JENGONDA9

I really like the idea of the business card as an insert. That way you don't clutter the actual invite with too much info. Also, you should still try our P Vieja for a dinner treat while you are in Cabo and ask for the private balcony. they will treat you like a king and queen! There are vouchers available at loscabosguide

I think because they are already giving us a good deal and they really do lose the money since it is like a barter thing for them. Too bad b/c it would have saved us a ton.

It turns out we can't use the vouchers for our group dinner Ah well, it was worth a try! I am thinking about buying some for other places as gifts for my bridal party.

Quote: Originally Posted by gkashmira Great idea ladies! I need to figure it out soon! The problem I'm having it that the RSVP function on my website is weird and people need to have their individual "code" to respond... which I didn't realize or send out earlier. I need to somehow incorporate this into the invite or the response card... Maybe adding a line on the response card? Ahhhhhh! I also haven't definitely locked down the RD sight. I'm torn between Casa Natalia or Baja Cantina... two VERY different places. Casa Natalia can do a full dinner with wine for 50 people for $5K (with tax and service chanrges included). Baja Cantina can do a taco bar and open domestic bar for 50 peeple for about $4K... so what would people rather have? I have no idea. The food at Casa Natalia will be WAY better but then the bar is limited and the atmosphere is a lot more formal. At Baja Cantina it'll be more of a bonfire on the beach with taco buffet and could be fun but also is sort of similiar to what we're doing for the Reception... jeesh! Either way I'll also need a bus for guest to go to/from the venue... Ahhhhhh! I just wish I didnt' have to decide this all now. But if I want to include it in the invite then I need to. So maybe that'll be my decision. Procrastination. yes, I think I vote procrastination. Wow Kash- those prices just stunned me girl! Althought I do love the idea of a mexican fiesta...we are doing a full lobster/steak or fish dinner with salad/soup and dessert at Puerta Vieja for 70 people with one round of drinks all for about $3500 which includes tax and service charges. For 50 peeps you could do dinner there for $35 pp and open bar by consumption at $10 per hour for two hours and still be under $4K. Here's their website in case you want to checkit out: www.puertavieja.com

Quote: Originally Posted by TOESNTHESND Are most of you brides having a bridal shower? If so are they for the couple together or just fro the bride? My friend is having one and I don't know what to get her. HI! I really didn't want a shower or bachelorette but my friends and family were INSISTENT. So I had a bachelorette a few weeks ago where my girlfriends and I got together at a northern wisconsin cabin for a low key girls weekend. This past weekend Aaron's parents threw us a coed shower in Madison. It was set up at a wine bar with hors d'euvres and a wine tasting and had a kitchen tool theme (inexpensive gifts). We ended up having a great time and got lots of fun gifts!! Many of our guests said it was the most fun shower they had ever been too. I would definitely recommend the coed option if you are going to do it. ONe of my bridesmaids put together the most thoughtful gift I think I have ever received in my life. She had all of our close friends send her a recipe or two and a few pictures of us and them. Then she put together a recipe book that was set up like a scrap book and called it a "Recipe Book for a Successful Marriage." It literally brought tears to both of us. This Sunday my Mom and her friend are throwing me a "personals" shower which will mostly be my Mom's friends and a couple of my girls. Can't say I am really looking forward to it but will be there with a smile on my face anyway.

Ha ha...I am so jealous of your closeness I am tempted to drive down from Milwaukee and meet you for that drink! J/K but what a small world. Anyway, we started with a budget of $20,000 split between our parents and that includes our wedding trip to mexico with 70 people and a low-key AHR for 150. Needless to say we are now up closer to $30K when you factor in helping our bridal party, paying for the honeymoon, my dress, wedding bands etc... My feeling is that there is a trade-off between paying more yourselves and having your guests pay more with the higher room rates at an AI. We decided to pay more ourselves and save them some money. But this is still less expensive than doing a full blown wedding at home in Milwaukee where we figured we would have invited 400+ people!

Quote: Originally Posted by akh Hey Jen - is this the White place you were referring to http://www.whitechicago.com/ ? I will have to check that out this weekend - thanks for the tip! Yes - that is the place! I didn't end up buying my dress at White, but found quite a few that were almost it. You will love it - they are great there and have lots of fabulous dresses. Make sure you call for an appointment and good luck!

Hi ladies- Mine was $1200 at half price because I bought it at a sample sale. My alterations are just about $100 cuz it fits like a glove other than a couple inches on the bottom. My mom bought my veil but I think it was about $300. I am obsessed with designer gowns but didn't want to pay the price so I tried on lots of once-wed and sample gowns. There is a great salon for these in Chicago called White if any of you are looking in that area.

Welcome Amy! I am getting married in Cabo in January but don't have a coordinator. Between the group of us, we have a lot of info on the vendors down there so just ask away

Quote: Originally Posted by gkashmira How did you guys get the word out for your rehearsal/welcome dinners? Did you include a card in the invitation? Did you send out a separate invite? Did you send a letter to all those who responded yes letting them know about it? I want to get going on my invites but since I haven't decided 100% about the details (when, where, who, what, how...) I am hesitating having them printed. I know if we were doing a normal RD with just family and the wedding party then there would be separate invites... but since everyone who's invited to the wedding how do I word it? I'm thinking I might wait until I know who's coming... but what if it's too late by then? HI Kash- We set up our invite as a greeting card that invited people on the whole trip instead of just to the wedding ceremony. It provided a link to our website where they could make travel arrangements and RSVP to the two events. Good luck figuring this out...how to do invites was the hardest part of the planning for us!

Quote: Originally Posted by amyhmartin I noticed a lot of you did or are doing welcome dinners. Is it rude not to? I though we would instead host a party boat cruise? I'm not sure yet. Hey Amy- I love the boat cruise idea too. We also have a group of party animals for our wedding. We looked at that and the bonfire with margaritas, tequila tastings and a couple other cocktail events and eventually figured out that it would cost us just as much as having dinner for everyone. It seems that most cocktail events are charged per person per hour and for just 2 hours it could be $30 pp. So we went with dinner just to give our guests more for the money.

Raina- your pics are beautiful, congrats!! I love the white suit on your husband...it is making me rethink our plan....

I LOVe it Sarah! Mine has a chiffon skirt too and I think it will be so pretty flowing in teh ocean breeze

that is hilarious! fortunately i don't have any BM's like that, but i do have a guest who sometimes gets a little overboard into questionnable attire....she used to be a bikini model and i guess she is used to showing a lot of skin!

by the way, that dress is very cool!

Ok, so i went on a champagne fueled shopping binge at a boutique opening a couple months ago and ended up coming hoem with this anna sui dress (but in black) it is sooooo cute!!! i love it and then decided i would wear it for my welcome dinner: http://www.edressme.com/dresses66t700.html BUT...then i was shopping with my mom and bought ANOTHER ungodly expensive betset johnson dress that is chocolate charmeuse and is also sooooo cute. i can't decide!!! can't find a pic of that one but will try to find and post!

i stayed at another place just south of the moon palace last year and our shuttle stopped there. it looked pretty cool from the outside. however, i would say that about all of the riviera maya...it is a major excursion to get into town. pretty tough to do a night out, but it sure is relaxing there!

Thanks ladies! I think we are going to do it and are going to check out this surf camp at Los Cerritos beach for a fun adventure http://www.pescaderosurf.com/

I LOVE that turtle inn place! Wish we could've done ours there! Stupid budget.

Welcome Kimberly! Check out this little place in Todos Santos, MX called the Alegria Inn. www.alegriainn.net Their weddings are supposed to be really cool for a small group- we looked into it but our group was just too big! Todos Santos is a little artist enclave on the Baja California coast that has world class surfing nearby. In fact, check out the Pescadero Surf Camp nearby which might be a fun activity for you and your guests. We are looking into it for our honeymoon. Happy planning! Jennifer

We are thinking about driving up to Todos Santos for a few days after our wedding. Has anyone ever been there and if so any thoughts on where to stay that would be ultra cozy and romantic?

This may sound silly, but I want to have a t-shirt made for the day after our wedding that say's "Aaron's Wife!" And I want it to be fuschia with silver lettering. Any ideas where I could get this done?

oh and by the way...it looks awesome!

Quote: Originally Posted by TOESNTHESND Here is the one we decided on http://www.trewtungsten.com/collection.html its is the Original Beveled Edge Inlaid with Platinum 7mm. i just picked my FI's ring up on Saturday and it looks exactly like the one you are looking at except that it is white gold. we wanted to get him platinum but the prices skyrocketed this summer

i have to agree with you ladies that this forum has really relieved my FI of a lot of my gibberish in the past week i am sure he would thank you if he ahd any idea what i forum junkie i have become!