April 2010 Brides

Thanks for the compliments on April Fool's Day, though I can't really take credit! At first, I was totally AGAINST the idea (ie I do NOT want my legal marriage to be a "FOOL"!). However, that came down to our only real option before hand. The Wednesday is still March, and I wanted to get legally married the same month as my wedding. The Friday is Good Friday, and the Monday Easter, so courthouse is closed. Then the Tuesday is the day before we leave, and there's no way I would be able to contain my excitement long enough to get legally married, so April Fool's Day it is! I kind of like it now, since we are trying to make it so low-key, it just adds to that, making it almost more of a joke! :0)

To answer whoever asked about the brokerage fee from Discount Mugs (sorry, I can't scroll back that many pages, the forum is slllooowwww today!), we ordered 48 mugs from there and paid about $75 brokerage fee. Still very reasonable, and we are pretty happy with the results. Not EXACTLY what we designed/same colour, but close enough! :0)

Are you all planning a lot of events throughout the week for your guests to take part in, or basically leaving them to their own devices to have fun?

Oh yes... coverage for seniors (okay or anyone that would be considered our parents age or older hahah!) can be tricky. If they're reasonably healthy then it's not too big a problem but as soon as there are any pre-existing conditions then the dollars can really add up quickly.

Tara - we're not really planning much of anything for our guests since a) we'd rather everyone be able to come and go as they please and not worry about being available for this, that and the other according to OUR scheduling, and a big portion of our guest list are friends that all know each other - seriously like 4 of 25 will only know a few of the other guests - so any excursions or anything would all be done together as it is. We're really lucky that it's a big cohesive group and not split groups of people that we have to separate our time between all week. Family will be a little bit different since it'll just be the parents and grandparents there with us.

Oh yes, and pictures for Tracy - and everyone else who couldn't open them

This first one is really long and is meant to be wrapped around for that kind of Grecian look. Either that or it can be worn as a choker necklace. It's really lightweight wire that she used with some simple beads.

The second is also really light weight and super flexible. I find that my head really doesn't fit standard headbands too well so I needed something that I could adjust and form-fit however I wanted. The length is shorter than a headband and it has the loops on the end to pin in wherever I need to.

I should be getting them in the mail just after the weekend and I think my dress should be at the store in about a week so it'll be perfect timing to try it all on together while I do my fitting! If anyone is interested in checking out her other work go to: Meister Artisan Jewellery... she does a ton of her work as custom pieces so if you've got an idea then she can definitely work with you to get something made.

Thanks for the reminder to get those posted!!!

We're keeping things pretty free for everyone, too. We've asked everyone to meet up with us for welcome drinks the first evening there which will be a good chance to introduce everyone, but other than that we've kept it open. I think people will probably get together in groups to do whatever excursions they're interested in and we'll make a point of letting people know where we'll be in case they want to meet up with us.

I love the hair jewelery, Meghan! I have the same problem with hairbands and having a flexible one that you can adjust and pin like that is a great idea. Thanks for posting up the pics again, I couldn't see them before. Your friend does beautiful work.

We too didn't plan much for the guest. We planned a meet and Greet when everyone arrives, and we also planned a rehearsal dinner (We we are calling it that) but it's not really. Just a reason for everyone to have dinner together. ALso give a chance for people to give speech's if they would like.

I was going to plan an excursion but then decided not to, allow people to decide whether or not they want to do one on their own, and if there is a lot of people who do, we can do it all together.

We aren't able to do a true meet & greet because we have sooo many diff people coming in at diff times and diff gateways, so it really sucks...I may attempt to do a welcome brunch the next morning for most of the people who made it in the night before, then I'll be able to give out most of the OOT bags as well...I did plan an excursion, but only because I know most of the younger crowd wants to do it all, so I wanted all our group to be together and not on a public tour stopping to pick up people at a ton of other resorts...This is our whole reason for picking Mex, I CAN'T wait!!! I may have already mentioned it before but here's what we're doing: 1 full day and 1 half day tour includes: Mayan Ruin tour, working Mayan village tour, Ziplining across the jungle tops, snorkeling in an underground cenote (river) and a natural aquarium, small cliff jumping into a lagoon type of thingy, swimming with sea turtles, playing with little monkeys...and there's more, I CAN'T WAIT!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh...this is the only real thing I planned, I put it on the welcome brochure but as "totally optional" although I already have 20 signed up, some of the older folk might decide when they are there. Other than that we may do a Good Bye dinner since we live far away from everyone, if I do a private reception (still undecided) I'll just use the dinner in my package towards that...

Meghan, love the hairpieces, they are beautiful!!! I might have already mentioned that...totally can't remember, it's been a tiring couple of days, back at the DR they are checking all my blood levels again, B12, Thyroid, I told them they might as well throw in a pregnancy test because I'm totally exhausted and useless... ;o) I know I'm not (pregnant), but that would throw a monkey wrench into the wedding planning wouldn't it!! lol Definitely would need to get a new dress...

Tracy, love your boudoir outfits, and I might have already mentioned it, like I said I have no idea what I posted about...so FI will totally love them!!!! You're going to look awesome!! I still haven't fully decided on doing one, it's just soooo expensive.

Michele, I hope you're all shoveled out now!!! if not just plow over the snow with your new SUV!!!!

To all the new Gals joining us: WELCOME!!!

Hope everyone has an awesome weekend with lots of LOVE!!!! Hopefully everyone will remember Sunday - not that we're big Valentine's advocates, I think spontaneity is best, but any holiday that demands chocolates is a Holiday celebrated my Me!! lol

So Happy LOVE Day Everyone! <3 (not sure why but this is supposed to mean a heart, like I see that it could look like a sideways heart, but to me it always looks like a < symbol and a 3....)

Ok beyond tired I'll chat to you all soon ;o)

Darn double post.....

Sasse75, I want the beach reception...but probably more likely will be the semi-private reception at the Thai Beach Club, at least then it's still outside and the Thai Beach Club looks absolutely amazing - then you don't have to pay for a separate bar fee because people can get their drinks right there...I didn't really like the look of the gala dinner rooms, they looked sooo big and I'm scared that a small party will get lost and feel secluded and lonely lol, If you have a big group then the rooms would work a lot better...but again we're still undecided, even the semi-private will still add about $1200-$1400 extra depending on how may peeps end up coming, right now we're at 32 booked...I HAVE decided that if we still keep the a la carte dinner as our reception dinner we want to eat at the Fondue restaurant, it has a wall of windows and it over looks the pools, and then the ocean - some of the other choices have you situated on the inside of the resort, so instead of looking at the beautiful scenery outside I think you're looking at the inside courtyard, which would still be beautiful - but I'm just glad I found this out first!!!

What have you guys all decided on?? I don't think we'll get to meet, we only fly into Mex on April 25!! chat to you soon )

I'm going to attempt a meet and greet the night before the wedding at one of the buffets - everyone should be there by then - I want it to be casual. I'm still working on those timelines to put into the OOT bags which will have the dinner listed.

I wasn't planning any excursions because most of my guests are only coming for long weekends - Thursday to Monday. Friday I'd like to just chill at the resort, Saturday I will obviously be getting ready - the ceremony is at 4pm - and Sunday my TTD session is in the morning.

As for my legal wedding - we were originally going to do one here first, but then FI decided if we were having everyone come down to Jamaica, we should have them see our actual wedding. Since he's let me do everything I've wanted pretty much, I gave in and said ok -although from everything I've heard, it takes MONTHS to get the Jamaican wedding certificate but ..whatever. It wasn't worth arguing about to me. As long as we get married I'm happy.

so my new news...as most of you know I left my job a week ago - the stress and the commute were too much for me - I wasn't planning on looking but keeping my options open in case something came up. Well, i got a call from someone I used to work with that heard i was available, he gave my resume to his boss - I talked to his boss for about 15 minutes on the phone yesterday and

I GOT A NEW JOB

this one is only about 30 minutes from home - less stressful environment. It's also a temporary situation - could possibly go permanent - i told them right away that i'd be gone for 2 weeks in April and they were fine with it.

So in one week i got a new car and a new job...

And i only get to take 2 weeks off...so much for wedding planning - at least I got my veil and i'll do the rest of the OOT stuff this week coming up.

It took me such a long time the last time I was out of work to find a job - this one just fell into my lap - I can't even believe it!

OMG!!! had my post, just about to post and it got deleted!!! WTF why does this happen sooo often!!! *sigh* here we go again.

Congrates on the job!!!! that's great and bonus, it's closer to home. And I am sure the FI would be more then will to help you out with the OOT bags since time is flying.

We are having the semi private dinner at one of the restaurants on the resort. And then having a private beach party with our own private bar tender. The beach will be decorated with teki torch's. So I am in the mist of trying to buy a docking system that will be low of enough, not to $$ and not to heavy for travel. Any suggestions?

Suzy, thank you for the comment on my out fits. I hope he likes them. I am sure he will. I am just so bloody nervous.

I found a lady in Cornwall (hour away from me) who does these session. She is charging me $75 including the hotel. It's only half hour session, with no photo's just the whole cd. I have a gf who is into graphic designs so I'll get her to touch up some photo's.

I figured since I wanted the photo's and I was on a tight budged, this would be perfect.

Another $75 for hair and make up. $180 in total to get the pics developed at walmart and an album.

All the new coming, Welcome. Glad to have you here with us.You all better be chatty lol!

Meghan, I just love your hair pieces!!! Looks like the ones you twist in your hair, will you be doing that?

I have a vail, I am not sure if I should just leave it like that, or if I should get something like you have for the front. I've already picked my hair sytle. Maybe I could get your girls advice, leave it with just the vail, or add something to the front?