Wishing I was… in Italy at the Palazzo Avino in the town of Ravello in the Amalfi Coast. Beyond the gorgeous architecture, overlooking views of the quaint villages, the property’s history if also quite intriguing! The Palazzo Avino was once a 12th century private villa for an Italian noble family and in 1997 opened its doors as a hotel. Now you can enjoy life as noble, and why wouldn’t you want to?!?
Ravello is also one of my absolute favorite places in the world! It is such a beautiful, quaint little town with the most gorgeous views! One of my favorite parts of Ravello was walking through Villa Cimbrone. The courtyard, gardens, and views from there just can’t be missed. Neither can a meal at Trattoria Cumpa Cosimo, a small family run restaurant with the most incredible pasta.
Picture yourself arriving here after your nuptials. Contact me and I’ll provide you a quote!
I feature many real honeymoons on here, but what makes this one really special is that Isaiah and Dana visited Hotel Le Toiny in St Barths and The Viceroy Resort in Anguilla just as we did on the trip I recently featured (Part 1 | Part 2). Now you get to hear all about the hotels and islands from a honeymoon couple!
I’ve already told you so many of my favorite parts about St Barths and Anguilla that I’m excited to share what Dana and Isaiah had to say!
Choosing St Barths & Anguilla for their Honeymoon
We would have never chose St Barth’s or Anguilla without Katie. These two islands weren’t even on our radar! But after we filled out Katie’s first questionnaire, she sent us some amazing options for our honeymoon. From there, we had some decisions to make – and it came down to whether we wanted to go for the historical, touristy destinations of Italy and Greece, or the relaxing, tropical islands of St Barth’s and Anguilla. We always knew from the start that we wanted to travel somewhere new for the both of us. In the end, we chose St Barth’s and Anguilla because we knew we were going to need some tranquility in our lives. These two remote places definitely had that and lots of history to boot!
Unforgettable Moment
In Anguilla, we had a blast traveling to Scilly Cay, which is basically an extremely tiny island along Anguilla where they serve HUGE portions of lobster, crayfish, and chicken for lunch. With no electricity on the island, they rely on a large abundance of charcoal grills to prepare their food fresh daily. Not only was Scilly Cay beautiful, but it was also fun! We went with another honeymoon couple who we met at our resort and we all drank way too many Rum Punches and finished our gigantic plates of food in no time. We’d definitely go back!
What they Loved
At Hotel Le Toiny in St Barth’s, we of course loved having our own pool right outside our humongous private villa; and the fact that breakfast was served on our porch each morning was definitely a plus! Having that was everything and more than we could have ever asked for. But mostly, we loved getting to know the island, the history behind it, and the French people who occupy it. We found everyone to be extremely nice, helpful, and interesting. Aside from all that, the food was insane! We ate Top Chef meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner everyday.
The Viceroy Resort in Anguilla was the highlight of the second part of our trip. Not only was it extremely pristine and gorgeous, but it was so big, that we were able to lay out at the beach one day and try the various different pools (including this infinity pool) within the resort the other days. We also LOVED the spa! My brother and sister-in-law got us a couples message to their spa as our wedding gift and it was so heavenly that we decided to go again to end our trip on a high note.
Cherished Memory
She said
For me, it would be our first night in Anguilla! It was a Monday and upon arrival, we were told there was a Manager’s Happy Hour in the Sunset Lounge later that night. We got ready and headed down to the bar where this happy hour was taking place, and immediately we were served complimentary drinks of our choice. I was taking in the beautiful scenery of the resort and people watching, of course, which is one of my favorite past-times. Then, we went to dinner at one of the Viceroy’s many restaurants, and afterwards, we danced the night away while DJ Sugar was spinning at the Sunset Lounge! We both had a blast and have great pictures showcasing how much fun we were having with each other!!
He Said
I loved St Barth’s, especially the night we had dinner at On the Rocks, located in the Eden Rock Hotel. The restaurant had a really cool ambiance and the food was unbelievable. We actually only ate appetizers and desserts and we were more than satisfied. It was a great night and we had the best time together.
Honemooner Hints
In St Barth’s, definitely rent a car but be aware that it is really scary to drive! Isaiah ended up loving it, but I was always nervous because the roads are not what we are used to. They were extremely rocky and mountainous! It was great to get out during the day and explore the island, but we always took cabs at night.
One of the best restaurants we ate at in St Barth’s was Bonito, set in the center of Gustavia, this restaurant is set on a cliff overlooking the city! The service was phenomenal.
Shopping in St Barth’s was great. One night, we shopped in the town of Gustavia and then went to a few bars for a drink, namely “Le Select” which was a total locals joint and famously known for where the song “Cheeseburger in Paradise” was written. Eventually, we went to dinner and made friends with some other Americans visiting the island. It was a blast!
In Anguilla, stay at the Viceroy! That would be our only advice! We saw other hotels and nothing came close to comparing.
Three Little Words
Dana: Hard to top!!!!
Isaiah: Unreal, unreal, unreal!
Does this sound like your perfect honeymoon? Contact me and I will take care of the rest!
Hotels: Hotel Le Toiny & Viceroy Anguilla
Planning: Ever After Honeymoons
It’s true, not all honeymoons involve white sands, bikinis, and drinks served to you in coconuts (although I’ve enjoyed a few coconut drinks in my day!). Instead, pack your hiking boots and let’s get to exploring. At Tierra Atacama Hotel and Spa and Tierra Patagonia Resort and Spa in Chile you will be delivered a remarkable experience.
Tierra Atacama Hotel and Spa is home to some of the best stargazing in the world. It’s rich with history, culture and tradition. We are talking about cultures that have existed for 10,000 years! By visiting you are bound to be provided true perspective by the grandiose mountains and scenic landscapes either by foot, horseback or bike. Need a break? Relax in the spa or in the pool to indulge in the hotel luxuries as well.
Tierra Patagonia Resort and Spa is farther south in Chile and settled next to Lake Sarmiento and the mountain peaks of the Chilean Patagonia. Enjoy the impressive views and sip on Chilean wines after your daily treks through the Patagonia Mountains. Let the expert guides on-hand share world famous sights and the tucked away hidden ones as well.
Okay, let’s start you off with Tierra Atacama…
Now, head south to Tierra Patagonia Resort and Spa.
Want to see what happens in the Patgonian lifestyle by month?
I know, right? It’s almost unreal. Okay, well now it’s time for me to tell you to take a hike! Let’s get you to these mountain tops. All you need to do is contact me!
Images: Tierra Atacama Hotel and Spa & Tierra Patagonia Resort and Spa
Many of you asked me how I did my hair that was featured in my last post. Wedding Chicks has the best tutorial from Erica at 1011 Makeup. This braid is so versatile for day, night and of course on your honeymoon! Braid on ladies!
Step one:
Gather hair into a ponytail and secure with a clear elastic band. You can either cut the band for a loose braid or you can wrap the band with hair to hide it upon completion.
Step two
Divide the hair in the pony tail into two equal parts. If you would like to wrap the band with hair when finished, leave a small piece aside, separate from the two equal parts, and do not include this piece as you braid.
Step three:
Take a small piece from the outside of side one and pass the piece to side two (you can decide which side will be one and two). Next, take a small piece from the outside of side two and pass it to side one. Continue this process. Once you pass each piece over you can forget about them, just let them gather into their new sides.
To keep the braid tight, every so often you can take side one and side two and pull them away from each other. This will help tighten the pieces you have already placed and braided.
Step four:
Once you have finished the braid (takes a lot longer than a normal three strand braid), you can secure the ends with an elastic band. At this point you can either carefully cut the elastic at the top of the braid, or you can take the piece you set aside and wrap the band, securing the end with a bobby pin.
For a looser braid, upon completion, you can gently pull the braid apart, helping to separate the pieces a bit, loosening the braid.
For a sleeker braid, make sure to brush through your hair first, and try to keep the braid as tight as possible.
For a “messy/ boho” braid, you can add texture prior to starting the braid by curling your hair or teasing your hair a bit, and don’t worry about keeping the braid too tight as you work. This will help the braid to appear a bit thicker and looser. Spray with a light finishing spray.
Images: Wedding Chicks
Tutorial: Erica at 1011 Makeup
All aboard! Jillian from 100 Layer Cake, Leila from Inspired by This, Jen from Green Wedding Shoes, Summer from Grey Likes Weddings, and our lovely photographer Jen Huang (along with all of our men) jumped onboard a boat for quick ride from Anguilla to enjoy the second part of the trip on the incredible island of St Barths.
I little insight into my love of these two islands starts with how they both offer such different experiences despite being so close to one another. Anguilla is super laid back and slow moving, with funky beach bars serving rum punch cocktails, and steel drum music. Arrive at St Barths for an incredibly European feel with beautiful architecture, amazing restaurants, a cute town, and exciting nightlife.
Our home during our time in St Barths was Hotel Le Toiny, my absolute favorite hotel in St Barths! This hotel features 15 private villas, each with a private pool and ocean views! It’s located in a really private and secluded area of the island, but still just a short drive to the incredible beaches, shops, and restaurants on the island. And one of my favorite things about this hotel is the amazing breakfast each morning, which you can choose to enjoy in your villa or to have in their restaurant.
We had so much fun during our time in St Barths! The first night we headed over to Hotel Carl Gustaf at Victoria’s Restaurant for an unbelievable three-course wine pairing dinner. The restaurant hosts gorgeous views of the main town in St Barths called Gustavia. Oh my goodness their salted carmel dessert was just heavenly!
The following evening we had drinks and appetizers at On The Rocks at Hotel Eden Rock which we loved! It was a perfect evening with great company, and the most amazing food! I would highly recommend having dinner there one evening while in St Barths!
The next day we headed over to Gouveneur Beach. Hotel Le Toiny provided towels, beach chairs, umbrellas, snorkeling equipment, and a picnic lunch. This was not your average beach picnic – we were blown away by the most incredible lunch spread! Yum!
The Ensemble // Their Experiences
100 Layer Cake
Inspired by This
Green Wedding Shoes
Grey Likes Weddings
Jen Huang
Needless to say this trip was a complete success and we all had an unforgettable time. If you haven’t had chance to check out our time in Anguilla you definitely need to. I would also recommend perusing all the ladies blogs as well, they did a beautiful job capturing the trip!
A special offer for you honeymooners! Contact me to book your honeymoon at Hotel Le Toiny and you will receive a complimentary picnic lunch to bring to the beach one afternoon!
Planning: Ever After Honeymoons
Hotel: Hotel Le Toiny
Photographer: Jen Huang
