How To Handle Wedding Planning Stress – Bride Guide

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Comin’ in hot! Our Bride Guide series chat this week is all about how to handle the stress of planning a wedding. With a task list as long as CVS receipts it can all be so overwhelming. I want to share with you the way I broke it all down for myself since we did the planning ourselves and how I managed the Bridezilla-ness of it all.

Lists on lists baby! There’s a timeline of events, there’s the EVENT, and there’s all the planning in between. So today we’ll talk about the things that go in between the engagement and the HONEYMOON <3

Honestly, typing out hashtag was so fun for me because umm what world do we live in that creating a hashtag has become one of our wedding priorities! Ours was #exoticnationwedding LOL Do the damn thing is pretty high up there though, all of this to say you’re getting married and it’s going to be the BEST time of your life!

So go through this list, fill it out for yourself and see where you are. Decide the big things like budget and who, where, when NOW, and the rest of the list we can get to. Do you like how informal my speaking is… “no stress baby just think about the W’s” (who what when where) HAHA

Get inspired! Pinterest is your new BFF! And your BFF is the MOH! I loved rose gold, romantic decorations, corals, and royal blue! The DIY part is next week, this week I just want you to focus on the answers you gave last week and the list you’re making this week.

I have so many recommendations for THE dress, invitation sites, how to map out the seating chart, and the best way to go about the cake/favors/and decoration details. Check out BHLDN, get on Pinterest, start putting together what size wedding you’re having so that all of the other details come together much easier for you, and create that task list… starting here.

I really hope all this list creating helps to get all of the stress out of your head and onto paper so that you have a starting point and a clear idea of what your next steps are. Knowing what’s next really does help to keep the stress at bay, what’s scary is the unknowing part and the ‘do I have time to do all this planning’ part. But with a clear plan you’re breaking it all down into ONE thing at a time and it’s much more manageable.

What shall we talk about next week? What to DIY? What to skimp on what not to? Where you should apply your budget? How to make everyone happy when this is YOUR day and you’re just trying not to go crazy? Tell me <3

 

 

 

 

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Bride Guide: My Top Tips For Planning

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It’s wedding season! The warm summer months, breezy beautiful evenings, it’s the most coveted time of year to plan a wedding, bridal shower, and bachelorette party. With this Bride Guide I’ve got you covered and over the next few weeks I’ll go into detail about what’s necessary, what’s not, and what’s just fun FUNS- the best part! This is my favorite series that I’ve ever launched and starting today, we’ll begin with the basics.

First thing’s first, if you’re wedding is in less than 6 months away… BOOK YOUR VENUE! Start looking now, book it and let that first big thing v important thing, be taken care of so you can focus on the fun stuff like your dress, the party, the food, the people…did I mention the party?

So congratulations on your engagement and I’m happy you’re here! My mission is to help you stay far far away from Bridezillaville <3

 

Thought starters:

  • who, what, when, where, how- the who is easy: you and your fiance´, the intimate or larger than life wedding is the what, so now it’s all about prep and plan! The how will come, first answer some of these questions
  • what’s our budget- is this a DIY wedding or a ‘spare no expense’ kind of wedding, will it be small and intimate, or will everyone and their mother be there? Is there a wedding planner or are you it?
  • location location location – venue for the vows and the reception, church or other space to exchange vows and then a separate location for the reception? Multiple locations? Outdoor? Indoor? Destination?
  • details- catering, open bar (for the love of love please do an open bar), cake/cupcakes/pies/dessert table, favors, decorations, flowers, seating charts, all that we’ll go into in my next Bride Guide article
  • the most fun part- THE DRESS, is there a party dress, the groom/bride/partner, the bridal party, hair, makeup, accessories, bridal shower, bachelorette/bachelor parties, all the things that make this season so fun, so memorable, so worth every penny-every tear-every argument-every frustration

So now that you’re thinking about these things, lets break it down even further for next time and do me a favor and leave me a comment or DM on Instagram and tell me all the topics that you want to hear about. All the things you want me to go into detail over, I’ve got you!

Congratulations! I’m so excited for you and I cannot wait to share more of this Bride Guide series with you <333

 

 

 

How To Change Your Name – The Things They Didn’t Tell You

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There’s so much about weddings and getting married that no one tells you about. Sounds like some crazy wedding planner scheme BS but it’s true! I’ve explained a bit of it in previous posts, and now, after having planned and experienced the most perfect wedding day of my life- I’m on to the changing my name part of it all. Oh, change your name they said, it’ll be easy they said. Well they lied dammit.

Let me tell you a story. So like many unknowing and slightly lazy people, I went with an assisted name change service and purchased the Platinum package from Hitch Switch. It’s a service that (I was hoping) helps you change your name by providing you with all of the paperwork and forms needed and removing the fuss from the entire process. Depending on the level of service you purchase (from $29-$89) they will send you the paperwork and even fill it out for you if you pay for it. The Platinum package gives you all of the forms automatically filled out, provides you with pre addressed envelopes, and a passport service. However, NONE of this is impossible for you to do on your own. So save your money and let me tell you how to change your name. For free. And PS you have to go into certain government offices in person, and no name change service can save you from having to do that, so . . .


YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY CARD
Social Security office: do this FIRST. Go to your local social security office and if you go early you’ll be in and out of there pretty painlessly. You have to take care of your social security card first because this particular process will need to be completed 48 hours before any other documentation is submitted to any other government office. Bring to your local Social Security office:

a) a completed SS-5 Form (don’t forget to sign your new married name)
b) provide the original or certified copy of your Marriage Certificate
c) proof of identity (your driver’s license, state issued ID card, or US Passport)

They’ll give you a receipt (mine cost me $0.00) and notice that you’ll receive your new social security card within 2 weeks. Mine came in after 2 business days.

YOUR DRIVER’S LICENSE
DMV: this is next in the process, go early! If you don’t have an appointment I suggest you go at least 30 minutes before your local DMV office opens and wait in line. I got to ours at 7am and by 8am when the doors opened I was 17th in line! You’ll need to bring:

a) the original or a certified copy of your marriage certificate
b) your old driver’s license (you’ll be taking a new photo so come camera ready 😉
c) 2 proof of residency documents (CA doesn’t need this verification)
d) a completed DL 44 form which they’ll provide for you at the DMV as original signatures are required on the form.
* on the DL 44 form: don’t forget to sign your married name at the bottom, check mark the “have you ever applied for a DL under a different name”, and list your maiden name next to it.


YOUR PASSPORT
We’re going to Bali for two weeks for our honeymoon and I learned that if you’re traveling abroad you’ve got to give yourself plenty of time to have your Passport sent in and your new one sent back to you. Expedited processing may be your best bet if you have less than a month before you depart. Pro tip: when you change your name your Passport number changes. So when you book your flight either use your new married name with your old Passport number and then call the airline to correct it once your new one arrives, OR wait to change your name until after you’ve traveled as it becomes a headache to correct once you’ve entered in all of the information.

a) complete the DS 82 Form *sign your new married name
b) attach a Passport photo to the left of Section 10 in the designated box. Hitch Switch’s provided photo service took longer than expected so I personally suggest going to Costco, Walgreens, or another retailer that is in compliance with government Passport photo requirements.
c) submit the DS 82 form with your new photo attached along with your current Passport, the original or certified copy of your marriage certificate, and a check or money order made out to ‘US Department of State’. For $110 if you’re going with standard processing (4-6 weeks) or for $170 for expedited processing (3 weeks).
d) you’ll want to get tracking on this just because it holds your original passport and marriage certificate. In most cases it’ll be free or there may be a $5.95 fee – totes worth it.

For Standard Processing:
National Passport Processing Center
P.O. BOX 640155
Irving, TX 75064-0155

For Expedited Processing:
National Passport Processing Center
P.O. BOX 90955
Philadelphia, PA 19190-0955

 

The rest of it like your banking, credit cards, businesses, work stuff etc will work themselves out. Honestly, I haven’t even gotten to that part yet BUT these initial steps will help you get your name changed and save you some money. I’m so upset with myself for paying for a service that I could have easily done myself had I just done a lil research. You’ll be paying for them to print up the paperwork, fill it out for you, and send you a few pre paid envelopes. Save yo money honey.

Are you changing your name? Have you looked into name changing services or the paperwork needed to do so? 

 

 

 

 

 

Our wedding album!

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Just in! Our wedding photos! Prepare your eye holes to be bombarded with all of my favorite moments, photos, and memories of this most perfect day! This is just a handful of snapshots that I had to share immediately, a mini wedding album, but don’t you worry- more to come! It was just so hard to pick my favorites, they’re all my favorites!

I had three dads walk me down the aisle, that’s right, THREE! I was so damn proud of that too because my birth father, step dad, and dad were all present to walk me, all drama free, and nothing but love. That’s my twin – my beautiful mom with my dad in his dress blues! And that’s THE kiss <3

My daughter Corrine was my Maid Of Honor, and my bridesmaids in order from left to right . . . my best friend from college Kiki (11 years of friendship!), my sister Maria (whom I hadn’t seen in 11 years!), Nikki- who easily became one of my favorite all time forever friends over all our wedding bonding, Corriney- my heart, and Miya who I traveled the world with! Joe’s Groomsmen were: Steve- (Nikki’s husband) one of the most genuine people you’ll ever meet, Mark- the Best Man who Joe grew up with, Michel and Bobby (Joe’s handsome brothers), and my brother Roger dawww <3 What a good looking group! I’ve never seen Joe so happy, so emotional, so serious, and so strikingly good looking than on the day of our wedding . . . just look at that face.

One of my favorite photos captured is that above, of our wedding party and parents greeting us as we were announced for the first time into our reception. Our first dance was to an acoustic version of Joe’s and my favorite karaoke songs! Right after the song played the DJ played the original version and those two songs will forever be special to me. Afterwards, I’d ran over to our “L.A. friends table” and that’s this picture with my babes Bailey, Linz, Ashlee, and Jamie and we’re probably giggling and oogling over Joe’s vows – these ladies are some of most closest friends in life and I was so happy to have them all there.

The Great Room at Savage Mill is where we had our reception held, 127 of some of the most important people in our lives were there to celebrate with us and it was a 3 part, 12 hour party! A chapel ceremony, Great Room reception, and an after party at Joe’s childhood home! I gotta tell ya, every single person rallied and partied until the very end. They ate, drank, and laughed with us from start to finish. It all began on Thursday June 29th with arrivals in Maryland and wrapped up on Monday the 3rd with the final departure of our friends Nikki and Steve back to L.A. To say that our wedding weekend was the most magnificent 4 days of our lives is an understatement yo. It’s become the most beautiful memory for us to reflect on and I’m so happy that we can relive that week through photography, video (coming soon!), and social media.

Of the many gifts that our friends and families gave us, two particularly remarkable items made me so very grateful. A beautiful girlfriend of mine, Michelle (and wife of Best Man Mark!) made our wedding cake! Like with her hands! And lots of love. She made enough cake for 127 people and I was blown away by how gorgeous and delicious (homemade marble!) that cake was. Like, how do you even. And then there was the ‘guest book’. My insanely talented sister in law, Emily (and parter to Groomsmen Michel!) hand painted that stunning bee with oil paints. Like staaaap. She painted it on vintage wall paper that I got to pick out, also in our wedding colors. It became our theme and our guest book that everyone left lil love notes for us on. “Meant to bee”. Get it 😀 Our wedding favors were jars of honey and jam, homemade in Virginia. “Meant to bee, so spread the love”. Yes we are cheesy and we love it.

That’s Mark giving his Best Man speech, making us all laugh and cry at the same time, and that’s Joe more than likely saying something surprising, hilarious, and inappropriate all at once to Fr. Leo. I thought those two photos represented the beauty of the room and the beauty of friendship. Leo and Joe have known each for years and he’s legit the coolest priest you’ll ever meet. Also, he beat Bobbly Flay making Bobby Flay’s famous fajitas – yea that guy, he married us!

Ugghhh I could go on and on and on. I’ll save it for next time. Thank you for sharing this day with us, you all made it so remarkably memorable and I can’t wait to share the video with you all! Now off I go to pressure Joe into editing it for me <333 #welcometomarriagejoe

P.S. if you want to see some of the photos from some of our guests, look up #exoticnationwedding #jessjoewed and #jjmarriedlife on Instagram xoxo

 

 

 

Finding Joy in the Stress of Wedding Planning!

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We’re less than 3 weeks out from our BIG day and I promised that I wouldn’t turn bridezilla on you. I can’t promise that I’ve kept that promise so here’s to sharing all my ups in the hopes of preventing all the break-downs!

I wouldn’t say that planning a wedding is fun necessarily, unless your idea of fun surrounds endless lists of to-do’s, spending an obscene amount of money on the raddest party of your life (okay that actually sounds fun), and making decisions you didn’t even know mattered. But you can find joy in the stress of wedding planning I promise!

Of all the decisions I’ve had to make and all the choices I’ve had to choose from, hands down the most fun part *besides picking out my wedding dress and marrying my best friend* has been the center piece making, and thank you cards/stationary creating!

 

I mean how magical are these Basic Invite thank you cards <3 Complete with our wedding colors in artistic subtle splashes and this simple yet classic script, I can’t wait to personalize these babies. Could there be gold glitter involved? We shall see 😉

What I enjoyed most was taking the time to pick out every detail from our color combination, to the specific slate grey I wanted for the writing. The Basic Invite site offers you an instant preview so I was able to play around with the design to try and match them to our stationary until they were exactly what we wanted.

We went with champagne envelopes of which they printed the names and addresses on for us (absolutely do this and save your grip for those honeymoon pina coladas! I mean, it’s FREE!) and I even got us ‘eternity’ stamps for the mail. We cute!

 

Although you wouldn’t be able to tell with the muted envelopes I chose, there are over 40 different color envelopes for your musings. Unfortunately for me, we found this service too late in our wedding planning game to order wedding invitations from them, but luckily for you I’m here to share!

Their wedding invitations are a part of a set and with their ‘try before you buy’ policy, they allow for a custom sample to be sent to you so, win win! Everything from Save The Dates to wedding programs and matching thank you cards (ahem me!) are available and they make it uber convenient with their free address collection service. I’ve thrown the word ‘free’ around a lot in this post but hey, if the shoe fits . . . get it in every color.

I’m so excited for these next few weeks to fly by so that I can wrap up all of our final plans, I leave on the 23rd which is in TWO weeks! TWO! So if you’re in the midst of wedding season like myself, than I hope this post helps you to find some joy in the hustle and bustle of it all and inspires you to get creative when it comes to dreaming up your first impressions as husband and wife.

Take some time to breath and get back to what really matters, which is marrying your person, but also to find joy in the stress of it all – they say we work best under pressure anyway! Also that’s for me to re-read and apply for myself 😉

Are you a stationary or personalized thank you card kind of person? Would you prefer to design your own table place cards and menus or are you like me and you’d rather click it, print it, and move on with it? 

 

 

SAY YES TO THE DRESS – ALL 3 OF THEM! #BrideGuide

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YES GIRL, all three of them! I mean, who says you can only have one dress on your special day?! Okay yes, I did actually, buuut I hadn’t seen the other two to KNOW that I NEEDED them! lol

So there will be three dresses happening, but only because of the rehearsal at the chapel (you HAVE to wear a dress for this yes?) and then the 4th of July tiki-themed backyard after party. Whoa, that’ll be my new hashtag ha #4thofJulytikithemedbackyardafterparty 😀

My wedding dress I won’t reveal here just because, surprises, but the other two I’m sharing because it’s so fun to share the process of it all (and Joe’s seen these two). I’ve just been so overwhelmingly excited for all of this! I also did so much trying on of the dresses and online shopping where 183 dresses were sent to me! Really only 1 or 2 make the cut but I learned so much along the way. So for the backyard after party I went with this beautiful blush tulle Vera Wang dress, it looks taupe in photographs but the details of the dress are so delicate and it’s not heavy and doesn’t tug or pull. Since we’re having a mid summer wedding in MARYLAND (hello humidity!), I knew I wanted something light and that I could move and dance in, but still feel like a bride in. Oh I WILL be stretching out this entire day until midnight 😉



If this location looks familiar it’s because it is. When Corriney and I decided to have our picnic date I thought it’d be the perfect opportunity to photograph this beauty outside since that’s where it’ll dance the night away anyway. I really love that it’s flowy in the wind but didn’t blow up over my bum (that’d be a disaster on my wedding day when alcohol is involved), and the sweetheart neckline is concealing enough for my busty self and has just the right amount of femininity and subtlety.

It’s midi length and didn’t require any alterations hallelu! You can find this dress at David’s Bridal and lucky for you, it’s on sale right now, gogogo – lots of deals happening right now! #thankyouweddingseason The blush pink earrings you can create at Kendra Scott, and the stunning sash is from BHLDN (also where I got THE dress yeee!)

For the rehearsal I wanted to feel classy and sexy, like “oh la la, look at me I’m a bride to be”! So I went with this Parker dress that has the most beautifully flattering neckline. It’s beaded, knee length, dainty, and SPARKLY!  Just a sneak peek of it but I promise to spam everyone with photos of it once I wear it!

Of course I’ve saved shoes for last, they’re a big deal I get it! One thing I almost overlooked and I’m sure a lot of brides do also, is how LONG we’ll be wearing them! Most fancy shoes aren’t created for comfort, I mean no pump will ever be as comfortable as a flip flop- but I’ve found a solution! After a ton of googling “most comfortable shoes on your wedding day”, I came across these insoles from Vivian Lou. They’re designed by a podiatrist and engineered by a ROCKET SCIENTIST . . . like wuuut.

They shift your weight allowing for a more “equal distribution of weight between the forefoot and heel”. It’s science people, I don’t know. And they also prevent your foot from slipping forward, so like why don’t I have these in every single pair of shoes that I own! These will be in my wedding shoes, my dancing shoes, and any shoe that was created for a more narrow foot and not these coconut-tree-climbing feet I have.

Splurging on a rockin’ pair of heels for your wedding day is pretty epic, but I think comfort far outweighs any bling that catches my eye. Only thing I have to find now is some kind of slip or undergarment that will allow me to dance the day/night away without sweating like a sailor.

I found some pretty incredible deals while searching high and low for all the perfect wedding day details, so just remember to be patient, do your research, and never be afraid to DIY the hell outta everything. Except your veil, if you’re like me than you absolutely, definitely do not want to DIY that.

Ah yes, my beautiful Corriney who was also photographer/ set designer/ flower child/ and fellow lover of loafs on this day! After photos we had a nice lil picnic together and hiked back to the car full of bread, cheese, jams, and watermelon. If you missed my post on things to do with the fam bam including this picnic, you can peep it here <3

I hope you enjoyed this article and are loving this #JessBrideGuide series! I’m having so much fun sharing all of the things I’m going through along the way leading up to our I do’s with you <3

Have you ever used insoles like the ones I’ve featured here? Did you have more than one dress on your wedding day? Am I turning into a bridezilla?! #dontanswerthat

 

 

YOU’RE GETTING MARRIED! NOW WHAT?! – BRIDE GUIDE

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YOU’RE GETTING MARRIED!!! I’m getting married too yayyy ! So now what do we do?!

Get married they said, it’ll be fun they said. Except, they forgot to say that there’s a lot of planning and unneccessary details that go into your wedding. And it IS fun, but what’s up with all these RULES! Who made up things like, wedding favors, a wedding theme, oh and do you know the color of your linens?! OH OH and will you need chafing sets?! Ummm what? I just want to wear a pretty dress and say I do to my best friend in front of everyone we love.

So incase you too are going through all of the details of wedding planning, here’s a little bride guide from me to you, as I navigate through all of this with you. From sorting out the to-do list, to prioritizing the following umpteen things that must get done. So deep breaths my pretty, here we go!

1. Create a website or landing page for your guests – we’re using Weebly but there are a ton of other web hosting sites, we just love that this one is FREE! This is a great place to put who, what, when, where, and how to get there for all of your friends and family members. Include accommodations (if you block out rooms they’ll get a discounted rate), shuttle or bus information if there’s any, schedule of events, where you’re registered for gifts, and a deadline for their RSVP


2. Send out Save The Dates – this part doesn’t make any sense to me. You’re sending guests a Save The Date WITH your wedding date on it, but then they need a formal invitation also . . . the rules part. We sent out Paperless Post save the dates and on them we included our wedding website and asked our guests to RSVP that way.  I purchased ‘coins’ and sent it out after importing all of my guest’s emails- made it so easy! There’s also Evite and other places that you can send online invitations through. If you choose to have them printed, Minted and Paper Divas are great I’ve heard and won’t cost your first born!

3. Location, Venue, Food – oh and the DJ, centerpieces, wedding gown and accessories, bouquet, and other big ticket items to sort out. Once you’ve chosen your venue and location, set a day and time and get to planning baby! Don’t forget to ask your venue if they provide tables, chairs, linens, and a set up/ break down crew. Food options, open bar, centerpiece arrangements, and cake cutting fees are also some things you’ll want to confirm with your venue. If you get a ‘day of wedding coordinator’ than they’ll make sure you’re standing where you should be when you should be *ie when you’re dancing with your girls, champs in hand and it’s cake cutting time*. Otherwise, do what we’re doing and have your DJ keep the timeline.


4. Pictures, flowers, and things that get lost in the shuffle – like ordering wedding favors, picking out a cake topper, and making sure you order 2 sets of garters (one for throwing and one for a keepsake). All of these things you’ll get to as you go down your list of To Do’s but some things that could help you stay within budget are to DIY some easy things, and to research the hell out of everything.

  • see if you can drop off vases and containers to your florist and just pay them to fill them with your floral arrangement choices. They’ll usually also credit you for this since they won’t need to use their own vessels
  • shop around for shoes, accessories, gifts, and your veil. I ordered my veil from Melinda Rose Design (who also specializes in headpieces!) and she’ll send you samples of the veils so you can color match with your wedding gown. Pretty brilliant and for a fraction of what A LOT of veils will cost you. I love the ‘try before you buy’ option that she offers
  • search sites like Luna Bazaar and Oriental Trading to order centerpieces, gift boxes, etc. They’re very reasonably priced and I guarantee whatever your shabby chic heart desires, they WILL have
  • delegate responsibilities to your bridal shower, see above photo 😀 (and here’s fun ways to ask your best girls to be a part of your big day). They’re there to help you and to make sure your most special day goes as smoothly and stress free as possible. No one wants to be around bridezilla! LOL So recruit the help where you can
  • if you’re planning your wedding in another city/ state/ country, it does help to create a mock table on your living room floor to get an idea of 1) how many people you want sitting at each table 2) how many pieces you’d like to have as your centerpiece 3) if you’re having favors and if you’ll place them at the table with your guests or not . . . Joe came home to see this (below photo) had taken over our living room and I was SERIOUS about picking out those damn centerpieces! haha

5. SET A BUDGET – okay okay this prolly should’ve been the #1 thing to do but honestly, we went over budget just in planning where we’re having our wedding so there’s that. Budgeting out your expenses does help to wrangle your ideas and keep priorities in order. If you go over on your dress than maybe order your shoes from DSW instead of Christian Louboutin 😉

At the end of the day, it’s going to be THE most special day and the love your life will be standing beside you, in the presence of everyone you love. None of those little details and stressors will matter, I promise. So just enjoy the magic of planning it all, take time to reassess what you want over what you need, and everything else is just decoration (thank you Pilar for that one!).

There are a ton of other tips and tricks I’d love to share with you but I’ll put them all together in another post, so stay tuned <3 I really hope these #JessBrideGuide posts and videos are helping you.

 

Have you used any of these resources already? Are there any other tips you have to share with us brides to be? Thank you in advance for the help! 

 

 

 

BEST MOM FRIENDLY BATHING SUITS

by with 4 Comments bridalfashionget the lookinspirationleisurelifestylemommy diariesstyleweddingwedding planning

If I’m being honest, I really hate when things are referred to as being ‘mom friendly’, and I’m a mom! I don’t know if it’s me assuming the phrase denotes negativity or it’s just me being paranoid that I’m fully defined by my mom hat. Either way I really wanted to share my favorite ‘mom friendly’ bathing suits.

I say that with a smirk because here I am saying it’s crappy to say ‘mom bod’ or ‘dad bod’ like what the hell does that even mean? But in this case, this momma over here has some rips and tears in this fabric and there’s just some bathing suits I prefer to wear! But these styles still make me feel beautiful, sexy, and fierce, which is important to me because I love to feel feminine! Whether you’re trying to conceal your tummy area, hips, or booty and thighs, I’ve got ya covered, literally! Disclaimer: rock your damn body no matter your size or shape because we only get one body in this life, so we mine as well love the shit out of it! We’re perfect just the way we are. *I have to remind myself of this all the time* <333

THE HIGH-WAISTED BIKINI


I’m especially fond of this type of bikini even though you run the risk of looking like you’re in a diaper haha I’ll take my chances! This conceals whatever pooch it is that I think I have, I also got a few stretch marks from having my daughter so beyond wearing a one-piece, this is my favorite version of a bikini. Also this style has scrunched Brazilian cut bottoms so you’re booty looks hot hot hot!

THE CROCHET SEXY ONE PIECE


Honestly, this is probably my all time favorite go-to bathing suit. I even wear it under jeans as seen here, or with a summer skirt because I think it can double as a sexy top. Crochet one pieces come in so many different colors and styles and if you’re trying to conceal your tummy or your hips, and even if you’re busty, I think this style flatters everyone. I refer to this bathing suit as my ‘mommy cover-up’ but it’s actually the best version of a one-piece that I’ve ever put on. It’s sexy but not offensive. And even if it were, if people don’t like it, tell them to close their eyes.

THE SIDE-CUTOUT ONE PIECE / COVER UP

Processed with Snapseed.

I just purchased this suit for our trip to Azul Beach trip when we did our wedding site visit because I wanted as many options for the beach and pool that I could possibly pack! I fell in love with this style because it’s got an open back, a higher neckline, deep side cut outs, and it comes attached to it’s own mesh cover up. This felt stunning on, I felt sexy yet modest . . . though I did have to keep tugging at the sides as to not have a nip slip, but hey, all’s fair when you’re on vacation. This style is perfect for concealing just about anything, for us bustier ladies though, be cautious of your lady bits when you’re in the pool LOL

So these are my favorite styles for us ladies, whether you’re a momma like me or if you just want a little more coverage in some areas, I think these bathing suits will make you feel beautiful, sexy, and fierce!

Rock it baby!

Are there any particular styles that you like that weren’t featured in today’s article? Do you like a high-waisted bikini even if you aren’t trying to conceal anything? What’s your style?! Do tell!

 

 

HOW TO SITE VISIT FOR A DESTINATION WEDDING – BRIDE GUIDE

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The ONE YEAR countdown has begun! Planning is in full force over here, and this Saturday Joe, Corinne, and I head to Azul Beach for our very FIRST ever site visit! Cheers for our destination wedding! So today as part of my Bride Guide, I wanted to share with you some things I learned about destination weddings, site visits, and one of the destinations we decided on!

Ever since we decided on a destination wedding, we knew it would require travel for our guests and lots of planning. We wanted to give our loved ones a year to plan and prep, so accommodations, flights, food, and transportation were all on our “lets try and make this a doable thing for people”. I’m also keeping in mind that this is our dream wedding and a ‘tour’ wedding- so there will be two ceremonies, both very small and intimate.

Some things to do and ask when looking for your perfect destination:

  • what time of year do you want your wedding and what’s your dream destination
  • schedule site visits in that location with various hotels and venues so that you can actually see what that property looks like and have options. They can do a lot of things with a fish eye lens and photoshop!
  • do you have a guest list? If not, create one so you have a general idea of how many people are coming and how many rooms/accommodations you will require and what dinner plans will be
  • how’s the weather in the location at the time you plan on having your wedding there? Research other people’s experiences and do lots of fact checking on your venue from people who’ve been there. This is huge.
  • do you have a budget? This can be a deciding factor when it comes to destinations, you’ll know right away what’s realistic and what isn’t. Oh you mean I CAN’T get married in Iceland?! mkkayy
  • ask for wedding packages and rates before making a decision so you know what’s included in said price and what you’ll be paying extra for

Having gone through the list of questions to ask venues, doing a ton of location dreaming, and hours of researching, we decided that we want to get married in Mexico! Near Tulum in a breathtaking, beachy, dreamy kind of intimate ceremony!

Wowzer, I did a lot of googling, emailing, and phone conversations to narrow our search down. Joe and I went over timing, budget, guest list, and what we want, and we finally locked in a potential location! We’re all set to site visit this weekend at … drum roll please … Azul Beach by Karisma Hotels and Resorts! And THIS will be the view from our room!!!


I have to tell ya, this was NOT an easy decision, literally every property in Tulum and Playa Del Carmen is stunning and we wanted to be able to visit them all! But after getting all of the answers we needed in terms of wedding packages, what’s included, AND that this is an all-inclusive hotel, we were all in.

We actually get to see one of the beautiful ceremonial package in person this weekend which includes our wedding colors (earth tones, blushy pastels, and pops of color) <— sounds like every color imaginable right? lol but it also comes with a bouquet, welcoming drinks, dinner reception, and dancing among other things! I’m sure we’ll have more questions once we get there and sit down with our coordinator, but I’m just so excited to see it!

Karisma offers a bridal dress rehearsal where you get to see your wedding package choice and try the food that will be served at your wedding! Ummm can we say cake?!?!?! That’s another thing, when you ask for your package pricing, see what extras (though a wedding cake to me is a must) it comes with and what it doesn’t. You don’t want to get there and realize there is no DJ and no cake.

Literally all I want my guests to remember is the drinks, the dancing, and the love <333 The food and the location will be amazing but really, who remembers how pretty the napkins were or how extravagant the centerpieces were? No, people will be so happy to be celebrating your special day with you that it won’t matter to them if they have metallic gold-flaked napkins or paper mache ones!

Even though this is a trip for us to see the venue in person, experience the food and service before our big day, and see our set up come to life . . . it’s also a VACATION! I cannot wait to be horse bike riding and swimming in a cenote at El Dorado Royale! It’s a property also by Karisma and a location close to where we’ll be staying. So you can expect a full vlog video up on my channel when we get back because, ‘go-pro footage or it didn’t happen’ 😀 Follow us along on Instagram with #KarismaExperience and #LomasTravel!!!

Wedding planning can be overwhelming, I know I’m overwhelmed by every detail that comes with it. There are things I didn’t even think about before, I mean there should be a book about it! But also I have to remember that this isn’t stressful- I’m planning the best day ever with the love of my life, so why stress. I hope this helps you if you’re planning a destination wedding any time soon or know  someone who is!

Do you have any other tips for me or other brides to be?! Please share <333