Sarah

Jenetta- I totally agree. Any of you Cali or NY girls wanna hook a girl up? I'd be happy to pay you a little extra to pick up some pashminas for me...Or maybe we need to start doing some hardcore online research. There's gotta be somewhere to get these cheap...

Wow Rebecca! Those are so cool- did you post those somewhere else or have you been holding out on us?

Welcome Jay & Bride! It's great to see more grooms on here... Happy planning!

Steal away, but you have to share some of your ideas in return! That's what it's all about around here...

I don't seriously think that it was seeing my first husband before the ceremony that led to the demise of our relationship. Jeff & I just have very strong feelings about not seeing eachother until I walk down that aisle. It's just a personal choice- it's what works for me. Although...I may have to rething- the couples massage sounds really good!

hehe- I know I've already responded to this issue on the other similar thread, but I'll reiterate my position. I agree with Andrea's FI- I think it's bad luck. But, that's only because I did the whole photos beforehand thing with my first husband (it was very beautiful, the photographer took pics of our "alone time") and we ended up getting divorced. Now, I'm sure we got divorced for more reasons than because we took pics before the wedding (I would have to say his cheating was a bigger issue than that!), but somehow I can't help holding on to the superstition that it's bad luck for the bride & groom to see eachother. Therefore, the first time Jeff sees me will be when I walk down that aisle toward him...I'm looking forward to the WOW!

Quote: Originally Posted by jthrasherphoto.com I completely understand. Scrapbooking is huge right now. I have no problems with my clients making their own albums or scrapbooks. Most of them order the DVD with the digital files. But... all my packages come with an album that I design and create because that is how I want to showcase my work. Not everyone is a good designer and I can't trust that all my clients if left to their own devices would create something that I would want my work in. does that make sense? That totally makes sense. I can honestly say that the first photobook I designed and ended up totally revamping would not have been something a photographer would have been proud of. But, i realized that this was something I was going to have for a lifetime and I ended up going back and completely starting over. I was sooo happy that I took the extra time...But, yeah, I completely understand how photographers would be a little apprehensive about their clients designing their own books- not everyone is an OCD perfectionist when it comes to things like that- except me!

Wow Jonathan- those are gorgeous! I don't even want to know how much something like that costs! Here are a couple pics of the 8x8 linen books I made for my parents. The layout and pictures are exactly the same as my big book, except the linen book has a picture on the front, and the pages are obviously smaller. I put my hand in one pic for scale... Loomis has become such a camera hog since I'm always taking pictures of stuff for the wedding, he has started coming over and posing whenever we get out the camera now. He is sitting like this right next to the table where I was taking pics of the linen book. Isn't he cute! Can you tell I have the day off today and obviously have too much free time? lol

Quote: Originally Posted by jthrasherphoto.com Photographers charge what they do for albums/books because there is a TON of time that goes into them. The albums I use are extremely well made and will last a lifetime and I have to cover my costs of what the album companies charge me plus the time it took me to design it. The albums I create are an extension of my creativity and the final product that I deliver my clients. They represent my work and who I am. This is why I charge what I do. I'm a firm believer in paying for what you get and I try to have my services and products reflect that. I totally agree with what Jonathan has said. I think mine turned out so well because of extreme attention to detail. I am not exaggerating at all to say that I have over 60 hours into my photobook. Make sure you consider that when you decide whether to make it on your own or pay someone to do it. I know that photographers charge alot for theirs, but if you consider how many hours it takes to do it, the money is well worth it. I could probably make my wedding album in 20-30 hours, I'm guessing. I'll let you know in 5 months!

Yes, there are several different websites that you can use to make this type of photobook. If you are interested in the exact one I made, you need to PM Tammy (host) to order it through her. The expensive part about the book I made is that it is leather and 12x12. There are many great books that you can order in 8x11 and other sizes, but also in a linen book- which is what I ordered for my parents and grandma. Actually, I think I had promised someone pics of the linen book. I'll post those in a sec...

Ana, I voted for El Dorado simply because I've heard such great things about if on this forum. I know nothing about the other two resorts, although the pics look beautiful. I don't think you can go wrong with any of these...

Wow! Your wedding is coming up fast! Welcome to the forum. We hope you will share some pics and details with us. I don't know if we've had a St. Lucia bride yet, but this place is growing so fast I'm sure there will be more:) Good luck with the rest of your plans...

Welcome to the forum! I'm a Cabo bride, and there's tons of info on here about many areas of Mexico. Let us know how we can help!

I totally agree with getting a feel for your photographer. I emailed Juan to ask about his availability, and he called me back within like 10 minutes. From Mexico! I was really impressed. He answered all my questions, gave me some recommendations for sites to visit, and believe it or not, referred me to this forum. I really felt like he was someone who went "above and beyond" after my conversation with him. So, it's his fault that I'm now addicted to this website! lol Christine, I think Leigh has given you a great recommendation. Liz's website looks great, I like her style, and her prices seems pretty standard. I can't wait to hear what you decide!

Welcome to the forum salsa groom! It's great that you and your FI are on here together! Happy planning...

Welcome to the forum T. Isla Mujares is beautiful, my FI and I were there last year and had a great time. Good luck with the planning!

It's ok Tammy, it took me a while to figure out that they actually knew eachother outside the forum too. I would see them having a discussion on a thread, and think- wow, they've gotten to be close friends really fast for being so new on the forum! lol Then they started talking about high school and stuff & I caught on...

Yeah- Amy is amyhmartin! How fun Christina- I think it is so cool that you and Amy are on here together and planning your weddings at the same time. Too cute!

Congratulations Christa (aka lottery beyotch) hehe j/k I think you have officially surpassed me in points- the competition is getting fierce!

I think that sounds like a great idea. I also like Friday weigh-ins, before I wreck it with the bad food on the weekend!

Awesome job Christine! Those are beautiful and really convey excitement for your Napa wedding. And what a great price- I think I paid about 10 times more for mine...I obviously need to work on simplifying!

Welcome Jen! Happy planning

Welcome to the forum Jason- it's looks like you're pretty on top of things. I'm so jealous that you're eloping with just the two of you- I told my FI yesterday that I'm really wishing we would have done this. I'm sorry to hear Oasis Playa in Cancun has raised their prices- I loved that resort when I was there two years ago, we totally had a blast! Good luck with the rest of your planning, let us know how we can help. I'm a Cabo bride, so I don't have a lot of info on the areas you're looking at, but others on here do!

Great tips Christine! Thanks for sharing.

Welcome to the forum Lisa! We can't wait to hear all your details!