Mediterranean Island Destinations for your Honeymoon

The Mediterranean Sea has long been a popular destination for honeymooning couples. Many people focus on the mainland of countries bordering the Mediterranean such as Israel, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Turkey, and completely forget about all the islands located in the region. There are over 3,000 islands in the Mediterranean Sea, many of them exquisite and little known locations where you can honeymoon in peace and quiet. Here are three of the best kept secret Mediterranean island destinations for your honeymoon.

Tilos, Greece – With a population of barely over 500 people and only three hotels in the area, you’ve hit the jackpot if you’re looking for a remote vacation spot free from chattering hordes of tacky tourists. The downside to a place with so few places to stay is that you have to book early in order to get a spot. Tilos is a wonderful place to watch bird migrations, and there are several ruins on the island that you can explore, including the Megálo Chorió and Mikró Chorió castles and the Monastery of Áyios Pandeleímon.

Maddalena Archipelago, Italy – The Maddalena Archipelago is a group of seven large islands and several little ones. The seven islands, from largest to smallest, are Isola Maddalena, Caprera, Spargi, Santo Stefano, Santa Maria, Budelli and Razzoli. The entire archipelago is part of the Arcipelago di La Maddalena National Park, which is currently being considered by UNESCO as a future World Heritage Site. If you were interested in checking out the area but are not interested in staying at the nearby world famous Costa Smeralda resort, then the Maddalena islands are perfect for you as they share the same beautiful water and coastlines but the Maddalena islands are much less popular. Only three of these islands are actually inhabited, which leaves visitors with plenty of undeveloped land to explore.

Sovalye, Turkey – The island of Sovalye is part of a chain of twelve islands in the Gulf of Fethiye. It is the only one of the islands that is still inhabited. Although Sovalye is the island that is actually closest to the mainland and only ten minutes away from nearby mainland settlements by boat, the regular tour boat operators ignore it because they want to take tourists out to islands that are further away, which results in more money for them. This is great for travelers visiting Sovalye looking for a peaceful and undisturbed paradise. On Sovalye there are no cars or roads – people get around by walking. Canoes and boats are the best way to explore the island. Another popular activity is to snorkel through the crystal clear waters to see the sunken mosaics and other remains from ancient Roman times that have slid into the sea. There are a few rental villas, a couple of guest houses and self catering apartments, and a hotel on the island and the prices aren’t too bad.

This post was provided by Car Rental Express (CRX) and it was written by Ryan Embly. CRX provides cheap rental cars in cities all across Europe and North America.

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The Difference Between a Wedding and a Marriage

Article provided by Lipgloss Culture – We are genuine, bold, open-minded, curious, adventurous and not afraid to tell it like it is. We live busy lives, have diverse interests, and are always trying new things. We count on our girlfriends for support and advice. Our motto is to work smart, play hearty, and look good while we’re at it!

There are millions of women around the world who yearn to one day have a beautiful wedding. They eagerly want to find “Mr. Right” and be whisked away in his arms and into happily ever after. From dating often; searching on the internet and even going on television shows to fight for their Prince Charming, many women long to hear their very own wedding bells. However, it seems that in today’s society, many women who are so committed to getting married do not comprehend the difference between a wedding and a marriage. Many women and men as well are so fixated with the fantasy of an extravagant wedding that they don’t give much thought to life after the wedding ends and the reception hall closes.

More people need to realize that a wedding is just a ceremony where the “I do’s” take place whereas a marriage is the lifelong partnership between 2 people. A wedding is merely a show that tells the public that a union has been made between 2 people. All shows must end and in this case, when the wedding ends, the marriage comes into play. By understanding the difference between the 2, many more women and men, might begin the think longer and harder about rushing into a marriage. It is something that should not be taken lightly and should be given much thought because after the dream of a fabulous wedding is over, reality begins to knock at the door, just waiting to enter.

In the United States, about 50% of marriages end in a divorce. According to studiesoflove.com, the first 2 years of a marriage are the most crucial. This discovery is an astonishing one being that in the first 2 years of marriage, the “honeymoon” phase should still be in effect. Many believe that the first few years of a marriage should be a great time for a couple because the couple should be enjoying their new lives together as the first time as man and wife. Unfortunately, this belief is not as true as previously thought. How is that?  Why are the first 2 years of a union between 2 people who are suppose to be happily and madly in love so difficult so early in their marriage? That’s just it. The newlyweds are finally in a MARRIAGE. The fun of the wedding is dead. The food, family, friends, laughter, music, decorations, elegant dresses and sophisticated tuxedos are a thing of the past and reality has struck. With the end of the wedding and the beginning of the marriage, many couples begin to realize that they were so in love with the idea of an amazing wedding that they never gave much thought about live after. These couples finally see that they might not actually know or even love their spouse as much as they thought because only desire of a glamorous wedding was what really mattered to them at the time.

Moreover, according to divorce statistics.org, 45%-50% of first marriages end in divorce, 60%-67% of second marriages end in divorce and 70-73% of marriages end in divorce. As you can see, the more marriages that occur between people, the higher their risk of divorcing. One thought for the reason for these statistics are, is because as some people who have been previously married decided to get married again…and again, the thought of love and commitment to their new spouse becomes less and less important. Love and commitment for their new partner are not top priorities anymore. But wait, weddings still are great! The show of your huge diamond ring and your insanely expensive dress and the most beautiful reception that your guests ever saw will definitely leave them in awe. Your already married friends will surely eat their hearts out when they see how much better your wedding is to theirs. This sadly is the thought that millions of soon to be married people, especially women think when they are planning their weddings. With the constant images of how incredible your wedding could possibly be, who has time to think about true love, commitment and the rest their lives with their soul mate? Clearly not many.

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4 Crazy Weddings Ideas for the Hopelessly In Love

Your wedding should reflect you and your future spouse, right? While most couples take this to mean choosing between a traditional or a modern wedding, others take their weddings to the extreme.

After all, it’s your day; why not make it your own?

Here are four crazy wedding ideas for the hopelessly in love.

1. Get Married and Cross Something off Your ‘Bucket List’ at the Same Time

Have you ever wanted to go sky diving? Scuba diving? Bungee jumping? Parasailing? Rock climbing? Surfing? Skiing? If there’s something you’ve both always wanted to do, now is the time. Your wedding day only happens once and the sky’s the limit.  Couples have said their vows underwater, free falling from the sky, and on the side of a mountain. No matter what you’ve both always wanted to do, there’s a way to make it happen as part of your wedding ceremonies.

2. Get Married at an Extreme Location

Is there a special place where you both met? How about a place that you’ve always wanted to go? Whether you’re looking to get married in Italy or you’re thinking about getting married at SXSW (it recently ended but you can still plan for next year), get creative with your partner and dream big.

There’s no reason you should settle for anything less.

Get married on a boat, on an island, in a foreign country, or at a live event to make even more memories that you’ll never forget.

3. Have a Themed Wedding that Matches Your Interests

Themed weddings may seem like a silly idea to those who want a traditional church wedding- but for those hopelessly in love that share the same passions, a themed wedding might be just what you need.

Are you both comic book geeks? Have a comic-themed wedding and enforce a costume-only dress code. Are you foodies? Plan an extreme tasting menu for you and your guests. If you’re both wine aficionados, research local wineries. Photographers can rent a photo booth or decorate their reception hall with shots they’ve taken. Have a sports-themed wedding outside (or in) your favorite venue. Dog lovers can even have their dogs be in the wedding party. Ask yourself what you love to do together, and use that as a springboard for personalizing your wedding.

4. Use Romance as Your Inspiration

Host a fairy-tale wedding, complete with tiaras and rose petals. Recreate a favorite old movie scene. Go horseback riding on the beach at sunset. Invite your guests to a tropical paradise for your wedding. Start by discussing what you both picture when you say the word “romance” and go from there. Do you see an intimate candlelit dinner? How about a picnic near a waterfall?

Do you picture you both languishing with an umbrella drink in side-by-side hammocks?

Even if he sees a cozy cabin and you see candlelight, you can easily combine these two aesthetics so you’ll both have the romantic wedding of your dreams.

There’s no reason you need to follow every wedding rule and tradition in the book. It’s your day, so make it something that you’ll like, with memories you’ll always cherish. Forget what everyone else wants. So what if your family is pushing for a big church wedding? If you want something small and intimate on the beach, do it.

As long as you’re pleasing yourself and your future spouse, it’s sure to be the wedding of a lifetime.

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8 Tips For Hosting A $20,000 Wedding For Much Less

Summer: the time of year where love fills the air and wedding invitations flood your mailbox. Typically the invitations portray the theme of the wedding and inform the invitee when and where the wedding will take place.  Over the past couple months, I’ve been getting a ton of invites in the mail seeing how I’m at that age where everyone seems to be getting married (except me, but that’s another topic all together).

Anyway, if you haven’t heard, the average cost of a wedding these days’ is about $24,000. When you consider most people getting married are around 26 and that bill doesn’t include the rings or the honeymoon – the fact is that weddings are freakin’ expensive. In most cases, the couples getting married have just finished paying off their college debt and saving for their new home. Sure, some families help take care of a wedding. But there are definitely ways to host a $20,000 for less… much less.

Below are 8 money saving tips to help alleviate the expense of a wedding.

Tip #1. Off season weddings are much more affordable than a typical summer wedding. Also, it would also help to cut costs if it were scheduled on a Friday or Sunday. Depending on the time of the year, certain places may be decorated in advanced which can also encourage savings.

Tip #2. The average guest list is 178 family and friends long. This is possibly where you can end up saving most of your money considering everything – outside of the ceremony – is dependent on the head count. If possible, limit your guest list to 125-150. A good rule of thumb here: don’t invite more guests then you can spend at least a minute of your time with.

Tip #3. It is important to capture the memories created during your special day with photos, but getting professional photos could be cheaper than you think. Find a family member with some photography experience, a friend that you graduated with that majored in photography, or a cheap freelancer. Chances are they are willing to donate their services as a wedding gift or for much cheaper than a professional.

Tip #4. Food is probably going to end up costing the most out of all the wedding expenses.  You may want to consider a buffet style meal instead of a sit down meal.  It may also be feasible to have the caterers drop off the prepared food and set it all up and then leave.  Or, if you’re really ambitious, do the catering yourself.

Tip #5. Wedding announcements and invitations can be found for FREE! There are a ton of services on the web that provide free personalized announcements which can be printed from your home computer. Use some theme colored ribbon to spruce up the look and feel of the card.

Tip #6. From my experience, I know how you ladies like to browse dresses in magazines and try on dresses at bridal shops like Alfred Angelo. The dress is always a pricey piece of weddings, but if you’re not afraid to wear last season’s fashions, hundreds of dollars can be saved by going with an older style dress.

Tip #7. Some marriages find it a must to have a live band at their wedding. Others may suffice with a DJ.  Good live bands can cost as much as $2,000 or more.  Instead, find a musically inclined friend that will do it for cheap or even free as a gift.  If you really want to go cheap, find a play list online and download the songs to your iPod and use an amplifier to play it. I’ve seen this done at many weddings recently and found it to be just as effective as a DJ.

Tip #8. Certain beverages at the wedding can be extremely costly. Instead of hosting an open bar, have a beer wagon and a wine bar. If your families aren’t big drinkers only have a glass of champagne for the toast or just cut it out altogether.

Groomzillas

The wedding articles say that over 80% of grooms are at least equal partners in the wedding planning process.  So, of course, the wedding industry is catering to this group of men who have decided to own the wedding planning process.  Is this because average grooms are older than they used to be – and therefore pickier and more set in their ways?  Is it because most couples cohabitate before they marry, meaning they are paying for more of the wedding than they used to?

Whatever the reason, the Internet is full of stories of grooms who became completely caught up in the wedding planning process, and are just as hard to please and soothe as those famous Bridezillas that they like to make television programs about.  So, if you end up with one of these, how do you deal with him?  Well, you have choices.

You can let him have whatever he wants.  Let him control the whole thing.  Let him pick the flowers, the food, the table settings, the cake flavor, and even your dress.  What?  No!

You can test his fortitude.  Is he a real Groomzilla, or is he playing at this?  Take him to a bridal show.  Make him read all the bridal magazines with you.  Completely inundate him with wedding stuff.  He might very well cry uncle.

If he doesn’t?  Then it looks like you’ve got a partner for good.  Enjoy planning this special day with him and realize that if you can’t do this together, you’re probably not going to be very good at living together, raising kids together, and functioning as a couple.  It’s a good litmus test for the rest of your marriage.