Monday, October 10, 2011

A Magical Honeymoon


I don’t remember when or exactly why we picked Disney World as our honeymoon spot, but I know that it had to do with the fact that my husband was (and still is) a graduate student and we would be getting married shortly after I graduated from college, meaning that neither of us had an actual job with an actual income in which to fund a foreign honeymoon.  We briefly talked about a Mediterranean cruise (and we still talk about one in our future, maybe a 10 year anniversary trip?), but quickly settled on picking a domestic honeymoon location. 


I’m sure Disney World was my idea.  I can’t really explain why, but it just fits with my personality.  Although I know many people who think Disney World is probably the least romantic place on earth, I think there is something inherently romantic and sweet about a young couple being able to have fun and act like kids together.  For couples who wait until after their wedding to be intimate, honeymoons can be nerve-racking and stressful enough without the added pressure of wanting to make everything romantic or sexy.  Disney World is far from sexy (although there were definitely romantic moments) so we could just focus on becoming comfortable with our roles as husband and wife while we played together.  Someday, when we bring our children to Disney World, it will be extra special because of the memories of the two of us there together.

leaving our reception
(we had a balloon release)
At my bridal shower, my mom gave us bride and groom mouse ear hats.  They sat on our head table in front of our place settings, we wore them as we left our wedding reception, and again when we went to the Disney parks.  It was so fun! 

We stayed in a condo that my aunt got for us through her vacation club.  It was wonderful, because we didn’t have to deal with the hubbub of a hotel.  It felt very private and homey, and we particularly appreciated having our own kitchen.  While we didn’t make any big meals, it was nice to eat breakfast and lunch in privacy. 

 At Medieval Times
In addition to Disney World, my new husband and I went to Discovery Cove where we swam with dolphins, played with stingrays, and laid on the “beach” (it’s an artificial beach).  What an incredible day and even more so because I could share it with my husband (even now, it still sounds amazing to refer to him by that word!).  We also spent an evening at Medieval Times (for those who aren’t familiar with it, it’s a medieval dinner and jousting show).

The last night of our honeymoon, we went back to our condo, got all gussied up, and returned to Epcot for dinner at a gourmet French restaurant, Bistro de Paris.  It was incredibly romantic, located in the upstairs of a building in the France area of Epcot, with a view of the lake and soft lighting.  Disney only hires wait staff from Paris, so it has a very authentic feel.  And the food was delicious - I was so proud of my new husband for trying escargot - and we finished with a dessert of various crème brulée inspired sweets, including the traditional crème brulée, crème brulée mousse and crème brulée ice cream! 

Bistro de Paris at Epcot

Thank you so much to the lovely Hallie of Betty Beguiles for hosting a honeymoon link-up
I can't wait to read about all the other romantic getaways!

12 comments:

  1. That sounds like a great honeymoon, personally. Sometimes I think that is the best way to go... do something you both will think of as fun and memorable!

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  2. How fun! I think it would be so cool to get married at Disney World but know that that isn't possible to have a catholic wedding there but still I'd honeymoon there.

    I've always thought about "where do I want to honeymoon?" And everyday I come up with a different idea. At the rate I'm going I tell ppl we'll be eating hamburgers at a park for my wedding reception let alone worry about a honeymoon.

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  3. It looks like you had a wonderful honeymoon! I think the mouse ear hats are so cute. The one regret I have about our honeymoon is that I don't have any pictures. I don't know why but we didn't bring a camera with us. How crazy is that?!?

    Thanks for sharing your story!

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  4. Did you get your "Just Married" pin from City Hall!?

    Brian and I had annual passes to Disneyland when we lived in Southern California - I think we had them for 3 years. I'll always treasure my "Engaged" and "Just Married" pins. :)

    Who doesn't love Disneyland?

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  5. I think that sounds like a great honeymoon! Ours was 22 years ago (!) but we went on a "driving honeymoon" to the East Coast...Boston, Cape Cod, and Martha's Vineyard (took a ferry to get to there!)
    We also waited on the intimate so this quiet time together was just perfect. We both ended up sick...him with food poisoning...me with what the dr. referred to as "honeymoon-itis"...but that's a blog post in itself!! lol
    Anyway, thanks for sharing. I think it sounds perfect...and your mom's gift was perfect also!!

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  6. We went to Disney World for our honeymoon too! It was so wonderful! We did get the "Just Married" pins, and our mouse ears make me smile every time I see them on the shelf in the closet :) Loved the pictures, they took me back to our honeymoon four years ago (I can't believe it!)

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  7. That sounds so fun! Love the hats! Can't wait to head over to Hallie's blog so I can get lots of inspiration for what we should do.

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  8. I personally think that Disney is one of the most romantic places for a honeymoon. You just gotta know where to go and what to do to avoid the crowds. But even with the crowds it's still a magical place! You guys look adorable!

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  9. I have a dream that my husband and I will go to Disney World together some day.....it is just one of my favorite places. So glad you guys got to go and had so much fun!

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  10. Love the pictures! How cute are those hats? I think a honeymoon at Disney is perfect. Seriously. I went to Epcot when I was small...many, many moons ago...and decided it was one of the best places on earth :)

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  11. Those photos are adorable! You both look so happy. We went to a beach about two hours away from home for our honeymoon and it was fantastic just to be together! Loved every minute--and we wish we had stayed there even longer. :)

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