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HONEYMOON DESTINATION: RIVIERA MAYA, MEXICO

Just a hop, skip and a cab ride away from its more raucous neighbors, this part of Mexico offers a quiet 'moon filled with beach lounging, town exploring, nature watching—and all the guac you can eat.

Posted by Christine Speer Lejeune on 2/6/2013 at 5:23PM | No Comments
Honeymoon Destination: Riviera Maya, Mexico (With Photos!)

The Island Suite at the Rosewood Mayakoba Resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico. All photos in this post courtesy of the resort.

You might be surprised that a place so near Cancún—a town where, likely as not, you and 15 of your closet college buds once played quarters with shots of Jose Cuervo—would be where you’d choose to spend the first blissful days of your marriage. But there you have it: The Riviera Maya, nestled cozily between beach and jungle, just 45 minutes by shuttle from the Cancún airport, offers one of the most luxurious, peaceful and unforgettable escapes in all of Mexico—maybe all the Western Hemisphere. Spend your honeymoon at the gorgeous, nature-inspired Rosewood Mayakoba Resort, and the world outside—not to mention the last few months of your planning craze—just washes away.
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CHANGING YOUR NAME: WHAT I WISH I WOULD HAVE KNOWN

Our newly married writer wishes she had had a crib sheet for this process.

Posted by Christine Speer Lejeune on 5/9/2012 at 3:21PM | No Comments

Photodisc

It isn’t too much of a stretch to say that I really liked most of the wedding planning process. I certainly liked getting married: I liked our ceremony, our party, our honeymoon. I was, for the most part, excited about every part of becoming a Mrs.—except for the long series of adventures involved in actually becoming a Mrs. And by that I mean the official changing of my name.
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WHY YOU SHOULD DO NOTHING FOR YOUR HONEYMOON

Posted by Christine Speer Lejeune on 2/23/2012 at 10:52AM | 1 Comment

Christy and Jer on their honeymoon horseback ride in Mexico.

Earlier this week, I wrote about all the effort that goes into planning a long-distance wedding when you’re doing it from here in Philly. My husband and I had a fair amount of fun working together on our wedding—and a whole lot of fun actually enjoying the wedding—but when the whole thing was done, I can honestly say I have never felt so tired in my life. Happy, but just bone tired.
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HOW TO PLAN YOUR DESTINATION WEDDING FROM PHILLY

Posted by Christine Speer Lejeune on 2/21/2012 at 10:46AM | 1 Comment

Christy and Jer, just after saying "I do!" in Nashville. Photo by Photographix.

At approximately 10 p.m. on the evening of October 9, 2010, my husband and I got engaged. At approximately 10:15 p.m., we started trying to decide where we’d get married. He’s a lifelong Philadelphian; I’m a native Tennessean who considers Philly my home, but Nashville my hometown. Philly was where we met and fell in love; but Nashville meant a fun trip for our guests. (Also, fried chicken.)

In the end, Tennessee won out. We did the wedding at our favorite restaurant down there, with barbecue and fried chicken and biscuits and bluegrass music. I wouldn’t change a single thing about any of it—though I’d be lying if I said there weren’t moments when I envied the brides who were planning local weddings here in Philly and who could just pop on over to the venue to take measurements or whatever.

For sure, long-distance planning had its own set of challenges (like plane fare for the four trips down over the summer, for instance). But our wedding was so special to us, it felt so totally worth it—plus, I think I learned a few things in the process. Now, I’m full of (unsolicited) advice for any bride-to-be considering a long-distance wedding that has to be planned from right here in Philly. In case this means you, here are my top tips:
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