Our Honeymoon: Santorini Part I

I'm going to be posting out of order here, but I'm still sifting through the rest of my photos from Italy and these are just too pretty not to share! For the final leg of our honeymoon we hopped on a plane, and after a short flight over unbelievably blue seas dotted with grey volcanic islands dusted with tiny white villages, we touched down in sunny Santorini. Five days on this magical island weren't nearly enough, and I'm already dreaming about when we can go back explore more of the mythical Greek Isles.

Our Honeymoon: Borgo Santo Pietro

After a magical week celebrating our wedding in Paso Robles with our friends and family, we headed east to Europe for our honeymoon. The first stop - Italy. And not just anywhere in Italy, but the magical Relais Borgo Santo Pietro. I first read about Borgo on Cupcakes and Cashmere four years ago, and have been dreaming about visiting ever since. When we started tossing around honeymoon destinations and decided on Lake Como, I knew we had to spend a few extra days in Italy to visit Borgo. So after a long flight and a night in Florence we headed south through the winding countryside filled with excitement.

The Ritz Paris

Ever since my first trip to Paris in 2012, the Ritz Paris has been closed for renovations. I've walked by it countless times on the Place Vendome, eager to take a glimpse inside one of the world's most iconic hotels. Throughout its storied past, the Ritz has hosted a slew of famous guests including Hemingway who used it as his base when he covered the war and Coco Chanel who lived there for 34 years.

The Orient Express

Maybe it's the fact that I live in the landlocked Midwest, but I look forward to being able to ride the train in Europe almost as much as being there itself. One of my favorite experiences was the nine hour trip from Lucerne, Switzerland to Vienna. The train quietly weaved its way through the alps, alternating between gorgeous pastures, snow capped peaks, and ancient villages. As much as I wanted to sleep, my desire to soak up the gorgeous surroundings kept me awake the entire trip. 

Ballyfin Demesne

Although we have been to Europe several times, we have not yet been able to make it to Ireland. It seems like every time we plan a European vacation one of us suggests it but we ultimately decide that we will wait until next time. Well, at least that was until I stumbled upon the majestic Ballyfin Demesne...

Sonoma Travel Guide

As I mentioned before, my mom and I took a trip to Napa and Sonoma over Memorial Day last year to check out wedding venues. While we ended up picking a venue in Central California Wine Country {you can see it here!}, my mom and I had the best time on our girls trip and were able to squeeze in time to check out some local shops, galleries, farmers markets, and of course - tasting rooms. It also didn't hurt that nearly every venue we looked at was a gorgeous vineyard which meant that although we were technically wedding planning we almost always had a glass of wine in hand :)

Montreal, Canada

I started this blog in October 2012 to document my experience of traveling through Europe solo. Two weeks before that, my mom and I spent four days exploring Montreal and getting a taste of France in North America. From the cobblestone streets to the unique art scene to the unbelievable cuisine, Montreal is a great place for a long-weekend getaway. A few of my musts are:

Grand Hotel du Palais Royal

This past November we decided to book a spontaneous trip to Paris for New Year's Eve, and decided that we wanted to check out a new hotel. On past trips I've tried out several different AirBnB's and hotels in Le Marais, on the Ile Saint Louis, and in St. Germain, but for this trip we decided we wanted to stay in the elegant 1st Arrondisement. Thanks to the gorgeous views, chic decor, and near perfect reviews we decided to stay at the Grand Hotel du Palais Royal, and couldn't have been more pleased with our choice.

Napa Valley Travel Guide

My mom and I spent five days last spring in beautiful Napa and Sonoma looking at wedding venues. While we ended up deciding on a venue in Central California Wine Country, we had an absolutely fantastic time eating and drinking our way through one of the most spectacular wine and food destinations in the world. If you're thinking about going to Napa in the future I've shared some of my recommendations including wineries hand-picked by my Napa based wedding planner whose husband has worked in the wine industry for 20+ years. Cheers!

Tuscan Dreams

After almost three years to the day we will be returning to Italy, this time for our honeymoon! While we have sincerely loved every region of Italy that we've visited, Tuscany has a very special place in our hearts. During our five days in the countryside we said countless times how romantic it was, and how perfect it would be for a honeymoon. 

Amsterdam Travel Guide

We recently spent three days in Amsterdam, and although the weather was gloomy and I was recovering from a terrible stomach virus that I caught on our last night in Paris, we had the most amazing time and are already dreaming about when we will be able to return. For those of you who haven't been or are planning a trip {I'm envious!} I've pulled together some of my recommendations for where to stay, what to see, and of course - what to eat!

Dreams in HD Photography

La Vie En Rose

Happy Friday! I don't know about you - but this week has felt like it has dragged on, and on, and on. This weekend we're planning on taking full advantage of the spring-like weather by heading to our favorite town of Nashville, IN for an afternoon of sunshine, antiquing, and brewery hopping.

In other news, I recently opened up a print shop on Etsy! Dreams in HD Photography features images from my travels. I fell in love with traveling on my first trip abroad nearly ten years ago - visiting my sister in Germany. Since then it has become a full-fledged addiction, and I never leave without my camera. Seeing the world through my viewfinder allows me to notice the little things...the way the light reflects off a gold dome, the tiny drops of dew on freshly cut roses, a couple strolling hand-in-hand in the Tuileries. Because those seemingly insignificant moments really are what life's all about, don't you think?

La Banane, St. Barth

It happens every year like clockwork - about halfway through February I start dreaming about going on a tropical escape. Since we are saving our vacation time for our destination wedding and honeymoon this summer, it looks like the closest I'm going to get to palm trees is my computer screen, and thanks to the vibrant, modern-island decor of Villa Banane in St. Barths, I can almost feel the Vitamin D!

Our Honeymoon Plans Part III: Santorini

Last but not least, for the final stop of our honeymoon we will be spending five days on the magical island of Santorini {a destination that has been on the top of my bucket list for many, many years}. After researching the options I decided that Oia, with it's chic ambiance and postcard views, would be the perfect town for us, and thanks to my travel buddy Sara's recommendation we will be staying at the Katikies Hotel.

Our Honeymoon Plans Part II: Lake Como

Though we have spent several weeks in Italy, we have never been able to make it far enough north to visit Lake Como. The pristine lake has long been a favorite European holiday destination and has been featured in films such as Casino Royal, advertising campaigns, novels, and regularly by the media {thanks in part to George Clooney owning a famous villa there}. Over the years I have daydreamed about visiting {as evidenced by this blog post}, and in the back of my mind I kept telling myself to wait, and maybe, just maybe, we could go for our honeymoon. I'm absolutely thrilled to say we will be doing just that, and will be spending three days on Italy's most beautiful lake.

Our Honeymoon Plans Part I: Tuscany

While none of the wedding planning decisions have been easy for me {I have a very specific vision yet am also quite indecisive - a challenging combination}, choosing our honeymoon destination has been virtually a nine-month long debate. We bounced around staying in over-the-water bungalows in Bora Bora, going on a safari, relaxing in Hawaii, exploring Portugal, and even adventuring in Patagonia {which, I quickly found out, does not exactly have honeymoon weather in September}. However, from the get-go we just haven't been able to get Europe out of our minds, and the two destinations that we kept coming back to were Santorini and Lake Como {both on the very top of my bucket list}.

Travel :: Paris, France

Ryan and I spent a few days in Paris over the holiday season, and it was pure magic. It was my fourth time to the City of Light and every time I return I seem to fall more and more in love with the city. We stayed at the beautiful Grand Hotel Du Palais Royal and, having already been to most of the popular tourist destinations on other trips, we didn't feel pressured to try to fit everything into our four days.

Amsterdam

Our three days in Amsterdam were grey, misty, and wonderful. Even in cloudy weather the city absolutely shines. Our hotel was ideally located on one of the most beautiful canals surrounded by quaint shops, restaurants, and bars. We would literally spend the entire day from dawn to dusk just wandering the picturesque canals, stopping into antique stores, and admiring the architecture. Our last day we rented bikes {a must} and visited the stunning Rijksmuseum, then took a boat cruise down the canals to admire the illuminated art installations of the Amsterdam Light Festival. The city was incredibly accessible and welcoming, within about an hour we were already talking about how we could easily imagine ourselves living there.

The Hoxton, Amsterdam

If you follow me on Instagram you probably already know that we recently traveled to Paris and Amsterdam over the New Year. It was a spontaneous trip which I think could actually be the best kind! I had about a month to plan everything from our flights to our transportation to our accommodations, which was surprisingly a lot easier than I had excepted {one of the many perks of traveling in the “off season}. 

Our Wedding :: The Destination

Last week I blogged about our choice to have a destination wedding and our venue, HammerSky Vineyards. We took a less traditional approach in the fact that when we booked the venue 1) we had never seen it before and 2) we had never even been to the Central California wine country region before! However, knowing how much we loved the Napa area and the fact that my parents had vacationed in Paso Robles before and had the best time, we decided to just go for it.