All Inclusive Honeymoon Cruise

Are you considering a Carnival Cruise for your honeymoon? We’ve put together some tips to help with your decision.

Is this your first cruise?

Lesson #1, beware the cruise honeymoon if you have never been on a cruise or large boat. Your honeymoon is NOT the time you want to discover that you are prone to extreme seasickness. If you choose to ignore this advice, then for goodness’ sake take lots of Dramamine and seasickness patches with you just in case.

Unlimited Food

Yes, it is true that the food aboard is unlimited. But, please, be smart about what you eat. Cruises are notorious for food poisoning. Try to eat from the mini-restaurants that cook the food to order rather than from the buffet. Every morning the buffet milk was warm, so instead of cereal, choose fruit or fresh cooked bacon.

Activities on Board

Carnival cruises are family-friendly, so you’re going to see a lot of kids on board. Don’t even try to get in the arcade room. Most adults are going to be in the casinos during the day and watching the shows at night. These shows are hit or miss, so I wouldn’t count on that being your sole source of entertainment. Other activities include various classes, an expensive, not-included spa, and a gym. Please check with your fiance before you book a cruise. These kinds of activities are not for everyone. Personally, I quickly grew stir-crazy on the ship.

Activities at Stops

I took the Carnival Cruise to the Bahamas and Turks & Caicos. Each stop consisted of tourist shopping and crowded beaches. I will NEVER do something like this again. Each city seems especially designed for what they think tourists want, not for seeing the true country. For that, you’ll need to pay an independent tour guide, which can be risky. But you might find a local gem, like this pretty little church:

                                      

As for beaches, the sandy beaches are man-made and very crowded. The natural beaches are beautiful, but rocky. On the plus side, you’ll be the only one around these rocky beaches, so it’s great for photos.

If I were to go on a Carnival Cruise again, I would pick one with more activities that reflect the nature of the countries visiting, such as ancient ruin sites. That’s just me, though.

Overall, a Carnival Cruise is one of the cheapest honeymoon options around. Excluding costs of getting to the port, you can take a cruise for just a few hundred dollars per person. And if you get bored on the ship, at least there are other honeymoon-specific activities that could keep you occupied. ;)

Bouquet Breakdown #2

Today we present another bouquet breakdown. If you missed the first one, you can find it here: Purple bouquet breakdown. 

For the bouquet shown in today's article, the bride requested pinks & purples with that oh-so-popular eucalyptus. If you're looking for a cheap bouquet, you should definitely consider some of the flowers on this list, as they are some of the most affordable flowers ever. 

Chrysanthemum

These white chrysanthemums come with several flowers on each stem, making it a great value. At 2-3" in diameter, they take up a good amount of space for a low cost. In this bouquet, we only used 3 stems (3 flower heads on each) to create that pop of white. But beware, as soon as chrysanthemums begin to wilt, they shatter, and you'll have a huge mess of petals. For a sturdier alternative with the same look, consider dahlias.

Alestroemeria

Oh Alestroemeria, the cheapest of flowers, found in grocery stores everywhere. These babies have many flowers per stem and come in a wide range of colors. My favorites are the deep burgundy and the white. This bouquet used the "salmon" pink variety. These flowers hold up well and look lovely.

Tissue Culture Statice

We love tissue culture statice for it's deep purple color and long vase life. The flower gets its name from the tissue paper look and texture. After the other flowers wilt and die, you can save this statice and the eucalyptus for a lovely dried bouquet of green and purple.

Silver Dollar Eucalyptus

You're seeing silver dollar eucalyptus EVERYWHERE right now. Greenery is the wedding "flower" of the year. And yes, we followed the trend and fell in love with it, too. Eucalyptus is great because it ages so well. If you leave eucalptus without water (say in a garland) it will just dry and get a little crinkly without losing it's color. And the lovely scent gets stronger as it begins to dry.

Baby Blue Eucalyptus

Ditto above with this baby blue eucalyptus. This variety has a totally different look than the silver dollar, but still has the same great smell and long vase life. Don't be confused by the name, the color is only a slight blue-green.

Mini Roses
We love mini roses for almost every type of arrangement. They come in so many colors, last for 2 weeks, and are surprisingly affordable. A single stem can have 5 or 6 buds, so they're great for bunches in bouquets, as above. We also like to break them apart and use them in floral hair pieces. Be on the lookout for our upcoming blog post on creating unique floral hair pieces.

Should you Rent Bridesmaids Dresses?: A vendor review of Rent-The-Runway

Rent the Runway allows you to rent bridesmaids dresses online instead of purchasing them. We mentioned them in our last post, 3 Places to Buy Bridesmaids Dresses for Under $100. To expand upon this article, here are the pros and cons of using this dress rental service.

Pros:

*     Convenience: Everything is online, which saves you shopping time. The dresses are delivered right to the bridesmaids’ front doors, anywhere in the United States.

            *  Price: Your style isn’t the same as your girls’ styles. The dress you pick out may not be something that they want to wear again. With Rent-the-Runway, your girls save money by renting instead of purchasing. The blue dresses pictured in this article cost about $40 to rent.

 * Value: The company will send you 2 dresses for the price of one. Not sure if you need a size 0 or a 2, a 10 or a 12? You can get both. This provides a better chance that the dresses will fit.

Cons:

*   No room for error: For a Saturday event, your dresses will be delivered on Thursday. So if they don’t fit or are damaged, there is not much time to correct the issue. The dresses must also be in the mail by Sunday, so your bridesmaids will spend Sunday driving around looking for a UPS drop box (perhaps plan ahead for this one).

           *  The dresses aren’t identical: Take a look at some of these pictures from one of our weddings that used Rent-the-Runway. Do you see how the dress on the left  in the above photo is a different color? Well, the company doesn’t do a great job with throwing out old dresses. This dress was faded and threads were hanging off the hem.

      Next picture, above, you can see the dress in the center has a fold under the bust. This girl had to choose between a bold colored, new dress that didn’t quite fit, or a faded, ratty-tatty dress that did. She chose the new dress, but you can tell in the pictures that it isn’t quite right.

Overall, our experience with Rent the Runway has been positive. The bridesmaids usually appreciate the lower cost, especially when the bride wants them to wear full length ball gowns. Our recommendation is that you consult with your bridesmaids. They have to  pay for and wear the dress, so they should get a say in whether their money is going towards buying or renting. 

Our readers love to hear your stories. Share your experience with Rent the Runway in our comments section below! 

3 Places to Buy Bridesmaid Dresses for Under $100

In the South, David’s Bridal dominates the bridal-dress market. There’s at least one or two of this major chain in every big city. But I’ll be honest, I kind of hate David’s Bridal! They’re dresses are soooo cheap. And by cheap I don’t mean “pleasantly budget-friendly.” I mean poorly made, polyester crap. Let’s be honest, with these dresses, there is no way that your bridesmaid is going to “shorten it and wear it again.”

So, you’ve ruled out David’s Bridal. Now, where will you get your bridesmaids dresses? An Elegant Encounter is sharing some of our budget friendly alternatives. 

1. Shop online at Modcloth

                Modcloth is an online store with dresses of all variety. You can get super affordable all the way up to fairly expensive party and floor length dresses. Quality can vary as much as the prices, but the trick is to use the zoom feature to look at the dress up close. You can pretty much determine quality by looking at the fabric type and seams shown in the picture. Worried about sizing? Well, Modcloth allows exchanges for store credit. The biggest thing you want to do is have your girls order their dresses at the same time, to make sure that they have the dress in stock. They’re products are so loveable that if you wait too long, you might miss out.

2. Hit the Mall

                Gather your girls for a Saturday of shopping! You’re going to want a mall with lots of department stores with huge dress sections. For those of you in Nashville, that means Cool Springs Galleria and the Mall at Green Hills. For reasonable prices, Macy’s and Dillard’s have great party dress selections. For the super fancy weddings, Nordstrom is awesome. The purple bridesmaid dress below came from Macy’s. We found 2 that fit the girls at Macy’s in Cool Springs, then called Macy’s at Green Hills to see if they had the 3^rd before purchasing. They were kind enough to hold it for us, and the dresses ended up being perfect! Plus, on sale, these were $40 bridesmaid’s dresses. You’re not going to find that at David’s Bridal!

                For this wedding, the bride chose to be a little different. It was a winter wedding, so we went with these comfy sweater dresses from Old Navy. On sale, $20 each! I understand if this doesn’t fit your style, but they were exactly what we were looking for and totally fit the bridesmaids' budget.

3. Rent the Runway

                Rent the Runway is an online dress rental store. Guys rent their tuxedos, why can’t we rent our dresses? For each rental, you get to pick 2 sizes, both dresses included in the rental price. This gives a better chance of getting a dress that fits. The downside? The dresses arrive in the mail 1-2 days before the event, so there isn’t much chance for correction if they dress is horrible. See our upcoming post for a full review of our experiences with Rent the Runway.

Do you have more ideas for beautiful, inexpensive bridesmaid attire? Share them with us in the comments or at anelegantencounter@gmail.com

Wedding Musicians Company

Think you can’t afford live music for your wedding? You’re wrong! Wedding Musicians Company offers live musicians for a modest price. They offer single musicians and ensembles.

If your wedding is a low-key affair with no dancing, consider a single musician to set the mood. They can play favorite songs or light background music. If your wedding is a more extravagant event, they offer a variety of professionals, such as the string quartet, jazz trio, and many more. Vocalists are available, as well. Nothing says class like live, instrumental music.

One DJ in Nashville quotes $700 for 4 hours of DJ services. That’s insane! Wedding Musicians Company offered one of our brides a package that included violin services for a ½ hour ceremony and guitar services for a 2-hour reception for less than half the cost! And remember, this is LIVE music, not a guy with some records and a boombox.

The owner of Wedding Musicians Company will email with you to help you find a selection that works for your ceremony. Contact him through their website: www.weddingmusicianscompany.com

Whichever live music option you choose, Wedding Musicians Company is sure to add a touch of elegance to your event.

Make Me Blush Make-up Artistry Review

By Kayla

After researching several hair and make-up stylists for weddings specifically, I found a place with the prime location in Hendersonville, Tennessee, called Make Me Blush Artistry.  I found them on Facebook where they had several photos and useful information.  Although they have no website, their Facebook page is plenty.  I am very thankful I found them due to their location and price.

The owner is easy to contact, quick to respond, and very reliable.  The prices are also fantastic in comparison to most other places I checked out for weddings.  Make Me Blush gives you the option of you and/or your wedding party to either come to their main studio location or going to you.  I chose to go to their studio location since it was just me and on the way to my wedding venue.  I got complete hair and make-up as well as a trial look for the wedding the week before all for only $175 dollars.  All other places I looked charged at LEAST $300 for the exact same thing.

The owner and her assistant were very nice and went out of their way to please.  They even provided a variety of drinks for me to choose from during the main hair and make-up session before my wedding.  They asked to look at several photos of examples that I would like my hair and make-up to look like for my wedding before actually beginning on my look.  Luckily, I already knew I wanted to use clip-in extensions for my look and discussed this with the owner of Make Me Blush before the trial appointment so she was able to give me some good suggestions about where to go and what kind of extensions to look for, because although they put in extensions, they do not provide them.  I honestly cannot think of one negative comment about my experience with Make Me Blush.

Bouquet Breakdown

By Kelsey

This purple bouquet is one of our fan favorites. We get compliments on it all the time, and we're so appreciative! A lot of people want to know the name of those deep, dark purple flowers. Today we'll share with you the breakdown of this bouquet and some tips about each flower.

El Aleli - These are the deep, dark purple flowers that everyone loves. There are actually multiple little flowers on each stem, which make it look so full. These are some of the best flowers for the dark purple color. But beware, they have a STRONG smell. You do not want these in your hair or on a corsage. The stems also wilt quickly in excessive heat.

Leatherleaf - These are a very hardy version of ferns. Up close they are tough, shiny, and almost plastic-looking. But mixed into a bouquet, they are a great if you are looking for dark greenery. They are also very affordable.

Orchids (Lilac Mist) - Orchids are very hardy flowers. You can leave them out of water all day and they won't wilt. We recommend them for corsages, boutonnieres, and hair pieces.

Roses (white) - Roses are also pretty hardy. They are surprisingly cheap, unless you have a February wedding (Valentines Day prices, Eek!) Be careful with white roses; any damage will instantly turn brown and will definitely show.

Campanula (stock) - There are several varieties of stock, and most websites don't clarify the type. These "Campanula" stock blooms are about the size of your thumb. There are many blooms per stem, so you get a lot for your money.

Wax Flower - We love these tiny little flowers! They make a great filler, especially if you want to avoid greenery in your bouquet. The come in a variety of pinks, purples, and white.

Looking for a florist in Middle TN? Email anelegantencounter@gmail.com for a free quote today.

Blue Moon BBQ

By Kelsey

Guests often travel a long way and buy fancy gifts for weddings, so many brides feel that the least they can do is offer some good food and fun. The problem is that catering is SO expensive. We met with one caterer who had a $5000 minimum food purchase requirement, which didn't include cake or alcohol. That's insane!

BBQ is the latest wedding trend for affordable event catering, and Blue Moon is our go-to BBQ place. They don't have a minimum purchase requirement, and they're prices are competitive. We have used them for multiple events and weddings, and each time guests rave about the food. They're just so thankful they didn't have to eat another dried out chicken breast type of wedding meal.

Worried that BBQ isn't classy enough for your wedding? Skip the buns, use forks, and put it on fancy plates. I promise, your guests will love it!

If you need a Blue Moon recommendation, our vote is that you go for the mac n' cheese. Seriously, it's awesome. They're flat, pancake-looking cornbread is also wonderful.

To give an example, one of our weddings ordered 2 types of meat (pork & chicken), baked means, mac n' cheese, slaw, cornbread, tea, & lemonade for 75 people, and the total cost was about $800. That comes to about $10 a head, and if you've done any research on caterers, you know that this is an excellent price!

Blue Moon BBQ is located in Lebanon, TN, so they're great for any weddings on the North & East sides of Nashville. They have delivered on time every time that we've used them, and they are good about keeping the food hot. Just watch out for their delivery van; it's tie-dyed with a pig on top, so you might want to hide it in the back, out of view of your pictures.

When you call, talk to the owner, Tom. He's very helpful, and he doesn't need a ton of notice, so Blue Moon is great for last minute weddings, or if you've blown your budget and need to make a caterer change to cut costs. 

Enjoy!

The Honeymoon Destination You Never Considered

By Kelsey

You’ve just used most of your budget on the wedding day. Hey, it’s understandable, it’s the biggest party of your life! But now you need to book a honeymoon. You want something cheaper than an all-inclusive resort, but a bit nicer than a trip to Gatlinburg. Well, I have a recommendation that I bet you didn’t consider: Canada!

Okay, so Canada doesn’t sound like the most exciting place in the world. It’s definitely not sunny Jamaica. However, spare a minute for me to argue the pros of this awesome honeymoon destination. Specifically, we’re talking about the Niagara Falls and Toronto area of Canada.

1.       Niagara Falls isn’t the only waterfall – Yes, of course you need to go to Niagara Falls if you’re visiting this part of Canada. But this area actually has tons of smaller waterfalls. Especially in the early summer, it’s great for romantic hiking with your new husband. 

2.       It’s inexpensive and close to home, but you still need a passport. You can drive there from Tennessee in a single day, yet you’re still getting out of the country.

Dundurn Castle

3.       Canada has castles! That’s right. You never would have thought that this gorgeous castle is right near Toronto. 

Casa Loma - Toronto, Canada

4.       Wineries – No, Canada isn’t exactly known for its wine. But there are lots of cute little wineries just waiting to give your tours and tastings.

5.       Actually, the Chinese food in Toronto is pretty decent. 

6.       Finally, in Canada, milk comes in bags instead of cartons. Seriously, you need to see this at least once in your lifetime. 

How to Save $300 or More on your Wedding Cake

By Kelsey

The average cost of a wedding cake for 150 people is about $600, and we can all name brides who have spent WAY more than that. Wedding cakes are a beautiful part of your special day, but it is a lot of money to spend on something that will be destroyed before the night is over.

If you’re on a budget, your wedding planner will tell you to pick two or three aspects of the wedding that are most important to you. You’ll spend more money in these areas and make cuts on the others. If a 6-tiered masterpiece cake is the most important item on your list, then stop reading now and go for it! I’m sure it will be awesome.

If, however, you would like to save some money on the cake, then we would like to present an alternative: Nothing Bundt Cakes.

Nothing Bundt Cakes offers two-tiered cakes that serve 30 people for $65 each (prices from Cool Springs location website). You can get 5 cakes to serve 150 people for $325. That’s over $350 in savings!

That also means that you can try 5 different flavors (I’m in love with the white-chocolate raspberry, while my husband loves the red velvet.) A lot of guests will wait around just to see the cake-cutting and have a slice, and there’s nothing worse than a bad tasting wedding cake. Well, I can promise you, these cakes taste amazing. But beware, if you have multiple flavors, guests will want to try them all. You’ve saved so much money, maybe you can afford to buy a bit extra.

Worried about a plain looking cake? Well, if An Elegant Encounter is doing your flowers, we can order extras for the cake. Your cake(s) can match your bouquet! Besides, “naked cakes” are all the rage right now. Check out some of our favorites on our Pinterest page.

With Nothing Bundt Cakes, you can still have beautiful cakes for your pictures, while actually enjoying the flavor. It is a literal case of having your cake and eating it, too. Trust me, your guests are going to RAVE about these cakes.

Minimalist Flowers, Big Impact

By Kelsey

At An Elegant Encounter, we love flowers of all shapes and sizes. We have so much fun creating unique arrangements for each bride. Perhaps large centerpieces are not your style or are out of your budget. Well, consider scattered flowers in single-bud vases as a low-cost alternative that makes a big impact.

For example, this bride ordered 150 scattered single roses, plus 4 bouquets and boutonnieres for a total floral cost of only $450!! The average cost of wedding flowers in the United States is $2-3,000! You can save so much money with this method.

There are so many ways that we can make single stems work for your special day. Order flowers in a variety of colors for a fun look. Or how about solid white flowers in colored vases for total elegance? We can also vary sizes of vases to add height and depth.

Hang stems from the ceiling to give instant drama to the room. Put flowers everywhere! How about covering the steps of your church alter? Yes! In all the windows? Yes! Seriously, put these flowers in every nook and cranny of your venue, and still pay half the cost of a traditional floral arrangements.

Are you totally in love with these square glass bottles? Well, you can rent them when you order flowers from An Elegant Encounter. Email us for a quote today: anelegantencounter@gmail.com

The Hermitage: A Nashville Wedding Venue

By Kelsey

The Hermitage, home of President Andrew Jackson, is one of my favorite wedding and event venues in Nashville. The staff are friendly and helpful. The property is gorgeous. And you can’t beat the Southern charm.

First things first, the Hermitage is absolutely beautiful, and a great place for photo opportunities. In the fall, it is surrounded by colorful leaves. In the winter, you may get lucky enough to get a little snow, and you won’t beat those pictures!

The main mansion on the property is the home of President Andrew Jackson. Due to its historical value, it is not available to rent for functions. However, one thing that that makes The Hermitage unique from other local venues is that it offers mansion and museum tours for wedding guests. I can tell you that a lot of guests kind of hate waiting around at cocktail hours. At The Hermitage, guests can spend time touring the property in between the ceremony and reception, while you take photos.

Other buildings on the property include a cabin, the chapel, and Tulip Grove Mansion. The cabin is used for larger wedding receptions. The staff can also have a tent brought on site for outdoor receptions. The chapel is a small, quaint little space for ceremonies. It isn’t elaborate, but one or two lucky guests can sit in Andrew Jackson’s personal pew.

My favorite building on the property is Tulip Grove Mansion, which was built for the nephew of the President’s wife, Rachel. It is perfect for small to mid-size wedding receptions. Beautiful on the outside and inside, the brightly painted interior walls help brides avoid the hotel-ballroom feel. You might have heard one thing to throw you off: Tulip Grove doesn’t have public bathrooms, so the staff rent a trailer-bathroom for weddings. Don’t let this scare you! It’s super nice, and hidden in back, out of site for your pictures.

I actually only have one negative thing to say about all of my experience in working with the Hermitage. It is that they have a contract with Liberty Party Rental, so you have to rent your party supplies from them. It can be hit-or-miss with Liberty, as some of their staff can be rude and unhelpful. However, the nice thing about the contract is that they deliver the tables, chairs, plates, etc. the day before the wedding, and the Hermitage staff will pack it all up for them to pick up the day after the wedding. This eliminates a lot of hassle for busy brides. And Liberty’s selection is adequate.

One final thing about the Hermitage is that they only host one wedding per weekend. This is awesome because you won’t be competing with other brides for space and time. The staff will be completely devoted to your wedding.

All in all, I 100% recommend The Hermitage for your wedding or event. An Elegant Encounter loves working with them, and we hope to plan or provide flowers for your wedding at Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage. 

St Lucia, Coconut Bay Resort: A Honeymoon Destination Review

By Kayla

For our honeymoon, my husband and I decided on a 5 day trip to St. Lucia in the Caribbean.  We stayed at the Coconut Bay Resort, which is located very close to the airport and on the Atlantic Ocean side of the Island.  My husband did not like the traveling process; however, upon reaching the resort he was literally in paradise.  The first thing after opening the car door, someone from the resort hands you a cold towel and an alcoholic beverage.  By the way, all alcoholic beverages and food are completely free.

Our experiences at the resort and on the Island were amazing.  The resort offered a lot of activities compared to some other resorts on the island, probably because this particular resort is not just for couples, although they have one side of the resort which is strictly for adults, the side that we had our room.  We did venture onto the family side on occasion, however, due to their being a couple of extremely fun water slides and different types of pools.  The resort offers free canoeing and snorkeling among other water activities.  Of course there were different sorts of shows and other events going on around the resort, but we really didn’t participate in any of these activities just because we wanted our honeymoon time.  I like that the resort is located on the Atlantic Ocean side of the island mainly because the waters are more wild, which in my opinion, makes going to the beach more fun.

The rooms were nice, but I have to admit, I have stayed in nicer rooms before, but then again, I’m sure the rooms were nicer dependent on how much one is willing to pay.  It was clean, all tile floors, good view of the ocean, the service was wonderful, and everything worked well.

We bought a tour of St. Lucia from a guy randomly standing on the beach who was offering prices less than half of what the resort was offering for the same tour.  My husband asked the security at the resort about him and they vouched that he worked for a licensed tour company outside of the resort.  We are glad we went on this tour.  It lasted nearly 8 hours and we got to go to the volcano where the sulfur springs are, take a mud bath there, eat at a local restaurant, shopped in some of the local shops, stopped at and go into the waterfall at Soufriere, and took a boat ride to the Jalousie beach on the Caribbean sea side of the island where there are white sands and beautiful coral reefs.

I would recommend St. Lucia and Coconut Bay Resort to any couple going on a honeymoon or even any family searching for a Caribbean vacation spot.  Honestly, thinking back, I really can’t think of much to complain about regarding the honeymoon.

An Elegant Encounter is now on Pinterest!

Here's how it works:

When you contact An Elegant Encounter for floral design or wedding coordination services, we can set up a private Pinterest board between you and our wedding designers. We can share ideas back and forth until we find what works for you. An Elegant Encounter will even send you personalized pins related to your specific wedding needs.

Follow us at www.pinterest.com/anelegantencoun/ to check out our style!

Wedding Floral Prep

By Kelsey

At An Elegant Encounter, we want to show our readers what goes into prepping flowers for each event.

Flowers arrive 2-3 days before your event, tightly packed, closed-bud, and sleepy! Our florist starts by carefully unwrapping flowers and trimming each and every stem. This allows flowers to soak up more water and hydrate quicker.

Then 12 hours later, BAM! Color explosion.

Flowers are now bigger and need more space. They get separated into buckets. And pitchers. And bowls. And any other container that we can find. We’ve actually had to invest in more buckets due to recent large floral orders.

Once the flowers have taken over the building, each and every stem must be stripped of leaves. The leaves, pretty as they are, will make bouquets and arrangements too thick around the middle. Additionally, if sitting in water they will rot, and flowers will die faster. For a large order, leaf-stripping can be a full day’s work. Our florist likes to turn on some dance music and rock out while working.

Finally, flowers are ready to go into your bouquets and centerpieces. Sometimes, they get packed into the car for on-site assembly (altars/arches, tall centerpieces, etc.).

One way or another, they eventually will turn into a one of a kind creation for your special day.