Song of the Week

Hola! New Music Wednesday is upon us again...and this week I'm early. Hah! I recently stumbled across some music from Bollywood (the successful Indian cinema industry, obviously a play on Hollywood) that I just LOVE...and why, you ask? Because it makes me want to shake my butt (and I love Indian music in general). And the videos? They CRACK ME UP. The random hand-waving dance, and the random Victoria's Secret Angels in the back...balle balle, shava shava, freaky freaky Friday night. I love it! Check this out - it will get stuck in your head for hours.

The Wedding Cake

As I come up with new topics for this blog (and believe me, it isn't too difficult to do), no matter what topic I decide to research, I am completely fascinated with the fact that no matter how long I look, there is always MORE information to read/learn. Overwhelming. So, cakes. Not just any cakes - Wedding Cakes. This is a whole culture of people, bakers, and crazy brides who are uber-specific about what this little detail in the wedding means (what feeling it evokes, the exact color of blue that the fondant should be, the kind of raspberry filling - is there more than one kind?!). Not to make complete fun of this process- granted, it is fun to concoct ideas and plans and think about the beautiful photos and taste - but it seems a bit crazy overall. That said, I found a few designs that seem to fit our desired theme...see what you think.

Song of the Week

Wednesday is here again, and that means...Song of the Week. This week, I have been particularly inspired by a new CD we bought at Best Buy - music from a man who almost won one of those crazy TV shows (not American Idol) - Cas Haley is his name, and by the way he sings you would never guess he was a baby-faced Caucasian man!
Here is a video of him singing a song that is now featured on our wedding website! (I love his little dance in this video)

Airfare to Cancun Now Available!

I am happy to announce that airfare around the week of our wedding is now available for search and purchase. We always prefer to fly Frontier from Denver - and they are nonstop to Cancun (!!) - but I randomly searched on a few of my favorite engines for travel (kayak.com, priceline.com, orbitz.com) and one I had not searched before - vayama.com - and found that flights right now range between $338RT to $444+RT. The 338 price was only on Vayama, and only by flying Continental...just an FYI!

VIDEOS of Secrets Maroma Beach

Oh my goodness, I was so excited this evening to discover that a very kind person put together two videos about their trip to SMB. I'll just paste them here instead of trying to explain what is in them - watch for yourselves and enjoy!


Getting to Secrets Maroma Beach, PART 1 from Brian Lowe on Vimeo.



Inside Secrets Maroma Beach, PART 2 from Brian Lowe on Vimeo.

New Tidbits on SMB

Always on the lookout for new information about the future wedding resort, I found a new posting with ever-more detailed tips for SMB visitors. By the time we arrive there, we will know all of the tricks to having the best experience possible! (I think though that I will cut myself off from reading too many reviews close to the trip...it will only cause more stress - I do want some surprises!) Check out what "sdbtrflygrl" had to say:

Tricks of the Trade at SMB

• Leave thermostat under 70 degrees if mosquitos are present and turn on fan...they will leave you alone.
  
• Invest in mosquito repellant/sunscreen...call your local Avon lady stat and order some Skin So Soft...my skin is still angry at me for not obeying this order.
  
• If you like certain beverages leave a polite note and some cash on top of the mini bar each day...ours were always a version of, "Buenos Dias. Mucho agua y Coke Light por favor. Gracias!" We got exactly that.
  
• Our favorite beach snack. Order the nachos with just cheese. Then ask for a small bowl of guacamole and the salsa fresca. Salty and refreshing. Not on the menu so you have to ask. Beach servers are so amazing and great.
  
• Top shelf liquor is under the bar and never displayed. For me this meant inquiring about my Grey Goose and I was so pleased to learn it was there...just hidden.
  
• Movies are on an online list with your concierge. Your room has a DVD player.
  
• Ocean front preferred suites...not open yet only when they are TOTALLY WORTH THE EXTRA MONEY. These are the ONLY suites with real "full" ocean views. The other preferred suites and regular suites are all on an angle so none of those rooms have "full" views and you have to walk over to your window to see the ocean. Also...the Ocean Front Preferred Suite Swim Outs are NOT the same as the other buildings...the pool does not come right up to your steps like the other ones and you sort of share a "mock" cement beach with the other suites...I would avoid these if you cherish your privacy.
  
• Tea Time in the lobby. Tea time is each evening from 4:00-6:00 P.M. I know this probably makes us sound British or 100 years old only seriously tea at SMB was probably our favorite thing. Carolina #2 (shout out to Carolina #2) is most definitely the most hard-working and amazing employee at SMB. She goes out of her way to create high tea each day. Little mini sandwiches, cookies, pastries, chocolate-dipped strawberries and more await you at tea. We always started out with some tea and then moved on to the coffee drinks. Carolina #2 skillfully prepares any coffee drink of your choosing, Mexican Coffee, Irish Coffee or some of her favorite spins on these traditional favorites. She melts sugar on the rim of the glass, heats each shot individually, carefully scoops whipped cream and places a cherry on top. Then fills a spoon with liquor and lights it on fire while carrying it to your table. Carolina #2 is the nicest woman I have met in years and she makes the SMB an upscale/unforgettable experience.

Photographer: CHECK!

Today I am very happy to announce that we have finally chosen a photographer. Andy and Angie Wood of A&A Photography will be flying to Mexico to cover our wedding, and will be doing our engagement shoot in Denver this winter, along with our Trash the Dress shoot the day after the wedding in Mexico. We are so pleased that they have agreed to become part of our wedding team; their work is positively fabulous and we have eyed it for months now. If you have a moment, check them out on their website (or for their most recent work, their blog). The decision was so difficult, but we ultimately brought it all back to fit - we wanted to fit well with whomever we chose, mainly because the intimacy of a destination wedding requires a bit more 'getting along' with everyone than perhaps a hometown wedding does. We think they click well with us, and will also do so with our guests - a perfect blend of fun and hard-core awesome photography.

A&A Photography - Andy and Angie Wood
Main Website: http://www.studioaanda.com/
Blog (most recent stuff): http://www.a-a-photography.com/blog/

OOT Bags - What are those anyway?

When one plans a destination wedding, there is some precendent that one will provide wedding guests with a lovely treat basket/bag upon arrival. This is done to thank the guests for traveling a longer-than-normal distance to attend the wedding of loved ones. So, as a future destination bride, I started looking early on to see what types of things might be included in such a helpful little bag (and tried to figure out what kind of BAG to buy...oh so complicated). In any event, those helpful (if not crazy) brides who post on the Best Destination Weddings forum have compiled a listing of everything that would be most helpful to include in such a fun bag (and by the way, OOT means "out-of-town" - hee hee). Here is a comprehensive listing of such items - I would LOVE to see some comments about what our future guests think we should include in our bags (that would help me make some decisions people!). Enjoy!

• advil, tylenol
• alka-seltzer, imodium or pepto – travel size
  aloe
  beach ball
  beach mat
  beach towel
  bookmark
• bottle opener!
  bubble bath
• bug spray
  cameras (underwater, disposable, ect.)
• candle for the room
  cd of music
  dramamine
  drink mix, powdered
• drink koozie
  fan
  first-aid kit
  flashlights – travel size
  flip-flops
  frisbees
  gift certificate (spa, excursion, etc.)
• hand sanitizer
  hangover kit
  hats or visors
• itinerary
  key card holder
  key chain
• lib balm
  lint roller – travel size
  liquor bottle – mini size (hah, it is FREE at our resort!)
• list of activities (on and off site)
  location information
  loofah
  luggage tag
  maps
• matchbook
  message in a bottle
  mints/gum
  nail file
  notepad
  pashminas
  photo albums
  picture frame
• playing cards
  pool raft
• postcards (love this idea, send it home)
  puzzle book (sudoku, crossword, ect)
  sarong
  shot glass
  shout stick or wipes
  snacks (local, candy, salty, etc.)
  socks
  spa salts
• sunscreen
  tank top/shirt with wedding logo
• tissue packet
  translator – english to xxxx common phrases
  travel cup
• welcome letter
  wet wipes
  yummy local snacks

Update on SMB: Tubs on the Balconies

Alrighty...the news on the cute little tubs that are on the SMB Preferred Club Room balconies is in...

"It is not a little whirlpool tub on the balcony but a soaking tub = just a tub with water - no jets -"

Yup, that is all she had to say. But still, I think that is helpful information for any of you who were considering that particular feature to be a make-or-breaker. More soon, I hope!

Song of the Week

The past week has been crazy! Very little time for blogging or wedding-related things...well, we did put together much of what is going into our Save the Date packets, so that is 'something' at least. In other news, we are "this" close to choosing a photographer to fly down to Mexico with us, and are just in those last grueling stages of "what ifs" that make it incredibly difficult to choose. Hopefully my next post will be titled "We CHOSE a photographer"...cross your fingers.

Song of the Week! Mexico, by James Taylor. This video cracks me up because of the era in which it was filmed...have a listen/watch.

Song of the Week...and Men's Attire

The past few days have been consumed with a few things - the class I am teaching online, the 2 other weddings I am planning besides mine, work as usual, and the question: what on earth are the groomsmen going to wear? (What is Christopher going to wear??) There are just so many options out there in the universe. The traditionally-beachy look of some khaki cargo shorts and a short-sleeved shirt (typically made of fabric that I'm pretty sure is not flame-retardant...) is one way to go.

When we sat down and asked ourselves, what style are we going for here(?), we came to the conclusion that even though our wedding will be near/on a beach, both of us are relatively formal people when it comes to how envisioned our wedding. So guys, I'm pretty sure you won't be wearing shorts, at least for the ceremony (for all I care, after the photos are taken, you can run around naked like the Europeans, have at it). We don't want to have to deal with tux rentals in a foreign country, and we certainly don't want to incur any huge costs. Here are a few photos that we both liked (kinda sorta in some ways)...but we still haven't found the perfect fit. If you have ideas, please send them our way!

In other news, it's "New Music Wednesday," so I will leave you with this awesome video from Ingrid Michaelson.

SMB Food Report - Excellente!

I am happy to report that after a few weeks of steady guests, it seems that SMB has outdone even Secrets Capri in terms of food quality. And the shows are pretty good too, so far. Check this out:

From Stonecreek67:
Posted on: 10:34 pm, today
Cannot help on where else to go, can only report our experience here,,, we just had dinner at the Mexican Fiesta with all the others from tripadvisor, sorry but the concensus is that its the best food out of all the resorts everyone has visited. We thought the food at Capri was very good and this is excellent, New York steak, flank steak, fish dishes, Mexican, Italian, French and the World Cafe buffet,,,, all excellent, not just me, all the others too.
The magic show the other night was very good, the fiesta this evening had dancers and Mariachi band and we are now going to the open air theater for the comedy show, will let you know if I laugh !

The latest from SMB

By now, quite a few visitors have graced the steps of SMB. I was hunting around in TripAdvisor tonight to see what the latest and greatest had to say, and I found this post - which was pretty helpful on a few details I have not heard about yet! Here are some snippets, followed by the full link - see everyone Monday! Happy Labor Day!

From StoneCreek67:
"Landed at 11 am, at SMB 12:45 ! Literally a 30 minute drive from the airport "including" a 5 minute stop to buy a lighter for my cigars !
Waiting for my wife to finish dressing to got o the managers cocktail party then off to Bordeaux for dinner.
Had lunch at the World Cafe buffet, didn't think it would top Capri, but it was simply phenomenal, tremendous presentation and selection, way over the top and everything was excellent.
The pool water is like a warm bath, a breeze blowing, great swim-up bar and poolside service.
We're in an oceanview preferred club 4th floor room overlooking the pool and beach in the 3rd building from the beach on the left if you're looking from the beach. Preferred club lounge not open yet.
Room is great so far, a/c is like ice, excercise room is definitely open and being used.
Slight construction going on around the edged, nothing intrusive at all.
The driveway in from the main road is shared by three resorts, and unlike some descriptions of " a war zone " is really just still under construction and dusty."
And from a later post...
"Had dinner at Bordeaux ! Must preface that we live just 20 minutes from mid-town Manhattan, some of the best food in the world available at all times, having said that, the french cuisine at Bordeaux was excellent ! Wife had duck, I had the veal chop, frizee salads with shrimp, and a mediterranean bouliabase ( spelling ) al of which were very, very good ! Creme brulee and something else I can't remember, both of which were excellent. Also had a very dry chilean cabernet, very tasty I must say !"
And more...
"Had the breakfast buffet, just like Capri and all the other food here so far... excellent ! I find ALL the food excellent, not spicy / but not bland either, very tasty.
Again, gym IS open now and a&c on, spa supposedly Sept 15 from Eric the GM.
The preferred club lounge looks to be complete to me and will be very nice however is not open yet. Dont know why, aside from that that the difference in preferred club is the tub on the balcony, and location of the building closer to the pool & beach, which our fourth floor room has a view of the pool and ocean that is breathtaking !
Witnessed a wedding last nite under the wedding palapa by the pool, how was it... it looked ok to me, they both apparently said I do, 15 or so people, seemed very nice .
Cigars, they have a good selection in a walkin humidor, didn/t look at all the brands, noticed romeo julieta, hoyo de monterray, MUCHO, MUCHO others, they were running $ 20 US and up ! Cigar smoking lounge is up a spiral staircase over the humidor looking out a glass window over the lobby, kinda nice, unique. Why would one sit inside when you can have a stogie outside at one of the restaurants overlooking the beach / pool with the breeze.
The whole place, except for finishing the inside of half the rooms, is 90% complete. Needs decorating inside.
Grass, long conversation with Eric GM, the land it is built on is some kind of prtotected area and flora, state says they cannot plant grass, only indiginous plantings, so they are planting what amounts to ground cover of small plants, cactuslike things, greenery. It will be absolutely georgous when its done, but not for a while til these things mature. But It still is really pretty right now in person, it just appears barren in pictures, anyway thats my opinion.
The road in... also protected by the government. As others have reported, not a war zone, but not very appealing either, they have no control over that situation, cannot be paved, must remain gravel and sides in the natural state. Went down on the beach this am, absolutley stupendous, just as everyone says. You can see and walk for miles in iether direction, just fabulous, really ! Clear turqoise water, like a bath, just beautiful.
I am now going to joinn my boss and partake of some of that atmosphere at the swim/up bar and pool. I really have just on final word at this time...FREAKIN/HOT/HERE !!!!! But not on the beach or at the pool, wonderful strong breeze. "

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g659488-i11442-k2214682-o20-On_the_ground_at_Secrets_Maroma_8_27-Riviera_Maya_Yucatan_Peninsula.html

Song of the Week

I realize this is going to sound a little crazy, but I have a thing for the song "Africa" by Toto. I know. It's crazy. But what is even more insane than me LIKING the song is the fact that if you search for it on YouTube, you will find that 10's of 20's of artists have remade, remixed, and recreated the beats of this song. Seriously. So I picked one of the more mixy/trancey/beachy versions that I found. Enjoy!

"Lover that you are" -Pacjam
"

Potential Bridesmaid Gowns

You might have noticed the poll on the right side of the screen, asking you to vote on what color the bridesmaids might wear in the wedding. With so many options out there, here are a few that I have noticed throughout hours of looking for some good designs...and one example in each color that we are considering. It could happen that all of the ladies will wear different colors! I'm not feeling too finicky about it at this point, I just want everyone to be comfortable and feel like they look good.

All dresses courtesy of Nordstrom.com, BCBG