Loading...

Calling All Couples: Let’s Talk Life Insurance

January 10, 2019 | Junebug Weddings

As someone who didn’t understand life insurance for the longest time, I totally get it: talking life insurance with your partner doesn’t exactly sound like stimulating conversation. However, I’m here to prove to you that life insurance is definitely a conversation that you should prioritize, whether you’re married, engaged, or financially dependent on your partner/vice versa!

I’m also here to spill the beans on how my husband and I saved $70/month by signing up for life insurance with Bestow!

Photo by Karina & Maks

A little FAQ when it comes to life insurance:

When should my partner and I purchase policies?

This answer is totally dependent on your situation. Here are a few scenarios where purchasing life insurance might make sense:

  • You own a home, co-sign on a car/expensive lease, etc.
  • You have student loans or another type of loan
  • People depend on you financially, or you depend on your partner financially
  • You’re expecting a baby or planning for a baby!

Do any of these sound like you? Might be time to figure out how much life insurance you need!

Something else worth mentioning: a lot of people think that they’re too young for life insurance, but purchasing life insurance in your 20s is actually a smart move as insurance companies raise rates the older you get. If you think you might purchase a policy 5 years down the road, when your situation has changed, it might make sense to pick up a smaller policy now versus paying more later.

photo by Lauren Nicole Photography

What kind of life insurance do I need?

If you’re in your 20s or 30s, term life is most likely the type of policy that you should be looking into, however, whole life insurance is definitely an option. The main difference between these two coverage types is that term life only covers you for a certain number of years (5,10, 20, etc.) and whole life builds up in value over your lifetime, remaining in effect until your death. While you might be thinking “Wow! Who wouldn’t sign up for a whole life policy?!” the catch is that a whole life policy is a great deal more expensive than a term life policy. I’ll be talking term life policies for the rest of this post, just to keep things easy.

How much does a term life policy cost?

The cost of a term life policy depends on a variety of factors such as age, medical history, etc. For example, a smoker in their 40s will most likely have a higher monthly premium than a non-smoker in their 20s. Luckily for you, you don’t have to get on the phone or fill out lengthy questionnaires to get an estimate on your monthly premium. Answer these 5 questions and receive a term life insurance quote from Bestow!

Photo by Nicole Ashley Photography

What does the application process look like?

Once you’ve got your quote, it’s time to start your term life application. With Bestow, you can apply for life insurance in 5 minutes and there is no need for a physical or bloodwork. Based on my personal experience, it can take upwards of 6 months to apply and get your application approved by a traditional life insurance company, which is such a bummer. I was so excited to find Bestow. My husband and I both swapped our old policies out for new ones with Bestow, and it took us all of 10 minutes. Bestow also offers extremely competitive rates for life insurance. My husband’s policy with our original life insurance company was outrageously expensive. We saved $70/month by switching to Bestow.

photo by Baylee Dennis Photography

To give you all a little back story on why I’m so excited about Bestow, you really need to know what all my husband and I went through to get our first life insurance policies…

Last year, Phil and I bought a house. This purchase made us realize that we needed to protect each other in case we couldn’t rely on the other financially anymore. We signed up for life insurance. It was a long process, but we persevered. We answered lengthy questionnaires, gave blood, underwent physicals, faxed all sort of documents, talked on the phone, dug up the addresses of old doctors, and so on. It took almost 6 months for my life insurance application to finally be approved. What seemed like it would be a simple adulting moment, turned into a time-consuming, painful (literally!) experience.

Now, I look back at that 6-month period and sigh. So much time wasted, and the monthly premiums that we finally received were excessively high to boot.

Thank goodness that we discovered Bestow

I never thought that I would be writing about life insurance on the Junebug blog, but I can’t freaking wait for you guys to discover Bestow. It saved Phil and me so much time and money, and I know that it can do the same for you and your partner. Insurance might not be a sexy topic, but it’s definitely a topic that all couples should consider when planning for the future.

Whatcha waiting for? Answer these 5 questions and receive a term life insurance quote from Bestow!

This blog post is sponsored by Bestow!

xoxocarrie5-1

Sponsors
Email [email protected] to advertise on Junebug Weddings

Classically Italian Belmond Villa San Michele Wedding with a Modern Twist

January 10, 2019 | Junebug Weddings

Erica and George’s Italian destination wedding at Belmond Villa San Michele was an elegant affair with a distinctly personal vibe. Erica Marie Events helped bring the couple’s love of chic, old-world style to life with a black and white color palette and minimal decor that centered around luxurious florals designed by Fluida Design. They also took full advantage of the venue’s sweeping views over Florence with a half-moon ceremony set up on the terrace, as well as the venue’s sophisticated ambiance with an elegant yet understated reception in their ballroom. From the bride’s chic Michael Costello gown to her girls’ long black gowns, the formal style also perfectly matched the feel of this unforgettable destination wedding day. Photographer Katie Harmsworth could not have captured it all more perfectly!

The Couple:

Erica and George

The Wedding:

Belmond Villa San Michele, Florence, Italy

The guest experience was the most important factor when planning our destination wedding. Since our guests traveled so far, we wanted to provide a truly memorable experience for them. Our ceremony was very intimate and full of tears, sharing these moments with them was something we truly valued.

We were seeking a venue that would be truly impressive for our ceremony, celebration, and our stay. One with scenic views, privacy, and needing minimal decor. We also wanted to make sure the venue was classic Italian but somewhat modern. We knew it would be a tough task to find, but we eventually came upon the Belmond Villa San Michele. It was beyond expectations!

In order to achieve our goal of having a truly intimate ceremony, we did a few unique things. We picked the highest location possible at the Villa, as to maximize the gorgeous views of Florence down below. We hired an incredibly talented string trio to play our processional music and several really beautiful songs. Finally, we arranged our chairs in a half moon shape around us so we could be and feel very close to all of our guests.

I say this as someone who herself is a wedding planner and hired one for her own wedding: “Hire someone to be in control and manage your special day!” Don’t ruin it by being stressed out and exhausted. Instead, allow yourself to enjoy every moment.

My wedding gown was more on the modern side but still had a very timeless and elegant look. It was designed by Michael Costello so I knew it was a unique piece. I paired it with a cathedral veil designed by Daphne Newman Design. It was embellished with sequins and pearls on the bottom edges. It was the perfect contrast that pulled the entire look together. I didn’t have my bridesmaids stand at the altar with me. They instead helped me get ready, and also got to do a first look after I put my dress on. I wanted group photos so the girls all wore a black dress of their choice.

We hoped our desired vibe of a classic, black and white, upscale Italian wedding transpired. It just felt right as both of us are of Italian descent and we both appreciate chic events. We grew up listening to classic Italian music like Frank Sinatra and Andrea Bocelli, and both value delicious Italian food and wine. We wanted to pair all of that with an emphasis on keeping it intimate and formal but still fun!

Processional – “Canon in D” by Johann Pachelbel
Recessional – “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz
First Dance – “Secret Garden” by Bruce Springsteen

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Katie Harmsworth
Event Planning – Erica Marie Events
Day-Of Coordinator – Tuscania Events
Venue – Belmond Villa San Michele
Floral Design – Fluida Design
Cake – Vivoli
Officiant – Brian Griffin
DJ – Kaleydo
Live Music – Lorenzo Borneo
Stationery – EG Letters
Hair and Makeup Artist – Lara Navarrini
Bride’s Skincare – DMH Aesthetics
Bride’s Hair Colorist – Kyle Anthony Hennessy
Wedding Dress – Michael Costello
Veil – Daphne Newman Design
Groom’s Apparel – Calvin Klein
Rings – SG Diamonds
Rentals – La Tavola

 

Congratulations to Erica and George, and a big thanks to Katie Harmsworth for sharing this wedding at Belmond Villa San Michele with Junebug! Looking for more destination wedding inspiration? This Mission San Luis Rey wedding felt like a Mexican destination wedding right in Oceanside, CA!

Sponsors
Email [email protected] to advertise on Junebug Weddings

This Bride Used Her Skills as an Architect to Design an Epic Balloon Installation for Her Fairmont Banff Springs Wedding

January 9, 2019 | Junebug Weddings

Whitney and Brian’s Fairmont Banff Springs wedding was as elegant as it was artistic. With loads of space in their reception hall, the couple got creative with the decor and designed an architectural balloon installation that can only be described as a masterpiece! They also treated their guests to lots of DIY personalizations and made their Banff weekend feel like a true getaway rather than just a wedding. The planners of Lynn Fletcher Weddings went above and beyond in helping the couple tie together their outdoor ceremony and indoor reception, using a mix of grasses and neutral florals from Occasional Bloom. In the end, every inch of this wedding was sheer perfection, and Kris Turner Photography captured it all beautifully!

The Couple:

Whitney and Brian

The Wedding:

Tunnel Mountain Reservoir and Fairmont Banff Springs, Alberta, Canada

The two most memorable parts of the day were the processional during the ceremony and the bridal party entrance at the reception. The ceremony was outdoors and, though the forecast called for sun on our day, it poured the day before. The weather ended up being absolutely perfect and walking down the aisle with all of our loved ones together was one of the best moments of my life. Our “grand entrance” at the reception was equally meaningful. We had a vision for the space and we did as much as possible to coordinate all of the moving pieces but we really had no idea how everything would come together. When we finally entered the hall we were completely blown away. All of our vendors truly went above and beyond.

One of the main reasons why we chose to get married in Banff was that we wanted to be able to share not just a day but an experience with our closest friends and family. Banff is so breathtakingly beautiful and one of the best parts of the weekend was seeing everyone’s reactions as they reached the mountains. While there were certainly a lot of logistics that went into planning a destination wedding, it was really important to us that, once we arrived in Canada, it felt like an adventure with all of our favorite people (and a little bit of paperwork along the way).

Three pieces of advice for brides and grooms to be. First, try not to sweat the small stuff but, if you do, make sure you’re at least having fun along the way. We ended up doing a lot of DIY projects and, while it was a little overwhelming at times, enjoying the process was key to our happiness. Second, especially if you’re planning to have your wedding at a large hotel or other venue, hire an experienced planner or day-of coordinator. Our wedding day was incredibly smooth and that was in large part thanks to the team at Lynn Fletcher Weddings. Third, do not skimp on documentation. If it is at all feasible in the budget, hire both a photographer and videographer.

I am trained as an architect and while Brian is also artistically inclined. As a result, there was a lot of DIY in our wedding! With the help of our family and friends, we made custom laser cut wooden notebooks as favors, acrylic table settings, garlands, and more. The biggest project was the creation of a balloon installation in the reception hall. We knew that we wanted to do something different and somehow spatial in nature but many of our initial ideas quickly put us outside of our budget. Mt Stephen Hall has gorgeous soaring ceilings — too high to propose hanging anything from them. So, we got creative! I used my 3D modeling software to create a model of the space and define the heights of the balloons. Brian painstakingly measured and labeled all of the LED light strings. The folks at the Banff Dollar Store were total rockstars and delivered over 100 inflated balloons to the venue the morning of. We refined the design with our amazing planners in the months leading up to the wedding and, on the big day, they somehow managed to bring the vision to life. It was a full team effort and the result exceeded all expectations!

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Kris Turner Photography
Second Photographer – Worn Leather Media
Event Planning – Lynn Fletcher Weddings
Ceremony Venue – Tunnel Mountain Reservoir
Reception Venue – Fairmont Banff Springs
Floral Design – Occasional Bloom
Cake – Kake by Darci
Officiant – John Stutz
DJ – Revolution DJ
Videography – Jeric Reyes
Hair Styling – Iconic Salon
Wedding Dress – Lili Hod via Marina Morrison Bridal Salon
Bridal Accessories – Enrico Cuini
Groom’s Apparel – Kenneth Cole Reaction
Rings – Amoroso Jewelers
Rentals – Modern Luxe Rentals
Lighting – Silvermoon Productions

 

Congratulations to Whitney and Brian, and a special thanks to Kris Turner Photography for sharing this gorgeous Fairmont Banff Springs wedding with Junebug! Can’t get enough Banff weddings? Then you won’t want to miss this thrilling and romantic Banff helicopter elopement at Marvel Pass!

Sponsors
Email [email protected] to advertise on Junebug Weddings