Weddingbee Blog

Hello Hello Hello!! I’ve missed writing here so much and can’t wait until we get our pro pics. When I get them, I will caffeine up and post like no other. But for now, I’m going to get back in the groove with the Honeymoon in my Hometown series. I didn’t grow up in Orange County, but since I went to school there, currently work there, and it’s only 30 minutes away, I have a good amount of knowledge on the topic. I’m going to give advice for both lavish spenders and bees on a budget. I am definitely the latter, but I know when you’re on your honeymoon, you often budget to spend more than you normally would. So here we go: Orange County.

Hotels:

The Resort at Pelican Hill is brand spanking new, gorgeous, and luxurious. You’ll get 5 star service from the second you step out of your car, and will feel like a celebrity all the while. Prices are steep however, and you can expect to spend a minimum of $700 per night!

Other luxurious beauties include:

The Montage in Laguna Beach (I will find a way to stay here one day!)

St. Regis in Monarch Beach

If you’re looking for a more affordable bedtime stop, I’d check out the Fairmont, Marriott or the Island Hotel in Newport Beach. The husband and I actually stayed at the Fairmont the 1st night of our honeymoon since it’s close to the airport, and we were leaving first thing in the morning. The grounds aren’t anything extraordinary, but the rooms are very nice and the service is great. They also usually have amazing deals on their rooms. And like I said, it’s close to the airport if you have a late flight in or early flight out. Here’s a look at one of the room in the Marriott:

One more lodging idea to throw at you, since I’m basically only giving you ideas in the beach areas, is that you could also rent a beach house. Depending on the time of year and the size of the house, you get an affordable beauty with a more down-home feeling. Burr White Realty is a rental company I know of for Newport. But you could just as easily find one off Craigslist. Here’s a house I found for rent by Burr White:

Good Eats:

From all the places I’ve listed above, you can reach any of these restaurants within 5- 30 minutes.

Mastro’s has a fishhouse and steakhouse. Both are renowned and known for their quality.

I used to work at Bandera in Corona Del Mar and can personally vouch for its supreme awesomeness. It’s right off PCH and you can see the rotisserie chickens roasting from the street. Everything’s good on the menu, and definitely make sure you don’t pass up the appetizers.

Zinc Cafe is right across the street from Bandera. It’s ideal for a light lunch made from fresh ingredients. They also have a small wine tasting section.

Las Brisas and Sapphire in Laguna Beach have a great Sunday brunch.

And last, but certainly not least—Chester Drawers. Chester Drawers is a hole in the wall breakfast and lunch joint in Costa Mesa off 17th St. The breakfast tastes like home style cooking, and this place definitely won’t break your wallet.

Activities:

Being by the beach, there is a ton of things to do. You can take the Catalina Express over to Catalina for the day. Over there you can go kayaking, hiking, snorkeling, and go on a buffalo spotting tour!

You could also go whale watching or deep-sea fishing.

You could bicycle along the Boardwalk or PCH. There’s a good number of rental shops, and it can be really fun.

There is great shopping at Fashion Island or at South Coast Plaza. Fashion Island is in Newport on PCH, and South Coast Plaza is in Costa Mesa by the airport. Both are probably 10 minutes from each other. Fashion Island is nice though, since it’s all outside.

There are tons of golf courses and spas around. The hotels listed above should at least have one of them at each.

Angel Stadium and the Honda Center are within a 30 minute drive if you want to take in a baseball game or concert.

And last but not least, we have Disneyland too. Even though we live here, Mr. Espresso and I love going to Disneyland. We usually get an annual pass every year, too. It’s fun going for dinner and a couple rides, without having to stay the whole day every time.

Well that’s it for now. I hope this helps anybody planning a honeymoon, minimoon, vacation, etc. Let me know if you have any other suggestions, too!

Image sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

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See all the posts in the Honeymoon in my Hometown Series here!