Wednesday, January 23, 2008

The Honeymoon

Whenever I travel I see quite a lot of lovebirds giving each other goo-goo eyes. My thought balloon? "Newlyweds! Accckkk get-me outta here!" You'd easily spot them at airports because they're always touching each other, holding hands, fixing each others hair, it's like they can't get enough of each other.

Honeymooners!

Okay so I'm green with envy since they seem to be wrapped up in a world of their own. I was in Boracay a few weeks ago and saw quite a number of couples walking hand in hand by the sea shore, sipping fruit shakes at D' Mall, shopping for trinkets, getting strangers to take their photos, ahhh... the blissful life of a newlywed.

Not all of my friends who got married went on a honeymoon. Elders say that the honeymoon should come immediately after the wedding - at least 3 days of it. Quite a number of my friends either went to the beach (Palawan, Boracay, Bohol, Bali, the Maldives), others went abroad (Singapore, Hongkong, Bangkok, Cambodia), others just checked-in a hotel here in Metro Manila. Well wherever it is you want to go I guess I can give a couple of tips on how to choose a location where you can spend your honeymoon (since I travel a lot and I maintain a travel blog at Lakwatsera Ako).

1. Budget - plan your trip within your means. A friend of mine didn't plan to have a honeymoon since they were already strapped for cash because of the wedding, but since their wedding dance (the traditional one where money is pinned on the bride and groom) produced 13K they decided to spend a few days in Los Banos and set aside most of the money for their new abode. Budget for airfare/bus fare, land transpo (taxis and tricycles), food, accommodations, tips and pasalubong. Ask around or check Lakwatsera Ako's budget break-downs for vacations. Always keep some emergency money in a pocket or two.

2. Interests - know each other's interests. You might love going to the beach or trekking, but she hates the sun. Or you might like flying and she just wants her feet firmly on the ground. Agree on what you want to do during your honeymoon and make sure that the activities you will be doing are things you will both enjoy.

3. Health - know your fiance's health limits. He/she might be the type that gets hilo (nauseous) when riding boats or the airplane, check for allergies (food, insect etc.) and other health related matters. Bring medicine as well. Better be safe than sorry.

One key thing though (methinks) is to find accommodations that's rated well by past dwellers. You can easily find write-ups and testimonials by searching for it on Google.

I just want to add that if you decide to go to Boracay for your honeymoon, I urge you to stay at Station 1 so you can be in lovey-dovey mood all the time. Sur, a resort in Station 1 is a great place to stay. I would've brought home the pillows, comforter and bed if it was possible! LOL.

Here's a short video I made about Sur -

Friday, January 11, 2008

Beach Weddings

Admit it, the thought of a beach wedding crossed your mind too. You've imagined yourself all garbed-up in a white flowing gown, hair adorned with flowers, the wind gently fanning you while saying I do while the sun is setting. Your silhouette forever etched against the sunset in a photo for your wedding album. A very romantic set-up indeed.

I remember a colleague who had her wedding at a resort in Bali. The advantage, of course, was having very few guests, but she had to coordinate as well all the airline and hotel bookings and transfers of her guests. I could just imagine what a nightmare it must have been to make all arrangements. After the wedding she said that there were a lot of hitches and loopholes, but she said she just let her OC-side go, did not make a fuss and just had fun.

Last weekend, I chanced upon a wedding reception while walking along Boracay's famous seashore and this is how it looked -



The video does not do any justice to the beauty of the set-up. The newlyweds were placed under a special tent (and they looked really gorgeous). Guests were coming back and forth the buffet table which was filled with fresh seafood. The atmosphere was also very festive and romantic at the same time. I'm sure they partied until late that night.

After taking a short video of the set-up I walked on, but kept looking back at the festivities since it looked so charming and exciting. I think I am too OC though to have it at the beach.