Wedding Wednesday: Honeymoon Packing + a Giveaway

Wedding Wednesday is back, this time with tips on keeping sane while packing for the honeymoon.

Tyler & I were very blessed to have a 2 week honeymoon. 1 week spent in Antigua, a night in NYC, & then another week in Oregon. Because my idea of a good time is lugging around non-rolling bags through the cobblestone streets of SoHo, I opted to take ALL THE THINGS for the 2 weeks with me… packing light was the idea, but I definitely had both successes & failures in that front...

Successes:

- Only 4 pairs of shoes for 2 weeks! And I loved all of my choices. Metallic sandals for the pool, wedges for the beach, nude heels for nice dinners, & peep toe booties for NYC/Oregon.

- Do pack things that make you feel bridal… milk that shiz while you still can! A white bathing suit, things that say WIFE, white dresses, & all the frilly things your girlfriends gifted you on the bachelorette weekend!

- Remember the little things. You just got a gel mani for the big day, keep it looking fresh with some top coat. If you are like me, embracing the bridal look with lots of white is just an accident waiting to happen, be sure to pack mini stain remover/delicate laundry soap too!

- Being very conscientious about repurposing things. A scarf can also be a belt. A beach bag transforms to a carry one. You can wear your beach towel as a wrap. And with the right shoes/accessories, only pack dresses that can transition easily from day to night.

- Sticking to a color palette. By packing lots of baby blue, white, and gray with pops of red I was able to really maximize my mixing and matching potential.

Failures:

- Too many dresses. In my defense, I really didn't know what to expect in terms of dress code at our resort, so I packed everything from super casual sundresses to more formal maxi gowns for evenings. I really could have gotten away with only packing three dresses… this, this & this.

- Too many accessories. I packed SO many options, and wore barely anything. When you have a new blingy diamond ring on your finger from your HUSBAND, not much else matters.

- Packing 2 bags. I should have gotten my act together and whittled it down to only fit in 1 checked bag + carry on. Luckily I had my big strong hubby to tote those bags around, & dang did he look good doing it!

- Not staring early. At the last minute I realized that I really, actually, probably needed to pack. So the whole process was much less intentional than I original intended. And I definitely suffered from the 12th hour, cram as much as you can into the bag-itis!

Check out all my Honeymoon Style posts (so far) on the blog here. 

And now, what I packed & actually wore (not listing all the other non-essential dresses/accessories):

1 blue sundress // 2 Panama hat // 3 scarf, I wear it on my head to blog forehead burn // 4 Jack Rogers sandals, the platinum color goes with everything! // 5 Everlane tanks (white & gray) // 6 white swim suit // 7 romper // 8 black wedges // 9 tortoise sunglasses // 10 Fujifilm Instax mini 8 polaroid camera // 11 maxi skirt // 12 Michael Kors cross body bag, hands down my most complimented item the whole time, and such an easy way to keep everything organized while traveling (it even has a padded iPad mini/Kindle pocket) // 13 Levi's denim shorts // 14 floppy hat (I stuffed this one with swimsuits and put it in my checked bag, it arrived just fine!) // 15 white dress // 16 beach tote (works great as a carry-on bag too!) // 17 MiH watermelon top // 18 white crop top // 19 beach towel, also works as a post beach wrap! // 20 snorkel (because who wants to pay to borrow a used one… ew!) // 21 nude heels

Also threw in a leather jacket & denim jacket for the cool nights in NYC and Oregon.

Not numbered/listed:

Ily Couture "wifey tee"// white bow top (as seen in this Instagram) // Palazzo pants (worn here) // Maxi wrap dress (perfect for traveling!!) // Chevron dress 

If you are looking for how I actually put everything into my bags, my friend recently posted her packing tips & it was exactly what I wanted to say, but better… check it out here.

If you are planning Summer travels, you won't want to miss today's giveaway for a $100 Target gift card… I was just there this week & their Summer style section is amaze!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

dress perfection

{ What I Wore to dinner: dress ℅ White Plum // J.Crew hat // Michael Kors cross body bag (solid, patterned) // black wedges (ancient from Target, but just purchased this pair) }

All during the honeymoon, I gushed to Tyler that I could literally live in this dress… the ironic thing was that we lost our luggage for a hot minute (2 days), so I DID in fact end up wearing it for 3 days straight… & I didn't hate it. If that isn't the best endorsement you have ever heard, then I can't help you.

But for serious, this dress was the most clutch player during our 2 week vacation. I wore it scrunched up with flats on the beach, worn long with heels for dinner, with booties & a jacket in NYC & on a cross-country trip from JFK to LAX. The soft jersey fabric was super soft & felt great on my skin after a long day in the sun.

Since returning from the honeymoon, this dress has remained in heavy rotation. Not often do you find a piece that so effortlessly transitions from the beach, the big city & everyday wear too!

Looking for some key dresses to add to your wardrobe? White Plum has some great options that are sure to be heavy hitters in your closet. The solid maxi wrap dress is a perfect pick, in solid colors or pretty patterns!

See the other two of my honeymoon style posts featuring gorgeous & perfectly packable White Plum items here. 
And don't forget - White Plum is hooking up Here&Now readers with affordable Summer style. Enter HEREANDNOW20 at checkout for 20% off your entire purchase (valid until 6/14)!

P.S. Can we get a round of applause for Tyler? He was a wonderful outfit photographer while on the honeymoon, apparently give the man enough fruity rum drinks & he will do just about anything! 

P.P.S. I can't believe we have already been married for a month as of yesterday - where does the time go!? For all of those looking forward to wedding week, it will start on Monday!

island style

{ What I Wore on the honeymoon: dress ℅ White Plum // Shoe Dazzle heels (similar 1, 2, 3) // Kate Spade belt (similar) // necklace ℅ Yuni Kelley }

When it came to what I packed & what I actually wore on the honeymoon, I gravitated more towards light, flowy, easily dress-up or down-able pieces. Like these fab palazzo pants + this light weight & fun dress. I also think this night was the only time that I put on jewelry - when you have a new stunner on your finger & a smile from ear to ear, there really are no other accessories needed.

By day, beach cover up, by night, pretty dress for dinner at the hibachi grill… 'cause a girl's got to look cute!

Don't forget - White Plum has all the cute pieces you will want for Summer…. AND White Plum is hooking up Here&Now readers with affordable Summer style. Enter HEREANDNOW20 at checkout for 20% off your entire purchase (valid until 6/14)! 

watermelon watermelon

{ What I Wore to the beach: top ℅ MiH jeans // shorts ℅ Levi's // old black wedges (my current favorites) // J.Crew Panama hat // Victoria's Secret crochet swimsuit (as seen on Insta) // sunglasses ℅ Ozeal Glasses }

When you are on your honeymoon it is always a good idea to dress up, take your bottle of room service champagne & watch the sunset. And yes, in island life, this is "dressed up".

I hope you have a "dress up for no reason" kind of Friday!

Apologizes upfront for living in this combination for the rest of the Summer!

Still looking for your Summer shorts? These Levi's 501 shorts are made of the softest denim & come perfectly broken in. Shop all the cute options here.

palazzo pants party

{ What I Wore to a beach BBQ: Lulu's top (similar) // palazzo pants ℅ White Plum // J.Crew hat }

I hope everyone had a lovely long weekend. Tyler & I enjoyed doing nothing - lazy mornings making  "breakfast" long after the noon hour, doing some house projects & sharing stories about the members of our families who have served for our American freedom.

When we returned from the honeymoon, I sort of just jumped back into blogging. But actually kind of A LOT has happened since the beginning of the month (how is it already almost the end!?)

During the month of May: We got married, honeymooned in Antigua, visited NYC, LA, Seattle & Portland. I also graduated with my Masters from Vanderbilt University & start my teacher training program today!

I usually like blogging in a bit more "real time", but over the next few weeks I will be backtracking - talking about wedding planning, honeymoon packing, & sharing some new ideas for the blog as I transition from graduate student to middle school teacher. So hang in there with me!

But first off, one of my favorite honeymoon outfits! These palazzo pants from White Plum were clutch in my packing strategy for the two week honeymoon/vacation. Not only are they FABULOUS, but also light weight, easy to wear, wrinkle free & took up a tiny footprint in my suitcase.

Anyone remember those gaucho style pants that were so popular in high school (might have just dated myself!)? Well these palazzo pants are their grown up, sexy sisters! And the husband says they look good on too! 

Have you rocked palazzo pants yet? Be sure to check out all the cute styles available on White Plum now!

And White Plum is hooking everyone up with affordable Summer style. Enter HEREANDNOW20 at checkout for 20% off your entire purchase (valid until 6/14)! 

P.S. Great giveaway running on the blog now! Enter to win a personal styling session from Shell B Cheri (2 chance to win - an in person session for Nashville area residents & a digital format for everyone else)