honeymoon | A Special Events and Lifestyle Marketing Boutique

travel Heads up! Travel and Leisure recently announced that gone are the days when a passport was reserved for international travel. Beginning January 22, 2018, that will change for residents of nine states who will no longer be able to get past TSA security checkpoints with their state issued driver’s licenses to travel domestically but rather will need a passport, permanent resident card/green card or a military ID.

It’s called the Real ID Act of 2005, and apparently it states that state-issued IDs from these nine states do not meet the minimum security standards of the federal government:

Kentucky
Maine
Minnesota
Missouri
Montana
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Washington

With just a few months until the Real ID Act goes into full effect, it is time to start planning now and look into getting your passport, especially if you have honeymoon or travel plans on the horizon.

Some states have started working on offering federally approved issued IDs that would not require a passport for domestic air travel but you’ll certainly want to check with your local government office to see if there is a different type of ID you can apply for.

So consider this your official PSA, if this applies to you and start applying for a passport now! 2018 isn’t too far away and there will be a last-minute rush for sure.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret…I LOVE VERA WANG! So much so that the very next time I am in Hawaii and feel like an unjustifiable splurge, I’m checking into the Vera Wang Suite at Halekulani. Better yet…

Dear Future Husband,

I will love you even more if you surprise me with this as the destination for our honeymoon and/or anniversary.

Your loving future wife,

Here’s why… this one bedroom suite features 2,135 sq. ft. of interior space, plus a 642 sq. ft. Oceanside lanai [a low-slung Hawaiian beach house with an open-sidedlanai to catch the tropical breezes], all of which is personally designed by Ms. Wang and adorned throughout with various décor hand-selected from her new home, gift, bath and accessories collections, as well as rare furnishings from Hawaii, the Pacific and Asia. Spectacular views of Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head are the focus of every room throughout the suite and from their luxurious master bedroom and expansive lanai overlooking the beach, guests may witness the moon rising over Diamond Head in the syrupy night sky. Now…that’s sexy!

No detail is overlooked or untouched by Ms. Wang – she collaborated with Halekulani’s in-house master florist to create original arrangements of her favorite tropical flowers throughout the suite. The dining room, set with classic Vera Wang china and glassware produced exclusively by Wedgwood, accommodates an intimate dinner for two or a gala dinner for six. State-of-the-art SONY electronics, including a 50-inch plasma flatscreen television with DVD/CD entertainment center, are found throughout the living and bedroom areas. And as if that isn’t enough, here’s just a taste of what else you can expect:

Vera Wang Suite guests will be chauffeured to and from the airport in a private limousine
Welcome amenity of French Champagne and amuses bouche
Selection of Vera Wang Fragrances, Body Lotion and Powder
Private Butler Service
Signature cocktail menu, designed by Dale DeGroff and Vera Wang
“Vera’s favorites” inspired movie library
VIP passes and services to the Honolulu Symphony, the Honolulu Academy of Arts, Bishop Museum, The Contemporary Museum and Iolani Palace
In-bed, ‘Diamond Head Breakfast’ experience

This type of luxuriation can be yours for the low-low price of $5000/night. Hey, you only live once so shouldn’t it be about quality…not quantity?