Honeymoon Planning, Business changes and Preparing for the Festive Season.

Hello Lovelies.

Season’s greetings, it’s been a while…My blog has had a slow turn, I decided to give myself a little break both from my personal blog and my business www.brideclubme.com after the wedding, well, I do have to wait another 6 months until our official honeymoon. Sometimes, as much as one loves to work and write, you really do need to allow time for yourself to breath and switch off, hard for many (including me) I know.

I am back today to update you all on what I have up to, some big changes that are taking place, and what I have planned in 2014. I will take a few days off over Christmas/New year, but once 2014 is in full swing, I shall be too. I’m preparing for an extremely busy and productive year, inshallah.

Business Set up:

So let’s start with www.brideclubme.com, as many of my readers here and over at www.brideclubme.com know, I launched the website back in November last year with one of the Middle East’s largest publishing houses CPI, we have just past our first anniversary,,,YAY, happy Birthday Bride Club ME!

Above: Happy Birthday Bride Club ME

This October, I made the decision to go independent and set up alone. I left on positive grounds with CPI, and may collaborate with them in the future. I have now established my trade license, and my company is called ‘Club Media FZE’. A boutique on line publishing house, specialising in lifestyle blogs/websites, in addition to boutique wedding industry events, and on line consulting for wedding and home décor professionals.

Under Club Media FZE, Bride Club ME is one of our key media websites, and I will continue to front it, write for it and manage it. I do intend on hiring staff soon, to launch my other projects. So, there you go, a lot has happened in the past few months and next year will be a challenge, but as always, I am ready to face it. All the websites I launch, will cover topics I am personally passionate about and interested in….! I am working on the Club Media website and branding and will inform you all when it is launched.

Next up – Honeymoons!

So, Adam and I decided not to go on honeymoon straight away, the wedding obviously cost us financially, in addition to my new business costs, we needed a little break and time to save. The good news is, we have paid for our deposit and confirmed our honeymoon in June. We are off to TANZANIA and ZANZIBAR, with Planet Africa Safaris. I am so excited, it’s unreal. I have always loved and adored animals from a small age and it has been my dream to go on a real safari and to camp out in the Serengeti.

Above: Migration sunset. Image source – Nathab.com

Our honeymoon, will be a mix of adventure, culture, food and relaxation, finally ending in an authentic but high end resort in Zanzibar, where we can relax and unwind. Another reason that I am so excited, is that in the five years I have been with my man, we have only ever really been on holiday twice. Life, work and finances got in the way. Well not any more, next year we are planning many trips, even if they are local, we want to travel as much as possible before starting a family.

Above: This awaits us in June, can’t wait. Image source – Blovedweddings.com

I shall be writing all about my experiences in Tanzania and Zanzibar, and of course, my experience in coordinating with Planet Africa Safaris, who have been brilliant so far.

The Festive Season:

It’s starting to look a lot like Christmas, can you all believe how quickly this year has passed? It seems the older I get, the quicker life passes me by….so it’s important to make the most of it. I’m loving all the grand festive shop window displays in the malls, the Christmas trees in shops, offices, halls, and homes and the never ending Facebook updates showcasing peoples decorated trees.

This year, my Christmas tree theme, features pinks, silver and white, with a dash of purple. Kind of similar to my wedding, he-he. Unfortunately, I am not going back home to the UK, in fact, since I moved to Dubai five years ago, I have never been back. This year I will be meeting with friends and having a home made BBQ in the greens, we will secret Santa, eat well and share jokes. I’m really looking forward to it and of course, it will be my first Christmas with my ‘husband’ and here is a little fact, we met on Christmas day….so it’s kind of a big deal to us.

Above: Our Christmas tree – Can you spot the cat?

Any way, you all know I love a little DIY, so if you are one of those people who leave the gift buying and wrapping to the last minute (naughty you), here is a great idea for you all.

Above: Instead of traditional name tags, use photo’s of the gifts recipient instead with simple brown kraft paper as wrapping.

To all those celebrating Christmas, I wish you a great day and a wonderful new year.

Back shortly with some updates on a couple of brilliant and productive events I attended this month.

Ciao for now

Rio xx