Portland Wedding Coordinator

{ Local Love } Pacific NW Honeymoon Destinations

If you are looking for great honeymoon destinations, then there is no need to look any further than the Pacific Northwest!  This area offers exciting attractions without venturing very far.

Whale watching, wine tasting, and wilderness are just a few of the things you can expect from Un-Cruise Adventures.  They offer options that include the route that Lewis & Clark took through the Columbia & Snake Rivers, as well as picturesque cruises starting in Seattle and exploring the San Juan Islands.  With all they have to offer, it wouldn't be hard to pick a perfect trip for you and your honey!

Un-Cruise Adventures - Costal Washington & British Columbia

Victoria, BC offeres the feel of a European vacation, but is only a short ferry trip from Seattle, WA.  You can stay in luxury at the Fairmont Empress Hotel which was built in 1908 and overlooks the Inner Harbour.  While there, make sure you don't miss Afternoon Tea, a time-honored tradition.  For a stunning day trip head to The Butchart Gardens.  Beautiful any time of the year, the gardens offer concerts, fireworks, flowers, and fountains.  Quite romantic!

Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, BC

The Butchart Gardens - Sunken Gardens

When planning your honeymoon make sure to keep these uniquely beautiful Pacific NW locations in mind!

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National Park Foundation's Romantic Getaways Guide Just Released!

National Park Foundation's Romantic Getaways Guide Just Released!

Olympic National Park in Washington State is just one of the National Park Foundation's featured "Romantic Getaways". Crater Lake in Oregon is not listed but worth a look as well!

From nationalparks.org:

"What could be more romantic than looking out at the tranquil waves rolling onto the pristine beaches of Virgin Islands National Park? What could be more awe-inspiring than staring up at the brilliance of a clear, endless, starlit sky at Rocky Mountain National Park?

Get creative, get adventurous, and get a copy of the latest edition of our Owner’s Guide, “I Heart Parks!” The new FREE guide is filled with ideas and inspiration on what to do and see at 15 of the most picturesque parks across the country. “I Heart Parks” is chock-full of tips and advice for any type of trip you and your love hope to plan. Whether you prefer exploring a national park within city-limits, or venturing out to conquer trails in a more rustic setting, we’ve got some exciting ideas to spark your imagination.

Rekindle the romance by creating a new memory. Strengthen your bond by conquering a new challenge. Celebrate your love by reconnecting to each other within the natural and man-made wonders of this beautiful nation. 

You’ll be sure to impress your park lover with these fantastic getaway ideas! So what are you waiting for? Download the new guide today!"

via www.nationalparks.org

There are wonderful national parks close to the Portland, Oregon area that might be great for your proposal, elopement, wedding or honeymoon, or just a romantic getaway. Visit nps.gov and nationalparks.org for more information.

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Honeymoon Primer for 2013 { Guest Post by MoonRings Honeymoons }

Today's guest post was generously contributed by Miriam Geiser at MoonRings Honeymoons. On top of everything else you have to plan, can you believe that many of you brides and grooms are having to plan a honeymoon trip as well? Miriam provides a great primer to get you started thinking about it.

Image courtesy Rosewood Mayakoba

{ Read related articles from The Portland Wedding Coordinator on honeymoons
and destination weddings: In the US, in Mexico. }

Honeymoon Primer - by Miriam Geiser and the MoonRings Team
 
With 2013 well underway, no doubt you are diving headfirst into your wedding plans!  It’s also time to get your honeymoon plans in place.  To help, here is a simple “Honeymoon Primer” so you can begin thinking about the essential elements of planning your honeymoon.
 
Where:  Great honeymoon destinations during peak wedding season (May – Oct) include Europe, Hawaii, French Polynesia, Africa, SE Asia (May – July) and Australia (Aug – Oct).  Remember, the Caribbean and Mexico are in hurricane season from July - October, so you need to have proper expectations about weather risks.
 
When:  Start now!  Popular summer honeymoon destinations such as Europe, French Polynesia and Hawaii book up far in advance, and air fares aren’t likely to drop, so it’s best to book soon.  The Caribbean and Mexico will be busy through April, but then availability will be more open.  While some couples may wait for last-minute deals, this strategy can be risky.
 
Fit:  When it comes to your wedding, you know how important it is that your arrangements reflect who you are.  Same with a honeymoon – the destination, accommodations and available activities need to fit your interests, preferences and budget.  Think carefully about fit before making plans – more than anything this makes a significant difference in your overall happiness on your honeymoon.   
 
How:   For budget-oriented couples, Internet travel agencies offer a range of lower-cost options, as long as you are willing to do your own research.  If you are a “Do-It-Yourselfer”, you will likely feel comfortable contacting hotels directly, booking flights and researching activities.  For those who are too busy or value guidance and creativity, a travel professional is the way to go.  Such tailored recommendations and the possibility to find better value can definitely improve the quality of your honeymoon experience.
 
No matter what, the best advice is to start working on your honeymoon as far in advance as possible.  This ensures best availability, best rates, and a stress-free planning process!

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Caribbean Destination Wedding - Romantic Beach Villa Honeymoon, Villa del Sol | Turks and Caicos Islander

Your dream Caribbean wedding and honeymoon at blu, St Lucia

Love Mexico - Destination Wedding Planning

Images: EJP Events

Interest in destination weddings in Mexico is definitely up among our Portland clients. With that in mind, we recently attended the LoveMexico Destination Wedding Planning summit in Playa del Carmen, where hundreds of planners, travel agents, and travel suppliers came together to share the latest trends and knowledge about destination weddings all over Mexico. We returned full of information and can't wait to share!

Featured locations included Puerto Vallarta, San Miguel de Allende, Merida, Michoacan, Cuernavaca, Cozumel, Oaxaca, Cancun, and the Yucatan.

I thought I'd share with you some of the photos taken around the host resort, The Barcelo Maya Palace. Our lodging was sponsored by the resort and exhibitors. You can take a look at the exhibitor list here: http://www.lovemexicoweddings.com/a_directories.htm

A disclaimer: I took all of these photos myself, some with a phone camera at night. I am obviously not a professional photographer. For professional photos taken at LoveMexico, please see Trevor Dayley's website -- we were so happy to meet him at this event and were very impressed by his work.

OK, back to my informal snapshots: here's the Barcelo Maya Palace's French restaurant:

Images: EJP Events

A lunch entrée at the restaurant:

Images: EJP Events

The view from the restaurant's veranda:

Images: EJP Events

One of the starter courses, foie gras mousse:

Images: EJP Events

At one event, a tequila tasting was offered. Wouldn't this be fun for your Mexico destination wedding, or even for your Portland wedding?

Images: EJP Events

And another specialty bar -- Mexican coffees with flambéed anise liqueur and topped with whipped cream.

Images: EJP Events

A dessert buffet at one of the fiestas. Coconut-stuffed limes, assorted flans and cheesecakes, bunuelos, and dulce de leche tartes were only a few of the choices.

Images: EJP Events

Finally, La Confiteria presented a different, lovely, themed candy buffet each day of the conference. I've seen a lot of candy buffets and have honestly been a little ho-hum about them lately, but I loved the local authenic ceramicware and paper lace they used here.

Images: EJP Events

**From our sponsors:

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{Weddings in the Columbia Gorge} - The Columbia Gorge Hotel reopens under new ownership

We recently had the opportunity to tour the newly-reopened Columbia Gorge Hotel in Hood River, Oregon...

via www.columbiagorgehotel.com

We braved the icy roads of I-84 to meet with Kim Bosch, Director of Sales, of the newly-reopened Columbia Gorge Hotel. As many of you may know, the hotel closed last fall due to financial problems. The hotel has now been acquired by new owners, and brought in North Pacific Management to run the hotel. Midge Dobbs, CMP, Regional Sales Manager for North Pacific, is a long-time colleague of mine from my Meeting Professionals International days, so, between her and Kim, I know the hotel is now in great hands.

Kim toured us throughout the 39 upscale sleeping rooms and let me know about some of the upcoming renovations in store.

Mojuba Wedding Day Survival Kit - a more chic emergency kit!

We've been meaning to blog about these cute emergency kits from Mojuba Weddings forever...

via www.mymojuba.com

We love the chic styles for man or woman, the reusability, and convenient travel sizes. At ~$165 the kit may feel like a splurge, but you could register for one on wishpot.com, or think of it as an addition to your handbag collection.

At any rate, do make sure your coordinator or helper is prepared with a stash of little things for the big day.  Some helpful lists here.

back in the u.s. of a.

So, it's no news flash that the dollar is kind of tanking right now.  What does that mean for your honeymoon?  It means that a bottled water in Paris is eight dollars - ouch!  It also means that U.S. honeymoon locations are looking really good right now.

Why be a pauper in Paris when you can be stylin' in some of these hip, hot destinations:
- Austin, TX
   

Ask me about destination weddings...

We're pleased to let you know that we at EJP Events have recently completed the training sponsored by The Association of Bridal Consultants and Ask Me about Destination Weddings.  We now have the ability to book land and air packages for over 1,800 honeymoon and destination wedding locations throughout Hawaii, Mexico, Europe, South America, the South Pacific and more.

Take a look at some of the destinations available, and also the special offers.  Through this program, we even have a dedicated travel concierge, Sarai Cairo, who can give detailed information about each property if it's one we haven't been to ourselves.

So, even if your wedding isn't in Portland, Oregon, or Washington State... ask us!  We probably have something great just for you!

Photo courtesy askmeaboutdestinationweddings.com