We know what you’re thinking…
What does this have to do with Wedding Photography…Well, hang tight. We promise it all ties together.
For those who follow our personal journey, you know that we have been making strides in our personal life to live a more balanced lifestyle including a cleaner diet and a more mindful structure in our home and business. As new parents and entrepreneurs powering through the COVID Pandemic, we found this change to be absolutely necessary. So in attempts to be proactive we decided to go Miraval in Tucson, Arizona.
Why?
We searched the internet for the most health-conscious and transformative all-inclusive resort for a quick getaway. We knew that we were overdue to recharge and restore ourselves before wedding season peaked back up for us. So we needed a place that we could really unwind at and preferably somewhere that shared our values of living a balanced and healthy lifestyle. We were so pleased that not only did Miraval have exactly what we were looking for but it far surpassed our expectations!
One of the main features that really pulled us in was the culinary experience that they offered to guests. We pride ourselves in being Big Foodies! We love to eat but more-so we LOVE to learn, cook and create and Miraval offers some unique opportunities to do just that. We set up our schedule to take advantage of as many culinary courses that we could.
The first day
we took a Cocktail Crafting course with the head chef on the property. It was Miraval’s first week pen after the COVID shutdown so with only 29 guests on-site, there were only 4 other students in our class. We were thrilled to see all of the safety precautions that this resort took into consideration when it came to sanitation and social distancing. Facemasks were worn by staff at all times, social distancing was practiced and they even wore different gloves when serving and taking away food to name a few practices. We eagerly took notes during our class and learned so much that we decided to integrate what we learned with what we do at home with our cold-pressed juices. The chef was so knowledgable and completely open to any questions we had regarding how to consciously cook with diversity.
Later on that evening
we enjoyed JUST COOK FOR ME, one of Miravals culinary experiences where we got to Sample the culinary creations of their talented chefs with the most intimate dining experience in the heart of Miraval’s kitchen. We had the opportunity to savor selections from our daily menu as well as freshly-formulated, exclusive dishes that are paired with wine. This offering is designed for the adventurous foodie and totally inspired us!
Just from the first night at Miraval we had so many fresh ideas to bounce off of one another and different things to incorporate into our own business for our couples. Not to mention we met some great people on the first day that inspired us to do even more with our trip. The next day, we did an experience that we thought we would never do…we became beekeepers but unfortunately I don’t have any photos to share of that but just wanted to mention it because it was truly a highlight to our retreat (thank you Noel Patterson).
We treat the art of culinary like we treat our photography. There is always something that you can learn as long you are open and willing to be inspired by others. You can never fully duplicate what you are taught but if you really learn from that experience, you will be able to use what you loved from the experience to shape something of your own.
Thank you to the creators at Miraval who helped us realize more than we thought we would on a quick getaway. We can’t wait to share more about our trip with you all this week!
Hyatt Regency Baltimore Lunch + Learn Conference