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they look great natalie!! nice work

Great review, Meaghan!!!!!! I am so happy my fellow 11.11 bride also had a perfect wedding Sounds like the whole weekend for all of us was a success!!!!!!!! Now can we just please go back and do it all again??

Quote: Originally Posted by LALA Janet - You are BLISS!!! Coral is actually our theme! Those plates are perfect!!! Can I use any more exclaimation points in one post Oh yay! I just googled red coral and they showed up! And they are on SALE!!! lol. Glad I could help. Now Kash I will start thinking of ideas for you....but I am late for work. Too many wedding pics on the board this morning! (How can I explain to my boss I am still wedding-obsessed?)

Quote: Originally Posted by NATASHA Hi Everyone, So, to throw a wrinkle in this for you Janet - I went there for a trial on Thursday and they didn't bother to explain to me that Bambi wasn't going to be doing my hair, they just showed me to Dani. Yours is the first explanation that I had. Dani was nice. She's young, though. At my trial, we had to do it twice before we had something that would work. I wore it for the rest of the day and realized that there wasn't anyway that the style would hold so when I went in on Saturday, we had to reconfigure it for a third time. I was asking for a simple updo so this shouldn't have been a problem (and hasn't been any of the other times I've had updos). In the end, it was fine - it stuck out a bit in the back, but the pins didn't hurt and that was the most important thing given that I was going to be wearing them for so long. I didn't love how she did the pieces hanging down, but I was really more excited to get married than I was worried about my hair. I had also had an updo done at the Hilton on a site visit. It was just as good but a lot cheaper. In retrospect, I would have been happy with the Hilton (they did a great job on my bridesmaid's hair) who also did my makeup and it looked good. I wasn't impressed with Hive, but it was fine. I've seen other girls on this site who have had really beautiful hair (Meaghan - who did yours?) so I would say shop around. Natasha, Well everything you said basically confirmed all of my feelings (so at least I know I am not crazy or something). I'm skeptical of their excuse, and ultimately just don't think they are worth the cost. But in the end, our hair looked fine and we both loved our weddings, and that is what matters

oh Natasha -- these are so great! I spent so much time looking that them I am late to work, lol. Really, you look so happy and beautiful. Can't wait to see the pro pics too!!!

Awwwww Rebecca, you are gorgeous!!!!! Those photos are stunning. I especially love the slideshow because that song was the "Second Dance" song at our wedding. Also, I loved your hair -- yet another thing similar about our weddings - the side ponytail-ish thing

Thanks, girls. I'm always happy to pass on my cheapness gene Kate... What about using these plates somehow in the center: (link) Maybe placed on top of a pretty turquoise table runner, with assorted candles on top of the plate? I don't know...just brainstorming here. I can't really think of a good fruit!

limes are soooooooooo cheap in Mexico. For all the limes for all my centerpieces it was like $5 total. Plus each table had a $5 candle, a $5 placemat, and a $1.5 flower. So each centerpiece was basically .......$12. I had 7 tables, so I kept my whole table decor budget to less than $100. Other fruit that would be cute is lemons/oranges, pears/apples, maybe even red/orange bell peppers if that fits your color scheme? Or maybe a big pineapple or coconut (yummmm pina colada!) The great thing about Mexico is you can get away with really bright vivid colors!

Shipping to Cabo can get really expensive really fast, so you might want to consider limiting your decor/favors to things you can carry down with you and things that you or a coordinator can get for you in Cabo. For us this meant having no glass vases/hurricanes just because I couldn't travel with them. But I was able to bring candles and some rattan placemat thingies for the centerpieces. Think about things that are light/small and easy to carry on: fabric, shells/starfish, paper bags for luminarias, tealights, small candles, anything made of straw/rattan, ribbon....etc. Then think of things you can buy once you get there: produce (we used limes but the options are endless), flowers, sand (free!), pretty dishes/platters from shops in San Jose, pretty Mexican rugs....things like that. If you end up using a coordinator (or if your hotel has one) then you should be able to get help on this part. I wouldn't plan too much of this until you have your venue chosen.

I voted maybe because although I will probably keep the dress, if I had a good reason, I would part with it. It only cost $500, so I don't think the resale value is high enough to sell it. (Although the bustle adds value, I think, and one store was selling it for ~$800) I would consider donating it or giving it to someone else to wear. But who on earth would I know who would want to wear it and is also my size? I guess I just feel ambivalent right now, so I'll probably hang on to it at least for a little while. If I had bought a $1,000+ dress, I would sell it! (I can safely say that only because no one is going to hold me to my word )

If you date is set in stone, then I'd say send the STDs. It would also be ideal if the location/venue was set in stone too. You can include minimal info on the actual card, and then like Sarah said just make a website that you constantly update as you get more details.

Welcome Tanya! You only have 6 months to go! There are lots of other RM brides on here...make sure you talk to Jackie (she is the RM expert around here). How is your planning going?

Welcome Mary! We have a couple of Bahamas and Jamaica brides so I'm sure they can help you out. How is your planning going so far?

Tammy that is insane. I think you need Cain to maybe talk to her about boundaries or something? He has got to stick up for you! It's better for everyone involved, don't you think? Anyway....you are a saint. If I were you I think I would drink a bottle of wine per night! lol

Welcome Melanie! Sometimes the board is a little quieter on weekend but I am sure you will get some answers to your questions this week.

Quote: Originally Posted by LALA I'm using those colors too! We must have seen the same MS mag. If I find any decorations/favors in those colors I'll send them your way. I can't wait to see the aqua/red weddings! I think it's going to look great, and not something you see very often. Way to be bold! (Says the girl who did boring old pink and green -- I loved it, but it wasn't new/different, ya know?)

Awwww, I'm blushing! Thanks, ladies! If only I could put this on my resume....lol

Karla, The way their payment policy works, you pay 100% of the fee before your appointment, including 18% gratuity. While this is nice because you have no hassle when you walk in the door on your wedding day, I also found it frustrating because there is no way to adjust your gratuity based on the level of service. Ultimately, I liked the way my hair and makeup was done, so I didn't feel like I needed to ask for a refund. I mostly just wanted to tell them how it made me feel (deceived at worse, unimportant/not listened to at best) so that other brides wouldn't have the same problem! The girl who did my hair, Dani, was really nice and did what I wanted. Had I known that she was doing my hair from the beginning, everything would have been fine. The problem was that I booked and confirmed with Bambi and she wasn't there -- with no explanation (at the time). But Dani really is competent. (Word is she is Bambi's updo protege, handpicked to go down to Cabo to do brides) As for makeup, unless they get different facilities/training, I would steer away. I was fine with the outcome, but I also think it was just as good as if one of my talented girlfriends had done it. Plus their brushes were kinda dirty, the makeup was kinda old, and the mascara was downright crusty. Sorry...I feel bad being so negative when I really did like my hair/makeup! But I consider that a lucky byproduct...I just as easily could have not liked it given what happened. One positive note: one my my bridesmaids had her hair done there as well and it looked really cute! I really think they have talent in doing updos...just make sure you know what you are getting!

Great photos Meaghan! I sat next to two of your guests on the plane, Kiri and her husband. They were so nice! Looks like your wedding was perfect!

Yes that was me who booked with Bambi and didn't get her. For full disclosure, you should know that I wrote them a letter of complaint. It was not a nasty letter or anything, but it explained how I felt about my experience there, which was disappointing. I received a letter back saying that Bambi didn't do my hair because she had to fly home to attend a funeral at the last minute and that they didn't have time to notify me and that they didn't want to tell me that day because they didn't want to have bad news on my wedding day or something ?!?!? It was weird. I am not going to call them liars or anything, but it all seemed very unprofessional at the time. While I appreciate their response to my letter, something still does not sit right with me about the whole thing. Anyway, it's a beautiful spa and I am sure that you could have a fun party there. I hope that my experience was a fluke and not the norm. I'm still eager to hear what Natasha has to say about them...hers was the appointment before mine...

Great review, Maria! I'm so glad you loved La Panga too. It was one of the highlights of our wedding to have our Welcome Dinner there -- you will not regret having your wedding dinner there if that's what you choose! Also, my husband and I ate at Morgan's Encore one night on the honeymoon, and it was also delicious. Great space, great food, great service. I would totally recommend it as well. (My in laws also loved the original Morgan's.)

Quote: Originally Posted by Ryjaxs19 I'm not sure if there is a thread of this anywhere, but I'm interested too hear what all you gals have chosen or had for your wedding colors. I'm undecided and looking for good color scheme ideas. I'm leanning towards a very strong/vibrant coral with some browns and ivorys....but am not sure. Jackie -- try to seach for Ylan's photos. She used "papaya" and it looked AWESOME. It kinda reminded me of what you were describing with the bright coral.

Great story Ali! PS I got your email and I'm happy to answer any Qs you have

Quote: Originally Posted by EDYTA Sounds good Tammy... ya I dont think that I will be putting a return address on mine since I think I am the only person from Toronto or Canada for the matter...hmmm but am I gonna be the only one sending a gift without an address? so i guess the person will know...oh well i guess Ill just make up an address I thought we had one other Canadian? I forget though....

I think either would be great...but they are totally different from each other -- are you sure you don't have a preference deep down?? Do you love your friends and can't live without them or would this be done mostly to please them? Would you feel like your wedding was complete if it was just the two of you? Do you guys have to decide yet? And yeah, that new owner sounds like he needs some business sense knocked into him!