starchild

I used Prints Made Easy to design and print reminder postcards that I sent between my STD's and formal invitations. I was able to create a montage of Puerto Vallarta pics on the front and add a message to guests on the back. They came out beautiful and really glossy. The quality was as nice as any postcard I've bought at gift shops. You can use their standard designs or upload any of your files/pics and create your own for no additional fee. Anyway, they were CHEAP. I paid less than $30 for 100, including shipping!! (and delivery was super fast!!) You can get personalized stationary & envelopes too at a steal, which I plan to order and use for the welcome letters in my OOT bags. Minimum order is 100 but at that price you can afford the extras. Check it out: Business Cards & More at PrintsMadeEasy.com

I'm all late on this one, but good move on ordering the windsor pilates. I HATE to excercise, but I rather enjoy the 20 minute workout. I can even do it 5 days a week without dreading it. And let me tell you, you will see results FAST!!! I mean like one week fast. After five 20-minute sessions I felt and looked stronger & leaner. I don't think anything changes the shape of your body quite like pilates. Stick with it, I'm trying to!!

Quote: Originally Posted by Ali and Jeff Jeff and I voted against seeing each other all dressed up before the ceremony and getting pictures done then so most of ours were done at night, which i think i would have liked the day-time ones but we just didn't want to see each other! They turned out good for us anyways...we had lots of keepers! I was thinking about that, not having any daylight pictures. Was it dark dark, or just dusk? Maybe we can blindfold my fiance to set up a few pre-ceremony pictures where we aren't facing each other so he only sees the camera when the blindfold comes off. Okay, that sounds a little ridiculous, but who knows!!

If you are easily offended this may not be for you. There's my disclaimer ) This is something funny my brother came up with. It cracked me up when I needed a laugh and I hope it gives you a chuckle too . . . ************************************************** **************************** New Rules New Rule: Stop giving me that pop-up ad for Classmates.Com! There's a reason you don't talk to people for 25 years. Because you don't particularly like them! Besides, I already know what the captain of the football team is doing these days: mowing my lawn. New Rule: Don't eat anything that's served to you out a window unless you're a seagull. People are acting all shocked that a human finger was found in a bowl of Wendy's chili. Hey, it cost less than a dollar. What did you expect it to contain? Trout? New Rule: Stop saying that teenage boys who have sex with their hot, blonde teachers are permanently damaged. I have a better description for these kids: lucky bastards. New Rule: Ladies, leave your eyebrows alone. Here's how much men care about your eyebrows: do you have two of them? Okay, we're done. New Rule: There's no such thing as flavored water. There's a whole aisle of this crap at the supermarket - water, but without that watery taste. Sorry, but flavored water is called a soft drink. You want flavored water? Pour some scotch over ice and let it melt. That's your flavored water. New Rule: Stop f***ing with old people. Target is introducing a redesigned pill bottle that's square, with a bigger label. And the top is now the bottom. And by the time grandpa figures out how to open it, his ass will be in the morgue. Congratulations, Target, you just solved the Social Security crisis. New Rule: The more complicated the Starbucks order, the bigger the a-hole. If you walk into a Starbucks and order a "decaf Grande half-soy, half-low fat, iced vanilla, double-shot, gingerbread cappuccino, extra dry, light ice, with one Sweet-n'-Low and one NutraSweet," ooh, you're a huge a-hole. New Rule: I'm not the cashier! By the time I look up from sliding my card, entering my PIN number, pressing "Enter," verifying the amount, deciding, no, I don't want cash back, and pressing "Enter" again, the kid who is supposed to be ringing me up is standing there eating my Almond Joy. New Rule: Just because your tattoo has Chinese characters in it doesn't make you spiritual. It's right above the crack of your ass. And it translates to "beef with broccoli." The last time you did anything spiritual, you were praying to God you weren't pregnant. You're not spiritual, you're just high. New Rule: Competitive eating isn't a sport. It's one of the seven deadly sins. ESPN recently televised the US Open of Competitive Eating, because watching those athletes at the poker table was just too damned exciting. What's next, competitive farting? Oh wait. They're already doing that. It's called "The Howard Stern Show." New Rule: I don't need a bigger mega M&M. If I'm extra hungry for M&Ms, I'll go nuts and eat two. New Rule: If you're going to insist on making movies based on crappy, old television shows, then you have to give everyone in the Cineplex a remote so we can see what's playing on the other screens. Let's remember the reason something was a television show in the first place is that the idea wasn't good enough to be a movie. New Rule: No more gift registries. You know, it used to be just for weddings. Now it's for babies and new homes and graduations from rehab. Picking out the stuff you want and having other people buy it for you isn't gift giving, it's the white people version of looting. New Rule: and this one is long overdue: No more bathroom attendants. After I zip up, some guy is offering me a towel and a mint like I just had sex with George Michael. I can't even tell if he's supposed to be there! Don't want to be on your webcam, dude. I just want to wash my hands. New Rule: When I ask how old your toddler is, I don't need to know in months. "27 Months." "He's two," will do just fine. He's not a cheese. And I didn't really care in the first place. I may not know much, but I know the difference between chicken s**t and chicken salad.

I am also ordering program fans. As for the wind, if it is windy the day of our wedding, I have designated one of my little cousins to hand them out individually as people step off the boat, that way they aren't blowing around the beach - until people set them down anyway!!

Another thing to check into is what hours each resort serves food and drink. All resorts are not 24 hour inclusive, but many are. Some include room service and some do not even offer it. The first time we went to an AI, we assumed it included everything all the time and it didn't. We weren't misinformed really, we just didn't ask the specifics beforehand. And believe me, when you're drunk and hungry at 10pm and your AI resort is telling you they don't serve food again until 7am, you'll wish you asked ahead!!!!!!!!!

Hooray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Too funny, thanks for the giggles

Yes, I strongly agree that if you plan to legally wed in Mexico to have your WC handle everything, just to ensure you don't spend those pre-wedding days running around alone trying to handle any problems that may arise. I thought hard about this and opted to legally wed in the U.S. in advance just because I didn't want to hassle with the tests and paperwork once I got to Mexico. If you're up for it, I think it is awesome though!!

Thanks, that would be an awesome addition to my gift bags!! I look forward to your review.

Quote: Originally Posted by redwards Also, not sure if you're just wanting to keep the cost of the dress itself under that price or if you're wanting the cost w/ alterations to be included in that as well. Just remember that alterations are super expensive...even if the dress isn't terribly elaborate or detailed. My alterations were about $300 and all they had to do was take up the straps and make the bustle! (they ended up NOT having to hem it) Seriously, that's it - two straps and three little ribbons later I'm forking out half the cost of the dress itself! weddings.... Here's the link to Casablanca if you want to check it out. Welcome to CasaBlancaBridal.com My dress is in the Spring 2003 collection - style # 1631 if you're curious! Thanks for the info! Honestly I never considered the cost of alterations at all, but I am certain that I will need them so that is something to keep in mind. There are a lot of little seamstress shops where I live, I should start looking in to that. I don't need to have it altered where I buy my dress, do I? I kind of figured any seamstress can hem or take in a dress, but maybe I'm wrong. I only bought a fancy dress that required fittings once, and that was for a quincenera but I was 15 so my measurments never changed over the course of 8 months, oh how I long for those days! Your dress is beautiful, I checked it out! So pretty!!! How will I ever decide?

Quote: Originally Posted by NATASHA Go try on a bunch of dresses for your MOH comes. You'll want to narrow down your look at get an opinion on whether you're close or not. Trust those of us who've been through this - you need at least two trips on your own first before you bring someone in (especially someone who's flying in). Also, don't be shocked if what you wind up liking doesn't have ANYTHING to do with the dresses you picked out. I ended up with something ENTIRELY different than I set out to buy. I am going on Saturday - by myself, lol - to see what I can see. The store I am going to carries every line I have been interested in so far, so I'm hoping that will help me narrow it down. I bet I'll end up with something I didn't set out to buy too!! I'll let you guys know how it goes . . .

Perfect, glad I could help with this whole church thing. I think we all just want to get that over with and have fun at our "real" weddings!!

Thanks, great info!!

Thank you sooo much for the info! I've been waiting for a good review of Barcelona Tapas, thinking of hosting our welcome dinner/reception there. Someone also recommended Pipi's to me too though, decisions, decisions!!

Quote: Originally Posted by SASSYGIRL I am having the same issue and have decided not to include my FI on this one but it is hard not to have anyone elses opinion. I also want to keep my price down under $1000 and went to the group usa store (i posted info about it on another post) and really liked some of the dresses there and the most expencive was like 650. I am thinking about going and then posting pictures for you ladies to vote on that way I am not alone in this big choice! $650 at most is awesome. I'm going to check out that website you mentioned too. Yeah, post pictures!! Maybe I'll do the same

Oh I feel so bad for you If you can't rearrange some things, you may just have to make the best of it. At least you'll be with friends & family!

Okay ladies, you've convinced me. It will remain a surprise until the wedding and I am cool with that. And you're right, other people's opinions do get in the way sometimes!! I have been showing him pics of what I like too, so at most he may know it is one of 5 dresses, but will not know for sure until that day. gkashmira, thanks for your offer. After discussing this with my MOH she will be flying to L.A. next week to help me get it together. But that is sooooo sweet of you to offer. Maybe we should get together sometime anyway. I want to keep the dress simple and inexpensive, but not too casual. I want it to look like a wedding dress, not just a party dress. I would prefer to keep it at or under $1000 which seems low for a wedding dress, but I have found several destination dresses by Mon Cheri that I like, and they fall within that range. I think if the wedding was indoors I would go all out, but I'll be barefoot in the sand so I want to keep it beachy and fun. Thanks everyone!!!! You all rock!!!

St. Clement's in Santa Monica does it. There is also one in Hermosa Beach but I foget the name. Those are probably the closest to you. The lady at the diocese office said there are basically classes every weekend somewhere. She named me a bunch of cities and dates, from Pomona to Long Beach and said to book directly with the church. I need to get on it too and book something before its too late!! I've been avoiding it too, my mother got me going since it is so important to her. I don't have the phone number on me, but if you can't find the number to the diocese of L.A. let me know, I'll dig it out for ya. Good luck, glad I'm not alone in dreading this, LOL!!

Point taken, there should be a certain wow factor. But if he does see me in it before (ponytail, no makeup) I think he will still be in awe when he sees me all done up, walking down the aisle. My bridesmaids have instructed me to take pictures and email them since they are far from me, so I will (sort of) have their help. I'm just such a sap My fiance and I do everything together so my instinct is to involve him in this. You've given me something to think about, maybe I should go it alone and keep him in suspense until June?

Just curious, did any of you bring your future husband dress shopping with you? My friends/family live too far to go with me. I thought mine would not want to go, but it turns out he is interested, and I'm used to his opinion on everything else we do! Is the dress supposed to be a total surprise?

Welcome and happy planning!!

I don't have Cabo experience, but I can tell you how ours worked. We put down a $1000 deposit to reserve the date and that will be applied to the total which is due 30 days prior to the wedding. General advice, don't assume anything - ask everything! If you are promised something that isn't stipulated in the contract I would beware. If everything is legit they should be able to commit to writing anything they offer, or add it to the contract prior to your signing if you bring it up to them. Also make sure to ask if there are fees for going over your reception time. Some places will let your guests linger for free, some will charge you by the hour if you don't get everyone out of there in time. Hopefully someone else here has specific experience with your location.

We didn't want one either!! A few people who aren't able to come to the wedding have chosen a date and are throwing us a reception about a month after the wedding. We can't stop it. We've tried It's a nice gesture and I'm sure it will be lovely, at least we have no part in the planning!!!

Nice idea!!