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The State of Quintana Roo will now enjoy an hour more of sun with its time zone moving from Central Standard Time (CST) to Eastern Standard Time (EST) as of February 1, 2015. The change comes after a lengthy push by a coalition of the region's government and local hotel owners, urging the Mexican government to approve the change. The adopted time change gives visitors to chance to take advantage of one more hour of fun, culture and sun in the beautiful region. Couples planning their weddings in the area should also take the time shift into account if they're planning to time their festivities or photographs with daylight or sunset. “The added sunlight should also generate reductions in electricity use for hotels and restaurants in the area, which aligns with Cancun’s turquoise conservation initiative,” Jesus Almaguer, CEO of the Cancun CVB, said in a press release. Besides giving Quintana Roo an extra hour of brightness, the time shift hopes to better coordinate travel times with more than two dozen airports in the United States' East Coast and Canada -- a market that brings significant tourism to the Mexican region. Quintana Roo is comprised of several popular locations for destination weddings, including Cancún, Cozumel and Isla Mujeres, Playa del Carmen and Akumal. The state also includes the ancient Maya ruins of Tulum, Chacchoben, Cobá, Kohunlich, Muyil, Xel-Há, and Xcaret. The Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve is also in Quintana Roo.

The holidays have come and go, but for many couples, the holiday season brought more than just: extra calories (yes, I admit, I ate my way through the holidays. I have no willpower when it comes to anything sprinkled with cinnamon, nutmeg or sugar for that matter LOL ) red and green EVERYTHING (I even bought red/green toothpicks, I know right?) and shopping galore (gahhhh maybe my dog really didn't need all those winter sweaters ). Tis the season for engagements! Were you one of the many across the globe who found themselves welcoming in 2015 with a shiny new ring on your finger? Did your sweetheart make your holiday season sparkle even brighter this year with an epic proposal? Would love to hear your proposal story and, of course, don't forget to share a photo of your bling!!

There are different kinds of milestones in a woman’s life. Your first crush, your first kiss ... that awful first zit. Hmmmm... then of course times when you realize who your real friends are, and then the shock you feel when you first lose someone to death. Sometimes equally painful is the day you realize your heart actually can be broken like an eggshell on the edge of a mixing bowl. Conversely, the moment may also come when you realize that you’ve found the love of your life and every day brings upon a blank page ready to be filled with life changing moments and memories fueled by love and laughter. But perhaps there is not a more stress-filled yet wonderfully exhilarating event than “THE WEDDING DAY” — and yes, it warrants all caps because when it comes down to it, the entire experience really is just that fabulous! It was about seven years ago when I really started delving into full wedding mode. With our big day set for June 26, 2009 in Akumal, Mexico, the clock was ticking and the to-do-list ever expanding much like my waistband *sigh* Ah yes, the fluctuating weight was just one of my many ups and downs during my bride-to-be era! Now if you were anything like me during that 1 year+ leading up to the big day, your mind is probably racing with never-ending questions, ideas and concerns. This really is a wonderfully exciting and special time so soak it all in — stress, bills and all — because you will only get the chance to be a first-time bride once, so make sure you cherish every moment! With that being said, the path to your wedding day will not always filled with beautifully paved yellow bricks that are easy to follow. And if it is, please tell Dorothy I love her red shoes!!! But really, there will likely be a few ups and downs, some disappointments, and I’m sure a couple of surprises when least expected. But try not to punch the panic button too fast, take a deep breath, and know these zany problems are prone to every wedding experience. And hey, if you do by chance get blessed with “perfect” planning and a stellar wedding day to boot, PLEASE PLEASE give me a call and we’ll bottle up your magic formula and sell it! I’ve already got an informercial ready to go and we’ll have millions of customers lined up at the door, I promise, lol. But really, when the ol' wedding path leads you astray, try to keep focused on THE WEDDING DAY and enjoy the ride no matter how bumpy it gets. Trust me, while it may feel like a marathon, as you near the end you’ll wonder where the time went and you’ll miss it like an old pair of comfy jeans that made your butt look great, times 100. Throughout my own wedding experience there were many times I cried tears of frustration and moments I even tried to convince my then fiance (now husband) we were better off just canning the whole “destination wedding” idea. Between zany airfare prices, travel and accommodation concerns, unexpected illness and a death in the family — Oh, and how can I forget my 2-week obsession with Fox News and CNN when I cried buckets during the “Swine Flu” meltdown, the surge of the Mexican drug cartel problems, and lest I forget my bridal shower being postponed twice! At one point I honestly thought our wedding was jinxed. But somehow through all the mixups, missing emails, unruly bridesmaids, last minute RSVPs and cancelations, everything came together like a flock of birds in the beautiful blue sky. With a trails of tears left behind on my wedding path, everything just fell into place and It. Was. Magic. Seriously. So get your rest, drink lots of water, and put on a comfy pair of shoes. Your wedding awaits, and believe me, it’s a ride you’ll never forget!

The saying goes, "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." But what if that something borrowed was actually your wedding dress? The renting of high-end designer gowns is a growing trend and for some brides, it's the opportunity to wear a wedding dress they otherwise could not afford. Houston-based boutique Get the Gown was recently featured on their local news station as a business that offers gown rentals. And these aren't just any ol' gowns, the shop carries dresses from high-end designers such as Oscar De La Renta, Vera Wang, and Monique Lhullier. So dresses that would normally costs someone a pretty penny -- we're talking $4,000 to $13,000 to buy -- could be yours to wear for a rental fee of $800 to $1600 a week. For brides who want to rent but don't have a local storefront to turn to, Rent the Runway, is an online retailer that offers the same type of service at a fraction of the costs. The website even features a section dedicated to brides and bridesmaids with a variety of dress styles and accessories. And if that's not enough, you can also get $25 off your first rental. Rent or buy, the most important thing is that you feel good, confident and beautiful on your Wedding Day. And it's great to know that even if you've always dreamed of wearing a designer gown, but don't quite have a designer gown budget -- you now have options. So tell me, do you think the renting of a gown is practical? Or is it still to high of a price to pay for something you can only keep for a limited amount of time? Would you be open to renting your wedding gown?