do miss preparing for my wedding.

So what can you do to fill that void? Spend time with your spouse. That after all is the reason why you planned an amazing wedding. Go on dates regularly. Dating should not end after you say “I do.” Every couple needs that alone time and bonding with their husband or wife.

Once you get married, and you attend other weddings, it is really fun to just be a guest at a wedding. All the fun with none of the stress. If you are in the wedding, you kind of get to re-live your own wedding but with a different perspective. You can give advice and help plan for your friend’s wedding too. After all, you are now an expert!

Another thing that will fill the void of no longer planning a wedding is looking at your pictures or your video. I have made several photo books of our wedding and honeymoon. The best sites are: Shutterfly.com and AdoramaPix. You can also scrapbook your wedding photos. I am in the process of making the ultimate wedding scrapbook. By the time I finish it will be massive, but I love paper crafting. I am also making a scrapbook for my honeymoon and all the wedding events, including engagement photos, showers, the rehearsal dinner, etc. Cut costs down on your honeymoon scrapbook by taking brochures from all the places you went and things you did and cutting out pictures from those to have unique embellishments and then you don’t have to buy as many stickers. And there’s always looking through your wedding board on Pinterest. I just looked though mine and it was neat to see the transitions in my planning process and what I liked from my pins compared to how the aspects of my wedding actually turned out. Looking at that Pinterest board actually inspired this blog post.

My Wedding Scrapbook. Putting on my dress.

My Wedding Scrapbook. Putting on my dress.

Another scrapbook page. Our first look.

Another scrapbook page. Our first look.

Things to do as Newlyweds

Here are some things you should do after you tie the knot:

  • Enjoy your honeymoon: Spend time just the two of you somewhere tropical without the distractions of work/friends/family and the outside world.
  • Write thank you notes: Make sure to do this within a couple months of your wedding. It helps to do them as you get gifts. I did all the thank you notes myself because I wanted to, but ask your husband to write some of them to share the task.
  • Return the gifts you don’t want: Everyone gets gifts they wish they didn’t receive. It just happens. Going to the stores you registered and exchanging things you don’t want and getting the items off your registry that you really need/want. We still have credit to one store we registered at and don’t really need anything else. We really don’t know what to buy with it!
  • Change your name: I am still going through the process. It is a headache. Go to Social Security before DDS first since Social Security (at least in GA) does not accept paper licensees that you first receive at DDS. Your new license will be mailed to you. Don’t forget to bring your certified copy of your marriage certificate. The most trouble I’ve had with the name change is the banks. What a pain! Here is a checklist for changing your name from The Nest.
  • Review your vendors: I actually got a lot of free stuff for doing this. I got a free canvas print and a Shutterfly photo book. It makes your vendors feel great about the service they gave you, helps their business, and helps other brides planning. Not to mention it feels good letting your vendors know how much you liked them. I did reviews on Wedding Wire, WeddingChannel.com, and also sent emails to vendors as well as writing on their Facebook pages.
  • Preserve your wedding gown: I was told not to go to a dry cleaner. Go to a processional wedding gown preservationist. They will clean and preserve your dress. I couldn’t justify spending as much money as the gown preservation business I contacted charged, so I went a different route. I called the place I got my wedding dress at and they told me about Memories Gown Preservation. You buy a kit, pack up and mail your dress and accessories and in two weeks they mail you your preserved dress in a keepsake box. It will last for thirty years. Maybe one day my daughter will want to wear my mother’s veil that I also wore.
    My preserved wedding dress!

    My preserved wedding dress!

Once you get engaged, everyone always asks you, “When’s the big day?” Once you get married, everyone asks you, “When are you planning on having kids?” I get asked this all the time, and it gets really old. The other day I stated that I was starving and a co-worker asked if I was pregnant. Some day down the road it will happen for us. We are not ready yet and want to live our lives, enjoy being married, and travel to Europe and other destinations before having kids. So, I know I speak for a lot of newlyweds when I say this- stop asking!

I hope this blog post gave some insight on life after the wedding. Wedding planning was a big part of your life for so long, so it’s natural to miss it. But what happens afterwards is something you want to cherish. So, enjoy married life and what’s to come!

happily-ever-after

Honeymoon in Paradise Part 2

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We did so many fun activities on our honeymoon that it was too much for one blog post. Here are more of our experiences on the island of Kauai.

 

Dinner and Sunset Cruise
We went on Captain Andy’s Southern Star Catamaran for a sunset dinner cruise of the Na Pali coast. This area is not accessible by car, only by air, by sea or by foot. But we were able to see the beautiful Na Pali coast by sea and by air (in the helicopter). The boat was very nice and large enough to hold about 50 people. The boat rocked back and forth while hitting the waves, so sometimes I had trouble keeping my balance while walking around the vessel. The staff of the Southern Star had no problem maneuvering around the boat. Being experienced sailors, they have had plenty of practice walking around a moving ship and carrying drinks and serving food. They make it look easy. The staff was fantastic, catering to our every need, always refilling our drinks, telling us about the island and taking our picture in front of the sunset.

The Na pali coast

The Na pali coast

We had a great experience on the boat, and one of the most memorable moments was when a group of dolphins swam along the bow of boat and jumped in and out of the water in front of us. It felt like we were in a movie. A nice thing about this particular catamaran is that there is a full kitchen on board, so the chef cooks everything during the cruise. We were served delicious five-star meal of steak, jumbo shrimp, potatoes and mixed vegetables. After dinner, my husband and I found us a nice spot on a bench in front of the ship, relaxed, had dessert, and watched the sun set in the sky.

Sunset Cruise

Sunset Cruise

Hawaiian Luau
You haven’t really experienced Hawaii unless you have gone to a Hawaiian Luau! We had dinner and saw a spectacular show at Kilohana Plantation. It is one of the larger Luaus on the island and is more commercialized, most likely because it is put on by Norwegian Cruise lines. When we arrived, we were greeted by the dancers dressed in costume and were given Hawaiian Leas. I was very excited about this because I had wanted one from the moment we stepped off the airplane in Kauai! We got a cocktail at the bar and then went on the train tour of the plantation. The tour guide was funny and was very informative, giving us the names of all the plants and trees that we passed and what grew off of them. During the middle of the tour, we stopped and to our right was a fence filled with goats, pigs, and of course chickens (chickens are feral in the islands and are everywhere! Even on the beach). They gave us bread and we fed the animals and watched them fight over the food.

The train tour before the Luau

The train tour before the Luau

After the train tour, we headed to our seats to have dinner. They sat us with other couples and dinner was served buffet style, but they still roasted the traditional pig. The food was good and the show was theatrical style telling a story from Hawaiian culture. The actors and dancers all did a great job and the costumes were impressive looking like Hawaiian clothes and headdresses of the past. After the show they served dessert and coffee and we were able to buy the pictures they took of us when we first arrived. Then we went all around the plantation at all the shops and perused the jewelry and souvenirs that they sold. We really bought a lot of souvenirs during our vacation and somehow they all fit in to our suitcases on our way home. Overall, the Luau was a really neat experience and we were glad we went.

golf 2

On the green

Nine and Wine Golf Game
My husband and I really enjoy playing golf together and we decided to splurge and play a game on a course overlooking the ocean. We went to the golf course at the Marriott in Lihue called Kauai Lagoons Golf Club. We had signed up for a couple’s golf experience called the Nine and Wine. It was nine holes and they give you a bottle of wine and a cheese plate to drink and snack on during your round. I would have to say that I played very well for my experience. Maybe the wine helped! It was a very fun game and we played better-ball. Only a few balls were lost in the ocean, but we didn’t mind because we got to play with an awesome view. The course itself was the nicest one we had ever played at. We rented a cart and clubs and were even given clean towels and a cooler filled with water bottles. We felt a tad bit rushed during the game since there were other couples behind us, but it was a great game and the golf course staff was very accommodating. We were very glad we played there because how many people can say they golfed overlooking the ocean in Kauai? We can!

After the golf game

After the golf game

Those were all the major things we did while in Kauai, and I highly recommend visiting the island. We literally went everywhere you could go and over the two weeks, and got to experience island life. It was the perfect honeymoon and these newlyweds really enjoyed Kauai. We will definitely be going back one day!

Honeymoon in Paradise

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wedding pic two

On September 29, 2013 I married my best friend. It went by in a whirlwind like everyone said it would. It truly was the happiest day of our lives thus far. I couldn’t have asked for a better wedding. Although there were things that did go wrong that weekend, I didn’t let them bother me and my wedding was everything I had hoped for. I couldn’t believe how beautiful the banquet room was decorated for the reception, how lovely the flowers looked, and how delicious and enticing the cakes were. I had a blast on my wedding day. During the ceremony, I felt very honored to say my vows and to marry such an amazing man. Everyone who attended our wedding kept saying how beautiful our wedding ceremony was, how everything was nicely decorated, and how fun the party was! We danced the night away and it truly was very special. I often look back on our photographs from the wedding and relive that amazing day.

wedding pic one

The day after our wedding, we left bright any early for the airport to go on our Honeymoon. We flew 9 hours and traveled a total of 18 hours when we finally arrived to our condo in Kauai, Hawaii- a true paradise! We are so grateful to my aunt and uncle for allowing us to stay in their condo. We were so surprised to find a nice gift basket from my aunt and uncle waiting for us with gift cards to local restaurants and every type of food you could think of made with Macadamia nuts. It was such a thoughtful wedding gift. The condo’s view was amazing and every day we would eat breakfast on the porch and revel in the beautiful scenery.

View from the Condo

View from the Condo

We were lucky that we got to do a lot of fun activities during our time on the island of Kauai, and here is what some of what we did:

Helicopter Tour
Now going into the helicopter tour, I was a bit scared. I had never flown in one before and it seemed frightening. I’m not a big fan of turbulence anyways. But this tour was beyond my expectations. We flew around the whole island, from the high mountain tops to the sandy beaches and rocky cliffs. We went with Safari Helicopter tours and our pilot was great. At some points the pilot flew very close to the mountains and that was a bit unnerving, but I got used to it. The scenery was utterly breathtaking. From the waterfalls to the tree tops, to the farms and flatlands of Hanalei Valley, to the beautiful beaches, it was an amazing sight. My husband took video of the whole flight with his GoPro camera. (The GoPro was a great tool to capture our honeymoon memories and is the camera we used in the videos on this blog post. It’s waterproof and was a must-have for this kind of adventure). That was probably the most exciting and my favorite activity of our honeymoon. Too bad we waited to do it until the very end of our vacation!

On the Helicopter Tour

On the Helicopter Tour

 

Hiking Adventure
My husband and I went on several hiking trips during our stay on Kauai, and I’m not much of a hiker (or an outdoorsy person) so some of them were a bit of a challenge for me.  We hiked up cliffs overlooking the ocean, hiked through the trails through Waimea Canyon to the highest elevation on the island (5,148 feet above sea level), and hiked up a trail on the North shore. I would have to say, our best hike (and the one that pushed me the most) was our hike to the Ho’opi’i  waterfalls. My uncle gave us a great guide book called The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed, which was a valuable resource during our honeymoon. I highly recommend you buy this book if you ever go to Kauai. The book, written by a Kauai resident, not only tells you the best beaches to go to, what restaurants to go to and those to skip, and where to stay, but it also tells you places to go on the island that most people don’t know about. The waterfall hike we went on was one of them. Known, only by the locals and those who have this book, the waterfalls were very secluded and upon finding we felt like we unearthed a hidden treasure.

We parked on the side of the road outside of a neighborhood and found the beginning of the trail. We hiked next to some pastures and then trekked down the trail and through the woods. We made it to the first waterfall and it was so peaceful. The water rushed down the falls and into a lagoon. We were not the only ones there. There were several other people enjoying the falls and we saw them jump into the lagoon and climb up the rocks on the sides of the waterfall. We were not daredevils like them and just took in the scenery and snapped a few photographs.

The book said there was another waterfall a little farther down the trail and we decided to check it out. We walked what felt like forever and finally heard some rushing water. There were two trails you could take, one very small Billy goat path, and one skirting high along the mountain. We took the high road thinking there would be an easy way for us to go down. There was not. We literally had to climb down the extremely steep mountain holding on to tree branches and rocks to hold us up. It took me quite a while to climb down and then we saw other hikers come by and several women and young kids climbed down very quickly with no problems. Like I said, I am not very outdoorsy!

The falls we hiked to

The falls we hiked to


We finally make it to the waterfall, and it is spectacular. I couldn’t believe the beautiful sight. These falls are less intense and the water does not fall as rapidly. The left side of the falls is a slow trickle and the right side has a more rapid waterfall that leads to a pond that you can swim in. We decided to cross the rocks and get in to the water near the falls. This must be done very carefully, as the rocks are very slippery. We literally were crawling across the rocks on our hands and knees so we wouldn’t fall down. We got about chest deep into the water and hung out beneath the falls. I was very proud of myself for climbing up the rocks and standing next to the waterfall. We saw the locals move very quickly climbing through the less intense left side of the waterfall, gliding gracefully across the slippery rocks. We also saw another local bathing in the pool beneath the falls with rushing water all around her. Needless to say, we didn’t try it ourselves! Our hike really was a great adventure. We got a few bug bites, a few scrapes and there was a little complaining from yours truly, but it was a day we will never forget.

Read more about our honeymoon of a lifetime in the next installment coming soon.