5 Best Fall Honeymoon Destinations

George Eliot said it best "Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns." Fall is such a beautiful season, no matter where you are on the globe. We have compiled a quick list of some of our brides' favorite destinations for their honeymoon. Have you been to any of these locations? What is your top pick?

Napa Valley, California

The end of summer marks the most exciting time of year for this beautiful region of the United States. Fall is when harvest season begins all up and down Napa, and the neighboring Sonoma, Valleys. Not to mention this is a foodie's paradise with renowned restaurants scattered across the valley. While this is considered high-season, it is a cannot miss experience for all our wine-lovers.

Italy

Fall is the perfect time to honeymoon really anywhere in Europe but Italy is particularly beautiful at this time of year. Especially considering that the weather has cooled off and the large crowds have dissipated. Between the beautiful cities of Rome and Florence and the quaint coastal towns along Cinque Terre it is too easy to plan a packed itinerary full of romance, wine, and lots of pasta!

Barbados

For those couples who are looking for a Caribbean honeymoon but want to avoid hurricane season, it's best to stick to those islands that fall below the hurricane belt. Plus the islands are always less crowded this time of year!

Canada

For our more adventurous bride and grooms, Canada in the fall is the perfect destination. A popular destination in the winter, the temperatures are more mild this time of year. And for those who love storm-watching, stick to the coast to see some pretty epic thunder and lightning dance before your eyes. Sounds like the coziest, most romantic honeymoon ever.

Hawaii

One can never go wrong with a trip to Hawaii. Weather is nearly perfect all year-round! While each island has something different to offer depending on the desires of the couple, our personal recommendation is the island of Kauai. The oldest and most lush of all the islands, Kauai is the perfect balance of nature and luxury. Stay at either the St. Regis in Princeville or the Grand Hyatt in Poipu.

Greg Boulus Events on Very Vera + Must-Know Event Design Tips!

This week we are very lucky to be a featured guest on Augusta's local TV program, the Very Vera show! One of Greg's good friends personally and professionally, Vera has been a local chef and caterer for over 30 years. She teaches her viewers how to master the art of southern comfort and the show airs not only in the Augusta, but also across the state!

In this week's episode, Vera is throwing together a cocktail party at the Partridge Inn for about 20 or so guests. She brought us on and asked us to transform the Inn's penthouse veranda into a warm and welcoming atmosphere for her guests. The penthouse is the perfect blank canvas with incredible views of downtown Augusta and beyond. She asked Greg what a few of his favorite tips and tricks are that he uses to transform a space, which we like to incorporate into any event, large or small! Keep reading to hear what some of our most commonly used design tips are...

1. Have a variety of seating options for your guests

We like to have multiple variations of seating options for guests not only at our small private events, but also large corporate events and weddings. We like to mix simple round guest tables with estate seating to create some variation, and we also like to use taller, bar-height seating and comfortable soft seating in order to give guests options depending on what is most comfortable for them! This particularly comes in handy for weddings that do not have a seated dinner and guests need a place to sit and eat. 

Image by Ashley Seawell Photography

Image by Andrew Donnan Photography

Image by Robin Gerrard Photography

Image by Ashley Seawell Photography

Image by Lauren Carnes Photography

Image by Ashley Seawell Photography

2. Lots and lots of candlelight and mood lighting

One easily overlooked but incredibly important aspect of any event design is lighting. Lighting can transform a dark, cavernous space into a warm and inviting party instantly. We like to not only use dramatic lighting and bistro lights, but lots of candles as well. Votives, lanterns, pillar candles in hurricanes, and tapered candles in candelabras to name a few! The more the better in our book. While it was a bit windy the day we filmed for the show, we loved the way it looked lining the bar-height counter with votives and it would look even more beautiful once night fell!

Image by Robin Gerrard Photography

Image by Andrew Donnan Photography

Image  by Ashley Seawell Photography

Image by Robin Gerrard Photography

Image by Ashley Seawell Photography

3. Welcome guests with an inviting beverage or food display

One of Greg's main goals for every event he helps plan is making our guests feel instantly welcomed and at home. What better way to do that than by offering them a beverage and something to nibble on as soon as they arrive? For this episode, Greg worked alongside Vera and the catering team at the Inn to create a beautiful food station for guests to enjoy throughout the cocktail party. We also encourage passing some hors d'oeurves for guests to nibble on, as well as creating a beverage station of either pre-poured champagne or wine or even a fruit-infused water station!

Image by Ashley Seawell Photography

Image by Ashley Seawell Photography

Image by Mark Williams Studio

Image by Ashley Seawell Photography

It was so fun to get to be a part of the show, we hope you all tune in to see what our team created with Vera for her guests! It will air today at 12:30 PM and Saturday at 7:30 PM! Let us know what you think!

Ask the Photographer: "Do I Need a Wedding Hashtag?"

So far we have discussed many wedding photography trends, the unplugged ceremony, the engagement session, the bridal session, the first look. Today we addressing one of the newest and potentially most creatively-challenging wedding photography trends. Anyone who has been to a wedding in the last few years has noticed the big trend in creating a custom wedding hashtag for you and guests to use when posting on social media. We have had several of our brides come up with clever hashtags for their friends and family to use so they could see all the images from their big day in one place. However it can be overwhelming to try and come up with a hashtag that is unique, clever and funny all rolled into one! Here is what a few of our photographer friends say about the hashtag frenzy:

"A hashtag is a must in today’s day and time.  Not only for the “fad” of placing signs at the wedding and it being a cute saying, but for documentation.  You can search and find so many images from your wedding via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, that would otherwise be hard to track down.  However, I feel like people often make the mistake of it not being completely unique, so make sure you search  the hashtag on Instagram or Facebook before you use it to make sure your photos don’t categorize with other weddings across the globe." -Mark Williams Studio

"If you’re a social media user, you’ve inevitably seen the catchy and creative hashtags for friend’s weddings… and likely clicked over to see all of the fun! Hashtags let guests share photos from your wedding so that you’re able to see a fun reminder of your wedding day while you patiently wait for your photos to arrive! ;) Plus, as a photographer, I love to share a sneak preview from the wedding, and always share it using the hashtag if it exists. That means your friends who are also patiently waiting get to celebrate with you when one is live! However, if you’re not a social media user, don’t feel like you have to have a hashtag just because “everyone else is doing it!” Do what works for you and prioritize what you care about most!" -Lauren Carnes Photography

"I would say 90% of my couples each year have a hashtag. It can be a great way to corral all of your guest photos into one place, but unfortunately I do think hashtags kind of promote the use of cell phone photos which can be so very distracting to your professional photos and can also prevent your guests (or even friends and family!) from being present during really important parts of the day. While having a funny or witty hashtag is one of the most current trends, I definitely do not think there is a down side to not having a one." -Britt Croft Photography

Image by Mark Williams Studio.