Wedding Blog

Our adventure didn’t slow down one bit during our trip. Finally, the explanation for that now infamous photo…

Just Marry! vice president and good friend Terri Oster, her husband Darren, my fiance Scott, and I embarked on a little hike. I was warned it would be a little challenging, but I had no idea what was in store…A 5 kilometer, 1000 ft. drop, “walk” down muddy hills in the jungle.

I should mention that the hike is an exclusive tour from the villa where we stayed, Waterfall Villas, however, you can get there via horseback with other tour companies. The horseback riders go at an earlier time, so we had the falls all to ourselves.

The beginning of the walk was a bit misleading. It was a nice leisurely walk with a gradual slope.

We got to see some nice docile wildlife.

We picked flowers. These flowers are called “Hotlips,” which explains our very silly behavior.

Then things started getting a bit trickier…

…And trickier

At this point we had to put the camera away to finish the descent… but here is where we wound up!

It was amazing. We went swimming and ate lunch on the rocks. There was no one around… Just our small group from Waterfall Villas, Terri, Darren, Scott and me. Incredible!

The climb back up was really, really hard. I wouldn’t have made it without my fiance and friends. When we finally reached the top, I was euphoric. What an experience. I thought, this adventure was a perfect honeymoon activity. Relying on each other to make the return climb was a very intense experience.

I should mention that Terri did threaten to sell the company if I didn’t make it to the top. That was a great motivator.

If you would like to see more images and video from my adventure in Costa Rica, check out our Just Marry! fan page on Facebook.

If you have questions on this or any other wedding related topic, please post for me here or send me an email to susan.southerland@pwg.com. Also become a fan on Facebook by clicking here and follow me on Twitter by clicking here.

Your partner in perfect planning,

Susan

I am finally able to sit down and share my Costa Rica adventure with you. I am sharing, not because I think that you would be interested in my vacation photos, but because at this moment, I cannot think of a better place for a destination wedding or a honeymoon.

My reason for visiting Costa Rica was to check out a property for destination weddings. I imagined it would be beautiful, but I didn’t imagine what a wonderful adventure the trip would be. I should start by saying, I am not the most adventurous person. My typical vacation includes historic landmarks, museums, shopping, great food and luxurious hotels. My vacation in Costa Rica included hiking, white water rafting, zip lining organic food and a stunning (and very reasonably priced) villa. Amazing!

This is Ballena Marina. The really cool thing about this beach is that at low tide, the sand bar goes right up to the beach so it looks like a whale’s tail.

My blog for the next week is going to discuss some adventures you could have on your Costa Rican honeymoon, my conversation with a Shaman who performs spiritual wedding ceremonies, a couple’s real wedding in Costa Rica, and resources for your wedding or honeymoon in Costa Rica.

My first day started with an early morning zip line tour in the rain forest canopy at Hacienda Baru.

Here I am getting fitted with my harness.

This is a three-toed sloth we found. There are a lot of them all over Costa Rica. They are easy to spot because they barely move!

We spotted a Toucan as well.

This is a Basilicas. There are many, many big lizards everywhere in Costa Rica. Our travel companions love lizards, so I got to see them all!

And here I am zipping through the canopy.

The scenery was undoubtedly beautiful and the experience was exhilarating, but the memory that stands out the most is the fantastic tour guides and the camaraderie we felt with the others on our tour. There is something about flying 160 ft. above the rain forest on a harness hooked to a cable that makes you bond. IT WAS A BLAST!

We finished up the tour with a fantastic lunch of Cassado, a Costa Rican specialty of beans and rice, grilled chicken and salad.

Tomorrow the hike to Nauyaca. For my Facebook and Twitter friends, this will finally answer the question of the cheering photo.

If you would like to see more images and video from my adventure in Costa Rica, check out our Just Marry! fan page on Facebook.

If you have questions on this or any other wedding related topic, please post for me here or send me an email to susan.southerland@pwg.com. Also become a fan on Facebook by clicking here and follow me on Twitter by clicking here.

Your partner in perfect planning,

Susan

Hello All,

I apologize for being the absentee blogger for the past week. I had an amazing trip to Costa Rica where I was checking out a beautiful venue for destination weddings. I was also doing research on honeymoon packages. What a glorious place (and very, very affordable).

I will be writing a week of blogs on weddings and honeymoons in Costa Rica. I am gathering my photographs, so look for it in about a week. The topics will include the legalities of a Costa Rica Wedding, floral ideas, vacation activities and an interview with a Shaman who does spiritual wedding ceremonies (she was brilliant!)

If you want to get a sneak peek at some of the photos, become a friend of mine on Facebook by clicking here

Stay tuned!

Your partner in perfect planning,

Susan

I am finally going through some of my wedding photos from the past six months. It is fun reliving all the excitement. There are some wonderful ideas scattered throughout. I hope you will find some inspiration for your wedding. Look for these weekly!

Andrea and John’s Wedding

Location: Pelican Bay Resort, Freeport, Bahamas
Photographer: Megan Rossman

The Rehearsal Dinner

Andrea and John had a beautiful rehearsal dinner at the Junkanoo Beach Club. The buffet was filled with island specialties: conch chowder, rice and peas, mahi mahi and jerk chicken. It was casual and fun. Absolutely perfect!

The Wedding

The church was very simple and sweet.

The priest surprised us with his Junkanoo band. It was so much fun. Everyone danced in the parking lot.

The shell place card holders Andrea selected were perfect for the location.

Andrea and John’s attire was absolutely perfect for an island wedding. I loved the men’s suits.

Pink tropical flowers were everywhere. The candles were such a romantic touch.

The hotel removed lounge chairs and setup beds surrounding the pool. Very trendy!

The cake was amazing! I can still smell the chocolate.

Thank you again to Megan Rossman for the beautiful photos… www.meganrossman.com

For more information on destination weddings, check out this post on PerfectWeddingGuide.com

If you have any wedding questions, please post them for me here or email me at susan.southerland@pwg.com

Your partner in perfect planning,

Susan

I had the privilege of working with an amazing couple this past weekend. We met for the first time on Thursday and managed to produce a gorgeous wedding this past Saturday.

Most of the credit has to go to the bride and groom and their families. Justin Lehman, a producer with RKL Productions, Inc. in New York City and Jenna Bayles, a cardiac sonographer planned to get married on May 2nd in Mexico. Just a few short days prior to the time when guests were due to hop on a plane for the wedding, the calls started coming in. “Ninety percent of our guests were nervous about going to Mexico thanks to the flu,” Justin said. “Some of them said they wouldn’t go.”

It was a tough decision, but Justin finally approached Jenna about changing the wedding location. “Jenna panicked at first,” Justin said. “But after a few minutes of worry, we dug in and started plan B.”

Justin and his father produce television commercials, and find themselves at Universal Studios Orlando very often. Justin started reaching out to contacts there. They pointed them to Loews Portofino Bay Hotel. He said that once that location was booked, everything else fell into place.

By the time I got involved, they had booked all of their vendors. I was there to organize, and make sure the day ran smoothly. Jenna and Justin were so happy to be in Orlando. So were their guests. Everyone was relaxed and excited.

The only snafu that came about was with the gift bags. The family purchased beach bags and personalize beach towels to give to the guests upon arrival in Mexico. The bags had been shipped to the resort in Mexico before the location changed. The resort shipped the bags to Orlando, but they arrived two days after the guests had arrived. The family just gave them out as favors at the wedding.

The wedding day was gorgeous. The weather could not have been better. The florist did an amazing job. Everything went perfectly.

I stood with Jenna and Justin while they were waiting to be introduced into the reception. I asked them if they had any regrets. The both replied, “Not one. The wedding day goes by so quickly, why should we waste anytime worrying about what might have been? Now is the time to relax and have fun with our family and friends.”

The doors opened and the couple was announced. They danced to “One Love” by Bob Marley. That song really captured the mood of the evening. It was lighthearted and upbeat. I will share the photos when they arrive. It truly was a beautiful evening.

I share this story with you because I cannot imagine a more stressful situation for a couple than having to relocate their wedding at the last minute; especially when it involves not only moving a wedding from one distant location to another, but having to change 65 airline tickets as well (by the way, bravo to American Airlines and Continental Airlines for treating the guests so well). The bride and groom let all the stress go and they had an amazing celebration — not as they originally planned, but just as special.

Try to keep Justin and Jenna in mind when the small mishaps on your wedding day come up. Let the mistakes go. Relax and have fun. Your wedding day only happens once. Don’t let anything spoil it for even a second.

If you would like to comment or ask questions about this topic or any other wedding related topic, please post them for me here or email me at susan.southerland@pwg.com.

Your partner in perfect planning,

Susan