Planning for Paradise

Last weekend Mr. Cupcake and I finally took the plunge and booked our honeymoon! It was a little unnerving putting down the deposit and realizing there is no turning back on this financial commitment, but we're also very, very excited for our first real bona fide vacation together without family or friends. (We do love our family and friends, but this trip for just the two of us will be a very nice treat!)

We'll be spending a blissful week in Antigua at the Galley Bay Resort.

All photos from the Galley Bay website

We knew from the beginning that we wanted to honeymoon in a tropical location. I love Europe and would love to go back there (and Mr. Cupcake has never been), but I know that we'd feel pressure to see and do as much as possible while there, and we want our honeymoon to be all about relaxation after all the excitement of the wedding. We are sure to be exhausted and ready for a little R&R. Our main honeymoon requirements are that we can sit on a beach, sip cocktails, eat to our heart's content, and get massages (okay, the massage requirement is more mine than his!). Most of all, we just want to be together and enjoy each day as it comes without too many plans looming overhead.

Galley Bay seemed like a great choice from the beginning — it is an all-inclusive resort for adults only (except during Christmas and New Years), there are no high-rises so it will feel peaceful and authentically tropical, and we'll have a nice selection of activities if we so choose (but at the moment, we're not banking on wanting to do much!). There are two restaurants and two bars, which isn't a huge selection, but Mr. Cupcake and I are creatures of habit and we decided if given the choice of more restaurants we might stick with a select few favorites, anyway! I will also most certainly be making use of the spa, although I haven't talked Mr. Cupcake into getting a massage yet.

We will be staying in one of thirteen quaint Gauguin Cottages, which, according to the website, are:

Situated close to the bird sanctuary lagoon about 50-yards from the beach. Each one consists of two separate thatched rondavels connected by a sheltered breezeway - one is an air-conditioned bedroom and the other is a dressing room/bathroom with ceiling fan and shower. Their splash pools measure a minimum of 7 ft. by 9 ft. and feature adjacent sundecks concealed by either the tropical vegetation or screens made from natural Spanish heather.

The Gauguin Cottages are not as large as some of the beachfront rooms or suites, but all of our friends have told us that you grossly underestimate how much time you actually spend in your room when you're on a beautiful island... and we couldn't resist the lure of the private plunge pools! We'll have more privacy in our cottage, as the beachfront rooms & suites are duplexes (and not all of them actually have direct access to the beach), and just look at how cute our accommodations are:

Look! Look! Private plunge pool! I hope it's as good as it sounds!

We are taking the risk of traveling to the Caribbean during hurricane season, but our fingers are crossed and we are staying positive, yet flexible. We bought travel insurance (through our travel agent, Jenn at Liberty Travel in Springfield, PA — we love her!) in case of any family emergencies or illnesses, and we'll hope for the best in terms of weather.

We'll be spending the day after our wedding seeing friends and family before jetting off to Antigua the following day. Are you leaving for your honeymoon right after your wedding, or are you taking a day, week, or even months in between? And are you planning a Caribbean honeymoon during hurricane season, like us?