Ayita very LONG and detailed planning - Lots of pics !

Ayita · April 21, 2009

Well this is it girls… I leave in one week exactly !

It came SO quick ! I really only planned for 6 months, as we got engaged end of September last year and everything was more or less done at the end of March – just finalizing details, which helped me taking care of the huge issue we had with the venue at the last minute because most of it was done already. We're still working on last minute "big" things – like the music.

What's for sure, I would never have had the same wedding without this forum and all of you girls ! So many awesome ideas and help from everywhere ! I even wonder if there is one idea I got myself ? Probably not ! Even not my hair ideas that I stole from Morgan !!! Sorry if I do not mention the names of everyone from whom I stole something – this is not because I'm ungrateful ! I have tried to return the favor by sharing as much as I could.

So thank you so much everyone – the best part of this whole planning is that I would never have imagined doing stuff myself ; I started after reading some threads here and I enjoyed it SO MUCH ! And I must say I discovered myself some skills I did not know I had. So thanks everybody for making me learn about myself .

Not to mention the "what I would and would not do again" which helped decide on a lot of things we debated… anyway here is all my stuff ! I followed the advice I read earlier here and made this as it went. The result : everything is here even what's already packed ! The only thing I did not put in there are my panties… Sorry sometimes the quality of pics is not so good.

THE RINGS

We got engaged in September 2008. The ring that started it all : my e ring is a black pearl with diamonds

We quickly decided that we did not want to get married either in Houston or in France, and that we wanted a short engagement. After debating eloping, we finally decided for a DW. Because we wanted to avoid hurricane season (one Ike is enough to discourage the bolder ones… and remember we got engaged just after Ike), and because we wanted the engagement short, it meant we were going to get married no later than mid-May. We looked around the WHOLE Caribbean before deciding on Riviera Maya – mostly because it was the place that would allow the cheapest trips for all people coming from Houston.

My band – I literally fell in love with it while strolling on the Champs Elysees in Paris at the end of November, just before my birthday ! I had tried on tons of them but none that really was IT… My band s not really a "band" but it will be perfect as the ring I will wear every day of my life as the symbol of our love. It is from Mauboussin :

His band is a whole story in itself ! We first found one that he loved, very very quickly.

Our two bands originally :

But then he tried it on at the end of March and drama ! The ring did not fit any longer ! it was too big and he was losing it just by putting his hand down. So we went hunting again ad found the perfect ring at Robbin's Bros. I'm actually very happy about that because I like the second ring so much more !!

For some reason this ring is difficult to take in picture, here is a pic of my e-ring coming back from resizing and his band :

We did not want a huge resort, rather something intimate ; and we wanted a place children friendly. At least for all the wedding events – even if the children were not going to stay in the same hotel. We also did not want an AI, because we wanted to remain free of our suppliers, free of where our guests would stay, without having to pay for a day pass, and we did not want to pay for the food and drinks twice.

With all these criteria we quickly selected Le Reve, a boutique hotel close to Playa del Carmen.

Our first DIY project was our monogram – inspired from Laura and Keith and this forum :

Ayita · April 21, 2009

THE INVITATIONS

We did an e-mail STD so nothing to show here.

At the same time than the STD was sent, the website was up ! Because I wanted a bilingual website, no pre-made site was good and I did a fully DIY website on yola (previously called synthasite), a great site for people who nothing of internet. Completely free, loads of templates, unlimited hosting for images or others, easy online tuition for the basics, an integrated photo editorâ€¦

Because this forum is public I don't want to give the URL. However, because some of my (English !) pages are worth stealing I put up a site just for you with it Some links are broken so don't get crazy about that, the upper navigation menu works just fine. PM me if you want the address of the full website !!

Excerpts from our website :

http://tosharewithbdw.synthasite.com/

We quickly decided on the boarding pass invite â€“ so fun ! I spent a few hours on photoshop coming up with the "perfect" templateâ€¦ DIY boarding pass invites and brochures :

More : http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t35894

Ayita · April 21, 2009

ALL MY ATTIRE

My dress is from Winnie Couture. I decided on it so quickly â€“ hardly tried on dresses more than one week before ordering it. Actually, I did not have much time given that we were already beginning of November. But all the dresses I tried on convinced me very quickly that this one was the one. Here are the pics on the model :

And my second fitting, before it got taken in at the bust :

Given that my dress is back less and super plunge clivage I get these adhesive push-ups from VS :

My TTD dress is from David's Bridal : I got in on sale 99$ ! Could not be happier. Here at my first fitting

My veil is from Winnie Couture :

Ayita · April 21, 2009

MY ATTIRE CONTINUED

My earrings are Swarowski, I have still not decided which ones to wear :

My necklace is a simple Russian zirconium from Landau :

My shoes :

Flip-flops for the beach ceremony

For the reception

And if me feet get tired I will change into these :

My flowers are from <company name removed>:

My bouquet :

Ayita · April 21, 2009

MY ATTIRE CONTINUED

Hair inspiration (the first collage is stolen from Morgan, again, a great source of inspiration ! Thanks Morgan) :

My hair flowers : not sure which one I'll use ! I have an Orchid from Hair Comes the Bride :

And a pair of dendrobium orchids ? from hibiscusflorals.com :

Silk Hair Flowers - Your Wedding Day Stylish Enhancement

On the big day I will be wearing this swim suit cover to get ready :

My just married flip-flops from OTC - I' going to wear these for the TTD - awesome pics !

My welcome cocktail dress :

My Sunday Buffet dress is Victoria's secret :

And my Sunday afternoon on-the-beach swim suit cover (also VS) :

Ayita · April 21, 2009

GROOM ATTIRE

Suit : With DH everything is easy once he's on track ! So, it took me 3 months to come with me shopping, but once we did, he found his suit in no time (ie, one shop, 10 minutes in the shop). It's a pink (yes pink !) linen suit got for nothing (79$ !) :

The shirt we got at Macys, same story : it took me 2 weeks to have him come, but then, second store, 10 min again :

Shoes : sandals from DSW :

His boutonniere is from AA (in this picture, together with the GM boutonnieres, I was debating whether to interchange the flowers and have DH have the white ones and GM have the orange ones) :