Henderson Park Inn

Gorgeous scenery, quality time with family and friends…what’s not to love about a destination wedding?! If you’re looking for the perfect combination of natural beauty, romance and unique activities for your guests, then the Riviera Maya is the perfect choice for your destination wedding. And today I am super excited to introduce you to one of the most amazing places for an unforgettable wedding weekend in the Riviera Maya…drum roll, please… El Dorado Spa Resorts by Karisma!  While this trip was sponsored by Apple Vacations, all of my opinions are my own, and I promise to give a thorough and honest review of the resorts!

With Chicago winter in full swing, I can’t help but wish for the sunshine and tropical breezes of gorgeous Jamaica. Earlier this year I had the privilege of visiting the spectacular Sandals South Coast with Aisle Society, and y’all, it was absolutely paradise. If you’re dreaming of a Caribbean destination wedding, there are no resorts more lovely (or stress-free!) than Sandals Resorts. We were treated to an exclusive preview of Sandals’ new Aisle to Isle experience, and let me tell you, it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Featuring 8 all-new, luxurious choices inspired by the tropics, gardens, romance, passion, nature, and sand and sea, each Aisle to Isle design offers absolutely swoon-worthy attention to detail and a destination wedding experience like no other. From personalized wedding décor to authentic events, Sandals’ Aisle to Isle concept is fully customizable and will deliver any couple’s dream wedding in paradise. Oh, and you and your guests will enjoy a completely blissful, all-inclusive Caribbean vacation experience too. Trust me, a visit to Sandals is basically heaven.

If you follow my Instagram and Insta stories, you’ll know that I recently returned from Bridal Fashion Week in NYC and had the opportunity to spend two fantastic nights at The William Vale in Brooklyn’s most fantastic neighborhood, Williamsburg. When I lived in New York, Williamsburg was always one of my favorite local destinations, so I was incredibly excited to spend some time enjoying the area (wow, how it’s grown!) and relaxing at what I had heard was a spectacular new hotel. And friends, I was absolutely not disappointed. The William Vale has both an undeniable “it factor” and an atmosphere comfy enough that my 37 year-old, decidedly un-hipster self felt right at home. From the moment you step foot on property, the first thing you notice that the building is really a work of art. The architecture is interesting and stands out while blending into the surrounding area, and art installations are everywhere – right down to the elevators! The next thing on your mind is—of course—the rooms, and let me just pause here to say, the rooms at The William Vale are not your normal NYC hotel rooms. They are light, airy, high-tech (chargers for all phone types built into the bedside!), and each room features a private balcony with a simply unbelievable view.

Recently, I was invited to visit the incredible Royalton Blue Waters in Montego Bay with my fellow Aisle Society ladies Gillian of Coastal Bride and Sara of Burnett’s Boards. It was my first time in Jamaica, and I was absolutely bowled over by the turquoise waters, soft sandy beaches, and Jamaican hospitality! The Royalton Blue Waters is a brand new all-inclusive resort, and from the moment we set foot outside customs, every moment was spent in pure luxury. The rooms were some of the most comfortable and technologically advanced accommodations I have ever seen! Each room featured ocean views, rain showers, huge Jacuzzi tubs, charging stations and outlets throughout, and reliable, fast wifi. Oh, and probably the most comfortable bed I have ever experienced. It was basically the perfect room!

Are you dreaming of a destination wedding, but unsure about the logistics and spend for your guests? You may have never considered Las Vegas, but I’m here to tell you that it’s not all Elvis impersonators and smoke-filled casinos. Recently, several Aisle Society ladies visited Las Vegas and had the amazing opportunity to stay at The Venetian and learn more about weddings at the luxury Italian-themed property and its sister resort, The Palazzo. I had visited The Venetian before, but had never stayed in the hotel, so I was so excited to experience the all-suite resort.

On the hunt for your perfect honeymoon locale? Looking for a place that is part island paradise and part eclectic European flair? Look no further than the gorgeous island of Martinique. Just a few short hours from Miami, nestled in the Eastern Caribbean sea, Martinique is a perfect honeymoon destination for the couple looking for Caribbean paradise with a twist. A region of France, Martinique’s culinary scene is unparalleled in the Caribbean, with island-inspired continental cuisine at every turn. We were recently able to visit Martinique and spend several days taking in the beauty of the island. Keep reading for details on how to win a trip for two to Martinique!

The winter season is upon us, and as we bundle up in cute scarves and mittens, we can’t help but sigh longingly as we gaze at these images from Paradisus! While we adore winter for its holiday festivities and gorgeous weddings, there’s just something about being swept away to a romantic location that makes us wish we were at a one of their beautiful resorts right now.

There is perhaps nothing as important as preserving your most precious memories—and with Shutterfly, you can create a stylish, professional photo book on your computer from the comfort of your home! Each premium photo book is bound with genuine leather covers and contains double-thick, professional grade paper. But what goes inside is entirely up to you! Choose from vintage to modern themes, add creative embellishments and text boxes in your choice of font to make each page your own. We were so excited by all that Shutterfly’s photo books offer that we had to build a honeymoon album ourselves!

We know you love planning the wedding, but as huge travel buffs, we can let you in on a little secret – planning the honeymoon is just as fun! Italy is one of the most popular honeymoon destinations, especially for those of you planning spring and summer weddings, and today we are excited to share some of our favorite honeymoon spots in Italy with you—along with a few helpful travel and jewelry protection tips—in partnership with Perfect Circle™ Jewelry Insurance by Jewelers Mutual.

Some of the most striking photographs we see at EAD don’t simply capture a beautiful bouquet or a stunning bride: they also frame memorable moments within the lovely architecture of a unique wedding venue.  It takes a distinctive type of photographer to be able to capture those oh-so-special moments: a graceful bride, a dome of windows bouncing light off a wedding dress, and pillars flanking happily oblivious newlyweds, and our newest Chicago vendor guide member, Artisan Events, knows just where to look.   Over their 15 years in business, the Artisan team, founded by award-winning photographer Amanda Sudimack, has photographed a variety of different Chicago venues.  Here are some of their favorites – perhaps one is the perfect choice for your wedding!

Most brides that I talk to have a difficult time with two things: the honeymoon and setting up their registry. There are SO many honeymoon destinations to choose from, where to even start? And for the registry, either they have their homes set up and already have what they need, they really don’t want that fancy china set, or have enough champagne flutes to host P Diddy’s Grammy Awards after-party. It’s situations like these that call for an alternative to the usual bridal registry. That’s why today we’re featuring the lovely Wanderable!

As a true Southern girl, I can tell you that there’s nothing like the glow of the Florida sun.  I adore Central Florida - fabulous resorts, impeccably manicured golf courses, picturesque parks, and the classic Southern beauty of green grass, gazebos and oak trees – there’s simply no better place to plan your destination wedding than the Heart of Florida, Kissimmee.

If you happen to read EAD Living or follow me on Twitter, you may know that I absolutely love to travel, so I’m incredibly excited to welcome Excellence Group Luxury Resorts as the newest EAD sponsor.  The Excellence Group Luxury Resorts are 5-star, all-inclusive sanctuaries that cater exclusively to adults, making them the perfect choice for your destination wedding or honeymoon!

There is only one word to describe this inspiration shoot shared by Lisa Gilbertson of Simply Fabulous Events & Design – stunning.  Lisa set out to create a shoot that encourages brides to think outside the box when searching for gowns, flowers, and even venues for their wedding.  She chose to showcase a beautiful ruffled gray Kate Towers dress (elegant and quite bridal without being fluffy and white), bold fuschia and black floral created by Ashley Fox Designs, and the gorgeous Minneapolis venue Architectural Antiques, a gem of an antique store that opens its doors to small weddings and receptions.  Tasha of Red Bird Hills captured the gorgeous images, and the overall look is just fabulous and so inspiring.  Thanks Lisa for sharing!

I absolutely love January. To me, it feels like a fresh start to eat healthy, workout and organize life. But I really think the most exciting part about January is that spring clothes are making their way into the stores. This is extra exciting for me this year as I am looking for some fun outfits and accessories to take on our honeymoon in mid-April!

If you follow me on Twitter or read EAD Living you might know that I’m an avid traveler – in fact there is nothing I love more. (Except for puppies, that is.) So it has to be said that if I were to get married again I would jump all over setting up a honeymoon registry with Travelers Joy.

A few weeks ago we booked our honeymoon, woohoo! We had been searching and searching for a great deal to Maui in April, but everything around that time was so expensive. We had also heard that food and drinks are very expensive in Maui and since we are quite frugal when it comes to eating at restaurants, we decided to go the all-inclusive route. At first I was hesitant. I have read horrible reviews of all-inclusive resorts and their food and watered down drinks. Fortunately we were able to find a gorgeous resort that has wonderful reviews on their food, drinks, service and accommodations. Even better, Costco had a great deal happening a few weeks ago so we got a great price on it too. We are going to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and staying at the Secrets Sanctuary in Cap Cana.

My husband and I met as a result of serving in the Peace Corps in Africa, so it should come as no surprise that our honeymoon would be somewhere off the beaten path.  As much as we love relaxing on a beach with pina coladas, we also enjoy the essence of traveling and getting down and dirty with the local culture—so we wanted to find a destination where we could have it all.   We had a few criteria in selecting a place: 1) Neither of us could have been there before  2) It was far,  far, FAR  away  3)  It might be a difficult place to travel (i.e. lack of infrastructure:  hospitals, roads, nice hotels, etc).

My husband and I knew early on we wanted to go on an exotic honeymoon far, far, FAR away.  Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do it right after the wedding.  In addition to exhausting our finances and planning on the wedding, June was a very busy month for both of us at work. So we decided that we would save up for a few months after the wedding and began planning for it the week after.

Based on my email archive from last year – yes, I just checked it – Jon and I had more or less settled on a wedding date by the weekend after we were engaged on a Tuesday. We had narrowed it down to the last two weekends in May, before it gets too hot in Atlanta to get fancied up, and the main debate was holiday weekend vs. non-holiday weekend. The latter won out, which had the added benefit of giving us an extra day (Memorial Day) for travel and/or recovery at the end of our honeymoon. Score!