Celebrate New Beginnings

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Celebrate New Beginnings

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The Southern Illinoisan • January 2011

Celebrate New Beginnings

Fun photos A

An engagement-portrait session can help break the ice with your photographer

n engagement-portrait session might seem like the time to just capture that one shot that will go on the magnets or postcards or whatever method you choose to tell folks to save the date. But you also could think of it as a sort-of a playdate with your photographer. “I tell my clients that engagement photos are a time for us to get to know each other photographically,” says Amanda Patrice, an Orange County, Calif.-based photographer. “We both learn what type of photos they like. I think on the wedding day they’re able to loosen up. I always recommend an engagement session.” But it’s not all prep for the wedding day. Patrice’s philosophy: Engagement photos should stand up to the wedding photos. “They’re a great way to show who they are right now in this time of their life,” Patrice says. “I don’t want them to get swept under the rug!” Here are her tips for a great shoot:

Location, location, location For a shoot, Patrice always encourages a few locations and a few clothes changes. Big, expansive places like parks and

The Southern Illinoisan • January 2011

fields are a great place to start, as they’re relaxed, casual and allow the photographer to show off the atmosphere. One of Patrice’s recent shoots with was a couple who had met over comic books, so part of their shoot entailed chilling out at the park with their favorite graphic novels. Another recommendation from Patrice is historic places. Many of these "official" sites have beautiful landscaping and often have visually striking buildings on the grounds. Structures are great because they simply give the couple something to lean on. But Patrice recommends getting off the beaten path, too. “I actually love shooting in a new place because it’s more creative,” she says. Her all-time favorite shoot: Hopping in the car and driving down the freeway for an hour. Her and the couple ended up stopping at a concrete factory, where “props” like red pallets and concrete tubes lent their way to one-of-a-kind photos. “We drove until they found what they liked!” she says.

Striking structures like brick buildings make instantly awesome backgrounds, while props like books help make engagement photos fun.

Poses and props “I always give people a little pep talk,” she says. “I know they’re not used to being in front of the camera. I’ll tell them where to go and how to pose and where the light looks good. It’s what they do in a photo that’s going to make the photo special.” Props and other personal touches don’t hurt, either. Like her comic-book couple, Destiny and Chris, folks often bring blankets and books, she says. Another recent session the couple showcased their love for LEGO. Patrice’s ultimate seal of approval for a great session: silence. “If I’m quiet, they’re doing something right. It gives them permission to chat with each other, dance around, loosen up; it doesn’t have to be super formal and stiff.

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Celebrate New Beginnings

Coming home You’re getting married in your hometown – and it’s changed a bit since you last lived here. Advice and etiquette for finding the venues and vendors to make your hometown wedding the best it can be.

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estination: Home. While some brides decide between a traditional hometown wedding and a destination wedding, for others those options are one and the same. “You go through the same processes in terms of creating a vision and hiring vendors who can really execute that vision,” says Alyssa Brown, production manager for Alison Events in San Francisco, which specializes in destination weddings. Many brides still choose to marry in their hometowns because of tradition, sentimentality or if the bride’s parents are footing the bill. Returning home, even if real life now exists miles away, offers a unique way to unite the past and present. “Hometown weddings are in a place special and meaningful to the couple,” Brown says. “They allow your current home and past home to come together and for you to share that with all of your family and friends.” Planning a hometown wedding from afar is similar to planning a destination wedding with one potential perk: friends

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and family in the area who can act as point people in the planning process. Realize these helpful people have limits, but respectfully employ their help if they’re willing. If possible, also hire a professional wedding planner to complete major research, juggle vendors, relieve the stress of long-distance coordination, and ensure everything goes according to plan.

Perfect your plan One of the biggest challenges for an out-of-town bride is finding the right local vendors for her style, preferences and budget, says Peter Merry, wedding specialist and author of “The Best Wedding Reception Ever!” (Sellers

Publishing Inc, 2010). For this, a little help from parents may come in handy to research options and hear opinions firsthand from others in the area. Check “Best of” lists from the newspaper and other local sources, talk to old friends in the area, or request local references from vendors to see what people in the area think. Jodi R.R. Smith, president of Bostonarea Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting, recommends narrowing down potential options and being realistic about what one can accomplish before trekking home to go on visits. She advises brides to build time into the trip’s schedule for transportation and breaks between meetings so they are fresh and attentive with each vendor.

The Southern Illinoisan • January 2011

Celebrate New Beginnings “Don’t overschedule the planning trip,� she says. “The entire planning process is exhausting even when you live in your hometown, but if you’re living in Chicago and getting married in Southern Illinois, and you’re leaving a job, getting on plane and trying to schedule seeing four photographers in less than two hours, you’re not going to remember anything.� Then it’s time for a visit. Almost all brides should plan to visit their hometown at least once initially to secure major vendors, such as the ceremony and reception locations, caterer, entertainment and photographer. This face time is important in developing relationships with long-distance vendors rather than just becoming another name on the list of brides they work with, says Brown.

Keep it simple Overwhelmed yet? To make it easier, Smith suggests choosing options with packages. For instance, a hotel for the ceremony and reception that offers in-house catering and a block of rooms for guests, which eliminates

transportation between events. “I’m a big believer in less is more,â€? Smith says. “Anytime you use a package, it will save you a tremendous amount of time and energy.â€? Though Merry recommends brides try to return home two or three times throughout the process. Take time to set up a to-do list beforehand with specific tasks to accomplish. Also make appointments with vendors far in advance to ensure they all fit into the trip’s timeframe. Finally, know that you might need to make a lot of decisions in a short span of time and prepare yourself to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Once each initial meeting is complete and the deposits are made (don’t forget to pack the checkbook!), set up the next meeting right away so it fits into your schedule. This is essential if you’re making another trip back and again need to balance time with vendors. Merry recommends a second meeting around three months from the day to establish how all the pieces of the day fit together and make final decisions on agenda, dĂŠcor, menus and music lists. Consider setting up a few Skype

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meetings if returning home isn’t a possibility. Collect your questions between calls or e-mails in order to have a few productive conversations, rather than daily calls about every tiny detail.

Get everyone involved As those details are decided, don’t forget one perhaps most important to guests: travel. Merry says travel plans often fall through the cracks for hometown weddings; wellcommunicated travel plans for guests from the airport to the hotel, between venues, and back to the airport are a must. Make it as easy as possible for guests by writing written directions, providing maps and information early. Finally, since a wedding in a far-away home might mean many friends can’t afford to attend, Merry says it’s important to think of other ways to involve people and allow them to contribute. “You could even set up a laptop with Skype at the ceremony for a very special person who can’t be there. Brainstorm ways to feel like it’s a special moment for them as well.�

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Celebrate New Beginnings

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onnie Brown is a weddingindustry mainstay. In 1994, he opened Dallas-based Five Star Floral Design and Events. Both Lone Star State brides and A-list celebrities took notice of Brown’s penchant for fabulous events, spurring the launch of Donnie Brown Weddings & Events. The pro began appearing on The Style Network program “Whose Wedding Is It Anyway” in 2003 and recently saw the release of his first book “Donnie Brown Weddings” (Stewart, Tabori and Chang, 2009). Here, the style pro shares his secrets for perfecting your hometown wedding

Question: As a planner, do you notice something different when planning a wedding for a bride who is a native to an area versus a transplant? Answer: Brides come in all shapes, sizes and attitudes. Whether they are from here or there, personalities tend to mix regardless of their point of origin. It is always fun to bring the destination region into play. Often we will do a regionally themed rehearsal dinner as well as the welcome gift bags for the hotel-staying travelers. Obviously, the better you understand the area, the better chance you have of achieving the goal. Q: You, like many event planners, got your start in flowers. Do you have any tips to share with brides for finding inspiration for their wedding-day florals? A: They should do their homework. They should find the things they like and file them to show to their floral designer. As well, they should file the things they really don’t like so the designer will be able to use that information in the development of the plan. I personally love orchids – all kinds of

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questions with

Donnie Brown

The star planner from ‘Whose Wedding Is It Anyway’ offers his tips for a stylish event that’s absolutely yours.

orchids. Phaelanopsis is my personal favorite but there are many, many to choose from in a variety of colors. They are useful in many ways from the more exotic to the ultra traditional designs. Q: Date. Venue. Guest List. In your book you say deciding the importance of each is different for everyone, which it is, but do you have a order you typically like to work when planning a wedding? A: It’s really different for everyone. A couple with their heart set on a venue cannot always get their first date option due to other bookings. They may need to seek out availability and then move on to the date setting. Others may want the date with less preference to the venue. Additionally, the couple who has to have a certain number of guests will need to take that into account when picking the venue due to space limitations – which can also impact the date selection. A lot of the stress of these initial decisions is what most couples find incredibly daunting. This is all before an initial budget can really be confirmed. And the list continues to go on and on.

Q: Do you have any best practices or suggestions for outdoor/public venues? A: Many high-quality resort hotels as well as country clubs have welllandscaped designated areas to achieve a lovely outdoor wedding ceremony. As well, the couple can get a permit from the parks and recreation department and hold the wedding in a park or on a beach. They cannot really eliminate the onlookers without expensive security, so some of their privacy may be lost at a location like this. Alternatively, they can look for rentable mansions or estates with lovely outdoor areas to hold the entire wedding. Just a warning that these can often carry hefty price tags.

The Southern Illinoisan • January 2011

Celebrate New Beginnings

TUXEDOS

Rent or R

buy?

ik Ducar, proprietor of eponymous formalwear shops in both Atlanta and Los Angeles that both sell and rent tuxedos, offers some insight for grooms’ style choices. Price: Tuxedo packages, when all is said and done, come in nationally at about $200. In Southern Illinois, a quick check of several businesses renting tuxedos put the prices in a range from $130 to $150, and that includes everything. For purchase, tuxedos -- just jacket and pants -start at about $300. If you want a designer, expect to see $1,000 price tags on the label. It’s all about budget – but more so with rentals “because the groom also has the groomsmen to think about,� says Ducar, noting that around 9 of 10

Save money and rent, or spend more and own? It’s a simple question without a simple answer.

groomsmen do not live in the same area as the groom, which can make coordination tricky. “That would be a good case for a rental,� he says. Still, buying has its bona fides. “From a pure economic sense, tuxedos are the only part of the wedding on the man or woman side you’ll be able to wear again. It’ll pay for itself after one wear,� he says. Fit: It’s night and day, Ducar says. On a 1-to-10 scale, Ducar says he could get a rental jacket to fit an 8, but he says he can get a Perfect 10 fit on a purchase. But it’s the pants where you run into problems, he says. It’s the always the same cut so short guys will get a long rise in the pants. “They’re always voluminous,� he says. If you rent and the guys are being measured

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from afar, try to get them into the shop a day or two before the wedding to make any last-minute tweaks. Even if renting, Ducar likes to get the guy in for-purchase clothes just to find out what would be the best options in terms of a look. Ducar likes to build the tuxedo from the top down. The jacket’s lapels will influence collar length; the collar length will influence the tie style and width, etc.

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Celebrate New Beginnings Dress trends

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here’s a new sense that less is more in the bridal gown world, both in terms of style and price. Fuss-free gowns, in columns, sheaths and cocktail styles, are getting their due as brides scale down their version of their dream dresses, maybe because they’re older brides or are tying the knot in a more casual environment. In step with the mood, some brides are slashing their fashion budgets in these not-so-flush times. As a result, a number of brides are embracing “non-bridal” styles, per se, made by the likes of contemporary designers, such as BCBG Max Azria and Sue Wong – not your typical go-to bridal resources but ones that are creating “sexy, romantic and feminine” gowns that are “absolutely suitable for weddings,” according to Wong. The shift has prompted other designers and retailers into rolling out their own wallet-friendly bridal options that are less showy and more sophisticated.

White House | Black Market unveiled a strapless dress with a high-low hem for $499.

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Simply

styish Brides have enough to stress about on their wedding day. Having paid thousands for an uncomfortable dress should not be one of those reasons. Here’s a guide to gowns that look great, and come without the great, big price tag. The Southern Illinoisan • January 2011

Celebrate New Beginnings In spring, White House |Black Market unveiled a strapless dress with a highlow hem for $499, and now it has added three more looks all for under $700. After hearing that its customers were buying its dresses for bridesmaid functions, The Limited debuted a twodress collection online this summer for under $300, with plans to expand the line to seven looks by January 2011 (four styles are available). Higher-end designers joined the mix this summer when the likes of David Meister and Carmen Marc Volvo signed on with New Yorkbased Designer Bride Inc. to license bridal gowns for $1,500 to $3,000 that are not over-the-top. “Brides want to tone it down,” says Jill Giordano, co-owner of San Franciscobased gr.dano, a contemporary line of architecturally inspired

clothes. “They want their dress to match their style versus their age. You can still wear something that’s nontraditional and look spectacular.” Giordano recently outfitted a violinist for her wedding. The musician had picked out a gr.dano skirt made of crinkled nylon for a press tour and opted to wear it along with a custom-made knit blouse for her special day. The possibility of catering to more bridal customers is on Giordano’s radar, especially with her spring line that includes a white halter maxi dress in cotton poplin for under $400. “We’re definitely trying to hit the events market but keep it in line with what we do – clean, approachable, flattering styles,” Giordano says.

‘Fun and posh’ White House | Black Market got a plug for its new wedding dress collection in the September 2010 issue of O, The Oprah See Gowns / Page 10

Gown Glamour One-shoulder silk mikado gown from David Meister.

The Southern Illinoisan • January 2011

‘Sexy, romantic and feminine,’ designer Sue Wong says of her bridal-esque styles, left. Silk/satin double-faced sheath V-neck gown from Nicole Miller, right.

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Celebrate New Beginnings Gown Glamour from page 9 Magazine, which highlights its elegant strapless Victoria bridal gown in ecru tulle and satin with a floor-sweeping mermaid skirt. The collection also features a mix of accessories, such as satin slingback heels and a clutch. Along with three bridal gowns priced at $298 (and one at $398), The Limited’s wedding collection offers two bridesmaid dresses under $100, plus accessories, such as teardrop earrings and bobby pin sets. Its strapless ruffled wedding gown in crinkle chiffon generated positive reviews online, many from second-time brides and those having casual weddings. Based on the feedback, The Limited is planning to test the dresses in stores in the next year, says Marci Milito, director of public relations for The Limited. “Even though brides don’t want to spend a huge portion of their budgets on their dress, they still want that shopping

experience and we’re looking to make it fun and posh for her,” Milito says. Los Angeles-based David Meister, whose eveningwear has graced celebrities such as Emmanuelle Chriqui and Diane Lane, is injecting glamour in his bridal gowns hitting about 20 stores in November, including Neiman Marcus, Couture Bridal in Bal Harbour, Fla. and Bridal Images in Rockville, Md., according to Erin Haggerty, senior manager of public relations for Kellwood Company, parent company of David Meister. A tulle ballgown with a tiered skirt and a one-shoulder silk wool Mikado gown are a couple highlights from the 12-style collection, which hit the bridal market in October. Meister’s gowns, along with those of his contemporaries at Designer Bride, are targeting a “new bride,” says Sol Baratech, marketing manager for Designer Bride. “More independent and more mature, she now pays for her gown,” Baratech says. “She is also more sophisticated and fashion savvy. Today’s bride wants a designer gown, which is more fashion-

The Victoria ecro tulle and satin gown with mermaid skirt from White House | Black Market.

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The Southern Illinoisan • January 2011

Celebrate New Beginnings forward compared to the princess-like dresses worn by brides years ago.�

Accessible high fashion That designer touch is arriving at David’s Bridal in February, when ßber-bridal designer, Vera Wang, debuts her line, White by Vera Wang, with the national retailer. The collection, priced from $600 to $1,500, gives fans a chance to buy a Vera Wanginfluenced look without the sticker shock. Other highprofile names, like Nordstrom, have entered the wedding

Silk empire waist dress with crinkle chiffon ruffles and ivory satin sash from The Limited.

business. The Seattle-based department store has added a wedding section on its website devoted to gowns made by contemporary designers, such as Laundry by Shelli Segal and Nicole Miller, all of which retail for under $1,000. Full-service bridal boutiques have also noticed an uptick in interest from brides seeking gowns with down-to-earth styles and prices. “There’s growing interest in that price point,� says Allyson Marshall, manager of Bridal Boutique in Baton Rouge, La., which carries lines such as Maggie Sottero, Casablanca and Mori Lee. “About 60 percent of our business is devoted to that category compared to 40 percent a couple of years ago.� Boutique owners caution, however, that the dress a bride chooses should mirror the vibe of the wedding. “About 10 percent of the wedding budget should be devoted to the wedding gown, so if you’re having a swanky, $50,000 affair and your gown doesn’t measure up, you may not look right,� says Bobbie Lopez, owner of All Brides Beautiful in Hudson, Ohio.

The Southern Illinoisan • January 2011

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Celebrate New Beginnings

I

t doesn’t take a beauty professional to unlock great looks. It just takes a little practicality – and maybe a trip to the local grocery and drug stores. Here’s bridal party’s worth of no-nonsense beauty tips courtesy of InStyle magazine’s new beauty bible, “InStyle Ultimate Beauty Secrets (Mechler Media, 2010):

cheeks

Super easy, super smart

Beauty secrets From sipping smoothies to researching the paint aisle at the hardware store, the trick to looking great on your big day doesn’t have to be high-maintenance.

Pick cheek colors that complement your skin tone. Warm complexions look best in yellow-based blush shades like peach and terracotta; Cool undertones are flattered by blue-based pinks and berries. Not sure if you are warm or cool complected? Find the perfect cheek color this way: At the hardware store, pick up paint chips in colors that you think could work as blush. Hold the chips up to your face in front of a mirror in natural light; you’ll instantly see what brightens your complexion vs. what makes it look sallow or gray.

Eyes Fix messy, cracked eye shadow by popping it out of its tray, putting it into a makeup palette, and crushing it. Add a dab of Vaseline or eye cream until you’ve gotten the right consistency. Voilà! Cream shadow. After tweezing, swipe brows with rubbing alcohol to prevent ingrown hairs, then reduce redness by applying cold cucumber slices or chilled green-tea bags.

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The Southern Illinoisan • January 2011

Celebrate New Beginnings Nails No emery board. Celebrity manicurist Elle, who has painted the nails of Jennifer Lopez and Angelina Jolie, says the striking surface of a matchbook works in a pinch. To keep cuticles from drying and cracking, run lip balm into them each time you apply the balm to your lips. Cool weather can make nails brittle and polish chip faster, so protect your polish by wearing gloves every time you step out. To restore moisture to extra-dry nails, try an at-home soak of lemon juice, olive oil, and vitamin E oil. For really stubborn stains, N.Y.C. nail guru Jin Soon Choi, owners of Jin Soon Natural Hand and Foot spas, recommends dabbing whitening toothpaste onto nail beds. “The whitening agent works on nails the same way they do teeth.”

Skin If you have dry skin that is flaky, consider changing up your routine and washing your face with dandruff shampoo instead of your regular cleanser once a month, suggests Wellesley, Mass., dermatologist Elissa Lunder; this reduces the yeast levels that cause scaly skin. Clean your cell phone with antibacterial wipes to prevent chin and cheek breakouts. Ideally, you should do it evaey morning, but if that’s too much, aim for once a week. The day before a party, don’t risk a facial that can leave you red and raw. An at-home mask made with one teaspoon raw oatmeal and one teaspoon honey is a much safer bet. Let it sit on the skin for five minutes, then rinse. “The minerals in oatmeal are soothing, and honey hydrates and kills bacteria,” says aesthetician Kate Somerville. Drink a glass of ice water if your face tends to get splotchy. Doing so will tone down your redness. The cold causes blood vessels to constrict and cool you from the inside out, says dermatologist Ellen Marmur. To control oil and shine, splash your face with cool black tea, but do not rinse; it’s a natural astringent, says Beverly Hills dermatologist Peter Kopelson. Refresh your complexion by dipping a washcloth in soy milk and resting it on your face for 10 minutes once a week, suggests Beverly Hills dermatologist Debra Luftman. Soy is a skin brightener and contains phytoestrogen, a plant-derived estrogen that is thought to help prevent wrinkles. Reduce a pimple’s redness by spritzing a small amount of nasal decongestant on the blemish, says Mount Kisco, N.Y., dermatologist David Bank.

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Lips Apply a balm immediately after getting out of the shower, when your lips are still a little moist; this will create a smooth surface once you’re ready for color. Lips extra dry. Combine 1 teaspoon honey with 1 teaspoon sugar to exfoliate them, says makeup artist Kristofer Buckle, who helped polish looks for Christina Aguilera and Jennifer Connelly. He blends the two ingredients in his hand, then applies the mixture in a circular motion for 90 seconds before wiping it off.

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Source: InStyle Ultimate Beauty Secrets (Mechler Media, 2010)

The Southern Illinoisan • January 2011

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Celebrate New Beginnings

Your long and winding The archetypal honeymoon, jetting off to Niagara Falls after a traditional June wedding was, for many, a mid-century dream come true. Though a honeymoon is a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, it can be quite the task to set out on the marital adventure right after the ceremony. Thankfully, for the couple looking for a truly one-of-a-kind adventure, setting out on the road can mean a healthy vacation from a “typical” honeymoon. “The theory that you go on your honeymoon, and that’s the big trip of your lifetime is wrong,” says Joe Brancatelli, a New York-based travel expert who runs the travel website JoeSentMe.com. “You don’t have to do the big Niagara Falls thing and then talk about it for the next 20 years.” For some, the pitfalls of airline travel can be enough to trade a destination getaway for a low-key adventure. “The journey hasn’t been part of the adventure of a honeymoon for a long time,” Brancatelli says. “I can’t think of a whole lot of things you can do nowadays on a plane that are honeymoon-ish. You’re going to have a helluva time finding champagne.” Because in-flight regulations and restrictions have taken a bit of the glamour out of jet-setting, staying stateside and embarking on a road-trip honeymoon can create memories out of the journey itself. The pressure is off of having the “well-planned, show-you-pictures”

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Honeymoon Road-trip When airline fees and family bragging rights are cramping your honeymoon’s style, the only solution is hitting the road honeymoon, Brancatelli says. Now, it’s more about making it what you want – not what society tells you it should be. “You are on your honeymoon, the moment you’re in the car. You can pack whatever you want; tailor it to be anything you want,” he says. Road-trips are certainly easier to tailor to your schedule than airline travel, but that doesn’t mean you can just hit the road, tin cans trailing, without putting some thought into. Here’s how to do it:

Do your homework “Don’t just pile up your things in a car and go somewhere. Google places in the areas you’d like to drive to; don’t be an information-virgin,” Brancatelli says. “Don’t lock yourself in, or plan yourself within an inch of your life but, give it some thought.” “On a car trip it’s a temptation to go too far, but if you only like driving for three hours, only go that far. Think of your partner and what they really love to do,” says Marybeth Bond, author of “50 Best Girlfriend Getaways” (National Geographic, 2007). Take advantage of the chance to make some dreams a reality. Jamie Jensen, author of “Road Trip

USA: Cross-Country Adventures on America’s Two-Lane Highways” (Avalon Travel Publishing, 2009), suggests simply going somewhere you’ve always wanted to go – whether it’s a romantic tour of New England in fall foliage season, or something a little wild and rowdy like New Orleans for Mardi Gras. “Having a focus or theme makes the rest of the road trip fall into place. If you have secret dreams of playing Wild West – a la Doris Day in “Calamity Jane” – look into a road trip out where the buffalo roam. Wyoming and Montana have fabulous ‘dude ranches,’ which range from rough and ready to full luxury,” he says.

Don’t forget the season “Depending upon when the wedding is, the list of possible honeymoon road trip locations simplifies itself,” Jensen says. “The Arizona desert is wonderful during the early spring wildflower season but less-than-perfect in August.” Don’t limit yourself to big cities. Bond suggests avoiding them. “Go outdoors, in nature, Yosemite, national parks, state parks. It lends itself to doing things where you aren’t just going to run around and spend money,” she says.

The Southern Illinoisan • January 2011

Celebrate New Beginnings Locate lodging “You don’t necessarily need to arrange all your accommodations in advance, but depending on your tastes, your road trip accommodations could be anything from a deluxe bridal suite in a Big Apple hotel to a tent in a backcountry campsite – even a combination of these, on different nights,” Jensen says. For many couples, stays at a bed and breakfast are a happy medium. “Unlike a hotel, where you’re only paying for a place to sleep, breakfast is included,” says Mary White, author of “Running a Bed & Breakfast For Dummies” (Wiley Publishing, 2009). “Innkeepers are the local area experts and are available to make restaurant suggestions or suggestions on the best spot for a romantic picnic.” However, bed and breakfast accommodations are popular and book quickly. “Don’t assume just because it’s not ‘high season’ weatherwise that the inn that you want will not be booked,” says White.She suggests you calling ahead to ensure availability. For those couples looking to take the road to the great outdoors, the National Recreation Reservation Service has updated its policies on booking campsites in national parks. For individual campsites, reservations can be made up to six months in advance for all agencies under the NRRS, with a five-month block window for Yosemite National Park, as that is particularly popular year-round.

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Rules of the road Even the most unforgettable honeymoon comes with a few do’s and don’ts. “You have to work to make it romantic,” Bond says. “Keep up the work to make the trip special, take some heart-shaped chocolates, some sexy lingerie, pack a bottle of champagne, make a playlist of ‘your’ songs to take on the trip.” And don’t over-extend the driving part of the road trip. “On a car trip it’s a temptation to go too far, but if you only like driving for three hours, only go that far. Think of your partner and what they really love to do,” she says. With endless possibilities and options of where to go and what to do, it’s easy to forget that there are definite things to avoid on your newlywed adventures.

The Southern Illinoisan • January 2011

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The Southern Illinoisan • January 2011

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