Requesting tips for welcoming wife to US (first time to US)

Bouquets, balloons, ribbons.. are all OK..

But my suggestion will be for you to take two or three days off from office.. spend time with her.. go for a walk in the evenings, show her around.. acclimatize her.

And assuming it will be her first air travel, insist her to travel light... and tell her not to carry junk like dals, rice, etc... all these are available in US too.

 

Good Idea... As @Indoc suggested, it will be better to take a leave and spend some time with her. She will be more than happy for this wonderful gesture.

 

@chipotle Brother,

:welcome to IL family,

Since she is newly married and new to US, let the first meal be interesting and makes her feel :wow

Happy 2015, SAIRAM

 

Hi,

Wish you a very happy married life!

As the previous post I do suggest a tasty light meal , that would make her happy.
A gift like coffee mug set/ some couple set would be wonderful.
My husband took me for a movie and showed me around next day of my arrival.
I had the culture shock for a few months,it took time for me to understand things and do what I need to do different in US. Actually what would make her wow would be just accept her just what she is.

 

@Rihana just loved reading through your post. I wish my husband did all that you said.. Anyways been 7yrs now kneesmiley

 

Click some pics. In the Airport, while she entering the house for the first time, also take some couple pics. Because memories lasts forever. She will cherish it even after many many years.
Cook a yummy food, simple and tasty. I guess, you know her favorite food, if not get the clue from her friends or relatives. After food and freshen up, take her somewhere to a lively place with people and shops, as this is her first time she will enjoy "US" with you..that too first time.

 

Your post is incredibly sweet, OP.

Greeting her dressed well with a bouquet of flowers, chocolates and more importantly, the biggest grin plastered on your face would be a lovely and memorable way to start your lives together out here.

I imagine that after such a long-haul flight, she will be incredibly exhausted and simply will be ecstatic to finally be with you. Depending on how long the drive is from the airport, you can opt to keep some snacks in the car for her.

Here are a few ideas:

You can start by greeting her and I imagine she will want to go home to freshen up before going anywhere else. At home, be sure everything is tidied up. If you want to stay in that day to give her the opportunity to freshen up and rest, you can arrange an intimate candlelight dinner (pick up some items from a nearby restaurant or if you're brave enough, you can cook some of it yourself). If you want to keep it simple and familiar, you can opt for Indian. If you want to switch it up a bit but not go overboard, you can consider Ethiopian, Thai or Burmese. If she enjoys sweets, you can have a small, rich cake prepared (cheesecake? chocolate cake? tiramisu? strawberry shortcake? For cake, I highly recommend putting an order in at Copenhagen Bakery in Burlingame. Hands down, they prepare some of the most delicious and best-decorated cakes) and you can even request for it to be less sweet (and it's still fantastic because the richness of the ingredients they use comes out even more when it's not doused with sugar). If you decide you want to stay in for the evening, then you can always cuddle up in a blanket and watch a movie. If you want to give her a more pampering experience, you can decorate your bathroom with candles, flower petals and bubble bath (or bath bombs if you have a tub) for a bath together. You can also consider picking up some lightly fragrant body oils and offer a massage.

Another option for the latter is to bring her home, let her freshen up and make arrangements for a romantic couple massage (let me know if you want a few suggestions for some great places here in the bay) which is a wonderful, pampering experience for both you and her. Some even offer packages where they will let you have a romantic soak in a nice big jacuzzi with bubble baths, chocolates and chardonnay (or sparkling apple cider if you don't drink) followed by a lovely massage. Then you can opt to go home (with the special candlelight dinner you've arranged) and relax or opt to take her out for the evening if she's feeling refreshed enough. If you do take her out for the evening, don't forget that she will probably find the weather here a little cold and might need a coat or a jacket. Depending on what kind of cuisines you and she might be open to, there's some really lovely restaurants you can go to with beautiful lighting or scenery nearby for a stroll.

If you're able to, do spend a couple days off to show her around but even if you're unable to do that, perhaps you can plan on where you would like to take her during the weekends and make arrangements for that in advance considering that Valentines Day is also not far and so things tend to book pretty quickly. Big Sur, Carmel Valley and Monterey Bay is one of the most picturesque places year round and there's some lovely, affordable beach side and oceanside hotels that you can stay at (Anything from Asilomar Inn to Intercontinental Clement or even Bernardus Valley Lodge).

Another unforgettable place to stay around in Big Sur is Treebones Resort where you can stay in a cozy treehouse or yurts but you'll need to book this in advance by a few weeks. Airbnb has a few options for those as well. Following this, you can go hiking along in Julia Pfeiffer park or hike down to McWay Falls (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McWay_Falls) which should be gorgeous considering it's recently rained and all.

You can choose to stay local and opt for a day trip to San Francisco with a hop-on/hop-off bus tour around the SF, have tea at Samovar Lounge in Downtown SF near the Moscone Center. You can also book a chocolate factory tour at Tcho near the Ferry Building in Downtown SF. The Golden Gate Bridge is such a wonderful place to make romantic memories and the view from the North View Point is unforgettable.You can even spend the afternoon or evening in the Sausalito area but again, bring layers and blankets if you go on the hop on hop off bus!

I'd also highly recommend Calistoga and Napa Valley. Calistoga is a favorite amidst couples at this time of year because it even has hot springs and if you're into wine, you can arrange for a winery tasting tour. Even if you're not, it's a beautiful place to visit and there's even a castle up there that's quite lovely. You can even consider a little closer to home in Marin County by renting a cabin up in Mt. Tamalpais near Muir Woods and the view of the Bay Area is never-ending from there — it's so high that you can even see the clouds floating beneath you like a living ocean. For this, I would recommend you book a couple weeks to a couple months in advance and my favorite place to stay there is at West Point Inn. They have very nice cabins with beds, linens, bathrooms and a fantastically equipped communal kitchen that you can cook/heat your own food in (you can bring either the ingredients or food with you) with a beautiful view of the stars at night (don't be surprised if you see a couple of shooting stars) and lovely hiking spots. If you do decide to go here, make sure you spend a minimum of 2 nights to really enjoy this spot and rent a van, suv or pick up truck to drive up the service route. You'll kick yourself if you make it any shorter.

Other nice spots for hiking are day trips to Muir Woods (for the sheer size and scale of the Redwood trees alone), Marine Headlands, Lands' End Trail in San Francisco with the destination of Sutro Baths followed by dinner at one of the Egyptian or Moroccan spots nearby...Point-Reyes (head out to the lighthouse and choose a place for cheese tasting along the way. more info here: http://www.visitmarin.org/places/ex...-do-in-point-reyes/farm-tours-cheese-tasting/), Bodega Bay, Skyline Drive near San Mateo, many spots around Saratoga and Los Gatos, Gilroy (Pinnacles), Monterey Bay, or one of the parks alongside Big Sur.

Lake Tahoe could also be quite the experience at this time of year because there's a lot of snow up there and it's a gorgeous drive. You can arrange to take some skiing or snowboarding lessons up there as well. You may need some more time and preparation for this so you both are well equipped with ski pants, jackets, gloves, glasses and knee pads in case either of you fall. There's no shortage of great hotels and resorts but if you want a lovely lakeside hotel, my recommendation is Mourelatos Lakeshore Resort which has great lakefront rooms and some with kitchens, too.

For a shopping spree that's easier on your wallet, consider taking her to the Premium Outlets up in Livermore. Hands down some of the best, more premium choices at great prices unlike the crap that is sold in the outlets that I've encountered down in San Jose and Gilroy.

Congratulations on your marriage, reunion and very excited for you both Let me know if you need any further suggestions.

 

I like this thread! :2thumbsup: