Sarah

Quote: Originally Posted by jak27 So I finally got around to watching the slideshow last night and I loved it! The pictures are just so great, and yall look so happy! I am seriously considering adding this to our photography, but I guess I should see if our photographer has any experience with this...or I could alwasy hire Juan for the day after for a few hours... Oh, the wheels never stop turning! Congratulations Sarah, you look beautiful! Thanks Jill, and, it depends on how much you trust your photographer, but Juan had never done one before- so they don't necessarily have to be experienced to be good. But I'm biased- I think everything Juan does it great...lol

I voted for pocketfolds just because it's neat & tidy way to get out lots of information to your guests. I like the message in a bottle & passport invites too, but there's no way I could have fit everything on them. I also tend to like more formal invitations, and think the other two types are more suited toward STD's. Here's a link to my invites: http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t3566

I love both of your rings Anny! Your FI's ring is gorgeous- I agree with the other girls, I don't usually get very excited about men's rings, but his is really nice. Don't feel bad about spending the extra $$ for the ring he loves- we spent about 4 times what we were planning to spend for Jeff's ring, but he seriously says something every day about how much he loves his ring. It's worth it for him to have something he loves!

Palm trees all the way!

Those are awesome Stephanie! I love that you used your own "inside joke" phrase- those that get it will love it! It's also cool that you have large cups for your guests. The Riu cups are a little small, so these will definitely come in handy... Everything is starting to come together for you, your day is getting close!

lol Nicole I LOVE that you have your OOT stuff packed already- I did that about 2 months before the wedding and people laughed at me! hehe Trust me, you'll be glad you did as much ahead of time as possible the closer the day gets! You look great in your pics, I love the polaroid guest book too! Great job and thanks for sharing- your "stuff to remember" pile is going to get huge- I had one of those too, except it was all on the futon in the office! lol

Aww :blushing: thanks girls! There are so many great brides on this forum, everyone should be the MotM! I've learned so much from all of you and am glad I'm on the other side now and can give a little back. I'm so excited for all our summer brides- how will we ever pick the next MotM? Ahhhhh! And Courtney- congrats to you my MotM sister! You deserve this way more than me since you're always on here and are so much help to everyone! It's so hard to believe you've only been a BDW girl for a couple months, I feel like you've been around forever! Thanks again chicas!

Tammy, if you're all done with your events for the day I say go for it. My dress has no lasting effects from the TTD session. There was a TON of sand in it, but it did not get dirty at all. But, it was very uncomfortable to drag around, so if you're going to have to have dinner, dance, or do anything in your dress afterwards I wouldn't do it. What about just doing it, then changing for the rest of the evening's events- or at least having the option to change?

Oh, I totally agree Martha- I have no problem with anyone else using a male photog for their b-pics, it's totally a personal opinion. I also agree that a photographer is a professional and the problem wouldn't be with the photographer, it would be me! You did mention however, that you'd keep your clothes on. Maybe we're not talking about the same kind of pictures- Ann & I definitely didn't have our clothes on! lol

I don't think this is a topic that's even worth debating, sorry to hijack your thread! But, I think there's a world of difference between having a male doctor and having a male photographer...A doctor is a necessity- having a great doctor could be the difference between life and death! Not so much with photography...lol If my husband knew I had the choice between two photographers with equal skill and I chose the male- why? I LOVE Juan's work, and I couldn't be happier with my bpics by Leigh- even though I'm extremely comfortable with Juan, would I let him take bpics of me? Absolutely not. Maybe I just value my body too much to let another man see it. If it helps you understand my perspective I also don't agree with pornography, strip clubs, and any other form of female degrading...I just think that a woman's body is a beautiful thing, and something that should only be enjoyed by her significant other... Sorry to rant, just took offense to the statement that having a male photographer is comparable to a male doctor- no comparison, not in a million years!

That's good to know there's one in Lansing! Sorry Jonathan, but I just don't think too many brides are going to have a male take b-pics of them. And for exactly the reasons already mentioned I would never have considered a male photog even if they were awesome and their prices were great...Jeff would FLIP OUT if I was even remotely unclothed in front of another man, and rightly so. Sorry, just had to add my two cents!

I'm not sure about Michigan, but Bobbi (I think in Indiana?) did Natalie's a couple months ago and they were great! Here's a link to her blog & site: bobbi+mike

Quote: Originally Posted by TAMMYM Hey Sarah if it's easier for you and Juan and can bring your cd back from Cabo with me and we can either meet up or I can send it too you.... I promise to not look at it.. lol, I wouldn't care if you looked at it! That's not a bad idea, I should suggest that to Juan... Quote: Originally Posted by cessyboston i just showed donnie he thought you two did an awesome job.... he thought you where beautiful sarah!!!!!... he thinks im so crazy on this thing i talk about you girls all the time lol...... he loved the idea i think when he saw jeff he felt better about doing this someday?maybe the ring is coming soon?(fingers crossed......) we loved your song to who sings itthanks again sarah for sharing it was so beautiful...... Aww thanks Erica! It never even occurred to Jeff that he could protest this- it's so funny because I told him how surprised some of the guys were- he thinks he gets extra bonus points now...lol Maybe the slideshow will motivate Donnie to give you the ring- he's probably imagining rolling around in the sand and water with you! The song is a cover of the classic Cyndi Lauper done by Quietdrive...we fell in love with it the first time we heard it about 4 months ago and knew it would have a place in our wedding somehow! Quote: Originally Posted by LALA Holy hotness!!! You two look super sexy! Juan - amazing work. I can't believe that was your first session! Me either- I think he was secretly practicing...lol Just kidding, Juan is amazing and has such an ability to both capture natural moments and pose others to look natural!

Quote: Originally Posted by EDYTA Sarah I just watched the slideshow again...o i love it so much both of you look so good and the last pic with the palm trees and sunset is so amazing...im jealous You're silly! lol I've watched your slideshow probably 25 times by now...I'm jealous of how gorgeous you and Terry are! I know Juan makes Jeff & I look good- but you and Terry look that great all the time! lol I'm soooo glad you let me steal your horse idea...those are some of my favorite pics, not just for the picture but the memory. I've always wanted to gallop on the beach- I still look at the pic where I'm cantering the horse and totally smile! I love that last pic too. That was an afterthought...we were walking back to our cars and Juan saw an opportunity. Jeff had already taken off his dress clothes and had to put them back on for the pic!

I said that I'll put it on YouTube once I get the DVD from Juan- probably not for a couple weeks...

Quote: Originally Posted by tvt ugh, i still can't view the pictures!!!!! I even downloaded the actiwhatever! The first time I tried to watch Edyta's I had to download that active-x control like 3 different times and decrease the security on my computer. After that it's been fine...

Quote: Originally Posted by Ryjaxs19 The roses are way to gorgeous to pass up. I say spend the extra money and go for the roses omg Jackie how are you!?! I haven't seen you in FOREVER!!! Sorry to hijack Kash...

I was going to say what Natasha said- with as special of a dress as you have Kash I think you need very special flowers!

omg I can't believe it's almost time for Tammy & Ann's weddings...I'm so excited! I remember Tammy & I joined the old Cabo forum around the same time- I'll always remember Tammy's parasailing sig pic- I could hardly keep track of the 20 or so members on that old forum, and look at us now! And, I remember when Ann joined- just as confused about a location and what to do as the rest of us were at one point- now they're DW pros! And, my 2 favorite photogs will be capturing their weddings- it will be torture waiting for those pictures! Jeff asked me the other day when I was going to stop getting on the forum. He laughed and said I probably didn't Juan to get done with my pics, because once I post them, there's nothing else for me to talk about on here...lol isn't he crazy?!? I told him I had wayyy too many girls that I feel invested in getting married soon that i had to wait for their weddings...Tammy, Ann, Kashmira, Natalie, Nicole, Sarah (sassygirl), Christine, Glenda, Courtney, Amy...ummm I think I'll be on here awhile. I just have to stop making friends with people so I can walk away easier! lol

Quote: Originally Posted by NATASHA This weekend, we just decided to reinvite everyone back to Cabo for our anniversary. The invitation is going out as, "Come watch us trash the dress." and we're going to do a TTD session. Fun! Juan - are you available the weekend of November 11th? What an awesome idea Natasha! I bet you will have a great time- what a fun way to get your guests back to Cabo with you! Quote: Originally Posted by Lucky gorgeous pictures. sarah, may i ask where your dress is from, i love it! (i'm still on the dress hunt, haha!) It is a Venus Bridal, I think it discontinued in '05 or '06...I got it for nearly nothing at a resale shop...

Quote: Originally Posted by laura b That picture is awesome, Sarah! I can't wait to see the rest, but how come I can't view any pics on Juan's site? Is it because I'm on a Mac? This makes me even more glad I decided to do a TTD, although I'm a little worried that my photographer won't do as good a job since she's never done a session. I've shown her the TTD website, though, so maybe she's got a good idea of what I want. Anyway, I digress. Those pics are awesome! Did you get attention from other guests at the hotel? Did you feel self-conscious at all? It doesn't show, if you did! Unfortunately Juan's slideshows aren't Mac friendly- but as soon as I get the DVD I'll put it up on you-tube... This was Juan's first TTD session too, so I'm sure they'll only get better. I gave him NO direction- I think he researched it himself and had his own ideas. Since it's his first one I wanted him to be creative on his own. The shoot actually wasn't at the hotel, but down the road at another beach- we would have drowned if we tried that at our beach! There were some locals at the beach though, and Juan had to ask them to move out of the way!

Quote: Originally Posted by olisa6 Sara, these are awesome as well. I saw the postings on youtube and you look like you had a wonderful time. I hope my day is just as beautiful. So I have a quick question about The trash the Dress session. Is this a Cabo thing? I have never heard of it before this forum? Is it a good luck thing? Thanks! Nope, it's not a Cabo thing at all- in fact, this is one of only like 3 places in Cabo where you could even attempt such a thing as the surf is so rough there. There is a website that is all about "trashing the dress". It's here: Trash the Dress! I think this is a newer thing that is increasing in popularity. My shoot was the first one that Juan had done, but I'm sure won't be his last. I don't know that it's necessarily a good luck thing, but one thought is that you're married, you never need your dress again, so why not trash it and get some great pics doing it? Alot of brides don't want to use their real dress so, so like me, get a second dress. Here's a link to Leigh Miller's website (another fave photog of mine) and some trash the dress work she's done: Leigh Miller Photography Quote: Originally Posted by LadyP I cant I have mac @ home too. Can it be downloaded to you tube? Once I get the DVD from Juan, I'll put it up on you-tube for those of you that can't see it here...It just might be a couple weeks before I get it from him... Quote: Originally Posted by leigh miller great job juan! sarah you look like youre having a great time! congrats again Thanks Leigh! It was really fun- now I know how your brides feel! Quote: Originally Posted by cessyboston amazing.... breathtaking... sarah how did you guys get so comfortable for the camera i get so shy you guys look so relaxed ..... so special...thank you for sharing...... Well, you have to make yourself look comfortable! Actually, despite how fun it was, the water was COLD! Many times I had to clench my teeth to stop them from chattering! In some of the more "serious" poses that's exactly what I'm doing!lol Jeff & I would remind eachother that we're having fun and that we're going to get awesome pics. We would tell eachother to relax and talk alot during the shoot- made it more relaxing. Juan gives amazing direction as well- whenever we had a wierd look on our face, or were doing something stupid he'd redirect. Also, it was kinda fun making out in the water in front of people, kinda brings out that little naughty streak in you- made it even more fun! lol Quote: Originally Posted by host ok sarah...the shot of you guys in the water with the wter splashing around in b & w is awesome! and the shot where jeff is wiping some water or hair from your face was so tender...made me tear up. juan, amazing job on your first trash the dress... I LOVE that one too- that shot with the water splashing around is so cool- I can totally remember when that happened too because Juan said something about the awesome pic that was going to make! I love the pics right after where Jeff is wiping my face, where we both look serious and are facing the camera- I think the B&W one is another one of my faves...

Here are my favorite love quotes- another awesome idea Christine! "I have found the one my soul loves..." -Song of Solomon 3:4 "Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies" -Aristotle "Love is friendship set to music" -E. Joseph Cossman

AHHHHHH!!!!!! Loud screaming and happiness! Oh my GOSH Juan this is so awesome! Thank you so much for such a great job...this has far exceeded what I ever thought our pics could be. What fabulous work- there are so many great shots I don't know how to even begin to pick a favorite! Get ready to be really busy with requests from brides for these photo shoots... Oh, yeah- just had to add this after watching the slideshow for the third time- can I just say that I think my husband is HOT!?!

Quote: Originally Posted by AmyInMI I just decided that we will go where WE want to go! I know that no matter where we go, our parents and siblings will be there, and to be honest, that is really all who matters to me. If she can't afford $200 more, then I guess we will be bringing her back some fabulous pictures!! Well, I just read through this thread for the first time Amy & I was sooooooo glad to come to this post of yours. You two need to get married where YOU want to, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. It doesn't matter how much it costs (within reason!) but those who are supposed to be there and are the most important will be there- they will find a way. Those that complain about the price can , just as you said, look forward to seeing some nice pictures. Just because you're having a DW doesn't mean everyone has to come! Do you have a TA? I would highly suggest securing one to do your room block.. you will save sooo much money...