April 2010 Brides

I wanted to start a thread for everyone getting married this month...I love having BDW to come to for all the tips and advice, but I still feel a little lost on where I should be with planning and everything since I'm planning everything by myself...FI is picking out his suit and getting on the plane...

So, I'm getting married April 10, 2010

I sent my STDs to 47 people on April 10, 2009 with all the TA info and the hotel info and NOT ONE PERSON has called her except my mother....I know airfare was not available yet but it is now....

I've seen how other brides have people booked. How did you do that?

I have the Resort, The dress, The shoes

I booked the photographer yesterday.

I'm undecided on colors.

I have not picked invitations.

I'm not having a wedding party so I don't have to worry about that.

I keep thinking I should be doing something but I don't know what....

What are you doing?

yay michele!! i'm so glad you started this thread! i have watched the threads for several 2009 months go by just hoping ours would get started some day soon!

i just squeak in under the wire in april since i'm getting married on the 28th. we have the resort booked and an american pastor that's in PC on a mission trip is going to be performing our ceremony and we've got him all set up as well.

we JUST got our packages set up about a week ago with flights and all that, so invitations are getting put together now and they should go out soon! i hope people will start to book right away, but they never work on your time table, do they?

i also have the dress, shoes, accessories and we're working on FI right now. he just found the perfect fedora from express so i think that will be the highlight of wedding planning for him!

my photog is stephany from eyespy (she did tvt's pictures as well) and she is flying in from MN in july to do engagement pics.

other than that i've been getting together stuff for OOT bags and centerpieces. i am a CPA and my life is nuts for the first 3 months of the year so the goal is to be as done as possible before the end of the year!

michele, are you going to include your TA's info on the invitations as well? maybe that would help remind everyone to get their butts in gear and start booking!!

Erin did you send STDs?

When are you sending your invitations?

you know, my TA emailed me yesterday and said we have time, but since I'm not working I have nothing else to do but think about these things....I think I will call her tomorrow. She got rates for the resort but said there is time for the airfare. Of course I'm checking Air Jamaica myself and I've seen the price go up so that makes me nervous.

I am planning to put the TA info in the invitations but I was hoping SOME people would have booked.

See this is good...I already feel better!!!!

Thank you!!!

so glad to be able to help out!!

i didn't send STDs since we really aren't inviting a ton of people. mostly close family and friends so they all knew when the date was anyway. also, our invitations will go out whenever i'm done with them... probably here in the next few weeks.

i completely understand about not working... definitely get everything done that you can now before you get super busy! it's a fun diversion, although i've learned that the more i'm on BDW, the less patient i am for the next 10 1/2 months!

i am a spaz about checking flights too, but i have to keep telling myself to just let it be and my TA will take care of everything! i wouldn't think you'd see a big difference in prices in the next few months (as opposed to only a few months out from the wedding), but i don't think i will be able to fully relax until everyone is booked and paid up! how many people are you thinking about inviting?

have you worked on your FI's attire at all yet? i don't know why, but this has been my biggest hang up so far! the boys should be easy, shouldn't they?!

Jim is letting me do everything, but he wants to pick his own clothes. I said, fine. He is kind of formal, and the idea of going barefoot, or even in sandals to a wedding is weird to him, so he wants to wear shoes....and a tie...I said fine. I keep showing him all of the BDW wedding pictures, so he can see how the other grooms are barefoot, or wearing flip flops, and not generally wearing a suit and tie, just to give him the idea...I have mentioned that he should remember we will be on an island in the sun so he should consider a light weight fabric...

I told my dad and his dad they don't have to wear ties, and not even jackets if they don't want to.

For some reason he is offended that he cannot see my dress, so now he doesn't want me to go shopping for the suit with him. I know, he's funny like that. He has no clue about wedding traditions.

I try to show him new BDW wedding pics every week...like subliminal messaging!

Yay for April 2010 Brides!!!

Hi Ladies,

I am getting married on April 24, 2010.

I sent out STDs last month to about 50 people with TA info and postcards for them to send back so that I could get tentative planning numbers, and so far I've only gotten back about 5...So pitiful!!! I mean I didn't put a stamp on the freakin postcard for nothin... Only one person has called the TA so far w/ and inquiry, and that was a cousin who lives out of state who I wasn't sure would even be coming.

So far I have shoes, jewelry, picked out colors, and will hopefully be purchasing the DRESS in the next couple weeks. My FI will be wearing linen suit which we haven't purchased yet, but we did find the perfect shirt and tie for him. He will be wearing shoes for the ceremony and changing into Converse for the reception.

I have the resort booked, photographer, and started purchasing items for decor, and BM gifts.

I think I will be DIY the invitations, so I guess I should get started on those soon... I was just really unsure when I should send those out to my guests. The fact that no one has called to book w/ the TA doesn't help either!! A friend of mine who got married in JA a couple years ago suggested that maybe I should send out an e-mail reminding everyone and telling them that the longer they wait the more the prices will increase. But I don't want to feel like I am pressuring people... I mean these are adults we are talking about, it should be common sense that if you wait until the last minute you are gonna pay a lot more for your trip!!

Sorry for venting ladies Thanks Michele for starting this thread!!

yay christina!! glad we recruited another april 2010 bride!

i think the whole trying to get people to book thing is just so sensitive it's difficult. it's one of the things that i swear is harder for a DW than a wedding at home. when people are spending money you hate to try to rush them! i think what your friend suggested about sending out a reminder about prices increasing is a good idea though! subtle, but it gets the point across!

michele, i love jim's attitude about not wanting you to see his suit! i guess i never really thought about the double standard, but at least that way you'll both be surprised when you see each other! and i can't believe he wants to go more formal! i swear jeremy almost peed his pants when i told him he didn't even have to wear shoes if he didn't want to. the guy doesn't even own a suit so i would have had a battle on my hands!

Hi ladies,

I'm so glad someone has started this thread! I'm also a April 2010 bride

When it comes to booking, it's definitely a sensitive topic! I made my STD magnets and mailed them out in April. I also made my own invitations and have already started to send them out. So far, i've got 10 booked (6 being immediate family and 4 friends).

I gave them all a two month RSVP deadline to end of July and hoping they will all start putting down deposits in August. I think giving your guests ample notice to book vacation time and saving up money is important. It's hard to ask your guests (especially those with a family of 4) to drop thousands of dollars in one shot. I would suggest to do a payment plan with your TA. For us, we have three payments (one payment every three months) so that it is easier for our guests.

I know it's frustrating... we still have friends who are still on the fence... don't know if they are coming or not

Yay Winnie - Glad to have another April 2010 bride!

My TA has a payment plan option - they only have to put $150 down - the rest they can pay off, and be paid in full by I think the beginning of Feb.

I'm wondering if September is a good time to send the Invitations out, with the travel and TA info again....

I just made invitations on Vistaprint for free...I figure if they are good I can use them and if they suck I can toss them...no big deal...matching evelopes were only $4...not too bad since I'm going to break the bank on the photographer...lol!

My TA has payment plan similar to yours jerseykitten... And not only that they have the option of purchasing insurance for about $80 that allows them to cancel all the way until the day of travel!! Depsite this, no one has bothered to book

But oh well, I've come to realize that the only people that need to be present is me and my FI!! Because at the end of the day, this is our day and we are ones saying vows to be together FOREVER!! And if people chose not to witness our union then that's their business... They can see my fabulous pics and see exactly what they missed out on. Not only that, the fewer people who decide to come the more $$$ I can keep in my pocket.

jerseykitten, who did you book for photography?? A local or are you flying someone in from home?