Honeymoon Destination

With a dear friend currently island hopping in Greece and talk of our own honeymoon starting--it's safe to say I have travel on my brain more than usual. If you're looking for a totally luxurious, amazing and decadent travel experience, please check out Round Hill. They hosted a familiarization trip for destination wedding professionals a while back. It was absolutely wonderful. My colleagues and I were pampered from the moment we arrived and throughout our stay. I just received an email with promotions Round Hill is running. If you're interested-- please reach out to me by email and I'll happily forward the message your way. My email address is tammy@tammygolson.com.

Safe travels!

xo,
Tammy

Destination: Costa Rica

I recently returned from my bridal shower and bachelorette weekend in Costa Rica. While I was ridiculously spoiled and loved by five fantastic women, I am pretty sure my engagement was merely the motivator to get six busy women together to celebrate two decades of friendship. Rebecca and I have been friends since our freshman year in college. The other five of us worked as waitresses at the same greasy spoon restaurant during college.  My life is so much better because I know and love these amazing women. 

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Costa Rica. It's easy to see why this country would be a wonderful location for a destination wedding for the adventurous couple planning an intimate wedding. If delicious food and natural beauty appeal to you, I recommend you add Costa Rica to your short list of locations to consider.

On our first night, we were welcomed by a private chef who prepared and served us a lovely and decadent five course dinner.

We took a ride on a catamaran. The boat brought us up close with dolphins and allowed us to swim and snorkel with the fish.

We rented a beautiful house with a private infinity pool and amazing ocean views. The concierge service provided with our accommodations made the planning easier by helping us navigate the language, logistics and steep dirt roads. Thanks to Manuel and Paradise Breezes for welcoming us so warmly and providing the perfect home base for our festivities.

We discovered a waterfall in the rainforest which led us to an amazing hotel in the jungle. Oxygen Jungle Villas rests at 9000 feet.  The views are absolutely breathtaking and it's decor is elegant and polished, which is uncommon in the region of the country we were in. We did not have a bad meal in Costa Rica, and while most of the restaurants would be categorized as hole-in-the-walls, Oxygen's appetizers were scrumptious and plated beautifully.

 Our last day was documented by professional photographer Paul Gerace.  Thanks to Paul (and Ceasar, of course)  for creating photos I'll cherish forever.

My heart is filled with gratitude thanks to my dear friends. I appreciate all their efforts that went into making this the most amazing trip!  While the rainforest and waterfalls were wonderful, it was the long overdue quality time and conversations I am most grateful for. I'll cherish the memories and laughter always. I also appreciate the husbands and loved ones who made it easy for my friends to leave their kids, get away, relax and enjoy this wonderful vacation.

If you're planning a destination wedding and interested in more information about Costa Rica, please get in touch.

xo,
Tammy



Photo Credit:  Gerace Images

Martha's Vineyard

Martha's Vineyard lived up to it's reputation. This laid back, sophisticated and diverse destination, a short ferry ride away from the mainland, makes it easy to enjoy the journey and is a place I hope to return to often if not annually. I wanted some place special and new (to me) to celebrate my milestone birthday and was not disappointed. There was adventure, good food and an abundance of beauty.

Erik-- our innkeeper, was instrumental to the success of our vacation. His invites and information made all the difference. Grateful to Kimberly for recommending Oak Bluffs Inn and thanks to Carissa for sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm for MV. Proof positive of the power of a word of mouth referral. If you're hungry for seafood, apple fritters, have a hankering for the ocean or if you're looking for an amazing backdrop for a destination or New England wedding consider Martha's Vineyard.

Happy Fall!

xo
Tammy

Destination Weddings In Ireland

I toured a small bit of Ireland last year and while it was vacation, I couldn't help myself from checking out a few wedding venues. I thought this would be the appropriate week to share some of my favorite snapshots as everyone is a little bit Irish heading into this weekend.

Ireland is rich in character, culture and history and offers an abundance of all the necessary ingredients needed to host a destination wedding. Couples can marry and celebrate at a Catholic church, in a garden, at a luxurious hotel or inside an old castle.







Your guests can enjoy the breathtaking scenery, hiking up waterfalls, walks along the countryside, seeing animals, taking in the culture, sampling traditional Irish fare, antique shopping and of course downing pints of Guinness while listening to Celtic music into the week hours of the morning.





Having lived in Scotland after college, I have a special fondness of the United Kingdom and traveling with someone with a keen sense of the land, really allowed me to see the country from an unique and authentic perspective.

If you’re interested in a hosting a wedding in Ireland please reach out to me by telephone or email. For more information on Irish wedding traditions, check out a post from my archives here and if you fancy an Irish wedding and aren't sure how to go about it please check out my tips on Brooklyn Betrothed.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Tammy


p.s.

It wouldn't be me if I didn't talk about the food. Ireland gets a bad wrap for their cuisine. And while sometimes the food was true to it's reputation....



other times I enjoyed delicious food that was well prepared with local ingredients and presented in a very inviting way.




The photos were all mine, taken using my trusty little Canon Power Shot SD 1300 IS. For the rest of the pictures from my trip please check out my facebook page.

New Blog Feature: Vendor Q&A

I have had the good fortune to meet so many incredible and interesting people along my entrepreneurial journey. I am excited to start introducing them to my readers. I am going to ask them questions, sharing their answers on my blog with a sample of their work, links to their sites and my two cents when it's appropriate.

I am thrilled and it's appropriate for me to start by introducing Yura, the brains, talent and charm behind Lux Photo Studios. Yura was one of the first wedding photographers I met ironically standing in line for an industry event. I'll risk how it sounds by admitting I won't stand in line for industry events any more, but I am certainly glad I did that day.

TG: You are from Montreal originally? Do you have favorite hotels to visit or restaurants to try for anyone planning a destination or hometown wedding, a weekend visit or vacation?

I am originally from Montreal, and I miss it more every day.. It's quite a charmer as cities go.

My favorite hotels in Montreal are Opus and St. Paul. Both are chic, boutique hotels with plenty of character. For those who like the old town charm St.Paul is right in the center on Montreal's trendy Old Port. On the other hand, Hotel Opus is located smack in the middle of downtown, close to great restaurants and happening lounges.

As for the restaurants, Montreal features a really vibrant scene. Anthony Bourdain in his new tv show "The Layover" recently did a piece on Montreal's food scene - and I'm here to tell you he did it justice! Among my favorites are Joe Beef, Schwartz's, Au Pied De Cochon, L'express, Garde Manger...

TG: What is your approach to wedding photography and how would you describe your ideal client or wedding if you could put it into words?

In our company, Lux Photo Studios, when it comes to wedding photography, we believe in simple yet powerful philosophy - as a wedding photographer you have to do whatever it takes to make your brides and grooms look hot (for the lack of a better word). They have been preparing for this special day for a long time, much effort was put forth into making it happen, and it would be only fair to make the two people responsible for this event look their very best - we will use advanced lighting techniques, creative angles, best professional equipment, and much more to get the finest possible photographic results.

TG: Do you have a favorite photo from 2011 or a few you'd like to share.

Some of my favorite photographs from 2011 came from a wedding we shot in Montreal, QC. It was a Sephardic Jewish Moroccan wedding, a very soulful and fun, simple yet glamorous.

TG: What is your biggest photography challenge that is often repeated at weddings that seems easily avoided?

The biggest photography challenge is usually the time. There's very little of it on the day of the wedding, and in many cases the day is planned without taking into consideration photographer's or cinematographer's needs. The best solution for it is for the bride and groom to hire an event planner or a day-of-the-wedding coordinator, so that person can professionally coordinate all the vendors and take the pressure off the marrying couple.

TG: Is there one venue in New York that you're most looking forward to working at?

New York has so many wonderful venues, and we are happy to say that we have shot in most of them, however one venue has escaped us so far - Cipriani Wall Street. We are looking forward to one day when we will create some magic in that place.




TG: I can't wait to check out some of these recommendations, my one and only trip to Canada thus far was for Winter Carnival in Quebec City many years ago, it was simply amazing. My favorite celebrity Candian foodie is Chuck Hughes and today I discovered by accident a wedding blog devoted to Canadian Brides, Champagne Sweets. Congrats to Valarie, who I've had the pleasure of meeting in person, she's is a lovely and smart colleague, was a beautiful bride very recently--her new project is destined to be a beautiful blog!

Photo Credit: Lux Photo Studio

Visiting Indianapolis

I was looking forward to my trip to Indianapolis for Eventology and the time I had with my dear friends before the conference began. I really didn't give the city itself much thought. When traveling to a new place I refer to The New York Times 36 hours series so I can plan my time wisely. Their information was great, the shrimp cocktail was good and Chocolate Café did not disappoint. However, as usual, there were a few additional finds, I'd recommend.

The Children's Museum was one of the best of it's kind.

We walked the canal to Creation Cafe for lunch. It was a beautiful day, so we sat outside, but the interior was artful and interesting. The menu had many unique and delicious options. If you are looking for something more upscale, Euphoria is upstairs.

After lunch April, our amazing tour guide, led us on foot to some of the city's best wedding venues. We were all impressed by the Indian State Museum and the newly renovated Public Library.

The Flying Cupcake is the sweetest shop in town, the branding is phenomenal, the store front is whimsical and exactly what one would want and expect from a cupcakery. The red velvet cupcakes were A+. Our timing was perfect, too. We were served immediately and as we left with treats in hand, people were lined up out the door waiting to get their cupcakes.



Thanks to Kimberly for making the long drive with AKC Squared. Waking up to a three year old's cock-a-doodle-doo is much preferred to my iPhone alarm.

Thanks to April, my new Indianapolis friend, her inside tour and local knowledge was certainly appreciated. Last but not least thanks to Aletha and Lindsey for being my cupcake connoisseur cohorts.

Have you been pleasantly surprised by any new cities you've discovered recently? I plan to recap the professional value of my trip in future posts.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

When I lived in Scotland, twelve years ago, fortunately, I made excellent use of my year abroad. One of the highlights of my time there was a trip to Ireland. My mom and aunt came to visit me and neither had been out of the country before. When planning their itinerary, I made certain to remedy this situation. They visited three countries in one trip. We spent time in Scotland, went to England for a day and then toured Ireland. We stayed in bed and breakfasts. We listened to live Celtic music. My aunt Linda loved Guinness. My mom enjoyed the scenery. A highlight of the trip was a ride. In a small village a man named Michael took us around on a wooden and rustic horse drawn carriage. The four of us, the driver included, were packed tightly in the small box and with knees kissing he gave us a tour of the small town. Because of the tight quarters and touching body parts we fought off giggles the entire ride. So. much. fun. We still laugh just thinking about this experience.

Ireland is a beautiful country to visit, if you can't get there right now, rent P.S. I Love You if you are a traditionalist or Once if you're more artsy and independent, listen to U2 or if you're in New York check out The Dubliner on Stone Street downtown in the Financial District.

Enjoy celebrating St. Patrick's Day!


xo

T

California

Happy Labor Day!

I hope you are enjoying this long weekend. With two big weddings on the horizon, I am happy to be home this weekend and I have made projects a priority. Meanwhile, many friends have been vacationing in California recently, so I am inspired to share some photos from my trip to California earlier this year.

If I didn't love living in New York, I am sure I'd be content living adjacent to a winery. The gorgeous Orfila Vineyard is a short drive from San Diego.



Imagine being a bride walking down this aisle.


In effort to balance out the vineyard photos, here are few of the animals at the San Diego Zoo.





Thanks to my dear friend and trusted travel companion Cheri for her love of maps and excellent navigation skills. She got us everywhere we wanted to go and then some!

Zagats

I would not dream of traveling without consulting Zagats.com. My online subscription is one of my most valuable tools. I love being able to find the best restaurant based on food, value, decor. You can also do an advance search and indicate what neighborhood you want to dine in and what type of cuisine you prefer.