Travel: Be Prepared For The Unexpected

Most of you have probably heard about the new passport requirements. Those of us living in the United States have been spoiled with easy travel and few regulations when flying to the Mexican Riviera or Canada for getaways. In the near future you will need passports to travel to these fabulous nearby destinations and beyond so beware.

Be prepared. My husband and I booked our honeymoon as soon as we had a wedding date. We were to go on a fabulous cruise leaving from Galveston, TX to scuba and snorkel in Belize. Four weeks before our wedding hurricane Katrina ravaged the gulf coast and our ship was then sent to New Orleans. We weren't upset due to the circumstances but were upset that the cruiseline would not get us in an open room on another cruise for the same rate we booked six months prior. They would put us on another ship at last minute prices! That wasn't fair. We got our money back and ended up getting great airfare to Ireland where Marriott went above and beyond to help out this Marriott Rewards member in finding a fabulous location for our honeymoon. All was well. However if we had not decided to get our passports just for the heck of it we would have been in a pickle. Getting your passport can take from 3-12 weeks so get in line. A trip of a lifetime could depend on it.

Need Passport Assistance:

http://www.passportsandvisas.com/

travel.state.gov/passport

inquire at your local post office

Walgreens has passport picture service

Honeymoon Planning Made Easy

From newlyweds to those just romantic at heart Sandals can help you plan a trip you won't soon forget. When you're at a Sandals Resort you can leave everything behind. Literally. Leave the purse, wallet and other baggage behind in your room and enjoy the property freely. Your package is all-inclusive so you can enjoy all the food, drinks and activities your hearts desire without worrying about keeping track of it all.

Book before August 14, 2007 and save 55% off Sandals Grande Ocho Rios when you book travel October 1, 2007- December 27th, 2008.Check out their link under resources at http://www.absolutelyyouevents.com/.

If you can't take the heat go to Colorado!

As a current resident of Phoenix in the midst to high heat and humidity, my trip to Colorado was just what I needed. What an amazing place for retreats, family trips, weddings and bridal party events. I feel certain we can create a memorable event in Colorado for Brides and Grooms with versatile interests. There are many lovely B&Bs that would be perfect for a bridesmaids luncheon or tea in between shopping sprees. The Cherry Creek shopping district is really hot right now. You could shop and eat there for days and still not cover it all. Antique Row is another cool option. Wear your walking shoes. There are 200 dealers on 18 blocks!

Okay guys, I haven't forgotten about you. You're in beer country when you come to Colorado. Grab your best buds and head to the Coors Brewery. Take a tour of this working brewery and grab a brewsky or two. You'll need it to relax after an adventure packed trip. If your bride doesn't want you to skydive, and I can't say I would blame her, you can still experience it with indoor skydiving. After that head to Rock'n and Jam'n for some serious indoor rock climbing. If you really prefer to enjoy the great outdoors, and I recommend you do in this beautiful state, head out for snowmobiling, white water rafting or fly fishing. Call today for more information on planning an event to remember!
http://www.absolutelyyouevents.com/

To register or not to register this was Kimi's question

Many of today's brides and grooms seem to have it all and question the tradition of registering for gifts so I wanted to pass along Kimi's question and some options.

E-mail read:I just have a real quick question.. We are having our wedding in October but we really don't need to register for anything so how do we go about our wedding presents? Thanks. -Kimi


Good question Kimi. I would be happy to assist. Many couples who are in your situation pick a charity and ask that if guests wish to give a gift they contribute to their chosen charity. Other options include registering with a mortgage company and asking guests to contribute to an escrow account for a future home or registering your honeymoon. This way guests can still contribute to something you will own and begin a life together in or contribute toward a fabulous honeymoon. Let me know if you have any questions about the options mentioned above.

Thanks again for your inquiries Kimi. I hope you have a long, happy life together!


Rachel DeVenuto
Absolutely You Event Planning
http://www.absolutelyyouevents.com/

Add ZaZa Zip to Your Event

Howdy ya'll! I just returned from Houston, TX. What a place to host an event. A Texas wedding or event doesn't have to be traditional Texas Bar-B-Que style, although these are always a blast and very flavorful. Your special event can rock Houston,Texas rock star style. Hotel ZaZa is in the Museum District of Houston and offers a 2160 sq. ft. suite that boasts of two bedrooms, two and half bathrooms, gourmet kitchen and private elevator! You can stay in and party all day and night or venture out to see what Houston has to offer. A few of the options include:

• Hard Rock Cafe


• Molly's Pub (Classic Irish Sports Bar)


• Texas Renaissance Festival (Oct 6th-Nov 25th)


• Bayou Place (premier dining and entertainment)


• The Houston Space Center, for those who need their space. Ha! Okay so I stole this saying from a NASA t-shirt in the airport. I actually attended Space Academy as a teen and am a space cadet to this day! You can also check out the latest exhibit, Animal Grossology, through September 3rd.


• Houston's Museum District:Museums of art (of all kinds), John P. McGovern Museum of Health and Medial Science, Museum of Natural Science, and The Children's Museum of Houston.


• Downtown Aquarium with over 500,000 Gallons of Fun!

Shopping!

• Check out the Galleria and The Village Arcade

Old Time Fun

• Check out George Ranch Historical Park (http://www.georgeranch.org/)


• Old Town Spring, only 20 miles North of Houston (http://www.otsid.com/) Annual events include Art, Wine and Food Festival, Texas Crawfish and Music Festival and Long Horn Rod Run, just to name a few.


• Barrington Living History Farm (http://www.birthplaceoftexas.com/)

Historical

• The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum (http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu/)


• Messina Hof Winery and Resort***Great place for a wedding or other special celebration. Contact me for details!


• Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens (classic southern style 1920's home with fine collections of paintings and decorative arts)


• The W. H. Stark House in Orange, TX. This is a beautiful Victorian mansion!


• MFA H Rienzi: A House of Treasure in the Heart of Houston (Rienzi's collection and gardens). The finest collection of European decorative arts in the family home of prominent arts patrons.

Hope ya'll enjoyed the post. Rock on Texas Style!

Celebrate Your Independence From Clutter!

Wow! What a hot 4th of July here in Arizona. It's 115 degrees and counting. Temperatures like this inspire me to give clients a bit of advice....do your spring cleaning now. Yes I know it's summer, but why spend a beautiful spring day inside when you beg for the opportunity these hot summer days.

Brides and Grooms:
Take a day off from the wedding plans. Spend a day decluttering your homes. You will soon be moving in together and sharing every inch of your home, especially your closets. When I got married I donated five bags of clothing to the local Goodwill and it felt great! Don't just focus on clothes though. Go through the bathroom vanities, kitchen drawers, offices, closets, and garages. Weed out! This is particularly important for the one moving in with the other. Move those items you don't use to a local shelter, Goodwill or Salvation Army. Your life is going to be very busy and often messy. There will be presents, thank you cards, pieces of luggage for the honeymoon and much else filling up your space. Having a clean space to begin with will help you deal with all the stress.

Businesses and Corporations:
You need to take a day off to declutter as well. You may think "My office can't take a day off. Is she crazy?" I do have my crazy moments but this isn't one of them. When we're not organized we waste a lot of time searching for that piece of paper, e-mail or file that "was just here". A messy work area creates stress for all who are involved. Analyze your business and pick a day or two during your slow season. Allow everyone to come in casually dressed or maybe even have t-shirts made for everyone to make the cleaning experience a little more fun. Set goals. From 8am-10am have everyone clean up their e-mail inboxes and files. From 10am-10:15am take a break. Snack on some fresh fruit, granola bars, etc. Come back from 10:15-12:15 and have everyone clean out their desks. For a job well done, treat your staff to a team building exercise that afternoon. Can't come up with one? Well just give Absolutely You Event Planning a call.

Looking for a place to donate:
http://www.sunshineacres.org/
http://www.goodwill.org/
http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/
http://www.phoenixrescuemission.org/

Do you know of other great places to donate? Please let us know.