New Series: Planning a Destination Wedding

One of the lovely brides who responded to our inquiry for a new bride-to-be happened to have just gotten engaged, and has also decided on a destination wedding! We thought this would be a great opportunity for our readers to see how foreign destination wedding planning can differ from that in the states. Even the groom will be adding his perspective as well! We won't be hearing from Amanda and Nate every week, but they will keep us updated throughout the yearlong planning process...

From the bride:
Quaking Aspen Campground in the Sequoia National Forest is where “it” happened. After a long stroll under the stars with our two pups during Labor Day Weekend, Nate asked me to be his wife. It was the perfect moment; a moment I will never forget.

{Nate and me at Ponderosa Lodge the day after the engagement (that’s Moxie peeking over the table)}

We were lucky enough to cherish the new engagement for a day, just the two of us, with no interruptions from the outside world. Driving back to our home in Los Angeles, cell phone service returned and immediately the phone calls were nonstop. Apparently he had asked my parents in June and had told his parents around the same time, so they had been waiting for the moment to happen for months. I am still shocked my mom and his mom were able to keep it secret, ha! Nate and I have been together for almost six years and now we are ready and extremely excited to start this next chapter in our lives.

{Pictures of us at Dome Rock with Moxie and Chowder}

As soon as the phone calls stopped and the Facebook messaging died down, we dove into planning. We immediately decided to do something a little non-traditional: a laid-back destination wedding! Our families and friends will be invited to join us in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico to celebrate our marriage and enjoy a vacation with us as well.
Nate and I are thrilled to share with all of you Lucky Orchid readers the ups and downs, the fun times and the stressful times of planning our dream Destination Wedding. Every now and then Nate will make a special appearance in order to share the groom’s experiences.

Next up on Planning a Wedding - Destination Style: nailing down a travel agent, booking a date at an all-inclusive resort for October, 2011, as well as designing the invitations and getting them out early so that our guests have plenty of time to plan!

I love my ring! He picked out the perfect vintage style!

Lots of Love,
Amanda