Honeymooning bliss.

View from our suite (Malia) at the Sheraton Waikiki

Destination Wedding: Mendocino Part II

Sorry for the long break. We had zero cell phone reception and we left our laptops at home to take a real break from the world in Mendocino. The weekend was amazing and I hope that someday I get to plan a wedding for bride in Mendocino. 

We really fell in love with Mendocino Country -- from the coast to the rolling hills of Anderson Valley wine country. For San Francisco brides on a budget, why not honeymoon in Mendocino?

{Handlery Vineyard - Anderson Valley, Hwy 128}

{Picturesque Historic Presbyterian Church (1859) -- perfect for a wedding; Mendocino}

{Cafe Beaujolais is a highly rated French-California cuisine restaurant that hosts intimate wedding receptions in its modern sage green and white dining room or greenhouse}

{The town is peppered with quaint wooden houses}

 

{Hiking along the coastal bluffs}

 

{For the outdoor lovers, hiking in Fern Canyon is only 3 miles away}

{MacCullum House, one of the many romantic inns and B&Bs you can stay at}

{Point Cabrillo Lighthouse, another wedding venue}

Oahu for us!

{From the Jason Mraz video shoot as featured on Hawaii Magazine}

So, our meeting with Guisselle (of Mundi Travel) was great -- we left with smiles on our faces! (By the way, she also booked our first trip to Disneyland five years ago, where 3 months into our relationship, Fred said his first "I love you" to me. It was only natural we came back to her for our honeymoon.)

When I'm looking for price alone, I book on Expedia. But when it's something complicated -- something that includes airfare, hotel, car rental and excursions -- then I turn to the travel pros not only because they get the deep discounts, but also because they are like counselors who can make recommendations on activities or destinations that best fit your style. Guisselle did just that. (Not to mention, she and her team will personally handle our online honeyfund registry -- so if any of our guests have questions or need help selecting an excursion for our registry, they will handle the back office paperwork, not us.)

At the start of our meeting, Guisselle shared how excited she was that we were considering Hawaii in addition to Barcelona because of a special promotion a wholesale operator was offering. I thought the island she'd recommend would be Kauai, but it was Oahu. I was skeptical at first because I pictured Oahu teeming with hordes of Cancun-or-Daytona Beach springbreakers, Fisherman Wharf-like crowds and cheesy boutiques.

I'm outdoorsy and love hiking, eating good food, and exploring museums and culture. Fred  enjoys touristy area (like Fisherman's Wharf of San Francisco), reading on the beach and also  exploring history and culture, but he doesn't like hiking. Guisselle highlighted the styles of each island: Kauai for the outdoor adventurer and upscale R&R experience, Kona/Big Island for those who really want to see the live volcano, Maui for a scaled down Kauai experience, and Oahu as "Hawaii 101." Kauai was the most expensive for accommodations, followed by Kona, and Maui. Oahu was the best fit for our budget.

The more she showed how Oahu would satisfy all that we wanted out of our trip, the more we got excited. Oahu has a bit of the city life, history and culture (the Polynesian Cultural Center and Pearl Harbor), hiking (the Moana Falls), snorkeling, etc. She'd also found us a phenomenal deal at a 4-star hotel (with partial ocean view) for 7 nights, 8 days, with round-trip airfare and a full-sized car for less than $2,800 (prices subject to change and exclusive to Mundi Travel). The deposit for the trip was also affordable, so we're excited to have found a good fit.

All is not lost with Barcelona. Guisselle recommended we do a 9-day tour of Madrid, Seville and Barcelona as a 1-year anniversary instead. The round trip flights to and from San Francisco this year are easily over $1,000 and it's probably best we wait until we have more money in the bank. It's something to look forward to!

Destination or staycation?

{Hotel Majestic in Barcelona | Source: The Big Day.com}

So, will it be Barcelona or Kauai?

Guitar Fred and I have been staycationing a lot. While most people have their 3-day weekends planned in South Lake Tahoe two-hours away or down south in Los Angeles, we have been sticking around the San Francisco Bay Area to save money. It's apt that this 3-day weekend, Guitar Fred and I are meeting with a travel agent (and former grad school alum) -- Guisselle Nunez -- of Mundi Travel to start planning our honeymoon, especially since we're setting up a "honeyfund" as our registry.

I've been dreaming about honeymooning in Southern Spain, especially Barcelona, and Fred is excited too (especially since he's a Spanish and flamenco guitarist). However, my best friend just got back from a week in Hawaii. I haven't been since I was 2-years old and I don't think that counts. Fred's never been to Hawaii and since it's much closer, we might get more bang for our buck staying domestic. 

So that's where Guisselle comes in. I know we could book our travel on our own with the plethora of travel sites, like Expedia, Orbitz, etc. but I don't want to leave my travel to the hands of an impersonal automated system especially when I'm too busy entertaining our families and friends in the days before the wedding.

Guisselle sent us these questions to start. How would you answer these? (I'll answer them in a few, gotta run to our appointment now!)

1. What kind of trip experience do you seek, relaxation, active, etc?
2. What is your idea of romance, relaxation?   
3. Is there a destination you already have in mind? 
4. What kind of sightseeing are you interested in? 

Win a Dream Honeymoon Contest

What better way to save on paying for a honeymoon than to win it? Check out Pre-Owned Wedding Dress's Ideal Honeymoon Destination Contest:
Enter our Honeymoon Giveaway Contest between May 1 and June 30, 2009 for your chance to win a $2,000 Marriott Honeymoon TravelCard redeemable at a Marriott hotel of your choice - anywhere in the world.

How else can you save on your honeymoon? Why not have your friends and family contribute towards a honeyfund? Sites such as Traveler's Joy make it easy to itemize the expenses of your wedding, such as accommodations (which you can break down into nights, e.g. give a gift of 1 night at a hotel for $99), airfare, dinners, etc.

If you have a good relationship with your travel agent, you can also find if they have a similar honeyfund option for you as you book. I happen to be booking our honeyfund through Mundi Travel. That way, I can always call Guiselle Nunez, my travel agent, and get hands on personal care and attention when I have any questions about the trip.