What better way to end a gorgeous destination wedding/honeymoon than with a stunning shot of the moon itself? Carly told me that her New Year’s Eve wedding just by chance feel on the same day as, “a full moon, a blue moon, a lunar eclipse and the last day of the decade.” Call it kismet, call it karma, call it coincidence… I call it a great start to a new life together. Not to mention beautiful Belize as a backdrop.

Many, many happy congrats to Tony and Carly. And a big thanks for letting us “tag along” on their beautiful Belize honeymoon and destination wedding.

Carly and Tony’s destination wedding at Tranquility Bay Resort in Belize was obviously filled with fun, romance and love. And color! I was completely wowed by the photos Carly sent… they were bright, vivid and bold. I absolutely love this shot of them above.

The couple’s trip 12 miles south to the town of San Pedro provided Carly – a fantastic photographer – with tons of opportunities to capture the beauty of the chilled-out daily life on the island of Ambergris Caye.

Carly said that the getting into town from the resort was never a problem. “Everyday there were people going to town, so it was easy to just bum a ride for free.”

Carly clearly has a great eye for portraits. Everyone they met was warm and friendly. She said she absolutely loved “laid back island atmosphere” of San Pedro. The tiny town of 4,000 people has sandy unpaved streets, brightly colored buildings and palm trees. It’s a great spot to pick up souvenirs or have a meal at one of the many restaurants.

There are very few cars in San Pedro. Another one of our honeymoon couples, Dave and Melody, rented bikes to get around.

Carly and Tony opted for a golf cart, and lucked out, renting the last one available that day. Carly may have felt a bit like Tony was playing Mario Kart through the streets, but it was a great way to gets around.

The couple says they always felt safe in San Pedro – just as they do walking around their own hometown. Thanks to Carly for sharing the gorgeous images with us.

While in Belize, Carly and Tony were ready to celebrate their marriage with some serious adventure. They hadn’t arranged anything ahead of time, but that was fine. Everyday their resort, Tranquility Bay, would organize outings and activities based on the guests’ interests.

Carly and Tony went on a ziplining adventure through a local outfitter called Seaduced by Belize. The guides took them out to Jaguar Paw, where they traveled through the jungle canopy along eight different elevated platforms. The trip lasts all day and a light breakfast and lunch are included.

They thought the cave tubing portion of the trip – included with the ziplining – was skippable. But soaring through the jungle was worth every penny. They highly recommend it to other honeymooning couples.

Carly and Tony knew they had to take advantage of Belize’s incredible ocean as well. Tranquility Bay Resort is located within Bacalar Chico National Park. She says, “They don’t advertise it, but Tranquility Bay Resort is the ONLY resort where you can swim right out to the Barrier Reef. All the other resorts brought their guests out to our reef in boats. We thought our location was really cool!” They took advantage of the great location to snorkel a ton.

Carly adds that anyone heading to Belize “MUST scuba at Hol Chan Marine Reserve.” She’s most grateful to “Max, our dive master, who held my hand the whole time during my first scuba dive ever.”

Carly and Tony’s destination wedding was a success from the minute they stepped off the plane in Belize. One of the happiest memories of their 10-day stay was the very first dinner they had at Tranquility Bay Resort. The casual, family-style dinner served at the resort’s Tackle Box Sea Bar (above) was a communal, cozy gathering. That it fell on Christmas Day made it more special for the about-to-be married couple.

Owners Carlos and Isabelle cooked an amazing meal for all of their resort guests. The menu was simple, fresh and delicious, with local delicacies like conch and lobster. The location provides an “awesome view of the tarpon swimming right off the dock.”

After the food was gone, everyone sat around talking, playing cards and getting to know one another. Carly says this Christmas dinner was truly, “a community event.”

Carly and Tony chose Tranquility Bay Resort in Belize for their wedding and honeymoon. It’s located on Ambergis Caye – an island east of the mainland.

But they didn’t just pick any old place for their trip. With a destination wedding, you obviously want things to be amazing. Carly – with a self-described Type A personality – admits to feeling slightly overwhelmed to come up with the PERFECT spot to say “I do”. She said even nailing down the right country was a big task, “We looked absolutely everywhere! We googled like mad!”

The couple started with a map of the Caribbean and Latin America. Carly says, “We chose Tranquility after a long long search. We wanted the inland adventure that you might find in Costa Rica along with the beautiful Carribean ocean.”

“Belize was our answer, but where? There are a lot of resorts to stay at,” she says. In the end, it was the video on Tranquility Bay’s website that sold them.

Carly remembers thinking the minute they got off the plane, “This is Heaven!” And when they arrived at Tranquility Bay she said to Tony, “We did so good!!”

“Tranquility was small and friendly. It had great amenities (like air conditioning) and had something fun to do every day. Everything was laid back and relaxed.”

Carly and Tony were blown away by the beauty of the beaches at Tranquility Bay. Carly says, “The island itself and the resort were idyllic.”

The resort’s managers Carlos and Isabelle make everyone feel at home. The 11 individual cabanas are cute and homey. Carly says, “We got some free drinks and personal attention at all times. It’s a small resort, so everyone including the other guests celebrated our wedding us on our trip. We were THE ‘honeymoon couple!’”

Carly also realizes Tranquility Bay is best for laid back travelers. “If you want to get all dolled up and go out for dinner and dancing, this isn’t the place,” she says. “If you want to kick back in shorts and a T-shirt, and be completely immersed in good vibes and Mother Nature’s beauty, Tranquility Bay resort on Ambergris Caye in Belize is it.”

She adds, “I had to get used to wearing shoes again when I got back home!” Sounds like everyone who spends time at Tranquility Bay – even the turtle – learns to take life at a slower pace.

When you’re planning a destination wedding, you’re rolling the ceremony, reception and honeymoon all into one. For Carly Shockley and Anthony Cagle of Athens, GA, Tranquility Bay Resort on Ambergris Caye in Belize was a little spot of perfection to start their next chapter together. They left behind their jobs in online sales and baking to head south – just the two of them – to say “I do” on New Year’s Eve 2009.

Carly and Tony knew they wanted to say their vows someplace beautiful, romantic and laid back place.

Their online research (more about that tomorrow!) led them to discover Tranquility. They contacted the two on-site managers Carlos and Isabelle about the possibility of getting married. Turns out Carlos is ordained to perform weddings! The resort has hosted many weddings on their beautiful shores.

The ceremony was held on the white sand beach. It was short and simple. Isabelle volunteered to be their photographer (and did a pretty great job, I think!) Carly says the whole experience was “perfect in EVERY way.”

But these two did more than just get hitched. Check back this week to see their adventures in beautiful, romantic Belize. Oh, and congrats newlyweds!!

And somehow we’ve come to the end of yet another jam-packed weekend. The highlight was getting to see In The Heights on Broadway – the tickets were an awesome Christmas gift from Tim. But we also spent time having drinks with my cousin visiting for a few days, had lunch at our favorite coffee shop, watched The Goonies (!!) on the couch with tea + coffee, did some chores and cooked delicious burritos.

And in between all that, I squeezed in some RealHoneymoons.com work. We’ve got a bunch of great new trips to feature in the next several weeks. And many of them to new destinations we haven’t shown yet. I’ve been thrilled to hear from couples I’ve never met before. They’ve seen the site and been inspired to send in their own experiences. I love that the site is growing and becoming a real resource for honeymoon-planning couples.

This week’s couple – Carly and Tony, who literally just got home – shared their honeymoon and nuptials all in one, with a recent destination wedding in Belize. When newlywed Carly and I spoke on the phone recently, she was gushing about the Tranquility Bay Resort. She said she hopes other couples will discover them through our site and decide to visit. I have to admit, she’s sold me on the place… I’d be there tomorrow if I could!