gkashmira

Amber - hang in there! ALL of us went through this originally! You will find the right place - you just need to do a lot of reading here and on thje old forum www.caboweddingforum.com (you can't post there but I think everyone's old posts are still archived there). I think you should look into some great beachside restaurants! You can find a private beach, great food and save yourself the "location fee." Who's your WC (maybe I missed this - is it Maye?). I would ask her to find you beachside restauarants along the corridor and maybe in San Jose (much more private than Cabo). I would also talk to TammyM - she got location fee pricesw from a bunch of locations I think. If I can think of any good options I'll let you know!

Mrs.W - Are you staying at an AI that includes all the food/drink for your reception or were you planning on not having a reception (I am confused I admit!)?

Quote: Originally Posted by jilly76 Sarah, I can't believe that people that are getting a free room are complaining, some people are never happy! People are just crazy. That's all I can say. Crazy a$$-b*tches!

I do think Marbella is a great option for a very affordable wedding on a private beach with a nice atmosphere - BUT it seems like that is only the case if you can do a room block with them. Honestly with the $1500 tagged on it's just not worth the money. I think you can get a nicer location for the same price or less! Basically any hotel on the corridor will have a relatively private beach. Obviously the hotels and restaurants in downtown Cabo are less private I think that a restaurant might be a good option - you won't need a room block and they may not have a sight fee since you'll be doing all the food/drinks there...

The following places are in Cabo Downtown area and are around or under $100 on orbitz.com: Los Patios - $102 Norman Diego's the Mexican Inn - $95 Hotel Santa Fe Los Cabos - $74 Comfort Inn Los Cabos - $109

Have you looked on Orbitz or expedia yet? I'm sure you could get something decent for less than $100/night... I will check...

Marbella is nice but to be honest it's not THAT nice - in fact the thing about it is that it's so affordable - that's what makes it a good option. If you have to pay this location fee than you are way better off going somewhere else. It's a nice place but it is not as nice as the bigger resorts (or some of the more upscale smaller hotels like Cabo Surf, etc.) I have some pictures in my gallery of the rooms and stuff... I do not think it is worth $1500 just to be there! here are some pics: http://bestdestinationwedding.com/fo...p?do=view&g=35 What about Marbella attracted you - perhaps we can recommend some alternatives?

My wedding is before yours and we haven't ordered ours yet either - I think it's fine - though we do need to get on it!

I am confused by your question to be honest. I don't think any of us (well there is one person but I can't remember who it is) are paying for guests' travel or lodging or anything like that. How many guests were you expecting? Are you including your travel and accomodations and attire in the $5K? If you ARE including these items then I do not think it is reasonable to say the wedding will cost you $5K or less. Now if your $5K is for just the actual wedding day then it is possible but it will need to be quite small and perhaps quite simple.

I'm down 1.4 from last week (when I was up 2...). But considering this past week was my birthday and I ate lots of chocolate cake I think I did pretty good

I got on the bike for an our yesterday! Yippee!

Quote: Originally Posted by Nrvsbride You should post your pic so we can see it and see if we can come up with ideas. But I think Rebecca's idea is the best, you should get a less expensive gown for the reception. Maybe once you have a gown you can dance in, you won't hate the first one so much and you will be happy to have all your pictures of you wearing it. And def try Craigs List b/c honestly if I saw a gown I loved I would buy it used. I have no problems with this and I don't really care to have "my own" gown so you never know someone out there may really want your gown. -Glenda Glenda - i love your new pic!

If you HATE your dress then sell it and get a new one. But if it's the dance issue then I think getting a less expensive dress for the reception is a great idea! It doesn't hurt to go to David's or Alfred Angelo (though my friend had a bad experience with her bridesmaid dress from there) and see what you find. You may be able to find your dream dress for under $500! If so buy it and sell your other dress on Craigslist. There's a thread somewhere that lists tons of resale shops. Also if it IS designer then you can actually consign it with WHITE in Chicago. They sell the dress for you and you get 50%. I would only do this if you're unable to sell the dress yourself. I found more than one buyer on Craigslist for my dress and I haven't even gotten it from the bridal shop yet! I'm so sorry you're going through this. I agree with the above suggestions of trying it with hair and make-up and also talk to the seamstress about having it altered so you can move! Good luck - PM me if you need help!

Thanks ladies - 6 o'clock it is!

How did you do these? They are SO fantatic! On anotehr note, what did you write on your "Welcome Dinner" insert? Did you put in a separate reply card or did you add a line to your regular RSVP? I love these invites! They are amazing!

Quote: Originally Posted by anacgarcia Here are my envelopes, I made them in Adobe Illustrator These are gorgeous and what a killer price! Lucky lady!

Quote: Originally Posted by AmyInMI Using Tasha's template, I threw these together this afternoon. I am not sure if I will use them or not yet and have no idea where to begin with envelopes... any ideas? These look great! I would just go to paper/invitation/craft stores and see what they have! Also measure what size you would like and search online!

I think that's a great idea! I'm not having BMs but that sounds like the perfect idea!

Quote: Originally Posted by jthrasherphoto.com I'm just glad (or hope) you girls aren't like this bride crazy psycho bride cuts off her hair oh my god.

Thanks ladies! I'm glad that in the end it was still worth all the money (it IS a lot of money!) but as i keep telling myself that with the exception of perhaps the day my future children are born this is the most important day our our lives... Plus it's going to be really fun! When else can I spend thousands of dollars on a party in Mexico!!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by Hummingbird Anything, really. Brides get flamed for asking the wrong questions, or for being "too young", or for not agreeing with one of the "regular" older members, etc. You name it. The worst part - and this is really why I quit using that particular site - is that if some of the members didn't like a particular poster, they would search for her all over the internet and post her personal information. That's pretty creepy! Things just got really weird over there. (And hence, one of the reasons I am paranoid about posting any pics of myself, or any personal info!) Thank you! Seriously - that should be illegal - don't you think? Wow, I sure am glad I never joined one of THOSE forums! Yuck! Getting married is stressful enough without a bunch of bitches to 'help" you!

Quote: Originally Posted by anacgarcia Not everyday you can cross in minutes.. sometimes it's a PITA, but it's good to know it's close hehehe.. Fair enough. At least you get the best of both worlds - delicious tacos AND cheap fat-free products! Though I have to admit we have quite delicious Mexican food here in los angeles... but it doesn't compare the mexican food IN mexico!

OK - here are mine (I just found this thread and literally read all 11 pages straight through!): 1. In the end was it worth all the money? 2. For those who are non-AI how much was your bar tab at the end of the night? 3. (For those people who bought expensive dresses) In the end was it worth it having your dream dress or would it have been just as good in a cheaper version (too late for me! but just curious) 4. What is the minimum # hours someone should hire a photographer?

Quote: Originally Posted by anacgarcia We have a visa issued by the united states.. to get it you have to pay, then get an appointment, and then show them that you work and earn money (so they don't think you want to cross to get a job there).. And it's not a dumb question, if you don't live in borders you don't know.. in fact last year we did a road trip to miami and a police officer stopped us in the road and he told my FI, why has this car crossed 150 times to the united states?? like it was a big deal hahaha it was only 150 'cause the car was relatively new.. he then understood that it was so normal 'cause sometimes it takes only minutes to cross.. Thanks for explaining! I've been wondering that for a long time! The closest border to me is 2 hours away and that's the Tijuana border - which is CRAZY BUSY! I read that it's the busiest border crossing int he world - I don't know if that's true or not but I know no one's passing through in one minute! It's more like 1.5 hours! Border towns (on both sides) are such interesting places. i read this great book called "Borderlands" once which was talking all about how cultures mix along the borders and create their own new, distinct culture... anyway can I say ! hee hee hee... Anyway thanks for clearing that up for me!

Quote: Originally Posted by anacgarcia don't worry!! I know it's true!!! LOL.. Don't worry - Indians aren't any better!