Ceremony Music

I just signed contract for the ceremony music. We will have a guitarist, Gabriel and a vocalist, Monica. I first heard them play at the wedding of my high school friend Jo Ann. I was really impressed by their sound. They are members of a band called Dias de Enero (Days of January). During the ceremony, they will play more modern music. I am not a big fan of the traditional wedding march, etc. And wait for an experience out of this world when you listen to Monica's Ave Maria. I invite you to go to their website and check out some of the band's music samples. Enjoy!

Video

Here's a video about Puerto Rico put together by the Tourism Company. It's a little long but it is a great introduction to the island.

Getting things done

I spent a week in Puerto Rico getting all the wedding details finished. In the picture above you can see my mother and I (center) talking with my wedding coordinator, Hilda (left) and with the owner of the reception hall, Olga (right). My face says it all... when it came to choosing flowers and tablecloths I was very confused.

Choosing a decorator was tough. We got quotes from 3 different places and ended up with Forever Brides. They will do all the flowers and decorations for the wedding. Everything will be very tropical, colorful, and elegant. We will have orchids, cala lilies, anthiriums... I also chose a tablecloth.... the design is called Shakira :). I can't wait to see it when its all done!

After going to see 3 different bakers we chose Granito de Azucar to make our cake. I was imagining I would get to the bakery, sit in a beautiful table, and eat cake samples in every flavor imaginable... but that did not happen. We still ate cake but we got it to go in aluminum containers. By far, Granito de Azucar's cake was the best. Every tier will be a different flavor... and trust me, they are all good! But it will be sad to cut it because the design is spectacular! It sort of looks like the picture... kidding!!!!

I also did a trial with my hair dresser for my hair. My hair dresser is Any. She has been doing my hair since I was born. She also gave me my first bath! After getting my hair done I went David's Bridal with Lydia, Lorena, and Denise to try on bridesmaid dresses and wedding dresses. We had so much fun!

I also bought Ryan's wedding band! I got it in Old San Juan, at a jewelry store in Calle Fortaleza. The great thing about shopping for jewlery in Old San Juan is that there's a ton of jewlery stores very close to each other and you can shop around until you find the best price. Also, there is no tax!

So now, what is left? Music. Start sending your song requests to us!!!!!

Golf in Puerto Rico

If you love golf, you're going to love Puerto Rico, the golf capital of the Caribbean. There are currently over 23 spectacular golf courses. In fact, last month, the island hosted the Puerto Rico Open, part of the PGA tour, at the Trump International Golf Course in Rio Grande.

Puerto Rico's own Juan A. "Chi Chi" Rodriguez, has a golf resort on the south side of the island -- El Legado. Chi Chi, now retired, has won eight times on the PGA TOUR and enhanced his profile on the Champions Tour, as he wowed his fans with 22 victories and his signature sword move. He was also the first Puerto Rican to be inducted in the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Bank/WireImage ~ Chi Chi Rodriguez

But you don't need to be a world champ to appreciate the beauty and variety of our courses. All of Puerto Rico's courses share the island's year-round summer weather, tempered by the cool, gentle breezes of the trade winds. You are almost guaranteed a brilliant tropical sky and glimpses of sparkling white sand beaches backed by the blue Atlantic or the turquoise Caribbean. The greens are truly green, planted with strains of Bermuda grass adapted for our climate, including Tiff Dwarf and GN1, a new hybrid, developed in Florida by Greg Norman.

Many of our golf courses are part of world-class resorts, so after you have played to your heart's content, you can relax in the pool and recharge your batteries in the spa before getting back to breaking par. You don't have to be a hotel guest, however. All courses - except those on military installations, which are limited to authorized personnel - are open to the general public.

Information from:
http://www.pgatour.com/2008/tournaments/r483/03/20/chi.chi/index.html
http://www.gotopuertorico.com/puerto-rico-golf.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_%22Chi-Chi%22_Rodr%C3%ADguez

Island Hoping - Part I

Puerto Rico is actually an archipelago. Going island hoping to one of over 100 offshore islands and cays is a great day trip idea... And most certainly you will find yourself in one of the most beautiful beaches you've ever seen and have the entire place for yourself.

Vieques

The island municipality of Vieques is six miles the eastern city of Fajardo. You can get there by air from San Juan or Fajardo or by sea in a government ferry, or you can join a group with a tour operator or charter a private vessel. Compared to the other outer islands, Vieques is large and lively—some 10,000 people live on the strip of land that straddles the center of the 21-mile long by five-mile-wide island. The settled part of the island has unique and interesting hotels and guesthouses, a score or so places to dine, a picturesque lighthouse, and a Spanish colonial fort. Most of the land is a wildlife refuge and a haven for fishing, boating, hiking, swimming or soaking up the sun. You’ll want to rent a jeep to navigate the refuge’s rustic roads to some of the most gorgeous and colorfully named beaches in the Caribbean (Red, Blue, Green, and Purple Beach are some examples). Sun Bay, a popular Puerto Rico National Parks Company beach, has changing facilities and allows camping (with a permit, call 787-741-8198). The most famous attraction in Vieques is the bioluminescent Mosquito Bay, where the waters are teeming with microscopic dinoflaggelates that light up with an eerie glow when disturbed. To plan your tip to Vieques, click here.



Culebra

Culebra is also an island municipality, with about 2,000 residents. Much of the seven-mile long by three-and-a-half-mile wide island—and all of the surrounding cays—are a wildlife reserve, open from dawn to dusk. Many of the beaches are accessible only by jeep except for the truly exceptional Flamenco Beach, a vast horseshoe of soft, white sand, a seemingly endless expanse of clear, waveless, turquoise water framed by emerald hills and backed by an impossibly blue sky. Flamenco Beach has been rated the second most beautiful beach in the world by the Travel Channel. To get there you can take a shuttle from the ferry terminal for a small fee. Flamenco also has wonderful camping facilities (787-742-0700). A slightly more remote (you will need to rent a Jeep) but no less impressive beach is Zoní. It is not as placid as Flamenco (there are waves) but you are more likely to spot a turtle than a crowd there. To plan your trip to Culebra, click here.

Ferry Information:

FEES:

Passenger Ferry
Fajardo to Vieques round trip = $4 per passenger
Fajardo to Culebra round trip = $4 per passenger
Children ages 3 to 11 = $1
Senior Citizens 60 to 74 = $1
Senior Citizens over 75 get to ride for FREE

Note: There is an extra fee for beach equipment going to Culebra, i.e., tent $2, sleeping bag $1

Car and Cargo Ferry to both islands
Compact cars = $15
Large cars = $19

Visa and Master Cards accepted.

ITINERARY:

VIEQUES

Passenger Ferry - Fajardo to Vieques
Monday(non holiday) thru Friday 9:30AM, 1:00PM, 4:30PM, 8:00PM
Saturday, Sunday and Monday(holiday) 9:00AM, 3:00PM, 6:00PM

Passenger Ferry - Vieques to Fajardo
Monday(non holiday) thru Friday 6:30AM, 11:00AM, 3:00PM, 6:30PM
Saturday, Sunday, and Monday(holiday) 6:30AM, 1:00PM, 4:30PM

Car and Cargo Ferry Fajardo to Vieques
Monday thru Friday 4:00AM, 9:30AM, 4:30PM

Car and Cargo Ferry Vieques to Fajardo
Monday thru Friday 6:00AM, 1:30PM, 6:00PM


CULEBRA

Passenger Ferry - Fajardo to Culebra
Monday thru Friday 9:30AM, 1:00PM, 4:30PM
Saturday and Sunday 9:00AM, 2:30PM, 6:30PM
Schedule may vary on local holidays.

Passenger Ferry - Culebra to Fajardo
Monday thru Friday 6:30AM, 11:00AM, 3:00PM
Saturday and Sunday 6:30AM, 11:00AM, 4:30PM
Schedule may vary on local holidays

Passenger Ferry - Culebra to Vieques
Monday, Wednesday and Friday 8:00AM, 4:30PM
Tuesday and Thursday 4:30PM

Note: On weekends if you are in Vieques and want to go to Culebra, you'll have to take the ferry to Fajardo and then to Culebra.

Note: You are subject to be searched as per federal and local laws while using or traveling in Puerto Rico Port Authority facilities.

*going to Vieques and Culebra on weekends might be near impossible, please arrive very early to get your tickets.
*Report to the terminal one hour before departure.
*Itinerary is subject change due to availability of passengers and weather

Happy 3 year Anniversary!

This post is coming one month too late. We celebrated our 3 year anniversary on March 4th. This date marks our first date. We are one of those couples that don't know exactly when our relationship became 'official'. We have been inseparable since the first date, so that is why we chose that day. On Saturday March 7th we celebrated by going to the Melting Pot and to the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. I had never been to the Melting Pot and I loved it. It was so much fun! It was also our first trip to the STL Symphony, where we joined Monica, Paul, and Paul's parents. David Robertson conducted with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago dancing while the orchestra played. The program included Mozart Symphony No. 40, Britten Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge and Ravel’s Boléro. This was, by far, our fanciest date ever.

Pictures of Puerto Rico

Click here to view a slideshow of pictures of Puerto Rico from msnbc.com.