GUIDE TO HONEYMOONING AT HOME
It's 2020 and you've been stressing planning all the little details of your big day. The big day that for many, dream about as little girls, and look forward to their whole lives. News begins to crawl about a virus out in China that broke loose and has started to affect many lives. But it's in China half way around the world, who cares right? Unbeknownst to you (lets be real and the vast majority of people) that little virus ends up turning into a freaking pandemic. A say what? PANDEMIC. Yes there has been pandemics in the past but not one that has affected US soil as gravely as what we are currently experiencing at least (stay at home orders and majority shutdown).
As a bride during this time, my heart is with you, I can't imagine the sadness, maybe anger you first felt. It's shitty all the way around, shitty for you, shitty for the ENTIRE industry that is affected (i.e small businesses), and mostly shitty for all the money, time, and effort that has gone into planning the no longer wedding date. BUT through all this shit you can either cry and be miserable OR make the best of it. You can make it memorable because let's be real your wedding date is going to be memorable anyways right, you're stuck at home practicing worldwide social distancing. When else has this happened? #weareinthistogether
On April 1st I posted on our instagram about recreating your own honeymoon at home. This is the chance to recreate playing pretend as a child and make it an adult version. Many of the activities you do on your honeymoon could easily be replicated at home, such as breakfast in bed, or a romantic dinner under the stars.
Below you will find a few ideas I had and you may also access a Pinterest board I created for this topic. Click here to get further ideas. Now...sit back, relax and cue in that romantic gondola music you hear in the movies.
Paradise at home
Most people already try to recreate this at home if they have back yards with gardening or areas sectioned off for lounging, bbq areas, tiki huts, pergolas etc. If you've got a pool you're ahead of the game and super lucky because that in itself is a paradise (especially these days). So let's pretend you don't have anything but a plain backyard as I do. You can purchase tanning beds, add an umbrella for shade, and a little side table to hold your tropical drinks (which by the way in this pinterest board there's some great tropical cocktail recipes as well!) You get to set up your tropical oasis however you like with however much your budget is. If you're quarantined in an apartment, hopefully you have a balcony so you can get some fresh air and maybe hang a hammock to enjoy the sunset.
Breakfast (room service) in bed
I LOVE this one! If your significant other doesn't do this already, welllll its a great time to start! Who doesn't like to eat in bed? This is easy to recreate. Just pretend you're hung over from a fun night out dancing (or legit create that fun night) and you ordered room service to wake up to, except your honey gets to wake up earlier to prepare for you. Most of the decorative items you may already have at home or you can purchase for relatively cheap. Ohh! Heyyy dollar store, quick pit stop.
Picnic in the Park
You have two options or maybe not, depends where you live. You can either have a little picnic in your backyard ( because now you have an amazing little oasis) or legit at your local park. Some parks may kick you out for this activity so make sure to read their current rules prior to setting this up. A little suggestion, set up under a large tree so the cool shade can create magic. You can get all fancy and bring wine with a cheese and fruit plate or keep it PG with sandwiches, chips, and sodas.
Online Shopping Spree
Usually when you travel you like to purchase a "little" memento or two to represent your amazing trip. Or if you're anything like me, you take the opportunity to go shopping because usually you find the cutest things when you're not home and you know no one else is really going to have it (or so you hope). So this one is a two-fer you support local small businesses during this time and you get some really cute items. You can shop on small business sites such as mine where you will find unique handmade Colombian bags or shop Etsy because who doesn't love a good Etsy shop?
Romantic dinner for two
Simple, intimate, and memorable. Creating a romantic dinner for two comes with creating a lot of memories and fun. Play your favorite jams, or set the mood with a little romantic music, while enjoying cooking a meal together or take a cooking class online! Win win for couples bonding session. Click here to see a recent article from Eating Well for top online classes.
I hope you enjoyed this post, if you know someone who will love it please share it with them! - M
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Melissa Segebre-Stamnos
Queen Bee of Honeybee Bride and Head Honeymoon Wardrobe Stylist. Melissa is based in New Orleans, LA and lives with her husband and two fur babies, Grover & Bailey, who you will sometimes see living the good life on instagram.