Where the heck is the Cook Islands?

So, we get this question a lot...or people pretend they know where it is and nod and say, "Cool!" Many people think it's in the Caribbean. The best part is the Cook Islanders don't mind being a hidden gem! Only about 20,000 people live across all of their islands, so they like to keep things peaceful and quiet. Fine by us!

Cook Islands became more well-known after a season of Survivor was filmed in the Cook Islands. The easiest way to describe it is halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand. It's actually owned by New Zealand so we get to enjoy the exchange rate! Maybe I'll get those black pearls afterall! (hint, hint!)

100 Days and Counting!

We thought we would join the modern world and create a wedding blog as we get ready to become the Newman's on July 2, 2009 in the beautiful Cook Islands. This will give us a chance to keep all of you updated on the latest and greatest.

So I thought we would start from the beginning: the proposal, the plans, etc...Check out new posts to bring you up to speed.

Thank you for sharing this special time with us, near or far, and we hope you will check back for new updates.

Best,
The Soon-To-Be Newman's

A Destination Elopment?

What's your theme? Are you having a big wedding? What's your dress look like? So many questions I'm sure you are dying to know...

Josh and I are planning our wedding ceremony, party of 2, in the Cook Islands. We had a traditional wedding planned in the Massachusetts area, but something didn't feel quite right for us. The whole idea of all of the attention and focus being on us (not that we don't love all of you guys), just didn't feel right. So, we did a little research and we found the perfect, quiet, romantic islands as the backdrop as we say, "I do!" We would have loved to have invited everyone to share this with us, but with it being tougher times for many of you, we opted to have an intimate ceremony and then a small dinner reception once we return.

So the theme? Tropical. Wedding size? It can't get any smaller! (I'm sure we'll find a witness on the beach!) My dress? Perfect for the occasion!

We will celebrate Cook Island style with fresh flowers, local tradition and our bare feet in the sand. We can't wait to share the amazing two week trip in July with all of you! We will stay on two islands and enjoy the beautiful lagoons that they are known for! I'll post more about where we are staying soon!

The Proposal

So, how did he do it? Josh surprised me with a surprise weekend in October. We stayed at the Beachere Inn in Ogunquite, Maine. It was a wonderful weekend where we ate amazing seafood, sunned on the beach, took long walks along Marginal Way and truly enjoyed each other's company. It was the perfect setting for us to get engaged! And the best part of course, I said, "YES!"