MikkiStreak

When we first met with our travel agent, she gave us some suggestions to look at for resorts based on criteria we gave her. She also gave us a sample of what the pricing for those resorts had been based on previous years during that time of year. So right there, we had an idea of what our guests might spend. Then, I'd start looking at resorts and email her a list so she could get wedding information for us and a list of wedding related prices for us. That way, we could look at our wedding expenses too. We wound up making our decision before rates were published at our resort, and since a lot of the all-inclusive resorts treat their wedding department separate from their reservations department, we were able to submit the necessary paperwork to reserve our date for the wedding. Then, once the rates are published, a TA can negotiate room blocks, package pricing for the travel/accommodations, etc...

I had mine sized twice in the first 4 months because it felt too loose. I was going to point out the same thing that Kelly said about the ring spinning. The first time my ring came back, it was just a tad bit too loose, and like you Tara, I had to shake my hand before it actually came off. I thought it was ok like that, but within a week, it was driving me crazy. My hair is down to my waist and very heavy, so everytime I tried to finger comb my hair, it would spin and get really tangled in the mount/prongs. Same thing when I'd shampoo my hair.... I wound up taking it in and having it sized down half a size and now it's just about perfect. If you bought a warranty on your ring that gives free sizings, I'd go ahead and have it re-sized to be safe...

I think at this point, if you have contact with Erik's mom the wedding should be an avoided subject matter completely and if she brings it up, stop her right there and just tell her that you'll have her son talk to her. If she questions why, just explain that he had firmly stated he was the one who wanted a small, unpressured wedding and you support him on that. I think the desire to 'people please' is what she's feeding on right now. It sounds to me like she's hoping to "win" you over to her line of thought so she can get what she wants. As an in-law, it's easy to get sucked into wanting to please the new family, but that's the biggest reason why Erik needs to be the one to completely deal with his mother about any sensitive issues regarding the wedding---- if you stay involved and try to be the nice, accommodating FDIL, you risk having issues with Erik because the wedding gets too large. If you are the one telling her no, then you become the 'bad guy' and wind up with resentful feelings being directed at you.

Quote: Originally Posted by akh i think the Dreams PV is like $22 pp for a seated private event dinner - but it just went up to like $26 or something. it's under $30 anyway. that's for the people staying there though - it's more for those staying offsite, and it's also more for a buffet. our first wedding date was Dec. 1, 2007 and PV was one of the locations we were considering. I emailed Marilu and she told me $45/pp for each extra person who wasn't included in the base package we purchased. Someone's getting a hell of a deal if they're getting it for less than $45 and if we decide on Dreams, I might need some advice on how to negotiate that price!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by Nrvsbride it is no longer $20 per person at Dreams it is now $24 I believe for 2008. Are you talking about the pp cost for their dinner plate, or something else? The Dreams Tullum and Cancun pricing that I've seen has the dinner at $45-55 pp.... I'd consider doing everything in Cabo if their pricing is that much cheaper!

Congratulations Jen!!! I can't wait to see your wedding photos! The RUI Palace in Cancun looks gorgeous, so I bet you had an amazing background for your photos!!! BTW--- from the angle of the photo in your siggie, your *husband* (so official sounding!) resembles Jamie Deen (Paula Deen's oldest son)...

Grab local maps and tourist information--- Compile a list of the best restaurants and entertainment sources they have access to---- games (poker chips, cards, etc...)

Quote: Originally Posted by DREA14369 ERIK WANTS TO SAY SOMETHING: I hate all of you and blame you for my misery, stop encouraging Andrea hahahaha---- It's the power of women!! We change the world (and the men around us) one woman at a time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good job Erik--- just remember, you're not fighting against your family--- you're fighting *for* your marriage and your life together!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by A10CALGAL Well I'm glad you've got a plan, but why is Erik not involved in this discussion? It's his mother...I really encourage you to ask him to at least be there to back you up. You shouldn't have to be the "bad guy", you know? I agree on this one---- It seems from your posts the last few weeks, that you've made all the concessions about the wedding in order to keep Erik happy with the plans. The location has changed, the guest list size has changed, etc.... and if I remember correctly from your previous postings, it was because Erik "freaked out" (so to speak) and was threatening to call everything off because he wanted a really small wedding. What was his reason behind saying you had to be the one to talk to his mother about this?

Here's another aspect to think about---- If she has to start paying for her own guests, is she going to want a say in the planning also? And do you feel like you can handle that if it becomes problematic? I think it's great that you are willing to put your foot down and diplomatically give her an option or two in regards to the guest list. That shows a willingness to work with his family and include them in the wedding process. But, from the *limited* perspective I have on this from just reading your posts about the wedding issues over the last couple weeks, I gotta say--- I think Erik is being a real weiner for not stepping up to the plate to talk to his mom. I know you didn't say anything about what his reasons are for not being willing to talk to her about this, so I know there's probably more to it than you've written. But from what you've written previously, it sounds like you've made all the compromises about your wedding to make him comfortable--- and now his mom is asking for something (a larger guest list) that is part of what he freaked out about before---- that just doesn't make sense to me, I guess... At the very least, I agree that he should be present for the conversation and lead the discussion. This is also his wedding and he's the one who set the limit on the headcount.

Some of the resorts will allow the photographer if you put them on your guest list for 1-3 nights... If you haven't signed anything with the resort yet, you might try and use your wedding there as a bargaining tool to get them to waive/reduce the fee.... I have no clue if that will work or not, but it's kind of what I plan on doing because it pisses me off that they want to force the couple to either use their (usually) crappy resort photographer or get more money out of them by playing with their (the couples) desire to have a decent photo album of memories...

Quote: Originally Posted by akh in that case, i'd say put him by his parents - is that an option? This idea kind of makes sense to me---- he'll be more inclined toward appropriate behavior with his parents sitting there listening and figuring out what discipline to dole out if he misbehaves! I also think the flip side is that most parents really do feel their children's behavior is an extension/reflection on them, so they are more likely to keep them in line in public. The only time I see an exception to this is in toxic relationships...

Quote: Originally Posted by jfwolfe72 We're paying for the same things you are - Welcome Reception (complete w/ a donkey wearing a sombrero and carrying coronas), OOT bags, and reception dinner (which we will hopefully get for "free" as part of our wedding package provided no more than 40 guests show up!!! That's it, though. Our guests are also considering this their vacation, so I don't think anyone is put out by having to pay for their travel and lodging. Whoever you heard of is paying for their travel and loding for all of their guests must be well off!! Which Karisma resort are you having it at? Azul or El Dorodo? I absolutely love the donkey party! We're thinking about changing locations to Azul Beach--- FI fell in love with beach butlers and beach beds!

I agree with what everyone else has said (including the elope to Cabo idea!)! I've always taken the stance that the guy gets to represent you both in dealing with issues relating to his family, and vice versa with you and your family. I think that Erik should be the one to talk to his mom about this. He was very emphatic about having a small wedding to avoid breaking the bank and that's one of the reason why you both decided to not do a Mexico DW. I'm sure that the sudden change and short notice to complete the planning details have caused some turmoil for his mom, and he needs to be the one to speak with her on behalf of both of you, in order to prevent any ill feelings she may have about not being able to invite everyone she would like to....

Congratulations Jamy!!! That is really neat that the courthouse has a little chapel---

How about zipping it with WinZip? That way it can stay in PDF format, but the size is condensed...

Hope you guys have a wonderful time in St. Thomas and the wedding goes very smoothly!!! Definitely take a ton of photos, and I'll be dying to hear all the details of the trip and experiences with the local business'es! We're back to thinking of St. Thomas for the wedding again!!

Azul Beach is only about half an hour away from PDC. They have the beds and beach butlers.... Karisma hotels owns both the Azul hotels and El Dorado resorts.

Quote: Originally Posted by AQHARIDER Well, the lighting is different so it's really hard to tell. But, I think you need more of the darker eyeshadow. It doesn't look THAT much different to me though... I agree--- from what I can tell in the photos, you have the application technique down, it just looks like more layering is needed to get it to the MAC counter look.... BTW--- it still looks really good too, even tho it's lighter.

We'll be staying at an All Inclusive with our guests, so we'll do a Welcome Evening, but when the time gets nearer and we really start delving into our budget, we'll decide whether it will be for a group dinner or just late drinks after dinner in one of the resort bars. Then, of course, the wedding day stuff. I think what we'll probably do is organize some events that can be done as a group, but don't require us to pay for everyone. Like someone else had suggested--- a local shopping trip, or the zip lines.... When we're about 2 months away from the wedding, we'll probably send a newsletter to our confirmed guests having them RSVP on our website for the optional activities. We'll include the price per person for each of these activities so they are aware it's not a hosted activity. To control some of the expenses, but still be able to spend some organized time with your guests, you could also take advantage of some of your resort offerings--- organize a tournament for some of the included water sports and give away some small gifts as a prize to the winner---- something like that would keep the expenses down, but provide fun things to do as a group...

Quote: Originally Posted by Clussy75 ((temporary sigh of relief)) Amen! I mean, since your answer is what I wanted to hear, I'm gonna go with it and regretfully inform guests that if they are not able to book ontime... wait, do I even say "if you don't listen to what we keep trying to relay to you guys, you gon' have pay $100 to come to our party"? How very Bridezilla to say, no? I suppose we just don't mention the day pass in that worst case scenario? I keep tossing this around and believe me, we've sent at least 4 emails so far with Tammy's info, the urgency to book so that we can have our loved ones with us for this big day for us and all that jazz so we're starting to feel like spammers. I'm rambling. Thank you for the feedback! I'd say that after you send out your invites, play it by ear to see the quantity of responses you get. If you're sitting about 2-3 months away from your wedding date and haven't gotten much response back either yea or nay, then send out a newsletter giving them the updated pricing on what rooms are booking for with a reminder they can get a discount through your TA up to a specific date. Then I'd leave it vague and say that once the rates through your TA expire on x date, a day pass to the wedding would cost $100. At that point, they can assume they're paying their own day pass, and for those who throw a fit about paying for a day pass- you could offer to pay theirs...

I love the idea and they're very well put together--- the only other thing is the W seems akward in relation to your names. Maybe try fading the W in the background so it's not as pronounced? Or enlarging a faded version of it to be in the center of the page and put the body of your text on top of it?

Wow, I think it looks great! It really makes your eyes POP!!! BTW--- you have the Jennifer Anniston chin! Awesome!!

I swear I'm not posting this to stir things up and I'm not trying to say one person is more or less right/wrong than the other... but I can see why Carla is upset too. I think there can be a fine line between being a vender and just being a member on this forum and it's got to be hard for different venders when they join the forum to keep this line drawn. And, to be honest, I can kind of see why maybe this whole thread should have been kept anonymous instead of naming Carla---- simply because if she was trying to help as a person, not as the wedding coorindator, then it's not fair to write a 'review' of her personally when she wasn't a hired vender. I know I haven't written that very well, but think of it like this---- we all offer to help each other with various wedding arrangements. I know of one person who has bought items for several brides and then shipped them out after she bought them. If there had been issues with that, would it have been a "review" on the website will full name disclosures, or would it have been done more privately/anonymously? Anyways, just another point of view--- take it with whatever grain of salt you want...

Damn, these people are high as a kite!!! $30K for 60 guests in Mexico?!?!? That's insane...