Jamie and Vinh’s destination wedding at Unico Resort was nothing short of magical. In this post, they share their experience of planning a wedding away from home, tips for couples considering a destination wedding, and why a wedding specialist was key to making their dream wedding a reality.

Lauren: Why did you choose a destination wedding?

Jamie and Vinh: We chose a destination wedding because one of our very good friends got married a year prior to us and we loved everything about it. We loved that all the planning and preparation wouldn’t all be over in just one day. Instead, we were able to hangout and spend quality time with everyone throughout the whole week, which allowed us to really enjoy the wedding together  without feeling obligated to go from table to table all night. It also helps that everything was significantly cheaper compared to the US. We got everything we wanted for an incredible price. 

Lauren: How many attendees did you have?
What kind of experience did you envision your guests having? 

Jamie and Vinh: We had about 68-70 guests. The type of experience we envisioned for our guests was for it to just be a big weekend long party celebrating our love. I wanted our guests to have the trip of their life and to not worry about anything once they stepped on the resort except which drinks to order or what food they want to eat. I feel so lucky to have so many of our guests say it was one, if not, the best and most memorable wedding they’ve been to. 

Lauren: What was one part of planning your wedding that you knew you couldn't have done alone?
How did having a Destination Wedding Specialist help with that?

Jamie and Vinh: One part we couldn’t have done alone was definitely organizing all the bookings of the room, flights, and travel. Lauren’s direct relationship with Unico was also a great benefit. Just having Lauren’s experience with destination weddings and traveling in general was invaluable in planning a destination wedding. We had so many questions and had no clue what we were doing in the beginning and she made the process so smooth and easy. It was one less thing for us to stress about because she had it all covered. To say she was on top of it is an understatement. 

Lauren: What piece of advice would you give to couples who are just starting the planning process?

Jamie and Vinh: Some advice I would give to couples who are starting the planning process is that it will be stressful but it will all be worth it in the end. Just don’t forget that this day is all about you two, so try not to worry about all the noise and make decisions based on what you two want and what would be best for you. 

Lauren: What’s one “extra” you’re super glad you splurged on?  What surprised you the most about your wedding? 

Jamie and Vinh: One extra we were glad we splurged on was definitely the fireworks during our first dance. The fireworks were a big hit with our guests and they were so shocked when they came on. 

What surprised me most about my wedding was just how amazingly smooth everything came together even though everything was planned through email, video chat, and phone calls. I never physically saw anything and yet it was everything I could ever imagine and more. Everybody that we worked with was amazing and a key player in helping our vision come to life. 

Lauren: If you could choose three words to describe your wedding, what would they be?

Jamie and Vinh: Three words to describe our wedding would be magical, intimate, exciting. 

Lauren: What is your favorite memory from your big day?

Jamie and Vinh: It’s hard to pick one memory of our big day because we have so many but for Vinh, his was the fireworks during our first dance. For me, it was the last song when we had our friends and family surrounding us and singing with us. I just felt all the love at that moment. 

A note from Lauren: It was such a pleasure helping Jamie and Vinh with the wedding of their dreams!

Ready to plan your own unforgettable destination wedding? Contact me today to start planning your dream wedding at Unico Resort!

Lauren: Why did you choose a destination wedding?

Melanie and Chris: We chose a destination wedding because it was different from your traditional wedding. We wanted a medium size wedding and if we did a traditional wedding we would've had double the amount of people. At our wedding in Mexico it was intimate and we were surrounded by people who knew both me and Chris. 

Lauren: How many attendees did you have?
What kind of experience did you envision your guests having? 

Melanie and Chris: We had a total of 63 guests attend our wedding. We envisioned our guests having a vacation and enjoying themselves. We were adamant that our guests only had to dedicate one day to us, which was wedding day. 

Lauren: What was one part of planning your wedding that you knew you couldn't have done alone?
How did having a Destination Wedding Specialist help with that?

Melanie and Chris: One part of planning my wedding I knew I couldn't do alone was manage everyone's room and answer every question they could have throughout this process. Chris and I are very thankful for Lauren and how much she made our booking and searching for the right resort process so smooth. A plus was that she was also very helpful with transportation. Lauren had transportation for all guests set up from when they arrived to when it was time for them to depart. Another thing I couldn't do alone was communicate with the wedding department. I learned early on it was easier to get an outside wedding planner so they could handle all communication. I noticed once I hired my wedding planner Diana the resort would respond quickly to her versus with me I would wait anywhere from 2 plus weeks to hear back. 

Lauren: What piece of advice would you give to couples who are just starting the planning process?

Melanie and Chris: The groom's piece of advice is whatever you think it will cost it will probably become double so to always be prepared for that. Coming from a bride's perspective I would say to have an idea of what you want and then trust the process. A destination wedding is stressful but not as much especially when you have a travel agent and a wedding planner. 

Lauren: What’s one “extra” you’re super glad you splurged on?  What surprised you the most about your wedding? 

Melanie and Chris: The one "extra" we are super glad we splurged on was the Mariachi band. Our guests absolutely loved them, they definitely got the party going. Chris and I did our big walk in with them, they stayed for an hour, they were able to sing a song at every table during dinner and had time to put on a show in the middle of the dance floor after.

What surprised us most about our wedding was that every single guest danced all night long. Every chair was empty, all our guests plus us were so shocked when the dance party was over we were ready to dance all night! 

Lauren: If you could choose three words to describe your wedding, what would they be?

Melanie and Chris: Our three words would be Fun, Intimate, and beautiful 

Lauren: What is your favorite memory from your big day?

Melanie and Chris: Our favorite memory from our big day is when it was dinner time and we stopped to look at all of our guests to soak up all the love that was in the room. Chris and I could not get over that all these people traveled to Mexico to celebrate our big day! We felt so thankful and loved!

A Note from Lauren: I am so thankful to Melanie and Chris for trusting me with their big day! It was a blast to work with them! Also, I love this last photo and how Chris is looking at Melanie!

Lauren: Why did you choose a destination wedding?

Kiley and Austin: We both love to travel and wanted our wedding to represent us both as a couple.

Lauren: How many attendees did you have?
What kind of experience did you envision your guests having? 

Kiley and Austin: We had 30 people attend! Since most of our guests were couples we envisioned them enjoying this as a vacation for themselves and being apart of our wedding.

Lauren: What was one part of planning your wedding that you knew you couldn't have done alone?
How did having a Destination Wedding Specialist help with that?

Kiley and Austin: ALL OF IT! We have only left the country on a cruise so this was MUCH different. There are so many moving parts to leaving the country and throwing a wedding in the mix did not make it any easier. With all the back and forth between the resort and our guests I would have not been able to do this on my own.

Lauren: What piece of advice would you give to couples who are just starting the planning process?

Kiley and Austin: Trust the process! It can be overwhelming and communication with the resorts is slower than you would get with someone in the states. Planning over a year in advanced was a huge help.

Lauren: What’s one “extra” you’re super glad you splurged on?  What surprised you the most about your wedding? 

Kiley and Austin: Our DJ! We are huge music lovers so the perfect DJ was a must for us and we did not regret it. 

I was surprised at how smooth it went! 

Lauren: If you could choose three words to describe your wedding, what would they be?

Kiley and Austin: Stunning. Timeless. Romantic.

Lauren: What is your favorite memory from your big day?

Kiley and Austin: Finally walking down the aisle! I had so much anxiety getting ready that morning that it felt like time stood still. 

A Note from Lauren: It was so much fun to work with Kiley and Austin to plan the wedding that they have always dreamed of!

Lauren: Why did you choose a destination wedding?

Kathie and Adam: We attended our friend’s wedding in Cancun a couple years before and had the absolute best time. We’ve lived all over so have friends and family that would have to travel no matter where we got married. We also really wanted to have the opportunity to allow everyone get to know each other over a long weekend.

Lauren: How many attendees did you have?
What kind of experience did you envision your guests having? 

Kathie and Adam:  We had 85 guests! Fun and relaxing

Lauren: What was one part of planning your wedding that you knew you couldn't have done alone?
How did having a Destination Wedding Specialist help with that?

Kathie and Adam: Coordinating the rooms and all the guests. Everyone came with their own needs- Lauren did an amazing job accommodating each guest (even if it meant booking a different hotel for them). It’s exhausting enough to plan just the wedding, it’s so helpful to have a travel advisor help with all the other stuff.

Lauren: What piece of advice would you give to couples who are just starting the planning process?

Kathie and Adam: Send out invites early to get a head count.  We did not expect so many guests to come.

Lauren: What’s one “extra” you’re super glad you splurged on?  What surprised you the most about your wedding? 

Kathie and Adam: The “all in” package for the wedding ceremony/reception.This saved a lot of headaches and number crunching. Most surprising thing was how great of a time our moms had 🤪 We also really enjoyed all the pre-wedding events we had at the hotel. 

Lauren: If you could choose three words to describe your wedding, what would they be?

Kathie and Adam: joyous, loving, beautiful 

Lauren: What is your favorite memory from your big day?

Kathie and Adam:  Our good friend Matias being our officiant and marrying us.

A Note from Lauren: Planning this gorgeous Destination Wedding in Cancun with Kathie and Adam was so much fun! I was actually able to go do a tasting with Kathie before the wedding and the food was phenomenal. It was so much fun to be able to help this amazing couple and friends plan this once in a lifetime event. Congratulations to Kathie and Adam on a beautiful ceremony!

Hi guys! I actually get this question a ton as Italy is one of my top selling destinations. I figured I would highlight some of my most requested itineraries below to help you get a jump start on figuring out where you want to go on your next trip to Italy. There are so many amazing places in Italy that it can be very hard to narrow down where you want to go but hopefully these will give you a good starting point. If you are ready to start planning your Italy vacation, please feel out my contact form and we can get started! Happy planning!

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ITALY ITINERARIES

Recommended 10-Night Northern Italy Itinerary:

Arrive Venice (2 nights)

Portovenere (1 night)

Florence (4 nights)

Rome (3 nights)

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Total nights: 10

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Recommended 12-Night Northern Italy Itinerary:

Arrive Venice (2 nights)

Lake Como (4 nights)

Portovenere (1 night)

Florence (3 nights)

Rome (2 nights)

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Total nights: 12

**If this one feels too rushed, I would recommend adding a night to Rome and one to Florence if you can.

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Recommended 12-Night Highlights of Italy:

Arrive Venice (2 nights)

Florence (3 nights)

Amalfi Coast (5 nights)

Rome (2 nights)

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Total nights: 12

**If this one feels too rushed, I would recommend adding a night to Rome and one to Florence if you can.

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So what are you waiting for? Pack your bags and get ready for an unforgettable Italian adventure! Contact me to get started today!

Lauren: Why did you choose a destination wedding?

Tammy and Jhony: We decided on a destination wedding because we were on a budget. We wanted an affordable wedding with an open bar and we knew a destination wedding would check all of our boxes. Also, a destination wedding allowed us to have an intimate ceremony and reception with our family and close friends.

Lauren: How many attendees did you have? What kind of experience did you envision your guests having?

Tammy and Jhony: We had 24 guests total attend our wedding. We envisioned our guests having a great time and enjoying the open bar all through the night.

Lauren: What was one part of planning your wedding that you knew you couldn't have done alone? How did having a Destination Wedding Specialist help with that?

Tammy and Jhony: We wouldn’t have been able to choose a resort without the assistance of our travel agent! She provided us with so many resorts to choose from based on her own personal experience, which was extremely helpful. We decided to go with an adults only resort, which was a great decision!

Lauren: What piece of advice would you give to couples who are just starting the planning process?

Tammy and Jhony: Book a knowledgeable travel agent and physically travel to the resort. This will allow couples to personally meet with the wedding planner to ensure it’s the right resort/fit for you.

Lauren: What’s one “extra” you’re super glad you splurged on? What surprised you the most about your wedding?

Tammy and Jhony: We were glad we splurged on the flowers. They were beautiful and were used for both ceremony and the reception. The weather was surprisingly great! Our previous visits to Mexico always had rainy weather; however, this trip and our wedding day had the best weather.

Lauren: If you could choose three words to describe your wedding, what would they be?

Tammy and Jhony: Fun, Memorable, Affordable!

Lauren: What is your favorite memory from your big day?

Tammy and Jhony: The whole day was great! The ceremony was short and sweet and we had a blast drinking the night away at our reception.

A Note from Lauren: Planning this gorgeous Destination Wedding in Cancun with Tammy and Jhony was an absolute pleasure. This was a true testament to perseverance and flexibility as this beautiful couple was truly tested during the constant waves of the pandemic. In the end, they got to celebrate along with ~25 of their closest friends and family in what turned out to be a truly magical ceremony. Congratulations to Tammy and Jhony on a beautiful ceremony!

We just returned from our 2 week babymoon to Croatia. What a wonderful country! From the people to the sites, to the food, it was all-around an amazing experience.

While traveling during normal times can have it’s challenges, traveling during a worldwide pandemic can especially be challenging.

Despite the extra hoops to jump through, my husband and I really wanted to travel somewhere before we welcome our new addition in January. This trip was planned and replanned probably 7 times at least. We started off originally going on safari in Kenya and then ending the trip in Oman. While Kenya reopened to tourists starting September 1, they omitted US citizens coming from Texas and California and a couple other states. Option 2 was Hawaii. I planned a full 2 week itinerary to Kauai as their quarantine was to be lifted on August 31st. Around mid-August, the governor instituted a mandatory inter-island quarantine for anyone traveling from Maui to Kauai. While we were not going to Maui and therefore did not need to quarantine, all the tour companies cancelled our excursions and restaurants began to close.

After planning several extensive itineraries, I began to get discouraged as it didn’t look as if any travel plans that I made were going to come to fruition. I told my husband ok so last ditch effort, we are going to Croatia! If that doesn’t work out, then we’re spending 2 weeks in Tulum in Mexico in a beach house haha. Putting together custom itineraries is a very time consuming process with all the research that goes into it, so as you can imagine, I was getting burnt out.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:

I began to research the specifics on what we would need to get into Croatia and how we were going to get there. First off - COVID testing requirements. In order to enter Croatia, you can bypass the mandatory 14 day quarantine by getting a negative COVID PCR test within 48 hours of crossing the border OR you can enter the country with an “expired” negative result and retest on arrival. If you choose option 2, then you have to quarantine until the results are available.

This part isn’t super complicated unless you are leaving on a holiday (Labor Day) and all the labs are closed. Due to our flights, which I will talk about next, we had to take a test and have the results on the day of our flight, which was Labor Day. I had to find a place that offered COVID testing for people that are not experiencing symptoms that also had their own in house lab and that was open on a holiday. Are you overwhelmed yet? LOL. Anything is possible though when you really want to go somewhere!

FLIGHTS

With testing figured out, next up was our flights. Due to travel restrictions and lack of travelers, flights were getting cancelled left and right. There are no direct flights from Dallas to Croatia and all the ones with stops had a very long layover (I’m talking 30+ hours to get there) and were also very expensive. A travel hack that I’ve learned is to find a direct flight into a popular European hub (such as London or Paris) and then search for a flight on a local airline such as Easyjet or Ryan Air. Flights intra-Europe can be extremely cheap if you use this option. For example, our flight from Pula, Croatia to LHR was 8 euro! For a flight that was showing as more than 2k on google flights to fly from DFW to Dubrovnik, I got for 70k AA points (~700 dollars) plus an additional 80 dollars pp.

We had originally booked a British Airways flight from LHR to Dubrovnik on the same day (so arriving on September 8th) but the UK re-instituted their quarantine coming from Croatia for their citizens so BA ended up canceling all of their flights to/from Croatia. Luckily, I was able to get a flight on EasyJet that left on September 9th from Gatwick to Dubrovnik. This is why we had to get our COVID tests the day of our flight to London since we wouldn’t be arriving into Croatia until 2 days later.

Excited about our first flight since February!

With flights booked and COVID test appointments made, the next thing to figure out was if we could transfer airports in London and how to do it. As I said, we were landing into LHR and our flight to Croatia wasn’t until the next day out of Gatwick. Gatwick airport is located south of London and there are several ways to get there during normal situations. One reason that we chose to fly into London was that US citizens can actually enter the UK, whereas, places like France and Germany we cannot. This was a contingency plan in case our flights were cancelled or there was a missed connection. If there is one thing I’ve learned from this experience, it was to have a backup plan for your backup plan. In order to figure out if we could transfer airports, I did a ton of research on my own but eventually resorted to trip advisor for some locals input.

UK BORDER CROSSING

In order to enter the UK, you had to fill out a locator form that had where you would be spending your time quarantining and for how long you would be in the UK. We were just staying for 24 hours so I filled out the paperwork with all of our information and submitted electronically 48 hours prior to arrival. The UK’s quarantine rules stated that you shouldn’t use public transportation in order to get to your quarantine location. When we arrived into London, we checked out prices on taxis (150 pounds is the standard rate) and then I checked Uber which was half the price. We ended up taking an Uber from Heathrow to Gatwick once we landed.

We were very nervous about the whole landing process and going through border control and then taxi-ing to our hotel. Concerns were: how strict will they be? how will we get food? what if our flight is cancelled?. The list goes on as I’m sure you can imagine.

Being nervous about everything, I had made and looked into several options if anything did happen. When landing in LHR, the border crossing was so smooth. It was like pre-pandemic except with less people. All the border guards were super chill. They asked if we’d filled out our locator form and to see it. I showed it to them and they asked where we were headed. We told them Croatia and they got very excited and wished us well on our journey. Like I said super easy! We made it through the border, grabbed our luggage, grabbed a quick breakfast, and then hoped in our Uber to head to Gatwick airport.

Hotels, EasyJet flight, and Croatia border crossing, to be continued in Part 2!

I am an over packer - there I said it. It feels good to get that off my chest so now we can move on to more important things, like Away’s new expandable luggage!

I recently acquired Away’s new expandable luggage because I needed a new suitcase for an upcoming trip. The plan was to be in Peru for 2 weeks and then return and leave the next day for Manchester and Edinburgh. ‘Rona happened and messed up my travel plans, hence not actually needing another suitcase after all.

Regardless, I was able to test the new suitcase out on our girl’s trip in February to Mexico. I know, I know, why do you need a medium size suitcase to go to the beach?!? (We’ve already established that I’m an over packer..sooooo - let me live! LOL!) I really did just want to test this new bag out though so I could make sure that it would work for me and I got a free checked bag so, why not?

Compared to their normal Medium hard sided luggage - this bag can fit a lot more. I often have trouble getting the regular medium to fit all of my stuff so this is really nice.

All-in-all, I really loved this new Away bag! I had actually ordered another suitcase set that was recommended by another blogger off of Amazon. It was terrible. The set was $130. The wheels did not glide well and the zipper was crap (I could see it busting open after one use.). I know that Away bags can be rather pricey, but I believe that they are completely worth it! Not only are the bags great, but their customer service is phenomenal as well. I had my handle get stuck open on a trip and I mailed it to them and they fixed it at no charge and no charge on shipping either!

Just think of these bags as an investment into your travel future. Your future self will thank you!

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All images provide by Away Travel