It's Friday

Yay, its friday. This week has been insanely insane.... I make to do lists of lists I need to do and life has been getting crazier and crazier...

But it's all for naught... I've got some super exciting news about a major giveaway that i've been working on...

Big Hint: 

Have a great weekend y'all and stay tuned :-)

Honeymoon Recap: St. Maarten Wildlife {Part 3}

The minute we started to explore the Divi Bay Resort, we saw wildlife... starting with this little creature....

Honeymoon Recap: Divi Bay Resort {Part 2}

So we arrived at Divi Bay Resort in St. Maarten and were greeted with a nice cold rum punch and a cool ride up to our room. The resort was beautiful... our room was great and hubs and I were excited to get our honeymoon on... Check out the view from our private balcony...

Honeymoon Recap: St. Maarten {Part 1}

So let's back track a bit and start at the very beginning of our honeymoon - now that i've indulged you with some anniversary recaps, its time to recap the whole honeymoon!!

Hubby and I were plenty excited for this long awaited vacation. We had been working hard and the time was really needed to help us step back and take a moment to realize... "hey, we're NEWLYWEDS!" We headed up to the in-laws b/c the boys were staying with the grandparents. We stayed there for one night and left early in the AM to Newark to take our FIRST CLASS flight direct to St. Maarten. WOOOHOOOOO! I mean, we've both never flown first class and using our miles that we worked hard to get only made it that much sweeter (on top of which, we both saved 10k miles by flying first instead of Coach - GO figure!)

Although there were a few disappointments along the way with the experience (which Continental addressed promptly - impressed!), I was determined not to let anything start this honeymoon off in a wrong way.

so here we are... in first Class, with our complimentary drink (that's right - nothing wrong with an 8am drink - right?)

Anniversary Dinner at Ocean, Westin St. Maarten

So to end an amazing day at the Westin St. Maarten Resort and Spa... the hubs and I had dinner at Ocean Restaurant on the patio overlooking the pool and ocean. The meal was great and the service was good. The setting was ... well breathtaking just like the resort itself.

Chillaxin'... Westin St. Maarten Style

So after our grand tour of the facilities, Marouschka made sure we were taken care of. We were invited to chillax by the pool and dine from the cool little "shack" by the pool... sandwiches, sushi and more... we opted for some light snacks... but how could you not enjoy yourself after a couple's massage in this setting...

Westin St. Maarten Resort & Spa

Spa & Resort: Westin St. Maarten

So we should take a look at the inside of the resort since we got to tour the outside a bit... Aside from a real luxury feel, the Westin St. Maarten offers a casino and a full service spa as well as gorgeous rooms.

 and hubby and I were so lucky b/c Greg Majka (Director of catering and convention services) and Marouschka Van Axel Dongen made sure that we felt right at home... and you know what that included? A special couple's massage right at the resort. Talk about a real treat...

A Gorgeous Wedding Venue: Westin St. Maarten

So since I'm a blogger and I love to blog about weddings... isn't it appropriate that I toured a beautiful wedding venue on our honeymoon? Isn't it appropriate that I even witnessed a beautiful wedding ? Well fear not, b/c i know y'all love a beautiful spot... so i wanted to share a few spaces that the Westin St. Maarten Resort and Spa offers. And i confirmed with the amazingly sweet catering Manager, Marauschka Van Axel Dongen, that the Westin wants each one of their happy brides to feel special - so no more than one wedding event is booked for any given day.

Could you imagine looking out on this while you say your "I Do's"?

5 Month Anniversary: Westin St. Maarten Resort & Spa

I suppose its silly to keep tabs on each month we've been married, but I feel like - the first year - it's ok. Kind of how many mothers tally their child's age by month until they hit 1 yrs old (sometimes 2yrs), I kind of feel its complete OK to define the length of marriage by month our first year.

We spent our 5 month anniversary in St. Maarten on our honeymoon. It was perfect timing, and honestly not calculated but rather a pleasant coincidence. I want to start our honeymoon recap with how my husband (of 5 months) and I spent this special day. We headed over to Dawn Beach which is just on the east side of the island... and we ended up here...

Westin St. Maarten Resort & Spa

Back from the Honeymoon

Back from the honeymoon and we have hit the ground running full speed back to reality. From car problems and a new day job assignment... Bear with me as I get my bearings about me so i can recap the Honeymoon and fill you in on the amazing time we had in St. Maarten and how we spent our 5th month anniversary with a visit at the BEAUTIFUL Westin St. Maarten Resort & Spa (Dawn Beach)... and of course we have exciting things coming up too.

Until then, don't forget today is your last day to enter to win FREE INVITATIONS!!! Enter Now!

Mother-Son Dance continued

Mid-way through "Simple Man" we wanted to invite other mothers and sons to join on the dance floor. so when the lyrics went: "Boy, don't you worry you'll find yourself. Follow your heart and nothing else. And you can do this, oh baby, if you try. All that I want for you my son is to be satisfied" the DJ invited others mothers to join in...

Mother - Son Dance

Hubby picked his mother son dance with a lot of thought. He wanted something meaningful to both his mom and for him. He decided because the song was a little long, that midway through - he'd invite other sons and moms to come out to have a dance. This way, some of my Aunts would be ensured a dance LOL

He picked the song "Simple Man" by Lynard Skynard... the lyrics go: "Mama told me when I was young Come sit beside me, my only son And listen closely to what I say. And if you do this it'll help you some sunny day. Oh, take your time don't live too fast, Troubles will come and they will pass. Go find a woman you'll find love, And don't forget son there is someone up above."

Brother Sister Dance

In lieu of a Father-Daughter Dance, my brother and I did a brother-sister dance. Picking a song was quite challenging, and to tell you the truth - we picked a classic, but it was very last minute. Most songs are too romantic in language to be able to use, so we chose... "What a wonderful world" by Louie Armstrong. Short and sweet (since we both didn't want to be the center of attention) but meaningful.

Candy Buffet {Custom Candy Buffet Bars}

Another splurge that was a little last minute was working with Jackie from Custom Candy Buffet Bars (Read her post about our wedding and her video montage!!). The girl is simply fabulous and she easily persuaded me that this was a splurge we needed. In fact, since we didn't do favors and were able to cut corners elsewhere, i definitely thought it'd be fun... She made the designs so much fun...  and the girl is so fabulous, she recently did an OPRAH EVENT!!!! and to top that off, she recently welcomed a precious baby girl into the world. One perk about wedding planning is that you do meet some truly awesome people, and Jackie is definitely one of them... So check out our Custom Candy Buffet!!!

Chocolate fountain {Pure Bliss Chocolate}

We had an amazing chocolate fountain. No Joke. My Coordinator, Paola had recommended them stating "I don't know what it is but its one of the best chocolate fountains I have ever had." so of course, I had to check them out. Pure Bliss Chocolate was actually beyond reasonable in price and what they had to offer... and apparently their chocolate was amazing.

I didn't have any that night, which is a big regret - but the hubby did. Now, let's keep in mind. Hubby doesn't like chocolate. But he had a chocolate fountain once, and insisted we get one. Well, considering he is still claiming "she didn't let me eat more than a bite of our dinner!", the lucky guy did get to cut the line for the fountain and got more than his plateful. And every single person (including the hubs) has stated that it was ... hands down... the best chocolate fountain EVER! The same comment was heard throughout the rest of the night "I don't know what kind of chocolate that was, but wow..." or something to that effect.

Well, no ... I can't offer you a sample through the internet (i wish i could, i'd have some too) but i can indulge you with some pics :)

Invitation Giveaway

Since I am happily away in St. Maarten enjoying my honeymoon, I figured it would only be fair to give our loyal readers something to get excited over this week as well. So, in collaboration with the amazing company Magnet Street Weddings - who did my own invitations and save the dates - we are giving away an amazing Invitation package for one lucky reader. Remember, not only is Magnet Street quick with their turnaround time, but everything is customizable - from fonts, to size, to color and images... it's all about personalization!

Go here to read more about the contest and how easy it is to enter and win your own set of 100 FREE INVITATIONS!!!!