Follow along on my adventures for travels tips and yummy eats!
Here are some additional books that I loved this year. Happy reading!
Disclaimer: This Books I Loved in 2023: Part 2 list contains Affiliate Links for products I’m currently using. By using these links you won’t pay any additional fees but support me to keep this site running!
Here are some of the books that I have enjoyed this year! Check them out and let me know what your favorites were! If you have any suggestions for what I should read next, leave me a comment below!
Disclaimer: This Books I Loved in 2023: Part 1 list contains Affiliate Links for products I’m currently using. By using these links you won’t pay any additional fees but support me to keep this site running!
I have many more where this comes from! Let me know some favorites in the comments below that I should check out for 2024!
Lauren: Why did you choose a destination wedding?
Kiley and Austin: We both love to travel and wanted our wedding to represent us both as a couple.
Lauren: How many attendees did you have?
What kind of experience did you envision your guests having?
Kiley and Austin: We had 30 people attend! Since most of our guests were couples we envisioned them enjoying this as a vacation for themselves and being apart of our wedding.
Lauren: What was one part of planning your wedding that you knew you couldn't have done alone?
How did having a Destination Wedding Specialist help with that?
Kiley and Austin: ALL OF IT! We have only left the country on a cruise so this was MUCH different. There are so many moving parts to leaving the country and throwing a wedding in the mix did not make it any easier. With all the back and forth between the resort and our guests I would have not been able to do this on my own.
Lauren: What piece of advice would you give to couples who are just starting the planning process?
Kiley and Austin: Trust the process! It can be overwhelming and communication with the resorts is slower than you would get with someone in the states. Planning over a year in advanced was a huge help.
Lauren: What’s one “extra” you’re super glad you splurged on? What surprised you the most about your wedding?
Kiley and Austin: Our DJ! We are huge music lovers so the perfect DJ was a must for us and we did not regret it.
I was surprised at how smooth it went!
Lauren: If you could choose three words to describe your wedding, what would they be?
Kiley and Austin: Stunning. Timeless. Romantic.
Lauren: What is your favorite memory from your big day?
Kiley and Austin: Finally walking down the aisle! I had so much anxiety getting ready that morning that it felt like time stood still.
A Note from Lauren: It was so much fun to work with Kiley and Austin to plan the wedding that they have always dreamed of!
C/O O&O Mandarina
I just returned from our annual exchange with my host agency, Departure Lounge, where we spent 4 nights at the Conrad Punta Mita and then ended our trip with an AMAZING stay at the fairly new One&Only Mandarina right outside of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
What is a host agency you might ask? Think of me like a realtor. Realtors work with a broker for their clients that help with relations and licensing. This is what Departure Lounge is to me. They are one of the best know host agencies in the business and are amazing for supplier relations. What does this mean to you? It means that because we have such great relationships with our suppliers they want to make sure our guests are the happiest. I love working with Departure Lounge as well as all of our VIP partners to make sure that my guests and clients have amazing vacations that they deserve!
Anyways, back to One&Only Mandarina!
This resort opened in 2021 in a new complex called Mandarina, right outside of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It is a quick 45 minute drive from the Puerto Vallarta airport so that you are in paradise before you know it! This property felt more like Costa Rica to me than Mexico and I loved it. A beautiful mix of jungle that meets the sea!
We stayed in the Ocean View Cliff Villa during our stay. The great thing about this property are that all rooms are villa/suite type accommodations so even the entry level rooms are a great size and still perfect for a family. Kids under 12 years of age are not allowed to stay in the treehouse suites due to safety reasons. That being said, I think this is a fabulous resort for kids! The kids club is so cool with a treehouse and a butterfly garden as well as an indoor area for arts and crafts and fun play. They also have several pools around the property with the Jetty Beach Club being the best for children in my opinion. If you are wanting a more adult only vibe, there is an adult only pool that is much quieter with no kiddos in site!
There is a Rosewood that is planned to open in 2025 that will also be apart of the Mandarina complex similar to the Mayakoba complex in the Cancun/Riviera Maya area. It will connect to the Mandarina beach club and you will be able to “dine around”. I can’t wait to go back and check out this property when it opens.
For my clients, my VIP amenities are as follows:
Daily breakfast for 2
$100 resort credit
Upgrade on arrival (based on availability)
Early check-in/late check-out (based on availability)
I would love to book this fabulous property for you and your family today! Send me an email at lauren@thatblondetravels.com or fill out my contact form to get started!
Lauren: Why did you choose a destination wedding?
Kathie and Adam: We attended our friend’s wedding in Cancun a couple years before and had the absolute best time. We’ve lived all over so have friends and family that would have to travel no matter where we got married. We also really wanted to have the opportunity to allow everyone get to know each other over a long weekend.
Lauren: How many attendees did you have?
What kind of experience did you envision your guests having?
Kathie and Adam: We had 85 guests! Fun and relaxing
Lauren: What was one part of planning your wedding that you knew you couldn't have done alone?
How did having a Destination Wedding Specialist help with that?
Kathie and Adam: Coordinating the rooms and all the guests. Everyone came with their own needs- Lauren did an amazing job accommodating each guest (even if it meant booking a different hotel for them). It’s exhausting enough to plan just the wedding, it’s so helpful to have a travel advisor help with all the other stuff.
Lauren: What piece of advice would you give to couples who are just starting the planning process?
Kathie and Adam: Send out invites early to get a head count. We did not expect so many guests to come.
Lauren: What’s one “extra” you’re super glad you splurged on? What surprised you the most about your wedding?
Kathie and Adam: The “all in” package for the wedding ceremony/reception.This saved a lot of headaches and number crunching. Most surprising thing was how great of a time our moms had 🤪 We also really enjoyed all the pre-wedding events we had at the hotel.
Lauren: If you could choose three words to describe your wedding, what would they be?
Kathie and Adam: joyous, loving, beautiful
Lauren: What is your favorite memory from your big day?
Kathie and Adam: Our good friend Matias being our officiant and marrying us.
A Note from Lauren: Planning this gorgeous Destination Wedding in Cancun with Kathie and Adam was so much fun! I was actually able to go do a tasting with Kathie before the wedding and the food was phenomenal. It was so much fun to be able to help this amazing couple and friends plan this once in a lifetime event. Congratulations to Kathie and Adam on a beautiful ceremony!
