I’m back! And I’m officially a married lady! Derek and I were married on June 3, 2018. We had a beautiful ceremony and reception at the Mount Airy Mansion in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. It was a very special day that we shared among family and friends. I will be sharing a wedding recap, along with our wedding photos in an upcoming blog post. Stay tuned!

Until then, don’t mind me while I gush over our phenomenal honeymoon at Sandals South Coast resort in White House, Jamaica. I found out about this resort through a fellow food blogger (check out her blog here), who honeymooned at Sandals South Coast in May 2017. She and her husband loved it and we took their word for it. After honeymooning there for a week, we are obsessed with this resort and deemed this our best vacation EVER!

The day after our wedding, my husband and I flew to Jamaica. It was our first time traveling to Jamaica and we were so anxiously excited! When we arrived at the airport, we got our passports stamped, grabbed our bags and headed to the Sandals kiosk. After checking in with the Sandals staff members, they took our bags, provided us with complimentary refreshments and directed us to complimentary shuttles that would transport us to our resort. Our resort was approximately an hour and a half away from the airport. Although it was a bit of a drive, I really enjoyed the scenic ride.

As soon as we arrived at the resort, we were immediately greeted by friendly Sandals greeters, who provided us with cool towels and champagne. They quickly took our bags and whisked them away to our room. After a quick resort briefing, we headed to our Beachfront Luxury room in the French Village. Our room included a king size bed, couch, standard bathroom and a balcony that overlooked the beautiful sparkling blue ocean. Clean and very well kept, our room was cleaned every day, mini fridge was restocked every afternoon and we received turn down service every night.

The resort was breathtaking. Set on a 500-acre nature preserve, the resort’s landscaping, as well as it’s wild life was picturesque. Turquoise waters, surrounded by rolling mountains, covered in lush greenery was the perfect backdrop for our romantic getaway. It was truly a tropical paradise. Enchanting creatures, such as majestic peacocks, beautiful birds and funny looking crabs were often seen roaming the resort.

Sandals resorts are all-inclusive, which means that alcoholic beverages, meals, water sports and entertainment is all included in the price that you pay for your stay. This was my first time staying at an all-inclusive and it was such a treat! It was so nice to know that everything was paid for, so we could easily walk around the resort with no wallet and not have to stress about money.

One of my favorite things about our trip was that we had no agenda and it was pure relaxation. Each day on our trip, we slept in and started our day by enjoying a nice hot breakfast at Bayside Restaurant prior to hitting the beach and pools. During the day, we relaxed on the beach and participated in some of the many water sports. We did it all! We took a glass bottom boat out to see the coral reefs, went kayaking, tubing, sailing and Derek paid extra to learn how to scuba dive! The beaches were gorgeous and so much fun to play on during the day!

After going to the beach, each afternoon we headed back to the room to shower and get ready to go out to dinner. Sandals South Coast had a total of 9 restaurants, which offered a variety of cuisines. The food was fabulous and some of the best meals that I’ve ever eaten! One of my favorite dishes  was the lasagna at Giuseppe’s. It was literally the best lasagna I’ve ever had in my life! I actually gave my compliments to my chef, that was how impressed I was.

I also was able to try some Asian inspired dishes that I don’t get to eat back home. Asian cuisine is often prepared with peanut ingredients, which is a no no for this peanut allergic girl. Sandals was extremely accommodating with food allergies and dietary restrictions. I was able to meet with the head chef at the beginning of our trip and he provided me with a background of things to avoid, how they prepare the food and notified me that if I wanted any alternate menu options, to just let the restaurant know and they would make something special for me. Every time we sat down at dinner, the server asked if we had any dietary restrictions and would make a note for the kitchen. I honestly can’t say enough wonderful things about our dining experiences at this resort and I’m pretty sure I came back 5 pounds heavier because we ate a lot!

Following dinner, we typically would hang out at the bars or go to see a show. They had a lot of fun evening activities like a dance party on the beach, a newlyweds game show and my favorite was the Silver Birds Steel Orchestra! In addition to the complimentary activities, we also booked some other activities at an additional cost. We booked a romantic candle lit dinner on the beach and a relaxing couples massage. We also went out on a Catamaran cruise. Another important note about Sandals is that it is adult only, so there are no kids on property. This is a nice perk for couples who are looking for a quiet and romantic getaway.

Derek and I had such a fabulous time at this resort. More importantly, we were able to relax and enjoy some much-needed time together as newlyweds. If I can provide any advice to those who are planning a wedding, I would recommend leaving for your honeymoon the day after your wedding. I was told from various people that I was nuts for flying out the next day, but I’m honestly so thankful we did! It was so exciting and such a relief to wake up the day after our wedding and know that we would shortly be in paradise, and on a fun adventure together as newlyweds!

The entire Sandals experience was nothing short of amazing. The beautiful beaches, friendly staff, delicious food and all the fun activities made for a honeymoon that we will never forget. Derek and I were so pleased with our experience that we have already booked our next Sandals trip for our 1 year wedding anniversary at Sandals Royal Caribbean in Jamaica. We are already missing Jamaica, but we are so excited to go back in a year! If you have ever considered booking an all-inclusive stay with Sandals…DO IT! You surely won’t regret it.