Destination Spotlight: Pt. Reyes

Spent this weekend in the cute little town of Inverness, just next to Pt. Reyes Station.

We ended up getting a room at the super cozy and adorable Manka's Inverness Lodge where we were greeted with rum spiked hot apple cider in the Airstream lobby. Our room was sweet, complete with a fireplace, big soaking claw foot tub and a little balcony overlooking the mountains. In the morning we were woken up to a thermos full of hot coffee, fresh baked cinnamon bread, granola and yogurt with fruit, and the sweetest apple juice I've ever had.

Decided to explore Pt. Reyes Station at night and found ourselves listening to the Muddy Roses, a country western band based out of SF at the local Old Western Saloon. They were pretty awesome and definitely livened up the place.

The next afternoon we made our way over to the Cowgirl Creamery in town, which was a pretty cool spot to see in person. Then, we went off to a late lunch at Marin Sun Farms, the local butcher shop. Unbelievable meal we had there (Hint: if you go, get the brussell sprouts, they're salty and tangy and perfectly cooked).

Anyway, thought you'd enjoy the photos and if you ever find yourself in Inverness, I'd definitely recommend all these spots. Oh, and if you love the mountain lodge feel, Manka's does weddings (see one we did a couple years ago here).

Have a great week!



xo
a.b.

Kauai Island Wedding at the St.Regis

We're super excited to be heading out to the St. Regis Princeville in a couple of months. It's located on Kauai island in Hawaii and is part of Hanalei Bay, with sweeping views of mountainous back drops and warm Pacific waters.

We're dying to do a wedding at the St. Regis. On site, there are several ceremony and reception locations throughout the property, including a lawn overlooking the ocean, a cliffside terrace, a terrace overlooking a waterfall, and a garden cabana area. Their ballroom space is pretty neutral, so easy to create your own environment indoors if you don't want to dine outside. They also offer an authentic Hawaiian menu from their five star restaurant, an incredible spa, and the concierge can help you coordinate island activities for everyone.

From everything we've seen and heard so far, we can only imagine it will be pure paradise, but will keep you posted after our trip out there!

Images courtesy of St.Regis

Mountain Dreamy Destination: Dunton Hot Springs

Dunton Hot Springs is located in the San Juan Mountains of the Colorado Rockies, overflowing with natural hot springs. One of the best qualities about this secluded location is that you can rent the entire town exclusively for your wedding! Picture yourself getting married in their open-air wood chapel with views of a 40-foot waterfall, and then leading guests to their classic saloon and dance hall. It's the perfect mountain wedding!



Images courtesy of Dunton Hot Springs

Mountain Dreamy Destination: Brush Creek Ranch

Brush Creek Ranch is the ultimate American West getaway in the heart of Wyoming's Sierra Madre range. The quintessential log cabins make you feel right at home, the views from the entire property are stunning, and the activities in the outback are endless, perfect for entertaining your family or wedding guests!




Images courtesy of Brush Creek Ranch

Mountain Dreamy Destination: Badrutt's Palace Hotel

The Badrutt's Palace Hotel is every mountain lovers dream, located in the Swiss Alps in the picturesque town of St. Moritz, Switzerland. Whether you choose to visit during the summer or winter, each season provides a unique experience that will rejuvenate and revive you!




Images courtesy of Badrutt's Palace Hotel

Mountain Dreamy Destination: Blackberry Farm

Happy Holidays everyone! This week we are featuring our top mountain dreamy destinations, starting off with the Blackberry Farm in Tennessee. Sprawled across 4,200 acres in the Great Smoky Mountains are a total of 51 rooms, allowing for a romantic, intimate getaway in the mountainside. For an authentic outdoor experience, take your pick at one of their many activities including biking, hiking, and fishing, or try eating at one of their tasty restaurants featuring foods from their impressive-sized garden. You can also visit the Great Smokey Mountains National Park, just a few miles down the road!



Images courtesy of Blackberry Farm

Desert Dreamy Destination: Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa

Our final pick for the most dreamy desert destination is the Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa, in Dubai. It's nestled within a green and aqueos oasis amongst towering dunes and dazzling desert landscapes. It's the most glorious way to experience the Arabian desert's history and hospitality.




Images courtesy of Al Maha

Desert Dreamy Destination: Sanctuary Camelback Mountain

The Sanctuary Camelback Mountain in the beautiful Paradise Valley, Arizona, is known for it's incredible spa, astounding cuisine and stunning surroundings. Take your pick from the 74 mountainside or 24 spa casitas, and indulge yourself in this luscious desert resort.




Images courtesy of Sanctuary Camelback Mountain

Desert Dreamy Destination: Korakia Pensione

This traditional Morrocoan-themed desert retreat is located in the ideal Southern California destination of Palm Springs. The majestic Korakia Pensione emits an intimate and relaxed atmosphere, with a stunning mountain backdrop for the perfect outdoor wedding!



Images courtesy of Meg Smith

Country Dreamy Destination: The Kildare Hotel

Upon entering The Kildare Hotel, Spa & Country Club, you'll find yourself experiencing a quintessential Irish country escape. The rooms are furnished with precious antiques, paintings, and furnishings, allowing you to live through all the history the estate has to offer. It's an ancient masterpiece with modern service and amenities.

Images courtesy of The Kildare Hotel

Country Dreamy Destination: Post Ranch Inn

The stylish accommodations in the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, California, consist mainly of separate houses set atop a cliff, each with a fireplace, jacuzzi spa tub, private deck, and breathtaking ocean and mountain views. Only 3 hours south of San Francisco, this is an incredibly cozy and romantic luxury resort that makes you feel like you're worlds away.





Images courtesy of Post Ranch Inn

Beach Dreamy Destination: Hotelito Desconocido

Tucked away in a lush, green area in Jalisco, Mexico, is our last beach dreamy destination of the week, Hotelito Desconocido. There are 27 bungalows available on either the white-sand beach or in the lavishly green lagoon. Combine this with the three ecovillages within the property, and you'll feel like you're staying in the most luxurious jungle Mexico has to offer.

Images courtesy of Hotelito Desconocido

Beach Dreamy Destination: Esencia

Stretched out across 50 acres of one of the most beautiful beaches in the Riviera Maya, is the luxurious sea-side escape, Esencia. We love Esencia because it's super cozy, with amazing food and impeccable service. Tulum is one of the prettiest up and coming tourist zones of Mexico. It's about 2 hours south of Cancun, situated right along the Riviera Maya. So, you're surrounded by white-sand beaches and within a close walk to the historic ruins of the old town.

Images Courtesy of Esencia Hotel

Beach Dreamy Destination: Travaasa Hana

Located on the island of Maui,Travaasa Hana is a small collection of cottages and condo-like suites that overlook the greenery of Hawaii, with the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop. While Maui is one of the more popular tourist destinations, Hana is a serene and secluded getaway, perfect for a honeymoon or a little anniversary getaway. We were sold at the lava-rock whirlpool and ukelele and hula classes, but also stellar is the fact that you can fly right into Hana Airport, so it's super easy to get to.

Image courtesy of Travaasa Hana

Beach Dreamy Destination: Katikies

Another one of our top favorite beach destinations is Katikies, located on the Cyclades Islands in Greece. Set atop a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, this luxurious getaway reflects a modern approach to a traditional Greek hotel. It's a boutique escape, with less than 25 rooms on property, settled at the edge of a cute little grecian town. The white-washed walls contrasting with the deep blue water views provide a truly breathtaking Greek setting!




Images courtesy of Katikies Hotel

Beach Dreamy Destination: Cotton House, Caribbean

This week we are featuring our top five favorite beach destinations and some cool hotels in each location. Enjoy!



Cotton House is one of our favorite getaways in all of the Caribbean Islands, it's located in Mustique, which is part of the Grenadines. It's a small, boutique style hotel with less than 20 rooms, so it's super intimate and cozy. The design is modern meets colonial style, with a true island feel. We love this place for a honeymoon or a romantic getaway!


Image courtesy of Cotton House

Dreamy December Destination Wedding Inspiration

In honor of our favorite month, we've decided to spend every day posting a destination we're obsessed with. We're addicted to the Travel and Leisure guide to hot new places and can't get enough travel books in our office, so figured we'd share some of the cool places we've discovered in the past year with all of you. Starting on Monday, December 5th, we'll be posting a new dreamy destination every weekday through the end of the year. Some of the destinations will be pretty venues, some mountainous hotels, some desert based vacation spots and great ideas for honeymoons. We hope you enjoy this little labor of love project and we'd love to hear your feedback as you read about each location.

Happy Holidays from the team!


xoxo,
Alison, Kelsey, Alyssa and Susie

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.