Honeymoon Road Trip (Part 1)

I want to start off by saying that these honeymoon posts will be the longest I'll ever write, but I want to remember everywhere we went and all the fun things we did.

Khanh and I finally escaped the cold Michigan winter to go on our honeymoon. We loaded up my 2015 Jeep Cherokee Limited and headed out on the open road for 15 days. We stayed in 7 cities in 5 states. Though it wasn't the honeymoon we were dreaming of, it was absolutely perfect and I wouldn't trade it for any other trip. OK, maybe Hawaii!

Our first overnight stop was Nashville, Tennessee. But, first, we made a quick pit stop just outside of Bowling Green, Ohio at the National Corvette Museum. This stop was special to me because my grandpa was a member of the museum's founding board and his name is on a brick located near the front entrance. We also got to see the huge sink hole from February 12, 2014 and all the cars that were salvaged.

We arrived at the Residence Inn Nashville Airport in Nashville, Tennessee just before dinner. My grandparents friend, Dr. Bob, who is a vocal surgeon for all the country stars, made reservations for us at the best table at Sperry’s Restaurant, a steakhouse in the cutest little neighborhood. This was the only meal we splurged on during our entire trip because it was also my birthday!

We woke up the next morning and had the continental breakfast provided by the hotel. After filling up on waffles, we headed out to explore Nashville. Our first stop was the Grand Ole’ Opry. Unfortunately, we arrived too early and the only thing open was the gift shop.

Next on our agenda was exploring downtown Nashville. We got gypped paid for parking and started looking for the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge. It’s a big, beautiful bridge in the heart of downtown Nashville that connects the city on both sides of the Cumberland River. After exploring the bridge, we wanted to tour the Country Music Hall of Fame, but decided against it after seeing the admission prices. Here’s the thing, Khanh isn't a country music fan and didn't want to spend money to look at something he could care less about. I know, I know, what horror! I’m working on him still. After all that excitement for the morning, we found ourselves back at the hotel for a quick nap before being locked in a room with four strangers for an hour.

The Escape Game – Nashville, was hands-down most fun we had in Nashville. We decided to give the Classified Room a try this time around. Our group was acting as anti-terrorists trying to find clues that would lead us to terrorists (or in this case just unlocking the door to escape in the allotted 60 minutes.) We escaped with seconds to spare!

After such an intense game, our stomachs were begging to be fed and Edley’s Bar-B-Que hit the spot. I always gravitate towards pulled pork at any BBQ place, and this time it definitely did not disappoint.

Back at the hotel, we packed our things up before our heads hit the pillow. Stay tuned for our next stop in Hot Springs, Arkansas!

You're Engaged! 5 Easy Steps To Start Wedding Planning

First, I want to say congratulations! Being engaged is such a special moment in your relationship but it can also become stressful very quickly. You may be thinking that hiring a wedding planner is necessary, but I'm here to tell you that you can do this on your own. Planning your wedding will undoubtedly be one of the hardest, yet most rewarding, things you will accomplish to date. Just follow these 5 Easy Steps To Start Wedding Planning and planning your dream wedding will be a little less stressful.

(Photo credit: Morghan of Arowyn Photography)

Step 1: Do absolutely no wedding-related tasks for the first week
Seriously. The next few months will be chaotic, so take this week to let it sink in that you are getting married. Go on a date with your new fiancé. People will notice that new shiny addition on your finger and the glowing smile of the bride-to-be.

Step 2: Decide on a season
Have you envisioned a beach wedding? A Winter Wonderland wedding? A wedding in the woods? Now is the time to settle on the season and a range of dates. 

Step 3: Choose a color palette
There are no rules behind picking a color scheme. You can choose your favorite colors or go with seasonal colors. I wold recommend using either 2 or 3 colors. Having too many colors can be distracting and overwhelming for your guests.

Step 4: Book a ceremony and reception venue
You have a few options when it comes to venues. You can either have the ceremony and reception at the same location or you can opt to have them at separate locations. Some people say that you will save money if both the ceremony and reception are held at the same venue. I didn't find this to be true when planning my wedding. Take time to research different venues in your area. Read all the contracts before signing and putting money down. Note: if you are holding your event at two locations, be sure to get available dates from both venues before booking.

Step 5: Research vendors 

This is the time to think about photographers, videographers and florists. Most everyone knows someone, whether it be a family member or a friend, that provides one of these services. So, you're probably thinking that it could either be cheaper to hire them or that it's nice to help their business out. Bad idea! I learned this hard way. Learn from my mistakes so you don't experience the same struggles I did. Your family and friends want to enjoy your wedding day along with you, not behind a camera. Do your research, you can (and will!) find inexpensive options for these services.

Enjoy this time in your life. Someone once told me that I would be the only one to know if something doesn't get done. That's so true. Don't worry if the sparklers for your grand departure didn't arrive in time or the font on the programs is blue instead of black. Trust me, no one will notice. 

Catholic Ceremony with a Traditional Vietnamese Dress (Ao Dai)

I'm so excited to finally start blogging and share all the details with you about the best day of our lives! This is the first of many upcoming wedding posts. I'm going to start with the very last event during the week of our wedding - the Catholic ceremony. Don't mind the clarity of the photos. Neither of us had cameras so I am using photos from family members.

Since Khanh is from Vietnam and was raised in the Catholic church, we opted to have a Priest perform a Catholic ceremony the Monday after our traditional Christian ceremony (more on that later). We chose to have this ceremony while his parents were still in the U.S. because it was such a meaningful event to my mother-in-law. I wore a traditional Vietnamese dress, called an Ao Dai, that my mother-in-law actually made and brought with her from Vietnam. That was so special!

We opted not to have the traditional Catholic wedding since we got married two days prior. Instead, the Priest blessed our marriage in the Catholic church. He sprinkled Holy Water on our rings.

The Priest is Vietnamese as well, so he translated parts of the ceremony for my in-laws. That was extra special for them and the smile on my mother-in-laws face was absolutely priceless. We exchanged our vows and our first kiss as husband and wife (in the Catholic church.)

Ice cream was next up on our agenda that night! My in-laws each ordered a medium twist and were shocked at the size. That didn't stop them from eating it - cone and all! But first, we had to take a picture of us leaving the ceremony, which is a Vietnamese tradition.

Thank you to all of our family and friends that came to our very special Catholic wedding ceremony. Also a very special thank you to Khanh's dad and host-mom for being our witnesses.

I’m glad that we agreed to have two ceremonies and, if I could, I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat! 

Here's a bonus picture for you! This is the entire Ao Dai. The hat is a little too tight on my head and hurts which is why I wasn't wearing it for all the pictures. We were in such a rush that we didn't get any good pictures with the entire outfit.