Always the bride’s makeup artist, now finally the bride….   The JOURNEY, is a weblog of my own wedding planning journey.  From the venues, to the dress, the highs and lows… follow me, a clueless makeup artist and a nerdy, but oh so cute, web programmer  as we conquer the world of wedding planning (of course, with the help of many seasoned pros).

I’ve always thought of myself as an easy going person, a free spirit if you will, but I never pictured myself as “that” bride… the one who nit picks every nook and cranny there is to pick. Apparently, I am.   I’ve been engaged for over 3 months and not a single check box has been marked off.   Long before there was a ring or an engagement, we both wanted to get married in the Phuket Province of Thailand.  Known for their crystal clear beaches, white sand and endless array of beachfront resorts, planning a destination wedding in Phuket appeared to be easy peasy.  I thought.  If planning the rest of the event is as hard as finding “the” perfect venue, we are in for a long boat ride.   

After scouring all the various travel sites, such as Tripadvisor & Agoda, all the properties end up looking the same. Our fear was that pictures might not do the property justice, or worse, too much justice.  Visnu, the wonderful fiance that he is, traveled to Thailand all by his lonesome in search of some awesome wedding venues.  The verdict? the same concerns we had going in to the site visits were the same concerns we had coming out. Not one property had all the qualities we were looking for in a resort. What concerns would have in one of the world’s most beautiful islands? Well, there is plenty… beach is too small, that resort is too resorty, that resort isn’t resorty enough, some couldn’t accomodate an elephant, another wouldn’t accomodate children under 12,  one couldn’t accommodate more than 30 guests, another had ugly lounge chairs, most had out dated rooms, there was no infinity pools, some of the resorts didn’t have pool villas, no ocean view, no direct access to the ocean, too many tourists, too remote, too urban, too expensive… the list could go on and on.

When planning a destination wedding,  we ultimately have our needs but we also have to keep in mind our guests.  Many will be traveling in from the US, some of whom have been to Thailand in the past and many who haven’t.  Regardless, we want all their experiences to be equally awesome and keeping it as close to a 5 star experience as possible, without breaking the bank.  At the end of the day, we want our guests to walk away thinking they shared in the most awesomest wedding ever as well has having one of their best vacations ever.

When I don’t know how to end a post, I end with pictures.  Till next time, hopfeully I’ll have 1 box checked off by then.