NATASHA

Yummy - I love fritattas - especially on Sundays! Can you replace most of the pasta and bread that you would eat with more sauteed veggies? I know, I love veggies and that's rare, but you can have 1/3 of the pasta you would normally have and replace that with 2/3 veggies and you will fill up a lot more than normal. Also, replace bad carbs (refined breads, and white rice) with whole wheat (really - not the stuff that just says whole wheat) bread, brown rice and rye berries (YUMMY). Try a handful of almonds before you eat. They're high in protein and will get you feeling fuller before your emal versus trying to fill up with pastas and breads during your meal. Finally - the best substitute is soup. You can make a chicken veggie soup (especially if you're not a huge fan) quickly and easily and you can pretty much eat that all day and stay trim.

Roll the dice, but ask the hotel and your vendors to put in writing that if there is a tropical storm (not just a hurricane) you can cancel (and reschedule if they force you to commit to the dollars if not the days).

I had to show that I had filed to get my new social security card but, no, I did not need the actual card. They looked at the paperwork that the social security office gave me and cross referenced it with my marriage certificate. I did it on the same day as my visit to social security. It was easy (in CA).

Stunning! Everything - you, your husband, even your bouquet. Are you loving being married?

I liked the Dolphin - especially if you want to go to Epcot. FYI - if you go to Epcot, eat dinner at Morrocco Land (the restaurant in the back that's hidden) and make sure you go to The Land and then do the behind the scenes tour (it's SO amazing - they are growing food hydroponically to test how they could feed parts of the world that don't get water). The Swan is a bit musty. Also, there's a very cool bar/restaurant in the Dolphin. Loved it there.

Am I missing something? Is there a reason to write a letter for a 4 day retreat? What goes on at these retreats? Sorry, I don't know much about these things so I'm curious.

OH NO! I can't upload images. Hmm. Well, here's what I can summarize: -First Dance picture - kids sitting together watching intently (and they're young boys!) -Dance train - MIL dancing with 5 kids - not bothering family - off on the side -My third favorite photo of the whole wedding - three girls (including flower girl) ages 5-8 all jumping in the air with this really cute, full of life expressions which I feel totally explains how all of us felt that whole day and night. -Family photo taken during cocktail hour with my MIL, SIL, and my SIL's sister's family and all of their families kids. I love my SIL's sister's whole family (just saw them on Sunday and they were still talking about the wedding) whose kids range from 6 to 18. This was their last chance to travel together as a family before their son graduated and it's the first time that the sisters' (my SIL) families had all traveled abroad together. -Aunt Toni holding my new niece in a funny pose in front of the mariachi during cocktail hour.

This is an interesting discussion. For the record, I'm not a kid person but I'm still not sure I understand the connection between a formal wedding and a no kid policy. I get the no kid policy - that's your choice. But our wedding was far from informal, and I think the kids really made it that much better. Your thoughts that parents will loosen up if their kids aren't there is something else I don't get. At our wedding, the kids were getting people out on the dance floor. Parents were dancing with kids, each other, etc. The older folks (my parents, MIL, etc.) were dancing with the babies and the younger tykes which was good because my MIL was there alone and she was really self-concious about it and that she would have no one to dance with which, yes, was a conversation for three weeks prior to the wedding. Turns out, she was organizing the children into a little group on the side of the dance floor, making little dance trains, and she had a ball. If they weren't there, she would have been sitting off to the side with her sister watching people have fun. Also, frequently the guys don't want to dance, but the mom's do so they take their kids out and dance with them which makes both parents happy. A wedding is a slice of life - for you and for your family. It's that little village thing. Well, without the kids, you're missing some of the village. For your guests, especially family, it's also an opportunity for THEM to make a memory and they'll love your wedding that much more. I'm the biggest fan of making sure your wedding is about what is important for you and your husband. Period. My point to posting is to help your understand what your family and friends might be thinking and feeling and to try to reassure you that there are a ton of positives to having them there and you won't notice anything negative about the kids being there if you notice them at all even if: a) The toasts go on forever (ours went, on and on as every member of the wedding party wanted to toast as well as both my parents AND my grandmother) You have a very formal first dance (we did an argentine tango to acoustical music - you can see how well behaved the kids were in a picture I'm going to post) c) Your guests want to party and drink (the kids will actually get them more festive and keep them going) d) Your ceremony is religous, long, whatever. This is frequently a rare experience for kids and their interested. They are like little sponges. Also, they respond to the atmosphere and they like dress up too (the girls). I'm going to post a few pictures in a sec so you can see what I mean. I'm not trying to change your mind, but (just in case this escalates in your family) I am offering another perspective to help reassure you should you still be a bit undecided.

What is his family like? We did our legal ceremony at the courthouse (just the two of us) after we got back. It was really FUN because it was kind of cheesy and I was giggling through the whole thing since we were already married! It was a Monday at like 1:00. After, we went for pizza at my husband's favorite pizza joint. Even though it was Monday at 1:00 there were two sets of families there. Girls in wedding dresses - people wearing fancy hats. Some people brought little decorations that they were holding in the waiting area. I don't know - it felt very intimate and, yet, light-hearted at the same time. How many people actually go to the courthouse to get married these days? You could get them all to gather at the courthouse and then head over to your house for a bbq. Hire a small band or a guitar singer, string some lights, and see if you can find someone to cater with food similar to what you'd find in Costa Rica!

Oh, you know, I forgot about that. My bridesmaid brought her sister (who I know and totally love hanging with) who watched her son. He was at the wedding, but since she was there, she watched out for him and (because kids all play together - some of the other kids as well) so that the parents could have a good time and she took him to bed when it was time. That was really helpful. Also, a lot of the family member kind of took turns over the week playing with the kids at the pool so that the parents (even if they were right there) could engage in adult conversations, etc.

You know, we had 10 kids ranging from 1 1/2 to 17. I didn't notice any of them (except our flower girl and ring bearer who were adorable) at the wedding or the reception! Funny. We have cute pictures of them dancing with their parents, though. If there are only two kids, those two kids will stick really close to their parents and I suspect they will be very well behaved. I doubt you or your guests will even see them (aside from the other guests sitting at their table). Regardless, if you feel like this is that important to you, then go for it, but be ok with graciously accepting the family drama (I'm not a parent, but I suspect that if someone asked me to leave them with a child care provider that I didn't know or someone I trusted didn't know, that would be very hard for me).

What about stating that it's an adults only wedding, setting up a kids activity area nearby so the kids feel like they can play but they still know their mom's are close (and having a sitter or two there - we hired one through Maye and she was great and not expensive) so that the mom's and dad's can come and go as needed, and then giving them a bit of leeway if the kids make their way over to the celebration?

Michelle, Maybe, on your invitations, you can state something like, "we're eloping and we'd love it if you could be there". I know it's symantics, but if you think of this like an elopement with guests, maybe that will get you closer to what you're looking for and help your guests relax a bit as well so they can shift in their minds that it's less like a wedding production and more like a couple sneaking away and you're invited.

Yes, the vegas are more difficult as you don't know if the rice was cooked with chicken stock, etc. Plus, you can't do quesadillas (which are great otherwise).

We had two strict vegetarians so I had the hotel make them food (outside of our buffets). The vegetable kabobs are a good idea. Beans, though, typically have lard in them so you really need to watch things like that. I would ask the vegetarians to make a list of two or three easy things that they like rather than try to guess. Also, don't count on them eating a salad (lettuce) as lettuce is typically something you want to avoid in Mexico. Vegetables should be cooked.

For smelly fingers - I learned a very interesting trick from a chef that works (really, it does work perfectly). All you need to do is rub your fingers on something that is stainless steel. We like garlic, so we keep this big stainless steel masher thing (or pounder thing) next to the sink.

We did OOT bags and put a CD in everyone's rooms (so they had something to listen to while they were there), but we did not do favors.

Ladies - I have one very important piece of advice. After you change your name - make sure you don't have any legacy travel sites that have your maiden name. We went to visit my grandmother last week. When we got to the front of the line at security, they informed us that my driver's license didn't match the name on my ticket. My husband reserved the flight using my maiden name because it was on auto-save in his Travelocity account. ACK! We were able to address it - on the way there I got to go to secondary screening and on the way back the lady at the counter changed it without any trouble (but don't expect that every time). I never had a problem or had a need for my picture id to change anything. I had about 8 copies of my certified marriage certificate made (for changing over all my airline frequent flier programs) and that was it. Anyway - don't let your husband or your company accidentally reserve flights under the wrong name

I agree with what was said earlier. Say you understand, you'll miss her being there with you all the time but that's OK, maybe remind her about the costs of paying for food and transportation to/from the hotel for the various events if you feel you should, etc. However, you should say, "You know, the room was reserved for you and someone will have to pay for it. I will do everything that I can to fill it so you're not on the hook, but I need to know no later than XXX date so there isn't any confusion as to whether you do or don't want the room and so that there is enough time to try to find someone to pay for it." You don't want her to waffle back and forth on it only to say three months out that she doesn't want it and you won't have time to fill it because I seriously doubt she'll be kind enough to pay for it.

A bit more accessible than the Cinque Terre but right there on the tip is Rapollo. It has a few great options. Portofino is also very nice and is just a short distance up the coast from Rapollo. However, I would chose a place like this castle in the heart of Italy - Sienna in Tuscany (where you can easily do lots of fun things like wine tasting) Siena Hotels: Castello di Velona, Siena Luxury Hotel

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That is a tough decision. We were married at Casa del Mar, but the Sheraton and Hilton properties were our next runner's up. I think that I would have had to come down to what dates they had available at the time (as we only had 6 months to plan our wedding). I prefer the spa at the Hilton (if that helps). Also, you can contact them if you want to have a spa day with your group and they will give you a great discount (probably 20% off for everyone). Also, sometimes they will extend that rate to people for their entire stay - especially with a group of 50 or more. When we did our site visits, I preferred Emeline to Irma. However, I LOVE the De Cortez restaurant at the Sheraton and I think that their property has a better layout for weddings. I didn't really help you (sorry), but maybe one or more of these issues is more important to you?

Quote: Originally Posted by michelle08 Natasha...who made your cake? I am looking for someone to make the cake and I like yours... The hotel did. I gave them a picture and they recreated it perfectly - even made it just slightly more ornate. It's a pretty simple design. It was tres leches inside (very yummy). Here is the photo that I supplied to the hotel.

No kidding. I just thought of something I should share, btw, so that brides to be can relax a bit on this topic. The hotels in Cabo (probably RM as well) will go out of their way to help you if you aren't feeling well (at least if you're the bride). They can arrange for a doctor to come to your hotel. Also, there is a medication delivery service in case you or your guests need anything or left anything behind. I recall it being fairly reasonable.

Come to think of it - this might help all you brides relax a bit. If you get sick in Cabo, the hotels will go out of their way to help you (at least as the bride) and there is even a delivery service that will bring medication to you or your guests at your hotel and it wasn't expensive all things considered.