Wedding Fever

Monday, May 30, 2016

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I thought it would be the perfect time to talk about my upcoming wedding. In August I will be marrying the man of my dreams in two of my favorite places (church and venue), and I cannot be more thrilled! I've learned several important lessons along the way while planning my wedding that I thought I would share with you. Of course I am not an expert (first time's the charm), and I must state that these tips are based on my own opinion, but I hope that they might help at least a few of you. Enjoy!

Modelling at a wedding show (similar here)

1. Know your style and trust it

I used to purchase weddings magazines every month, however found that these became distracting. After seeing the latest wedding trend, I would second-guess my current choices. This definitely made an anxiety-filled bride out of me. I found that determining my own personal style and tuning out others really helped me in making decisions. 

2. Decide what is important to you
Is it food? Music? Flowers? Venue? You should choose wisely and put the most time and money into perfecting that. 

3. Have a budget
No matter how much money you make or how much your parents are willing to provide for the wedding, there should always be a limit on your spending; it's not always about what you can buy, it's more about what you SHOULD buy. Having a price range in mind for every element helped keep me focused.

4. Don't shop around too much
This one is closely related to the first one. Many choices often equates to less decision-finalizing. If you meet a vendor, like their price and what they have to offer, don't second-guess yourself and go ahead and book them!

5. Remember what's important
This definitely helps keep me grounded. The truth is that the actual "wedding event" is not as important as the fact that you will be making a promise under God to your significant other for the rest of your life. 

What are you best wedding-prep tips?

Day In the Life: Barbados Style

Friday, May 6, 2016

I've travelled to several difference caribbean islands in my life thus far, however Barbados is my favorite. I've visited the island five times, and each time provided me with some sort of new adventure. In my opinion Barbados is quite unique as it strikes the perfect balance between modernity and island culture.  This year, I spent about two weeks here and I would definitely recommend staying at least ten days if you want to fully experience what this island has to offer. 

If you've visited my instagram lately you'll find that I took the Eco-tour at Harrisons Cave and also took a catamaran tour on the "Elegance". In addition, I had the chance to visit the Garrison at night (highly recommend this if you are a history buff), and eat delicious food at the famous Oistins street festival on Fridays. There are many different tours and experiences that you can fill your schedule with, however these would be my most recommended. 

The following post will comprise what a typical "beach day" looks like for me on vacation in Barbados. This would include those days where I was not "out-and-about" on some sort of excursion. Enjoy!


 
8:00am - Workout
I am going to be honest, this is my least favorite part of the day. I usually take it easy on vacation and simply go on a 5k walk/run and maybe do some ab exercises. Barbados is a very safe island so thankfully we can walk throughout the streets and neighbourhoods. It is very warm, even early in the morning, so the walk is still challenging. We walk up hills throughout the neighbourhoods surrounding our villa, and often see monkeys (which is a a very common sight around the golf courses here). Above is a picture of my fiancĂ© with the "green monkeys" found on the island; they usually roam freely, however this one was on a leash. 
9:00am - Coffee and Emails
I like to sit outside and catch up on my emails, blog etc. during this time of day. Our villa is right by the sea, so I definitely enjoy the view!
10:00am - Late Breakfast 
I'm not a big lunch person and prefer having a late breakfast. Our villa cook usually make us a very filling breakfast. This is what my plate usually looks like.
11:00am - Travel to Beach
Our villa is located in Holetown, yet the beach we like to visit is in Carlisle Bay. We usually drive there in our rental or take the bus if we want to walk through the streets of Bridgetown (the capital). I absolutely love walking through the streets of Bridgetown. There is always something new to explore!
12:00pm - Beach!
The beaches here are so nice - the water is crystal clear and the sand is so soft. I could definitely spend my days here everyday. 
6:00pm - Dinner at "home"
Since we were fortunate enough to have a cook at our villa, we usually eat dinner here. This is what a typical dinner looks like. It is definitely a feast!
10:00pm - Bed
I don't actually fall asleep at this time (night-owl problems), but I do head to bed and watch a movie or a tv show. 


Where is your favorite tropical vacation destination?