Sherib's Las Caletas Planning Journal

[SheriB]

 

 

So it is finally here...actually it has been and gone but I didn’t manage to get this planning journal posted before going!  When my fiancé proposed we both agreed right away that we wanted a DW.  I assumed that meant no frills, on the beach at a resort.  Little did I know... !!  I started googling resorts and came upon this website.  Did I learn some stuff!  Thanks to the amazing website and the great girls on here for giving me so many ideas and helping me to make them happen!  And thanks for shocking the fiancé...he had no idea!

 

So here goes my probably really long planning journal:

We got engaged on Oct 6, 2009.  It was a surprise dinner at the restaurant where we first met.  It was a complete surprise!  He picked the ring all on his own – we had never even looked together and it is perfect!  I could not get a decent pic of it by itself but here is the band and them together. 

 

FI's band

 

 

The fiancé figured we could get married that spring – Feb 2010...like 4-5 months after he asked.  I explained that was not going to work!!  So we went to Puerto Vallarta in Feb 2010 to check it out and visit Las Caletas.  I had found it thanks to BDW and was pretty sure it was going to be the wedding site!  We wanted Vallarta Palace as our resort after visiting it but when we returned home and started working on prices they were just too high.  It came down to good deals at Dreams Villamagna or Riu Palace both in Nuevo Vallarta.  We hadn’t been in either but had driven by them.  We finally went with Dreams for a couple of reasons:  seemed a little smaller & more intimate for the group, no reservations, no wristbands.  We had toured Dreams PV and liked it but did not like that you could not walk the beach – one of our favourite activities.

 

 

[SheriB]

Asking my BMs & FG & Jr Groomsman.  We had little tequila bottles and shot glasses from our trip to Mexico.  I gave the girls a compact mirror and a jewellery roll. 

 

Monogram by Allurements by Rebecca.  Love it!!!

 

 

[SheriB]

STDs & Reply Postcard - Vistaprint.  Notice that the STD says "Formal Invite to follow".  It never happened!  Seemed kind of redundant after we knew who was booked and who couldn't make it.

 

 

 

[SheriB]

The dress.  We started shopping in June.  It didn’t take long to find.  I loved it right away.  Suited my personality and the beach I thought!  And it was on the sale rack so I was able to walk out of the store with it...even better!  It was an Alfred Sung. 

 

BM’s dreses.  This was difficult.  We thought right away that we would just do casual dresses from somewhere but we didn’t look at the right time of the year so by the time we did look all the pink summer dresses were gone.  We tried waiting until after Christmas thinking they might start appearing in stores but no luck!  Luckily the bridal stores will sell off the rack so we were able to get the colour I wanted.  They both picked different styles in the Alfred Angelo Fuchsia

Groom’s Outfit.  Did this one month out.  Pants from Tommy Bahamas.  Cotton shirt from Tip Top Tailors.  Shoes from Aldo. 

Groomsman.  Found the perfect orange shirt at Tommy Bahamas.  He did the rest.

Junior Groomsman.  Bought an orange golf shirt at The Children’s Place.  He did the rest.

Flowergirl.  I found this dress hanging in a second hand store when I took some stuff in to sell last fall.  Just happened to see it!  It was too big for her but her grandma was able to fix it up easily for her.  It was perfect! 

 

Jewellery.  Stella & Dot jewellery line that I sell.  My necklace is actually this lariat that I put on backwards and double stranded.  My dress was so high I couldn’t have anything that hangs.   

 

My earrings were these hoops with the pearl dangle on them. 

My bracelet was one my grandma used to wear that my mom kept.  No pic of it.

 

BMs necklaces also Stella & Dot – pefect starfish/pearl/sand dollar ones!  My MOH earrings also S&D 

 

[SheriB]

Mailed out a brochure at the beginning of Jan.  Some PV info, airport info, a general schedule mentioning the adventure tour we were considering booking, weather, money etc advice. 

 

Gifts:

FlowerGirl – tank top with flower girl iron on, cute sweater with “In Charge of the Petals†on the back (thanks Andi for the idea!), swimshirt, bracelet, book 

 

Junior Groomsman: Snorkel set, swimshirt, Mexico book, sunglasses, t-shirt from VistaPrint 

 

Bridesmaids: “Itsa†lounge cover from Aamzon (I got it embroidered with names here), Starfish necklace, Bikini Bag, Coach wristlet & make up bag, tank top with iron on, beach bag with our logo from Vistaprint 

 

Moms:  Itsa lounge chair covers, beach bag.  I didn’t give the hankies cause I never got time to get them embroidered. 

I also gave a beach bag to Grandma.  Groomsman got a wallet.

I had these wine glasses for family and special guests (our MC, ceremony reading).  Got the wine glasses at Winners – so cute!  Added the decals myself after ordering from Etsy seller scrapsoflovebyjen 

OOT Bags:  White bags for adults.  Coloured for kids.  Just from Michaels and added our monogram sticker 

 

[SheriB]

In Sickness & In Health Kit:  Little packages of pills from Minimus, stickers from Vistaprint, bags from Michaels.  Bandaids, Aloe etc from Walmart and Dollar stores. 

 

Bag contents:  Mugs from 4Imprint, Albums (welcome booklets) from Kate Aspen, Playing cards from Weddingstar, Tip Holder from Acklands Grainger (found lanyards finally at Staples), air freshener, candies, Photo share card from Vistaprint. 

 

Welcome Booklet: Map of Banderas Bay, Photoshare card, Welcome note, List of week activities, wedding day itinerary, List of guests, Common Spanish phrases 

 

Items for kids bags:  

 

[SheriB]

Guest book:  I got two friends to run the camera and make sure everyone did this.  We just got the photos back and they are great!  Going to make a neat scrapbook. 

 

Table Numbers from Weddingstar, holders from Kate Aspen 

 

Bouquet charms from Aristocrafty on Etsy.  Lace for bouquet wrap from my mother’s wedding dress. 

 

Seahorse wine stoppers from Weddingstar.  Used cards from Vistaprint to make seating cards.  Kelley put these in a box of sand for me. 

 

[SheriB]

Pahminas from Ardene $5 each.  These were popular.  I was worried they wouldn’t be needed cause everyone was bringing a wrap or jacket anyways but they got picked up and used!  I saw them the rest of the week too so kind of neat. 

 

Fans from Etsy seller the Purple Peacock.  They were gorgeous – I got them all wrapped and with the flowers so I didn’t have to do it.  I glued the program on – didn’t stay too well.  Vistaprint large postcard – it was too big so I cut off the bottom half with the Wedding Party on it and just had the program part. 

 

Cake boxes from Michaels with small Vistaprint sticker with monogram 

I just had some paper bags from Michaels for people to use for their wine stoppers, pashminas, cake boxes etc. 

 

Seahorse diecuts from Weddingstar.  I hand wrote each guests names on these and then Kelley placed them on the wine glasses according to the seating plan I gave her 

Handpainted signs from My Painted Porch.  I also had a “Shoes Optional†and a “Thank You for Sharing in Our Sweetest Momentâ€. 

 

 

I think that is it!!  Thank you to everyone that I got ideas from.  I learned so much during the planning.  Now I am getting started on the AHR planning...woohoo!  And next project is to write my review.

[speedy130]

Great Job, and congrats!  You look beautiful.

 

[MissNatalie18]

amazing stuff - I love your table numbers with the seahorse!  Great idea!!