Wedding Blog

…don’t know when I’ll be back again. That’s because I don’t know a) when the f I’m going; and, moreover, b) where the f I’m going.

Ah, the joy of honeymoon, or to bite Mrs. Ladybug’s terminology, minimoon planning. Gotta love it. See, the thing is Mr. Daisy and I do plan to have a “proper” honeymoon come springtime. We’ll be off to Italy for two weeks to do so. But we also recognize that, post-wedding, we both I will really, really need to decompress.* So we’re doing a week in a warm, beachy place. The actual location of said place is TBD. Our only limitations were that it be a decently short flight and not require more than 30 minutes on a boat. (someone I am petrified of boats.)

That left us with the Caribbean and Mexico as options. After creating the following spreadsheet (with formulas and everything), we’ve narrowed it down to the following options, yet still cannot decide.

Carlisle Bay, Antigua

Ocean Suite

the beach

Pros: Seclusion; romance; lovely rooms open onto beach; really cool touches, like a screening room, private dinners on the end of a jetty, etc.; full breakfast + afternoon tea included
Cons: Pain in the ass to get there– BWIA flies there but twice a week and guarantees you lose two whole days to travel, whereas connecting flights have better timing, the time between connections cuts it thisclose. (I haven’t flown a connecting flight in recent memory and have these scary thoughts of a) missing it and b) arriving sans luggage); seems pretty “kid friendly”.

Caneel Bay, St. John

pretty beach

rooms

Pros: Secluded, beautiful beaches, activities (i.e. kayaking, an activity on which Mr. Daisy is fixated, for no apparent reason), beachfront rooms
Cons: Perhaps a bit “rustic” room decor (this girl likes the luxury touches), i.e. standing shower stall, no telephones in rooms; no meals included; with 166 units, larger size resort than others we’re considering;

Cap Juluca, Anguilla

jr. suite bathroom w/double tub

aerial view of the resort/beach

Pros: Secluded; gorgeous beaches; nearby restaurants in addition to onsite hotel restaurants; continental breakfast included and delivered to room
Cons: Some comments on tripadvisor.com scare the bejesus out of me– esp. those that refer to ants in the room and bugs everywhere. I don’t know if I ought to believe these reviews though. Our neighbors went here for their honeymoon and have nothing negative to say.

Ikal del Mar, Mexico

our villa, private pool and queen size chaise

the beach

Pros: Secluded; only 29 villas; no kids; private plunge pool; luxurious amenities; continental breakfast delivered to villa + full ƒ la carte breakfast included
Cons: We’ve already been there; no water activities on-site; one restaurant for dinner is pricey and has a limited menu (however, Playa del Carmen is a 10 minute/$8 cab ride away and has great restaurants)

Combo: Ikal del Mar + Maroma or Ritz

Maroma Room

Maroma Beach

Ritz Room

Ritz Beach

Pros: Getting to go to a new place; seeing a resort with more going on; knowing we will end up at a place we love
Cons: Packing our stuff mid-trip

Maroma includes daily breakfast and is known to have one of the best beaches in the world. The Ritz is, well, the Ritz. But it’s kind of pig and in Cancun proper… romantic? hmmm…

So what do we do? The tried and true that may feel too much like been there done that? Someplace new? Has anyone been to any of these locales or any other romantic getaway that blew you away? What’s so weird is that I am decisive in almost *every* aspect of my life (such that, in certain lights, it almost appears as stubbornish/obnoxiousness), but with wedding planning, paradoxically, I’m afraid to commit. What’s a girl to do?”

~~~
* if we’re deciding honeymoon deservedness on wedding planning stress then, the truth is, my mom and I would be going on this vacation together, since we both seem to be the epicenter of wedding related drama and decisions.