The Palm Trees in Paradise: An Overview

In hindsight, I've shared very little regarding our honeymoon. I think that's partially because it always seemed like this far-off thing, like the very, very dim light at the end of a very, very long tunnel. There was always something more, something bigger and more immediate in between us and our honeymoon so after it was booked, it was pushed to the back burner. 

When Mr. Palm Tree and I awakened in our hotel room the morning after our wedding, I squealed. "Baby, how excited are you for our HONEYMOON?!" We shared in some celebratory squeeage. Like I mentioned in my previous post, I think we made a really, really sound decision by taking our honeymoon so soon after our wedding for a couple of reasons:

• It allowed us to take a big giant BREAK from life, which had been absolutely bananas what with work, general life things and planning/executing the wedding. 
• It allowed us to take a big giant BREAK from the wedding. Seriously, almost everyone we encountered on our honeymoon was also celebrating their honeymoon, or an anniversary, or a friend's wedding. Which meant that the wedding itself wasn't that special - nobody asked about details, nobody wanted to relive every second of the day, everybody just wanted to be excited about each individual day and celebrate the honeymoon itself. This meant that by the time I got back, I was refreshed and even MISSED our wedding.
• It provided Mr. Palm Tree and I with a solid chunk of alone, 'us' time - something we hadn't had in what felt like forever. After being together almost ten years, the new husband and wife status didn't need settling into (although that didn't stop us from saying 'husband' and 'wife' alllll the time ;) ), but we missed each other. Even though we made some really great and seemingly longtime friends on our trip, we were able to do whatever WE wanted without needing to be considerate of what other people wanted to do. Super awesome.
• It felt like a really decadent reward. We had spent so.much.time and so.much.money on the wedding that it felt like commendation. Here, Palm Trees, you guys have busted your booties for far too long - why not eat delicious breakfast on your balcony, delivered to you at the time of your choosing?

Our room service breakfast on our first morning! Orange juice, pineapple juice, assorted fresh fruit, chocolate and regular croissants and freshly baked banana bread. SWOON.

NBD, just enjoying my watermelon on our balcony. Mr. Palm Tree completely surprised me by waiting for me to get out of the shower with the robe in his arms - off to a great start as a doting hubby, I'd say. ;)

We went to Couples Negril in Negril, Jamaica. We used All Inclsuive Outlet (Mrs. Coyote used the same agency otherwise I never would've heard of them - Weddingbee FTW yet again) and paid a total of $3,782.60, round-trip flights included, for our ten day, all-inclusive stay in one of the Deluxe Garden rooms. I say the following with complete and total sincerity: I would not be upset if we paid twice that after everything we experienced. 

Enjoying Red Stripes on our balcony on our first day as we waited for our bags to be delivered to our room

Couples Negril was perfect for us. It had a decent nightlife, which was important - we're young and we're definitely in the partying camp. CN had FOUR bars, one of which was open until midnight and the other stayed open until the last couple left. They also provided minibar service at no additional cost and you guys, the liquor you order doesn't come in mini-bottles. . .they're FIFTHS. Yes, fifths. Like what you'd buy at the store if you were having a party. Crazy. 

CN also had a ton of activities every day and some that ran well into the evening. The beach dance party stands out in my mind as being hilarious and so much fun; we did karaoke in the Piano Bar; they also had a 70's, 80's and 90's "Disco" night as well as a Reggae Night. We watched various stunning performers and danced like crazy people. It was so surreal and, yup, amazing.

I'm going to write specific posts about the drool-worthy food and wide range of activities provided but I wanted to give you all an overview ahead of time. We loved Couples Negril so much that we're going to take advantage of their Love Away plan and book an anniversary trip for next year. We had so much fun and kept looking at each other at random points and exclaiming how freaking fantastic and PERFECT it was. Every day was a beautiful adventure, every night was crafted to our desire - I can't express enough how fabulous it was. 

Mr. Palm Tree and I on our last night, eating our fancy dinner. Literally the only time I wore makeup the entire trip = WIN.

We had previously visited Jamaica for a four-day trip with the Y's last year and that's when our love affair began; we hadn't even left that trip before we declared it our honeymoon spot. This trip was no different - it really does feel like a home away from home and provides us with such a refreshing outlook. Jamaicans are truly the happiest people I have EVER encountered, ever. One of our new friends asked one of the vendors if he was ever grumpy and he said (paraphrasing), "There's no point. Bad things are going to happen, I could get sick, someone could die, whether I get upset about things or not, they'll still happen. I choose to be happy every day because it's another day I have." Truth bomb.

Mrs. Palm Tree with a palm tree! And a mimosa. ;) 

True Confessions: I wore this coverup backwards TWICE before I realized that I was a dope. 

If there are any specific things you'd like addressed, feel free to PM me or leave them in the comments - I'd be happy to answer any questions or review specific aspects. I really think that every couple deserves a honeymoon that fits them best and if you think that Couples Negril (or just Negril, or even just Jamaica) could fit you best then I'd LOVE to help you confirm (or the opposite) that! 

Up Next: The Activities - Oh, The Activities!