Packing for a Destination Wedding

We've been going through some old files doing a little "spring cleaning," because we'd like to think it's always spring in california. And some of the really fun things to note are packing lists for destination weddings. Whether you're getting married in wine country, somewhere tropical or off in the mountains, it's always helpful to know what not to forget when you're packing. So, we've compiled a little list here of some of the most interesting things we encourage people to pack. Let us know if you have anything to add to the list!


-Vitamin C for good measure
-Vitamin E for glowing skin
-Multi-vitamins
-Hoodies and sweats for extra cozy down time
-Shawl or cape for windy nights
-Mini First Aid Kit (include things like benadryl, cold meds, advil, tums, pepto bismol, neosporin, allergy meds, band aids, hand sanitizer, alcohol wipes, vaseline, chapstick, after bite for bug bites, sunscreen, bug spray, airborne, emergen-c, etc.)
-Ginger candy, gum or tea for stomach upset
-Travel umbrella
-iPad loaded with audio books
-Wrist bands for motion sickness
-Super glue, tape, general adhesives (could come in handy if your shoe breaks)
-A great, dependable and comfortable pair of flats
-Black leggings to keep in your purse in case the temperature drops
-Noise canceling headphones
-Ear plugs
-Watch that you can adjust to your new time zone in case you run out of phone battery
-Mophie for the iPhone is great if you need extra battery juice
-Pocket translator/dictionary
-Travel app (see our previous blog post for tips)
-A copy of your passport (make sure you have one with you at all times, but also make sure you leave a copy in the hands of someone at home)
-Granola bars
-Prescription restock if there's anything you take regularly that you might not be able to fill while abroad, especially if you think you might end up traveling longer than planned
-Mini wallet and/or mini purse so you're not clunking around with the usual satchel
-Backup cards for your camera in case you run out of photos
-International adapters if traveling abroad (tip: check that your electronics will be okay at a lower voltage)
-Running shoes
-A great hat for sunny weather
-Shout wipes
-Sewing kit
-Sunglasses!
-A killer pair of heels


Enjoy and safe travels!


Photo Credit: Alison Conklin Photography in a shoot styled by Styled Creative featured on Green Wedding Shoes (a.k.a. adorable engagement shoot)

Destination Wedding: Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch

Since we specialize in destination weddings, we're always on the lookout for the coolest new places to have weddings. A big topic of conversation over the past couple of years has been ranch weddings. We're not talking about weddings on chic, modern ranches, but rather the kind of place you can take the whole family for a weekend getaway filled with horseback riding, mountain biking, hiking, fly fishing, whitewater rafting and just simple relaxation. As total city folk, there's nothing more idyllic and utterly appealing than running off to a place that's off the charts for a few days free of cell phone service and quite frankly, noise. As much as we love the hum drum of city life, there's something so refreshingly romantic about the countryside, especially if you're surrounded by big blue skies and mountains.

The Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch is an amazing old world guest ranch that's tucked away in the sawtooth mountains, about an hour outside of Sun Valley, in a little town called Stanley (pop: 2,703). The ranch was built back in the 1920s and is a series of small log cabins with modern amenities that remains architecturally very true to its original structure.

In a way, the place almost invokes a summer camp type feel, in the sense that there are so many activities you can take part in, whether it's a crash course in fly fishing or a storytelling hour with a local novelist, there's always something going on. Yet, there's also space for down time if you need to just check out for a while.

We love the idea of doing a four day wedding at the ranch, because you can map out optional activitiesr each day, which can be customized according to the events you think your group might be interested in. Then, you can go off-site for the evening wedding events. There are plenty of big, expansive open fields in the area if you wanted to dine in the grass or under a tent. Plus, the ranch itself has a pretty darn cute restaurant for a reception.

Okay, I'm going to stop gushing about how much I love big, beautiful, blue skyed Idaho with all its golden hills and big mountains and trees. In the meantime, let us know if you're considering a ranch venue for your wedding, we'd be happy to share many other venues that might interest you!

xo,

a.b.

Dreamy Destination: St. Barth's

We're so fortunate to be working with a client we adore who is planning to get married in Harbor Island later this year. So, we've been abuzz with talk of island weddings and dreamy locations where we'd love to do weddings and this hotel called La Banane fell on our radar, making an instant impact. It's located in St. Barth's and is a very retro-chic hotel that was founded by french cabaret legend Jean-Marie Riviere back in the 50s, welcoming the likes of Brigitte Bardot, Zaza Gabour and many other legendary ladies. The hotel has been redone in recent years, but still captures that modernist charm in each of the nine bungalows.






We're still searching for the perfect St. Barth's wedding venue, but stumbling upon these amazing hotels along the way is pretty awesome. Do I sense a scout trip coming on? Perhaps! Other hotels on the island that might be worth checking out are the Taiwana and Hotel Le Toiny.

AE Favorite Travel Apps for iPhones

Top 10 Useful iPhone/iPad Apps for Traveling Abroad


1. Skype

You need to be connected to Wifi to use it, but a $10 Skype credit lasts a pretty long while. An hour long talk with someone in the states will typically cost around $.05. You can use it for face time calls or just plain old phone calls.

2. Currency

It's always nice to be able to quickly convert the bill from foreign currency into US dollars so you know how much you're spending. The good thing is you don't need a wifi connection for it to work after the first time you use it, it will just use the most recently updated exchange rate.

3. Lonely Planet Spanish

You should probably go through some of these phrases on the plane as a quick refresher for Spanish. It's also nice to have in your pocket if you completely blank on how to say something like, "Donde esta el bano?" This one costs $6 and it's worth it, but if you'd rather not shell out the coin there are plenty of decent free spanish phrase apps on the app store. Lonely Planet offers many additional languages.

4. Google Translate or iTranslate

Speak English into your phone and have your phone spit out the spanish - it's just like Star Trek. The only downside is you need a wifi connection for it to work.

5. Word Lens

This may be more of a novelty than it's actually a useful translation tool, but it's pretty amazing to hold your phone's camera up to a spanish language menu and see the words translated to English in real time!

6. The Weather Channel

It's always nice to have the forecast at your fingertips, no matter where you're traveling.

7. Yelp

Yelp is awesome when you're in unfamiliar territory. It's sort of like finding out about a great restaurant or cool bar by word of mouth - but in the modern way, where you don't have to actually interact with anyone.

8. WhatsApp Messenger
PingChat!
Textie (only one also built for iPad)

These are all free SMS like apps that are free if you're on Wifi. They're all cross platform apps so you can text people on different devices and different networks. They all work well.

9. FlightTrack (for ipad as well)
GateGuru

Track your flight in realtime, find your gate, departure info, find delays, rebooked your flight - it works pretty well most of the time.

10. Sit or Squat: Bathroom Finder

Last but not least, it is as advertised - a network to locate and rate good, clean, public restrooms all over the world.

BONUS: Best Photo Apps
Camera+
Hipstamatic
Instagram (also a social network for photos)

Most people with iPhones already have one of these apps. If you don't do yourself a favor and download one of them. Make your low res phone photos actually look good - by covering them in a layer of vintage camera effects.


NOTE: Major props to Pete McCoubrey for contributing to this list

Style Me Pretty Post Today!

Check us out on Style Me Pretty today! These photos are from a wedding we did a few months back in Tulum, Mexico. Lovely photos were shot by the amazing duo Paco and Betty, based out of SF. Jamie and Justin were such a blast to work with and if you can't tell from the photos, just oh so in love. You can catch the full story on SMP.

Dream Destination: Zihuatanejo, Mexico

Mexico is such a perfect place for a destination wedding. It's tropical, romantic, gorgeous and so rich in culture. Right now we're particularly loving Zihuatanejo, a small town on the Pacific side of Mexico. You can fly direct into Zihuatanejo via United, Continental and Alaska, so it's an easy trip for you and your wedding guests. Plus, there are tons of places to stay. Our favorite hotels in the area are the Tides Hotel, Amuleto Hotel and Casa Que Canta. And if you'd prefer to get married off the beaten path, there are quite a few private estates and villas you can rent as well.

Photos below are from a villa Alison recently visited on her Spring Break trip to Zihuatanejo. It would be perfect for a wedding of about 50 guests. The views of the harbor are phenomenal and you can do dinner and dancing all outside overlooking the bay. The luxurious property sleeps 12 guests and has lovely rooms and amenities and there are homes on both sides that can also be rented for guests.

Inspired by Mexico

In celebration of spring, Alison headed off to Mexico for a surf and relaxation trip with some friends a few weeks ago. Our friend, the insanely talented photographer Thayer Allyson Gowdy, was along for the ride and shot these drool worthy photos. Maybe next week I'll give you some destination wedding inspiration to play off these photos, but for now, just loving the sunshine in these shots. This makes me soooo excited for our three weddings in Riviera Maya this year!