Honeymoon Adventures Part I: Getting There

It's time for the Camel honeymoon recaps! In case you missed it, we visited the Mediterranean islands of Malta and Gozo with a short stop in the city of Paris on our way home. I will include a mixture of pretentious Instagram photos and "real" photos from my DSLR. Sorry if you get photo overload, but I took a lot on this trip! 

The night of our wedding Mr. C and I stayed at a place in downtown Athens called Hotel Indigo. It's only about 15 to 20 minutes from our venue and we had a limo ride there. One our our coworker's wives upgraded our original reservation to the presidential suite. It had three rooms, a bathroom the size of our apartment bedroom, a baby grand piano, a living room with giant flat screen TV, a second entryway bathroom -- in short it was enormous and absolutely ridiculous as we'd only really be spending a few hours there. I actually woke up around 4:00 am, my head abuzz with wedding day emotions, and was only able to fall back asleep as dawn crept into the windows. Around 10:00 am we checked out of our decadent room and met up with my dad, step-family, grandma, aunts and uncles for breakfast at their hotel down the street. We also ran into Mr. C's dad and stepmother who were also staying at the hotel.

We eventually said our tearful goodbyes and returned to our apartment which had exploded in a chaotic mess of wedding decor; it was one big sad, deflated wedding mess. There were presents, cards, boxes of milk glass, a bag of uneaten macarons, a trash bag full of flowers from our beautiful table decor. We sat down and began sorting through the mess. We opened cards and presents, broke down large boxes, took out several bags of trash. Our apartment started to return to normal, slowly but surely. Then we had to return to the venue to retrieve a pair of corn hole boards that were accidentally left behind. It was sad and surreal to return to the venue where just hours earlier there had been one big, amazing party held in celebration of our love. I started crying almost immediately! But we got the corn hole boards and returned home to finish packing.

We had a late start out the door and as a result barely made it on our 11:00 pm flight to Paris. I think because the flight left so late in the day we kept thinking we had more time than we had in reality. I travel all the time and I really, really should have known better (hangs head in shame)! We had to play the sad honeymooners card just to let the ticketing agent let us check in (it was past the hour check in time required for international flights). Honestly, I couldn't believe she was so nice, as usually us non-revenue passengers are treated like scum, honeymoon or not. The downside is that to make it in time, Mr. C had to park in the daily parking deck so we ended up paying $16 a day for parking. Ouch. But it was that or miss the flight. We could have tried again the following day but we weren't sure what the flights looked like or if we would be able to make it out. We rushed down to the terminal and were the last passengers on. We made it in business class and sitting next to each other -- a rare non-revenue luxury. I say non-revenue, but we paid for our plane tickets, just not a lot. The business class seats were a godsend because after waking up so early the previous night (plus all the post-wedding emotions and cleanup) I was absolutely exhausted. After dinner I passed out and it was easily the deepest sleep I've ever had on an international flight. Usually I'm excited, nervous, or my brain simply won't shut off long enough to let me rest on a plane. This time I was too tired to care.

My eyes were totally puffy from exhaustion/tears but I was so happy we were finally on our way!

When we landed it was dark, cold, and very rainy -- not the scene you want to see when landing in Paris! I was terrible and did not pack many warm clothes (a mistake that would haunt me the entire trip). Unfortunately Europe has been experiencing a lot of rain and uncharacteristically cool weather this summer. Anyway, we left a day early for our honeymoon as we were not sure that we would actually make it to Paris on the first try (again, the risk of traveling non-revenue). But we did! But we didn't have a hotel. We spent about three hours in the airport on the internet (per hour paid WIFI) trying to find a hotel that was not $500 a night and not already booked. I meant to do this before leaving, but I think with all the craziness of the wedding and cleaning and packing afterwards it was de-prioritized. I figured it would not be difficult to find something last minute. This turned out to be a pretty tall order, thanks in part to the French Open which we had no idea was taking place at the time. Actually, I'm still not sure if that was the issue, but for some reason every single hotel in Paris was completely full for the night.

After much stress and fretting I finally found a reasonably priced business hotel off the Place d'Italie metro stop in southeast Paris. After an epic ordeal trying to find it, and dragging our luggage around the streets (I'm sure we looked ridiculous), we eventually checked in. We were on the top floor in I think the only room with a balcony which wrapped around the entire room. We could see the tip of the Eiffel Tower along the skyline, miles away. The room had been a last minute cancellation, hence my ability to book it when everything else was packed. There wasn't much time for us to see or do anything in the city, which was fine since we would be back 

The streets of Valletta, Malta

The next day we were back at the airport and on our way to Malta - a little island just south of Sicily out in the Mediterranean. You can read all about why we chose Malta and Gozo as honeymoon destinations here. It was a short two hour flight from Paris. From the airport we took a crazy, bumpy bus ride to Valletta, the capital and location of our hotel. When we finally arrived the main street was dark and lifeless at 9:00 pm. I was surprised how quiet and utterly closed up it was! Most Europeans like to eat dinner late, like 9:00 pm late (which I love). This place was obviously much different and definitely something to keep in mind if you plan to visit Malta or Gozo. We found our hotel, but not after another exhausting strut around the city with all of our luggage as we struggled with locating our hotel (this will become a honeymoon theme, unfortunately). It really makes you love and appreciate your phone and data plans as at home we could have just pulled up Google Maps and been done with the business in seconds. We stayed at the Hotel Osbourne which was a converted palace -- a very cool place and with decent sized rooms.

The streets of Valletta, Malta

In my next post I will have something more than Instagram photos and some details about what we did and saw on Malta!

The Best Day Ever

I want to tell you all about the best day ever. Do you have a best day ever? A day when everything, in spite of all odds, somehow turns out perfectly? My best day ever is the day Mr. C proposed to me. And it wasn't just about being engaged, it was everything else in the universe aligning to make the most amazing, absolutely perfect day.

But first, let's start at the beginning.

One day last February I was home from work and wistfully scrolling through images of Versailles on my computer. I was showing Mr. C some images and talking about how much I wanted to return to Paris. I was trying to convince him that we should visit Paris in November when I knew we'd have a week off for Thanksgiving break. Suddenly Mr. C bent down beside me. He had a puckish twinkle in his eyes. "What if we went to Paris for spring break?" My heart stopped. I stared at him for a moment. Mind you, spring break was only around four weeks away at this point. The idea of hopping on a plane and making a spontaneous trip to Paris was both exhilarating and terrifying. Really only terrifying in a very mundane adult sort of way: How much would it cost? Where would we stay? Can we really do this? Should I feel guilty about spending this money (when I really need a new car..)?

Now, to be fair, it's a little cheaper for us to travel than for most people. My dad is a pilot for Delta Airlines and I fly standby for a discount. The catch is that I only get on a plane if and when there is an open seat. I have higher priority than Mr. C, who flies on a buddy pass. Buddy passes are like the dripping pond scum of the airline world. Buddy passes are practically useless these days if you don't want to spend hours or even days waiting in the airport to fly somewhere. This makes planning vacations very stressful. So while flying to Paris would be relatively inexpensive, we also might never end up in Paris--or we could end up in Paris a day or two behind schedule. This in turn makes it nearly impossible to make hotel reservations. It is always a gamble.

I spent the rest of the night thinking it over. A few months earlier Mr. C and I had had "the talk." You know, the one where you talk about getting married. We'd also recently been scouring both the internet and local antique malls for the perfect antique engagement ring. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to go. The idea was taking a deeply rooted hold in my mind. I could be in Paris in a few weeks! I could see Versailles again! I was giddy with excitement. Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep that night.

In a few short weeks we were off to Paris. It was our first international trip together and Mr. C's first international trip ever! Due to some airline miracle we had zero problems getting there and we arrived at Charles-de-Gaulle, the most ill-conceived airport in the world, on March 12th. I had checked and rechecked and triple checked the Paris weather for weeks. I felt like an outdoor wedding bride as I obsessed over weather forecasts. Paris is a walking city. You spend a lot of time outside, especially on the grounds of Versailles and the Petit Trianon. A few days of bad weather could make the whole trip quite miserable. But the weather was perfect. It was a little humid and chilly, but it did not rain. The sun was shining. The sky was blue. The cherry blossoms were in bloom. It was Paris in (almost) springtime.

And then it started. When would he propose? I mean, he was going to propose, right? We were in Paris, the most romantic city in the world. If it wasn't happening there, then it wasn't happening. But it didn't happen at the top of the Eiffel Tower. It didn't happen on a sunset boat cruise on the Seine. It didn't happen on the Champs Elysees as I greedily consumed my Ladurée macarons, or at the Louvre, or in the lovely Jardin de Tuileries. I was beginning to think that maybe, just maybe, I had gotten my hopes up about nothing. Maybe Mr. C really did just want to go to Paris for the fun of it. I started to feel a little bit silly. 

On our last full day in Paris, we visited Versailles. It was my second time at Versailles and I came prepared. I had read not one, but two different biographies about Marie Antoinette. I read a book specifically about the history Versailles. I also somehow convinced myself that I needed a giant Versailles coffee table book which I studied carefully for days. As soon as we made the decision to go to Paris I booked a special tour of the private apartments of Louis XV and Louis XVI. They only offer these tours to prearranged groups who have purchased tickets in advance. I wasn't going to miss out on the opportunity! In fact, if you have a chance to go, make sure to check the Versailles website to see what tours they are offering. You get to see parts of the palace that are inaccessible to other visitors.

The tours were to begin at 9:00 am, but we were running a little behind schedule. I remember sitting on the train from Paris to Versailles and staring at my watch, silently sweating despite the chilly morning air. We weren't going to make it. We'd never get there in time. When the train finally stopped at the station we sprinted off for the palace. I will forever remember the morning that we ran halfway across the town so that we would not miss a tour of Versailles. Mr. C was running behind me laughing, "We'll make it! We'll make it!" Turns out we burned off those buttery morning croissant calories for nothing! The main palace gates didn't even open until 9:00 am and the tours started 30 minutes afterwards. We made it in time after all!

The tour began and as I was floating through the glowing, gilded rooms of the private apartments, I knew it was an awesome day. Maybe the best day ever. Surrounded by history, touring the palace with my very best friend beside me--it was absolute heaven. It was also a beautiful, uncharacteristically warm day, the nicest weather we'd seen all week. We even had the rare opportunity of seeing the royal opera which is often closed for performances. Everything was perfect.

After the tour I wanted to view the rest of the palace, but it was packed with tour groups who arrived via bus in droves for a quick morning visit. Instead we decided we would visit the Petit Trianon and the Queen's Hamlet before the crowds shifted out into the gardens.

On our way to the Petit Trianon, out in the parterre near the Fountain of Latona, I noticed a young couple trying to take a "long arm" picture of themselves and I offered to take the photo for them. Mr. C then asked if they wouldn't mind taking a picture for us. Actually he said, "Could you take a couple of pictures?" I passed my point-and-shoot camera over and moved into position beside Mr. C. Suddenly he got down on one knee and pulled a ring box from his pocket. I froze. Everything suddenly felt like it was moving in slow motion. I keep thinking, is this really happening? I mean, I knew it could happen, I thought it might, but it really was happening. Mr. C opened the box and inside was a gorgeous antique ring, so delicate, sparkling like mad in the morning sunlight. I can't really remember what he said, I was too shocked. The girl with my camera was snapping away, a crowd of French school children were cheering.  Everything was very surreal. We were at Versailles and it was the most perfect day and the man I loved was on one knee with a delicate, elfin antique ring presented before me. I said yes.

Then it was suddenly very awkward. What had just happened? There's a sort of strange, quiet moment afterwards where the enormity of the moment begins to seep into your consciousness. We embraced, he slipped the ring on my finger. I thanked our makeshift photographer profusely (she even took a bit of video, with zero prompting from us!)

We spent the next 20 minutes walking through the gardens leading to the Petit Trianon. I was still in a daze. I couldn't believe what had just happened and I couldn't keep my eyes off my gorgeous new ring! Finally I got my senses together and we rented bikes and rode around the gardens, visited Marie Antoinette's hamlet and the Petit Trianon. It was my first time visiting the Queen's Hamlet (it was closed the first time I was at Versailles), so being there was exhilarating. I've already shared my intense love for the Queen's Hamlet in a wedding inspiration post, but I have to reiterate what a special and magical place it is. Please visit it if you are ever at Versailles! We also rode the bikes around the entire canal. It took us a good 30 minutes or more, but it was one of my favorite parts of the day.

Before I knew it, it was already 2 o'clock and we had yet to eat lunch! Luckily we were able to grab a table at a restaurant located on the grounds of the palace. We sat outside near the waters of the canal. It was just another puzzle piece in our perfect day!

To spend such a magical day in Paris, at Versailles with the love of my life, and to get engaged in a place with so much history -- I really have no words for it. I was 100% happy and content through and through. I couldn't have asked for a better day. It's now filed away into my extremely happy, peaceful memories which I draw strength and happiness from when times are bad. Which is silly because life is actually really, really amazing.

And that was my best day ever.

Wedding Inspiration Fit for a Queen

In my last post I described my wedding vision: Marie Antoinette at the Petit Trianon. But how exactly does that translate to wedding decor? I think it's time for a montage. Yes, a wedding inspiration montage. (cue inspirational 80's music)

Sources: Cakes, Cupcake Toppers, Flowers, Art, Tablescape

This is where I started, with some of the classic colors associated with Marie Antoinette: bright pinks and sky blues. Unfortunately I think it would be way too easy to go over the top with pinks and blues, so I decided to find a way to tone these colors down and get back to my original inspiration. Here is the result:

Sources: Ribbon Garland, Milk Glass Vases, Bouquet, Marie Antoinette (personal photo), Tablescape

As you can see, I added softer pinks and blues and found images that included peach and cream tones as well. I keep coming back to that iconic portrait of Marie Antoinette--the slate blue of her dress, the delicate cream lace, that blushing pink rose in her hand which echoes the color of her cheeks. It evokes all the lovely colors I hope to represent at our wedding. And with that, here is our wedding color scheme: 

Color scheme by me!

I never would have imagined that I would include any pink or orange tones in my wedding, but one inspiration shoot changed everything and set me on a mad hunt for blue milk glass. But I will save that for another entry!

One thing that will definitely not show up in any of our decor, paper goods, or signage is the phrase, "Let them eat cake." Marie Antoinette never uttered this famous phrase so often associated with her, but she has been branded with it in every high school history text book. In fact, as soon as you mention Marie Antoinette, people immediately think of the spoiled, out-of-touch queen of the French Revolution, snubbing her nose at the starving peasants by insisting that they eat cake if they can't find bread. You can read more about it here. 

How did your wedding inspiration evolve over time? 

Inspiration from Versailles

Now that you know a little about the quirky Camels, I think it's time to start talking about the wedding!

First of all, you should know that I'm a huge history nerd. One of my favorite time periods is 18th century France and the history of Louis XIV, Louis XV, and Louis XVI - which of course includes Marie Antoinette and the palace of Versailles. Throw in Sophia Coppola's stunning film (and not really accurate) Marie Antoinette, and you have a good idea of what has inspired many elements of our wedding.

I first visited Versailles over the summer of 2011 with my stepsister. We were on a whirlwind tour of Paris when she was on her way to study abroad in Madrid. As soon as I found out we were going to Paris together I knew we were going to have to visit Versailles.

Visiting Versailles for the first time and extremely happy to be there with my bag of macarons. (personal photo)

I was totally smitten by the palace and the history surrounding it. Take the famous Hall of Mirrors for instance -- not only is it steeped in the history of the kings of queens of France, but this room also saw the end of the Franco-Prussian war in 1871 where William I was declared emperor of Germany. The Germans returned to the Hall of Mirrors in 1919 to sign the Treaty of Versailles which ended World War I. So much history in one place!

The Hall of Mirrors (personal photo)

After my first visit in 2011 I returned  home and immediately bought several books on the palace and Marie Antoinette. After all my research I knew I had to go back someday. That opportunity came when my fiance and I traveled to Paris this past March. It was honestly one of the most magical days of my life but that might have something to do with a surprise proposal on the grounds of the palace! So you can imagine that incorporating Versailles and Marie Antoinette into our special day seemed only natural.

Details of Versailles (personal photos)

 But I didn't want too much rococo influence, with its gilded golden opulence. This level of formality and excess just isn't our style. We're down-to-earth people who enjoy all things informal. This meant that we were drawn to images of the peaceful countryside but with a touch of aristocracy. Luckily, I knew just where to look for inspiration.

In order to escape the rigid court life of Versailles  Marie Antoinette had a idyllic country-style village created at the Petit Trianon, a short 30 minute walk from the main palace. The Queen's Hamlet is open to tourists and you can stroll through the fields and view her farm and quaint country cottages. It is now maintained as a sort of living museum with livestock and vegetable gardens, much as it would have appeared over 200 years ago. I've traveled all over the world and I think the Queen's Hamlet is one of the coolest place on earth. It's as if someone peeked into my imagination and created a playground for adults with all the whimsy of childhood dreams. Seriously, check out these images and tell me you haven't fallen in love!

Marie Antoinette and her entourage at the Queen's Hamlet in Sophia Coppola's Marie Antoinette. (source)

The Queen's Hamlet (personal photos)

And so we have built our inspiration from there, along with the help of some trusty wedding blogs. After many, many moths of planning I have assembled a wealth of inspirational wedding images that I hope you find inspirational as well!

What unlikely places have you found wedding inspiration?