2020 has not been what we expected, has it?

Quarantine made us get real creative with our workouts, work from home, classes, and even date night ideas. While Kris and I love going out and exploring, we’re both quite the homebodies. However, the second you tell us we cannot leave, we suddenly want to go everywhere. Go figure.

In order to make this time at home fun without driving each other crazy, we decided to do at-home date nights every week. They’re quite simple dates, which honestly are my favorite kind. But the point is, you don’t need to spend tons of money on date nights. Just make it a point to spend time together doing something you enjoy.

Truthfully, Kris and I rarely have over-the-top dates or dress up fancy. We just love spending time together and most of the time that means chilling on the couch or going for a walk. What matters is finding something you and your partner both enjoy. 

Below I’m sharing a few at-home date night ideas we love.

At-Home Date Night Ideas 

Order food or get takeout – When the pandemic first started and we learned about so many local restaurants struggling, we made it a point to order food once a week. We got to enjoy yummy food while at the same time supporting local businesses. While ordering out frequently can get expensive, if you have the means, I suggest doing it once a week. You can even make it a fun game of trying new food every single time. Or maybe one of you gets to pick one week and alternate the others. Either way, it’s a good way to eat great food while supporting your community.

Pizza Night – Every Saturday is pizza night at our house. I personally like to make my own pizza with cauliflower crust and dairy-free cheese, while Kris usually buys pre-made pizza. However, he enjoys helping me make my pizza which turns into a fun date night. We make my pizza and then sit and eat and talk. We’ve also made sushi in the past. Either way, if you enjoy cooking something together make the time for it once a week!

Movie Night – I’ll admit we usually have a hard time finding a movie to watch, however, movie nights are always so fun. We’ll sit on the couch and watch a movie while we munch on snacks. You can easily find tons of movies on Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ or even Redbox. It’s an easy way to disconnect and have fun.

Go on walks – Thanks to Ollie and Milo, Kris and I frequently go on walks. It’s a wonderful way to disconnect, spend time in nature, and get active. We like to talk while we walk and enjoy all the views nearby. While this one is technically not “at-home” it’s close enough since we just go for a neighborhood walk.

Do a fun workout – While Kris and I rarely get to work out together because our schedules don’t match, we have fun when we get the chance to! I try to find something he’d be okay with, and we make space in our workout room to work out together. While he’s never done a barre class, I’m actually quite tempted to have him do an at-home barre workout with me. 

Watch sports – Kris and I both like soccer and Formula 1. Every Sunday morning we watch the F1 race and on evenings we watch soccer. Maybe you’re a baseball fan or enjoy a different sport, either way I think it’s a fun way to bond and yell at the TV for a bit.

Have a dress up date – As I mentioned, Kris and I rarely get fancy for date nights. However, every once in a while he likes to surprise me. He’ll make me dress up fancy and cooks a four course dinner for us. I honestly love it because I get to dress up while being in the comfort of my own home, a win-win! Plus, Kris’ cooking is beyond amazing.

Create a vision board together – While I’m more into vision boards than Kris is, it’s fun to talk about our future. We like to discuss any trips we’d like to take, plans for our short and long-term future, and simply spend some time envisioning our dreams. Vision boards are a fun reminder of these plans, but they’re not necessary. Even just talking about it is a great way to connect and plan for the future.

Those are some relatively easy at-home date night ideas. While we have fun simply spending time together, we’d love to hear any other date night ideas you have! Feel free to share them in the comments below or DM me on Instagram. 

The post At-Home Date Night Ideas appeared first on Dear Moscato.

Now that it’s been a month since our wedding, I thought I’d write a post about what I loved about our wedding and what I’d do differently.

I’d like to preface this by saying that this is my personal opinion and experience. This doesn’t mean every wedding has to be this way, it’s simply what worked for Kris and I.

I’d also like to mention that I loved every single aspect of my wedding. It truly was the happiest day of my life and there’s very little I’d do differently.

What I loved (and worked for us)

Set a budget and guest list

When we first started planning our wedding, Kris was completely clueless about how expensive weddings are and how many people we could invite based on our budget.

After doing a lot of research and showing him the cost of a wedding, we finally sat down and discussed a realistic budget plan.

We also went over a guest list and quickly realized there was no way we could invite all of the 300 friends and family we wanted.

We split that list into an A and B list. The A list being the people that must be invited and the B list the people we’d love to invite but are unsure we can fit in our budget.

I know it sucks to have to leave some people out of the list, but believe me the costs add up quickly and you might not be able to afford inviting people you’ve barely talked to in the past year.

Once you have the budget and tentative guest list, the real planning can begin!

Splurge on photos and video

The one thing Kris and I decided from the beginning is that we were willing to pay a lot for a good photographer and videographer. At the end of the day, photos and videos are all you get to keep from that day.

We went with George Street Photo & Video because they had the romantic photography style that I love, plus they had a killer deal when we booked with them. Two photographers, a videographer, multiple photo albums, and DVD copies were the way to our hearts!

We got to choose between three photographers but as soon as I saw Ashley’s portfolio I fell in love with her photos and knew we had to have her as our lead photographer.

Now that I have our wedding photos back I can honestly say I do not regret a single penny we spent on it because we are absolutely obsessed with how our photos turned out.

Go with the venue you want

From the beginning I told Kris I wanted an “indoor-outdoor wedding.” This meant something outdoors but covered so I wouldn’t have to deal with the heat and mosquitoes the whole time.

We visited a few venues and I soon realized I wanted a pavilion for our reception.

We found the Lincolnshire Marriott and fell in love with the venue. It was exactly what we were looking for and they offered us great deals, including a wedding coordinator, cake from Lovin Oven, and a free hotel stay.

I’ve heard from a lot of brides that they did not like their venue. It truly breaks my heart because you want to find a place that you love and will remember with happy thoughts.

Have a photo booth

I am a huge fan of photo booths and knew I wanted one from the beginning. They’re fun for the guests and you get to keep fun memories of that night.

We went with Photo Booth Image and they had amazing props and great service.

The photo strips were custom made with our names and a picture of us and everyone got to take a copy of it.

Go with the flowers you love

My favorite flowers are peonies, but I am fully aware that they run on the expensive side.

I was very worried I would not be able to have a bouquet with peonies, but I was so glad I worked with Paula from Aberdeen’s Flowers because she managed to add a few peonies to my bouquet without breaking the bank!

I could not stop staring at my bouquet from the moment I saw it and I can honestly say that bouquet was very “me.”

Make sure you tell your florist what you love and work with them to turn it into a reality!

Alter the dress until you love it

When I purchased my dress I was a few sizes bigger than I currently am. So when the time came for my first fitting, the dress was huge!

I had a little bit of wedding dress regret and I’m not going to lie, I panicked a bit. Luckily the tailors at David’s Bridal figured out exactly what I wanted and fixed the dress until I loved it.

Don’t be afraid to ask for exactly what you want. You deserve to feel confident and look amazing.

Change into a comfier outfit

When I first tried on my dress, I knew it was going to be tough staying in it all night.

Although I loved my dress, it is heavy, hot, and would take up a lot of space on the dance floor. I kept it on for a few dances, but I am very glad I had a shorter dress to change into.

I definitely recommend having a ‘reception dress’ that you can dance in all night long. My short dress was light, comfy, allowed me to wear flats (heels get painful), all while still being cute.

Have a hair and makeup trial

Let me just say I am very happy I had a hair and makeup trial. That’s where I learned that although the hairstyle I wanted was cute, it did not work for me or the dress.

Luckily there’s this thing called Pinterest and I found a beautiful hairstyle that worked for my style and dress.

And I was also very lucky that the Tamara Makeup + Hair Artistry artists are incredibly talented and will work with you to make you feel like a princess.

Again, this is your day and you deserve to feel beautiful and confident. Try different hairstyles or makeup until you are satisfied.

Let your bridesmaids choose their dresses

From the moment I asked my bridesmaids to stand on my wedding, I knew I wanted them to be happy and confident.

I didn’t want them to wear a dress they didn’t feel happy in. For that reason I let them choose their own dress.

I gave them a fabric swatch with the color I wanted them to wear and let them choose a style that worked for each of them.

I’m glad I did that because my bridesmaids all looked stunning and felt so happy with their dresses. Which in turn, made me really happy.

Hire transportation for the bridal party

With everything going on during the wedding day, worrying about how to get places is the last thing you’ll want on your mind.

For that reason, Kris and I hired a transportation service to and from church for us and the bridal party.

We honestly had a blast in the limo. We had free drinks and got to play our own music while we celebrated our new marriage.

Include your fur baby

Kris and I have our little fur baby, Ollie. We knew we wanted to include him somehow, so he joined us for our reception pictures.

I found him an adorable tux from Chewy and he was so patient with us! We got adorable pictures with him on a bench, walking, playing with pinecones and smothering him with kisses.

I love looking back at our wedding pictures, but I especially love our pictures with Ollie.

Have a flower girl and ring bearer

At first, Kris and I didn’t know if we would be able to have a flower girl and ring bearer. The two kids we wanted were young so we didn’t know if it would work out.

Lucky for us it did! Having Derek as our ring bearer and Wynter as our flower girl added so much adorableness to our day! It also added a few laughs and unexpected moments (I guess it’s what you get with children).

We’re so happy it all worked out in the end. Nothing was cuter than seeing Derek in a small suit and Wynter in her blush pink dress.

Final note on the flower girl and ring bearer, be prepared… the baby fever gets real!

What I would do differently

Expect mosquitoes in the summer

Although I know mosquitoes are to be expected in the summertime, that thought did not cross my mind.

I think there were so many other things I was focused on that I forgot to include bug spray and after-bite in my bag.

I’m highly allergic to mosquito bites, so if you’re anything like me, this is your reminder to pack some bug spray or at least after-bite.

Do not let the stress take over your life

Planning the wedding was incredibly stressful, I’m not going to lie.

It wore me out, made me crabby, and led to a lot of arguments with Kris. Luckily, we survived the stressful times and it honestly strengthened our relationship.

With that said, don’t let stress take over your life. Even though it worked out for us in the end, it was tough. In hindsight, the stress was not necessary.

I understand it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing (ideally) but it doesn’t warrant fights, loss of sleep, and stress to the point where you get sick.

Instead, try to sit down calmly and set realistic expectations and be clear about what you want. If you feel like it’s taking over your life, take a break from wedding planning.

Focus on nourishing your relationship and worry about the napkin color later .

Differentiate between a must-have and something you like

We all like nice things. Doesn’t mean we can (or need to) have all of it.

There were so many times during wedding planning where I had to catch myself wanting a lot of unrealistic things as if they were necessary.

It was important for me to realize the difference between something I wanted and a must-have.

It will help you avoid the arguments and stress mentioned above. And will allow you to stick to the budget (if you have one).

Have lots of food with you

With the anxiety, busyness, etc. I obviously was not thinking about food for the hours prior to the wedding ceremony.

Luckily, both my best friend and Kris got me Tone It Up bars. which really helped quiet my stomach (yup, I was that hungry).

I know it might not cross your mind prior to the day, but pack up some snacks and easy-to-heat-up food. The last thing you want is to say “I do” while hangry.

It’s YOUR wedding

Finally, keep in mind that it’s not easy to please every single person attending your wedding. At the end of the day, this is your day.

I think it’s fair to take your family’s opinion into consideration but don’t let that dictate your choices.

The last thing you want is to look back and realize that you didn’t love your wedding because you were too busy trying to please everyone else.

So all I have to say on this matter is: it’s your wedding day and you deserve to have the wedding of your dreams!

The post Everything There Is To Know About Wedding Planning appeared first on Dear Moscato.

For over two years, Kris and I (but mostly me, let’s be real) were planning our wedding. I heard a lot about what the wedding day was like but I didn’t really understand until it was my turn.

Since I wrote about the lessons learned during wedding planning, I wanted to follow up that post with what I learned on my wedding day.

It goes by fast

People kept telling me to enjoy the wedding day because it goes by very quickly. Well let me tell you, it FLIES by!

I remember waking up at 5 AM to do a light yoga Studio Tone it Up class because I couldn’t sleep from the excitement and I was so worried I’d be tired all day. Not at all! I barely had time to think about being tired or needing sleep.

I felt like one second I was getting ready in the hotel suite and the next I was saying “I do.” It’s really hard to explain how quickly that day goes by, but all I can say is try to soak it all in because it will be over before you know it.

Something will go wrong… and it’s okay

As much of a planner as I am, during the wedding day you have very little control over what happens.

I had to trust my bridesmaids, Kris’s groomsmen and our families to get things done while I was getting ready. Letting go of that control was not easy, but it was necessary.

My dad forgot the boutonnieres (luckily my brother remembered just in time so the guys could all wear them), Kris and I started the recessional before we should have, a few guests did not show up (and did not tell us why), mosquitoes completely took over my arms, and we had wedding crashers (yeah it was a good party)!

All in all, I didn’t care (still don’t) about all the small things that went wrong. I was incredibly thankful to be able to marry the love of my life and I was determined to not sweat the small stuff. Which leads me to the next point.

It is truly the happiest day of your life

With how stressful wedding planning had been, I could not even imagine genuinely smiling on my wedding day.

Boy was I wrong. I couldn’t stop smiling from ear to ear all day and all night.

Seeing Kris down that aisle waiting for me was the best feeling in the world and nothing could compare to it.

I have honestly never felt so happy before and can say that all the stress, tears, and sweat were worth it because that day was truly magical.

Make sure to eat and stay hydrated

As soon as I put on my wedding dress I realized I was starving! My stomach wouldn’t stop making noises and I felt like I needed food ASAP.

Well lucky for me, both Kris and my MOH had gotten me Tone it Up Bars. I snacked on one just before heading out and sure enough my stomach stopped making noises and there was a 0% chance of hanger.

Our wedding day was insanely hot. People kept saying “well you’re from a tropical country, you love this, right?” Yes, I am from a tropical country and love the heat but no, I don’t want to be outside when it’s 100 degrees and I’m wearing a ton of layers!

I wasn’t very smart that day about staying hydrated and in the middle of our photos I almost passed out. I got incredibly dizzy and had to go inside and sit down for a while.

Luckily, I had allotted enough time for photos where I could take a 20 minute break and still have time for the perfect pictures.

You will feel all the love

I think my favorite part of the wedding day is how loved I felt. Loved by Kris, my family, his family, our friends, and so on.

Everyone made sure to let us know how much they appreciate us and it felt so right. I don’t think I had ever been in a place surrounded by so much love and happiness.

There’s something truly magical about a wedding. I’m not sure what it is, but all I can say is I did not expect to feel the way I did. I was genuinely happy and couldn’t stop smiling all day!

Thank you to everyone who was a part of our wedding day. It meant a lot to celebrate with all of you!

The post What I Learned On My Wedding Day appeared first on Dear Moscato.

As I sit here writing this post I only have a few days left before getting married. Kris and I have been engaged for a little over two years. Although that may sound like a long time, it flew by!

During the past two years I’ve learned a lot about wedding planning without losing your mind (or your fiancé) so I wanted to share a little bit about my experience.

It’s stressful…

I always laughed at people who said wedding planning was stressful. I’ve always considered myself to be very organized and good at planning events, so why would a wedding be difficult? Well let me tell you right now, it can get VERY stressful.

Planning an event for hundreds of guests requires a great deal of attention to detail. Plus not to mention that trying to please everyone is basically impossible.

Planning a wedding taught me that it’s very important to listen to your heart and talk to your fiancé about what you both want. At the end of the day, it’s YOUR wedding day.

Don’t stress about the little details; remember that at the end of the day it’s about getting married and spending the rest of your lives together.

Don’t stop dating your fiancé

Kris and I got so wrapped up in the stress of wedding planning that we forgot to take time to connect with each other. Date nights were not a priority anymore and all we talked about was saving money, centerpieces, napkins, and linens.

Make sure you take time to continue to get to know each other. Keep reminding your fiancé what you love about them and why you are excited to get married.

Show your friends you appreciate them

Just like your fiancé, your friends will see you cry tears of joy and tears of exhaustion/anger/sadness. And they are always there for you!

Make sure you let your friends know you appreciate their support. Don’t forget to talk about things that are not wedding-related. It will be good for you and your friends to get a break from wedding talk, believe me.

Enjoy every second

Due to wedding lesson #1, I didn’t enjoy much of wedding planning. I let stress take over most of my days and instead of enjoying every moment, I kept wanting the process to be over. Do not do that! It will be stressful, but it goes by so quickly, you’ll regret not taking a second to soak it all in.

Despite all the stress, I’m very excited about getting married this weekend. I cannot wait to see Kris at the end of the aisle and know I finally get to spend the rest of my life with him.

This post was meant to share a little bit of the lessons I learned during wedding planning, and I hope to write one soon about what I learned during my wedding day.

Whether you are currently engaged, recently married, or married for a long time, I hope you enjoyed this post. Feel free to comment below with any lessons you learned during wedding planning or what your favorite (or least favorite) part was!

The post Lessons Learned During Wedding Planning appeared first on Dear Moscato.