WEDDING BLOG

This Santorini Cliffside Elopement is Giving Us Major Wanderlust

January 11, 2019 | Junebug Weddings

Charlotte and James certainly epitomized the less-is-more style in their Santorini cliffside elopement! The adventurous couple decided last minute that they wanted a different ceremony location, and the team at Santorini Glam Weddings and Lighthouse Photography came in clutch with finding this stunning cliffside locale! They tied the knot with the caldera behind them and nothing more than a wooden A-frame backdrop and two white rugs to frame their ceremony…and the finished look could not have been more romantic. The rustic setting, the bride’s sweet boho style, the couple’s sweetheart reception back at Kamares Apartments, and the pink hues of the Grecian sunset all came together to create a truly breathtaking destination elopement!

The Couple:

Charlotte and James

The Wedding:

Santorini, Greece

The whole day will forever be our favourite memory but the most memorable part was the cliff edge we got married on. Originally we wanted the ceremony on our terrace, but our last minute change of plan meant that our amazing wedding planners at Santorini Glam Weddings and photographer at Lighthouse Photography found this beautiful cliff edge and it was absolutely breathtaking.

Our advice: find your style and stick to it. Also, trust your team! Our wedding planners, photographers, the kind staff at the venue, and caterers were all amazing. We chose wisely and it definitely paid off! Most importantly, do not stress and enjoy the planning as much as you anticipate to enjoy the actual wedding day!

Our wedding photographer, Teo, was an absolute pleasure to work with. He made us feel so relaxed, happy, and comfortable on our day as we were a little nervous! He also suggested incredible locations to have photos.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Lighthouse Photography
Event Planning – Santorini Glam Weddings
Reception Venue – Kamares Apartments
Floral Design – Betty Flowers Santorini
Catering – Spicy Bites Catering
Cake – Alexandra’s Cakes
Wedding Dress – Grace Loves Lace
Rings – Angelic Diamonds
Arch Rental – Weddings & Whimsy

Congratulations to Charlotte and James, and a big thanks to Junebug member Lighthouse Photography for sharing this incredible Santorini cliffside elopement! Can’t get enough of Santorini weddings? Then you’re going to love this romantic eucalyptus-inspired Santorini wedding at Venetsanos Winery!

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!

Classically Italian Belmond Villa San Michele Wedding with a Modern Twist

January 10, 2019 | Junebug Weddings

black sage green silver white

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!