For The Fitness Babe

by with No Comment fitnessgift ideashealthholidayslifestyle

The grand finale. I saved my last gift guide of this holiday season for one of my most dearest … this is for the fitness babe.

You badass, strong, fierce, resilient, beautiful humans inspire me every day and this list is after my own heart. You fit foxes, if your friends are fellow health/wellness lovers this is for them too. To choose from everything I use daily and narrow them down to my top six choices to share with you was really difficult, but there’s a reason I chose each of them. So here we go.

 

Alo Yoga Stow Backpack • This backpack is perfect for all my yogis out there, it has bungee straps at the bottom to hold your yoga mat! Hands free baby! It’s also water resistant and features a laptop sleeve because you’re a boss babe on the move! I personally love the padded back because ‘shweatttty’, and it comes with a small pouch that hooks to the interior so you don’t have to go fishing around for your lip balm or keys… all the littles easily get stowed in the pouch that you can easily locate by feeling for the clip, yaaaas! #clawhand #ilizashlesinger P.S. I think this also makes for a really awesome diaper bag for you active mamas <3

Fre Skincare • Created for skin that sweats! That me! That’s you! Eeeek! I’ve been using Fre since last year and it’s the ONLY skincare product that won’t break me out if I apply it before my sweat sesh. I stand behind this one. It doesn’t burn when you sweat your face off (and all of your skincare) into your eyeballs, the sunscreen doesn’t leave a white cast on your skin, and the serum is like buttah. You get 25% off your order with the code JESSLIZAMA so I hope you give it a try and if you don’t love it you can return it. Love that policy.

Amethyst Gem Glass Bottle • Placing a beautiful gem with a meaningful message inside of a glass bottle that’s also eco friendly… they had me at hello. The crystal infuses the water with its powerful energy and I’m here for it. They have different crystals to choose from so lean into your woo woo and tell your friends to too! Woohooo! 

Bootayyyy Bands • Biti Bands and Training Guide with Rebecca! This one I’m especially excited to share with you because I’ve known Rebecca for a few years now and she’s a genuine person who’s created a genuine brand. I love supporting my friends and I’d love it if you supported her too! Check out her Biti Band guide, one of the options comes WITH the bands! She’s a walking billboard for her program, goals Rebecca, just goals! Swoon. Check her out and get your booty lifted ¶ and shifted ¶ higher than the ceiling ¶

SPANX Faux Leather Moto Leggings • Also for the booty! I love these leggings, I purchased 2 more pairs for myself during cyber week. They’re ultra comfortable, the compression doesn’t make you feel like you’re a muffin, and they’re squat proof! I tested them during our last Lacey Stone Fitness bootcamp and they’ll keep your bits protected don’t you worry. They also transition from bootcamp to brunch really easily with their chic, stylish design. Throw on a clean top, a top knot, and some sunnies and you’re ready to go! 

APL Training Shoes • I mean, they’re rose gold! Well they come in rose gold which is my all time favorite color. I love that they’re exceptionally comfortable (even for my wide feet), breathable, and they’re designed to strategically to support your movements. She needs these. You need these. We all scream for ice cream. *sorry I just blacked out

 

And that’s all she wrote! I hope you’ve had fun scrolling through each of my gift guides, I truly enjoy putting these together for you and sharing with you the things I own or want need to own. Now that I have all of the gifting out of my system what shall we talk about next?

Did I miss anything? Was there something you would’ve loved to have seen on these lists? Share them with me! Happy holidays and safe travels babes <3

 

 

 

Stocking Stuffers For Her

by with No Comment gift ideasholidays

For my babes on a budget this is for you! Here are my top picks for stocking stuffers for her under $25 <3

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, digging through my stocking is more exciting to me than unwrapping gifts, I think because it feels like an Easter egg hunt. Stay with me here, I just mean that most things in the stocking aren’t wrapped, they’re just in this shell ‘wrapping’ which is the stocking.. ya know, kinda like hidden treasures in the shell of an Easter egg!

Please say you get my reference haha Enjoy these stocking stuffers for her, they’re fun ones!

Glossier Body Hero • Glossier really has it together with their marketing strategy man, I tell ya. Everything they launch I feel like I have to have… maybe I don’t have an impulsive shopping addiction so much as I just fall victim to really good advertisements? Sure, we’ll go with that. This Body Hero lotion you guys, it was used on my legs during a shoot and I instantly took a picture of the packaging and purchased it in the car ride home. It’s silky smooth, ultra hydrating, has think pink iridescent glow to it so your skin looks toned and glowy but never glittery. The scent is light enough to layer under your favorite fragrance and if you sign up for their emails you get a discount on your purchase. Lil smarties. They got me again.

Herbivore Face Toner • Toners and serums are probably the two products I talk about the most. It’s because these two products have the power to elevate your skincare routine…they help your skincare products help you help the perpetual helpers that we seek in the beauty aisle. I love this one because green tea all the things.

Make Dew Pot • I love a cream blush during the winter months because my skin is already stressin’ from the drier air, the gustier winds (halllo I live in L.A. what even am I talking about rn), and sleeping ON my face WITH makeup on. Thank God for my silk pillow, oh hey did you see my gift guide that includes a silk pillow? 😉 This color can double as a lip and cheek tint, has vitamins C and E which will condition your skin. Make is always fresh and never tested on animals <3

Chunky Small Hoops • People may think I don’t actually use or purchase these things but I promise I do! I just gifted one of my favorite people these small chunky hoops because they’re so versatile and you can wear them with anything. Anything. Yes, think of an outfit, now imagine them with these hoops. So good, I know!

Mini Notebook • A lot of times I just type out ideas and thoughts into the notes on my phone or onto a text edit. Yes a text edit, who am I, my mother? So I started carrying around a mini notebook, tbh it’s not this cute either, this one is caaauuute! Perfect for when you’re sitting around and need to doodle. Am I the only one that still doodles? I am my mother.

Chic Incense Holder • Chic is one of my favorite words can you tell? I need to find a new word. Elegant… these incense holders are elegant and sophisticated. Thank you synonyms page. Corrine loves to burn incense that makes my nose itch but I love that damn lil lady so I let her burn all the incense until I can’t breathe. Now she can be chic while doing it and I can be chic while coughing on air.

Told you these would be cute! They’re so fun and I hope you love these lil gift guides I’ve been creating. They’re for you and for me. And for Joe too. Hi Joe! These are the things I’d like for Christmas baby!

 

Feel free to send these guides over to your family and friends sort of a PSA of what one would get one who wanted such things. 

 

 

 

For The Beauty Lover!

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Dear Santa, I created this gift guide for the beauty lovers out there and hi I’m one of them. I would very much like to find these under the tree on Christmas morning please and thank you. I’ve been a good girl just ask Joe. Actually don’t ask Joe, ask my puppers Luna and Ace 😉

These are easily my top six picks for this season’s beauty faves! A lil something for hair, skin, and over all glow, the beauty lover in your life will appreciate any of these gifts. I really wanted to include splurge worthy items because there’s so many products to choose from, if you’re gonna spend the pretty penny, spend it on these pretties!

La Mer Crème • One of the most luxurious brands on the market, I’d genuinely take anything from La Mer… oh a sample you say? I’ll have it! lol It’s so rich and hydrating, never irritates my skin, and this set for $150 will give you some of the most coveted La Mer skincare essentials. Say bye to dryness and uneven texture, oh and to parabens and sulfates too. 

Huda Eyeshadow Palette • How pretty and festive is this palette! With its ultra pigmented pinks and nudes, and sparkles too! 18 shades, you can’t go wrong with this one. It’s such a timeless collection of colors that you’ll be able to dip into it long after the holidays. Investment piece! 

Nurse Jamie Uplift Massaging Beauty Roller • I’m kind of loving obsessed with lymph drainage videos and how different beauty tools can aid your skincare to create lasting results. I have two beauty rollers (would you like a video on this?), a rose quartz one that I keep in the fridge to apply serums and creams, and this Nurse Jamie one that I keep on my nightstand. Not to mention it feels so relaxing to have a mini massager rolled all over your face, give it a try! 

Oribe • Oribe anything! When people hug me if they mention how my hair smells it’s probably this guy right here. Oribe is one of my go-to hair care brands because it just does the job. It smells clean and fresh, vamps up my hair when it’s drab, and the packaging is something out of marketing dreams lol This shampoo has caffeine it it which rejuvenates your hair follicles and salicyclic acid which will oh so gently exfoliate your scalp, it’s a wonderful clarifying product. Lookin’ at all my dry shampoo addicts out there!

Tatcha Gold Beauty Oil • Oh so fancy! Put gold in cow manure and tell me it’s great for my skin and I’d probs slab it all over my face. I’m a monster I know. This is a ‘does all the things’ kind of beauty oil with 23-karat gold that you can literally put anywhere. Your skin, your hair, your cuticles, put it everywhere! I especially love this oil for my dry skin and to combat fine lines, but it was created for all skin types, so this. is. for. you. And your beauty babe too! 

Slip silk pillow case • My NUMBER ONE beauty tip for you is to invest in a silk pillow case. For you, for your beauty guru bestie, for your mother in law, for your significant other. It’s my lil gem of a beauty secret, not that it’s any secret, but this silk pillow case is anti-aging, anti face-squishing and creasing, anti-bed head, and PRO YOUTH magicalness. Get one for her, and two for you 😉 

 

 

This guide and the for ‘the fitness babes’ guide which is up next have been my most favorite to compile for you <3

 

Do you have someone in mind that would love to open one of these babies up for Christmas? Ahem, you totally count if you want to gift yourself and say it’s from Santa. You ARE Santa <3

 

 

 

 

 

Stocking Stuffers For Him

by with No Comment gift ideasholidaysTech

I combed the internet for these stylish, luxurious, and practical stocking stuffers just for him <3 They’re a bit more pricey than the gift guide I featured earlier this week but stocking stuffers to me are so much more fun! I almost love digging through my stocking more than I love unwrapping a boxed gift … am I the only one?

 

Cashmere Scarf ≈ This Uniqlo scarf is a soft, plushy cashmere, will keep him warm and keep him cute 😉 Soft things make for sweet snuggles.

Yves Saint Laurent L’Homme ≈ This scent is so perfect that I wear it! It’s got that sexy androgynous feel to it, sensual and stylish. Yes I’m still talking about the cologne lol With citron top notes and base notes of vetiver and sandalwood, buy it for him but enjoy it for yourself also. I fell in love with this scent when a girlfriend of mine Meeshel was wearing it and had to have it, so spritz yourself and see how many ‘mmm you smell so good’ comments you get.

Beats By Dre ≈ Give him the gift of listening to his music privately. And quietly … okay okay maybe this is just another gift for you disguised as as a gift for him but Joe listens to techno music at 6am. 6am! I’m gifting him this so I can live my life in the morning without the bunchhaabunch bada bunchhh. lol I sound like my mother. P.S. I’d like these in rose gold please and thank you.

Kiehl’s For Him ≈ I love when a beauty brand creates something catered to men because they’re usually much simpler than we are and don’t need many products, because they don’t use ANY at all to begin with! lol. I’m lucky if I can get Joe to use a cleanser and moisturizer. Kiehl’s has a bunch of really great skincare sets for him, they’re reasonably priced, and the basic set will have his skin lookin vibrant before no time.

Bose Bluetooth Speaker ≈ Perfect for a hike, a bike ride, the beach, or just lounging around, this wireless speaker weighs less than 11 oz! But he’ll love how big it sounds, you know what they say, great things come in small packages. Like skittles. It’s also scratch resistant and waterproof, again, perfect for all the things he’ll be doing on his adventures.

Fleece Jogger Pants ≈ I LOVE fleece joggers! I bought 3 pairs during Cyber week (raise your hand if you went overboard too) and now I’m gonna splurge on Joe’s stocking and get him these Nike joggers. The heather/birch/black combo is powwww, sooo good! Has pockets, cuffs at the ankles, and is soft like buttah, this will be his favorite <3 But Jess it won’t fit in his stocking…. yes it will, just roll it up like you do the 103 outfits you shove into your luggage and call it a day.

And there it is, my favorite stocking stuffers of the season. Up next is Stocking Stuffers For Her and a Beauty Guru’s Gift Guide!

Please tell me I’m not the only one obsessed with Gift Guides these days. 

 

 

 

 

Gifts For Him Under $45

by with No Comment gift ideasholidays

Keeping with the specificity of ‘gifts under $45’, here’s my favorite lil somethings for that special man in your life. Or your special someone who loves androgynous gifts <3

My thought behind creating this gift guide was “what would Joe want actually use” and “what would my pops and my brother want and actually use”? Cologne, socks, trinkets, all things that are easy gifts and make for great stocking stuffers too, but these are just so damn cute! Psst and kinda chic if you ask me <3Shaving Gel ≈ Grown Alchemist is back at it with this sandalwood and sage shaving gel. It’s light and moisturizing and you won’t be able to keep your hands (and your lips) off his face. It’s a light musky scent that’s fresh and masculine.  

Leather Card Holder ≈ Baggu is one of the simplest yet functional brands. I love how this uncomplicated design is perfect for the one who doesn’t want a protrusion coming out from their back pocket. Made from a fine leather grain it’ll hold 4 cards and some cash. What more do they wanna carry around? Ah yes, whatever it is they’ll ask to put it in your purse haha *for me it’s holding Joe’s eyeglass case and chapstick. And snacks*

Backpack ≈ This is the casual backpack that can be toted from the office to the gym, from a hike to date night! It’s water resistant, has water bottle pockets, and will carry a 14″ laptop. I love that it has padded reinforced straps because if your mans is anything like my Joe he will try to carry everything in that thing! Comes in 26 colors, snag one from him and one for you!

Coffee maker ≈ This chic Chemex is the coolest and comes with or without a handle. Joe loves his morning cup o’ Joe (somehow tried to make a joke there.) but isn’t the best at it. I love you baby but your coffee could use some research skills lol. This pour-0ver allows coffee to be covered or refrigerated for reheating without losing flavor, it’s simple, and perfect for any caffeine lover.

Briefs ≈ Had to throw some Calvin Kleins up in here because if I’m gonna gift underwear, it’s gonna make the booty look good and comes in three. I really don’t enjoy unwrapping individual boxers to build a gift. He’ll appreciate these, guarantee some of his are holey. 

Bindle ≈ I included a gadget! A functional one <3 It’s a 2-in-1 stainless steal water bottle, double wall vacuum insulated with a storage compartment at the bottom! Did you hear that, a storage compartment! I don’t have to carry his keys, cash, or snackies in my teeny ass legging’s pocket. You know the “pocket”, that slit in all of our waist bands that’s supposed to be able to hold stuff? Well it holds nothing. This gift will free up your hands and his so you can do things like get handsy on hikes. 

I hope you enjoyed this lil gift guide from me to you. Next up are stocking stuffers, crowd pleasers, and the ultimate gift guide for the BEAUTY GURU in your life! Stay tuned love bugs and happy holiday shopping. Hope you don’t get too overwhelmed. When you do, come back here to home, where you can save time and monies with my cheap(er) and chic (af) gift guides.

Are you like me and you start shopping for gifts last minute? We leave on the 18th and I have yet to follow my own advice and get to shopping, I’m starting to sweat. “mama my legs are sweatin”. Quick, what movie is that from? 

 

 

 

Gifts For Her Under $45

by with No Comment gift ideasholidays

Yes this is a gift guide for under $45 not ‘under $50’ lol I figured I’d be exact, not under 50 but under 45 babyyy! For that lady in your life.. your wife, girlfriend, bestie, ride or die, sister in law, mother in law, all the ladies!

There’s something for everyone and these are my personal favorites. Corrine and I hand picked these just for this guide and I hope some of them end up under the tree for me!

Tortoise Statement Earrings ≈ I love a good statement earring! Even with a pullover and sweat pants, these earrings will juge it right on up!

PF Candle ≈ Who doesn’t love PF Candle Co, their scents are so subtle and never overpowering. Pick a scent, any scent, they’ll love it no matter what you choose. Sweet Grapefruit happens to be one of my favorites so it’s the one I linked you to 😉

Moglea weekly jotter ≈ Journaling, I’m into it. There’s something that feels special about physically crossing something off your to do list, something about writing out your goals and thoughts and not just typing them out onto your phone notes or a text edit. My friend Nikki gets me a Commit30 calendar/journal each year and it’s one of my favorite gifts. Puts each day into motion.

Body Cleanser ≈ It’s not just a body wash. Grown Alchemist is one of my favorite brands, kind of earthy smelling and musky but not like a basement musky, like a clean sexy musky. It’s a gel cleanser, hydrating, and leaves a light scent on your skin like ‘yo I just showered, hey’.

Moisturizing Lip Tint ≈ Of all the lip balms, lip glosses, and chapsticks I own, the Yves Saint Laurent lip tint reigns supreme. It’s glossy and moisturizing with a sheer splash of color. Just enough to make your pout look naturally flushed but not enough to look like you’re wearing lipstick.

Baggu Everyday Backpack ≈ Baggu just gets bags. This canvas satchel has a drawstring top so even with awkward shaped objects like a liter of water and a laptop (why am I like this…why do I put these two things into one bag together), you can still secure the top so nothing falls out. I carry two water bottles around so this nicely supports that habit with an outside water bottle compartment and for spillage…it’s machine washable. Hallelu!

 

And there it is! My go-to six gifts all under $45 <3 Something for everyone, even if you have a white elephant gift exchange or a weird cousin that you drew during the Secret Santa drawing, there’s a gift in here that anyone will love and appreciate. And while you’re at it, treat yo self!

Have you begun your holiday shopping yet? Are you a last minute, December 24th Mall shopper, crazed Amazon Prime order-er? lol it’s okay, you can tell me. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holiday Gift Sets And Nostalgia!

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This post was sponsored by Britney Spears Fragrances as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. All opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Can you believe the holiday season has gone by so quickly! In only SEVEN more sleeps it’ll be Christmas morning, and believe it or not, a lot of people (myself included) have not begun gift shopping yet! I mean, it kind of just crept up on us this year am I right?!

Since I don’t want any of us to end up on YouTube as one of those crazy-last-minute-cart-pushing-bahhumbuggy holiday shoppers, I want to share with you what I’m gifting my Corriney, my bestie from college, and my niece who’s 16!

For starters, hands in the air if you were like me in the 90’s and lived all things Britney Spears! I mean, I made my mom crochet me that infamous crop top she wore in “Don’t Let Me Be The Last To Know“, you know the one! The beach scene! Ugh I swooned for love stories and her songs were LOVE STORIES! And then she came out with her own fragrances and I knew what all my girlfriends were wearing because I was wearing it too! Can I get a hayyyoooo from everyone who wore Fantasy?! It’s sultry and sweet, you knew instantly when someone walked by with it on … it’s sexy!

So of course I’m gifting my Corriney (and fellow Britney obsessed babe) with the Britney Spears holiday fragrance gift set <3 Since she loves options, I’m gifting her the Fantasy + VIP Private Show scents. Girl loves her options! It’ll also be nostalgic for her to smell it since I wore it when it released in 2014 haha ohhh for my daughter to consider anything I do nostalgic! They’re both so different that if when I steal them from her, I’ll wear the Fantasy during the day and VIP Private Show at night. Just a personal preference on occasion, but to me Fantasy is unexpected and charming and VIP Private Show says glamourous and sexy!



Am I the only one who wears a different scent for different occasions, seasons, moods?! I love sharing products I’m excited about with the people I love, gets them excited with me! I hope this inspires you to take something you’ve enjoyed and regift the fun because, tis the season! But wait there’s more! To one-up the last minute madness, I’m gifting THREE readers this holiday set each including a set of two (2) Britney Spears fragrances and a $50 Kohl’s gift card! The dates to enter are December 8th through December 22nd, 2017! I-C will randomly select 3 winners from all qualifying program entries and will facilitate fulfillment of the winning prizes. Good luck!

Britney Spears Fragrances Giveaway


If you feel so inspired to gift someone this holiday season with this beautiful gift set, you can find the Britney Spears Fragrances here at Kohls.com!

A post shared by Jess Lizama (@jess_lizama) on


Have you done any of your holiday shopping yet? What’s something you love that you plan on gifting to a friend or loved one?

Happy holidays to you all and safe travels babes!

 

 

 

 

 

LAST MINUTE CHRISTMAS GIFTS – UNDER $25!

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For all you procrastinators out there, myself included, this post will save you a trip to the mall of madness the night before Christmas! Here is a peek into my favorite last minute Christmas gifts under $25! Yes under 25 bucks and great for your boyfriend, girlfriend, best friend, co-workers, and in laws!

These make for perfect stocking stuffers but also they’re nice enough to wrap up and place under the tree. If you’re participating in a Secret Santa or White Elephant gift exchange, these fall right under that $25 limit!


I had to unwrap these to take photos for you, so here’s to hoping my family doesn’t read this post until after Christmas 😉 I bought these gifts this weekend, the weekend before Christmas and it’s already mayhem. I also purchased the PTR masks for myself because they’re the best deal you’ll find all season! Go get ’em now, trust me, they’re just now back in stock!

Peter Thomas Roth (PTR) mask sampler kit – hands down my favorite masks this year! Yes that’s a pretty bold statement but let me tell ya why! After China my skin developed these little bumps and I found out were hydration bumps. My skin wasn’t receiving enough moisture so I needed to up my exfoliation and hydration game. This sampler kit comes with PTR’s most popular masks designed to brighten dullness, hydrate dryness, and detoxify clogged pores. It polishes, it smoothes, it soothes! I’m a walking billboard for these I swear! I love all 6 of them so I purchased 3 of these just for myself. $25 at Sephora when they’re usually $44, go buy them up! Best investment all year, I promise!


Wooden snowman ornament – my mother in law loves snowmen, they’re so festive and jolly! Each year I try to find a cute snowman item to gift her and since she puts up the most beautiful Christmas tree, I thought a personal addition to it would be perfect!

Nest holiday scented candle – a go to for any gift, who doesn’t love candles?! They’re thoughtful, they’re warming, and this particular one smells exactly like Christmas! A legit pine, fresh, snowy kind of scent.



Duke Cannon working man’s face wash – if your man is like my man who is like most men, than they probably use your shampoo to wash their hair, body, and face! LOL I try and leave products in and around the shower in the hopes that Joe will be enticed enough to start using them. I think most men get sexier as they age, and I think it’s because they start to look more rugged. But I definitely want Joe to take care of his skin, so I got him this Duke Cannon face wash. It’s frothy, smells like “productivity” (that is just hilarious to me), and has vitamin C to brighten up the skin. A big reason why I adore this company is because a portion of each sale benefits US Veterans. As an Army Brat I love this so much and it’ll help Joe take better care of his skin so I love it even more!

So just a quick guide on last minute Christmas gift ideas, I think a pretty card with a thoughtful handwritten note works just as nicely. But you’d better get started now, the malls are already giving me anxiety 😉

Are you ready for Christmas? Did you do all of your holiday shopping months ago, or are you like me and you wait until the night before?! 

Happy Holidays from my family to yours, I wish you a beautiful one!

 

 

 

 

 

BRIDE GUIDE: TOP 5 WEDDING PLAN TIPS!

by with 7 Comments bachelorette partybridalDIYget the lookgift ideasinspirationlifestyleparty planningpersonalspecial occassionstips and trickswedding planning

I’m so excited to share this series with you and I’m also creating videos for it on my YouTube channel! Welcome to the Bride Guide, from yours truly! Because, those that can’t do, teach and I’ll be the first to admit that I suck at planning! Like really I’d rather have someone else just tell me where to be and when ha! Realistically though I’m a control FREAK so I’m giving you my tips and tricks to staying bright and breathing and never turning into the huffing puffing bridezilla, from the control freak in me to the control freak in you!

So the part of wedding planning that I found to be the most stress inducing (ahem the entire ‘planning’ part of it duh) has become the most fun to do … once I relied on other sources to do it for me of course! Today I’m sharing with you my bride guide to planning your big day with ease, featuring some of the sites I’m currently using to prep, plan, style, and SAVE with my top 5 wedding planning tips!


1. Create a site– a landing page for guests and a place to get information surrounding your wedding. If I have a ton of questions I can’t imagine the questions my guests would have and creating a site for this puts it onto one place- the who, the where, the what, the when, the hows! You’ve probably heard of Martha Stewart weddings and The Knot, and I love checking in on those sites to see if I’m on track with the planning ‘time line’ (oh yeah, there’s a freaking time line to follow! No pressure!), but I’m using RileyGrey.com for my actual wedding site and reception hub. It feels daunting but it’s super user friendly and if I can navigate it, your tortoise probably can too! You design the page, you fill in the information, create your own personalized link, and boom, you’re like a pro baby!

2. Set a date and pick a location– I feel like these two go hand in hand because if you plan on a destination wedding *raises hands and feet* than timing becomes crucial depending on time of year, weather conditions, and travel. Also, when you set a date the next natural thing to do is pick your location which takes away 99.9% of stress, at least for me it did. I’m living and breathing by THIS blog by JetFete which caters to destination wedding planning, and helps you narrow down your options, sift through all the possibilities, and goes through every question you may have lingering when it comes to planning a wedding away from home.

3. Food, flowers, and such– choosing a vendor that offers prime location, handles decorating for you, and provides food AND beverage service is like a dream come true! But lets face it, most vendors aren’t all inclusive, thus you’re left to fend for yourself. I got your back though, CaratsAndCake is a site that allows you to shop your vendors ACCORDING TO LOCATION (whoa! and hence pick your location first) with the help of other brides who’ve already had their weddings and link you out to each of the services they used. Genius right?!?!?! So you go through the albums, it features photos from their wedding and the links to their vendors from food, to their dress, to decorations and flowers! These links are located at the bottom of the post which takes you to a page with other work the company has done, and from there you can contact the vendor directly.
G E N I U S

4. Take photos and send Save The Dates!– taking lovey dovey pictures are the fun part! You get to look all kissy and fishy faced with the love of your life … in front of strangers, and hold poses that seem awkward but look sexy! Then you send those to your family and friends as Save The Dates and RSVP cards 😀 Postable is like oxygen to me right now because it gathers the mailing address and contact information from all of your guests and puts them into one place for you. So when you’re ready to mail out your invitations simply upload or export that information to your stationary person or print them off yourself and you’re set! It’s a free service and you create a personalized link which you then email your guests with. It takes them to the landing page where they fill out their information and it goes directly to you, never shared (that was a big deal for me). You could use this for holidays, special occasions, and birthdays since you update the list yourself throughout the year.

5. Register and receive– gifts! The super duper fun funners part! Well it’s all fun but I mean c’mon, wahooo gifts!!! Sites like The Knot, Honey Fund, and others also allow your nearest and dearest to either purchase a gift from your registry or contribute to your honeymoon. Since I will both register for gifts AND ask for honeymoon perks, I’m using NewlyWish. With group gifting options and a low cash fund fee, it was just the way to go for us. I also never know what I need or want- I want it all, but this site helps you skim through products and add them to your list with a click of a button . . . ummm yes please!

So I realllllly hope this post helped you if you’re planning a wedding, helping someone else plan theirs, or will be planning in the future! There are so many resources out there like Etsy and Pinterest that give you a plethora of options when it comes to story boards and sharing ideas, and gift giving! However these are the sites I’m currently using to organize my thoughts and plans for my own wedding and I wanted to share them with you before things start to get cray lol.

There are some key things left out of this article like dress shopping and timelines, which will be woven in between all of this, but these were the items that I needed to check off my list in order to settle the nerves and be able to function and get shit done in my life so there ya go! And cheers to you <333

Are there any sites or companies you use for planning a wedding or special occasion?