MikkiStreak

Take this with a grain of salt, because I'm a real advocate of using a TA for a destination wedding, but.... I've read some real horror stories of people who have booked with online resellers like Orbitz, Travelocity, Priceline, etc.... things like spending hours on the phone trying to get some random agent to help them with their travel issues while they are standing at the airport. I guess I like the fact that most, if not all, of our group is going through our TA simply because I asked them to. Which means that if we have travel issues of any kind, my TA has a vested interest in getting it remedied quickly because it's a group, not just 1-2 people travelling. Plus, I like the idea that we can make payments between now and our wedding, instead of having to pay everything up front. But, that's just me....

They do realize you're getting married in Mexico right? And that they would be shelling out $1000+ to attend if they received an invite? Just blows me away---- fortunately, I don't have to worry about that from my co-workers... There are only 2 that I even converse with on a non-work basis and the rest are a bunch of redneck, juvenile, racist pigs that I stay the hell away from.... But I do expect this from FI's family. Especially on his dad's side. He has one aunt who is going to be really pissed when she hears she isn't invited to the wedding. She doesn't quite 'get it' that when she called everyone under the sun just a few days after his father's funeral and told them that he and his siblings were responsible for his father's death, that her actions pretty much clinched the fact she isn't invited to our wedding.

Those are really cute---- those are like the ones I plan on making for the wedding favors. I saw some like that in a bridal magazine and just loved the idea of gift-wrapping them in little boxes to set on each dinner plate for guests to open.

Do you have any trip insurance? I think there are some kinds that allow for cancellations for any reason. Is this the same resort you had already planned on staying at? If so, your TA may be able to get the same rate. If it's a different hotel from where you originally booked, maybe she would be willing to work with you if you kept the new booking through her also.... I don't know, might be worth approaching her about....

I'm doing all the items myself. STD's: $15 I used shiny, tri-fold brochure paper and printed 3 color backgrounds on each page and printed a total of 30 pages (total of about 75 STD's, plus about 15 pages printed with errors). I actually got the paper for free from work, but I'm guessing about $15 for the package I have. Invites: $160 This is for 65 invites. I will purchase 5x7 pocket folders and will have a blue invitation mat with a white invitation, plus 4-5 inserts with RSVP envelopes and outer envelopes. I will cut the mat, invitation and inserts myself and print myself. The pocket folders will be $1 each and I found a source for the cardstock for $.10 or less the blue mat. I have a package of white card stock from Wal-Mart that was $5 for 150 sheets. This includes postage to send them out and RSVP back. Programs / Placecards and Table cards: Thinking I will do the program hand fans (paper). Haven't priced yet, but since I can get a package of heavy-weight white card stock from Wal-Mart for $5 (150 sheets), I know I could say $5 and have plenty of left over paper for the placecards and table cards to be printed. Ink: I'm guess one more color cartridge, for about $40. I just put new cartridges in, so I'm not certain if it will be necessary or not yet.

Ok, here's the website--- Image3 They have the cover option that is more like a pro photo album and another option that is a "Premier Edition Coffee Table Book." An 11x11 book starts at $95 for the first 40 pages and each additional page is $2.

Tammy, I found a website that has the coffee table books (hardcover with a book liner photo)... basically, it looks like every artistic coffee table book that gets published.... I'll look up the website and post it tonight, but the basic price was $65 for a 40 page book and then you can add pages from there for additional charges... I had the same problem---- I kept seeing coffee table books, but they all had an "album" style cover that I didn't want. This is the first one that actually looks like a real book...

I think a really good thing to do first is to come up with a list of the features/amenities you are looking for (for yourself and your guests). That can help narrow down your choices. For example, will small children be invited? If so, looking for a resort that offers babysitting/kids club will be beneficial. We had a long list of items we wanted in the resort (great beach, disco, great food, kid friendly, family friendly). We found it at Iberostar (Lindo resort). The other thing to consider is how the resort conducts weddings - are there several every day or just one per day? Do they offer a free wedding package for a certain length of stay booked by the couple? Those kind of things can narrow down your search so you don't get quite so overwhelmed. I had a hell of a time figuring out where to get married since we hadn't ever been to Mexico before. If I would have come up with these lists in the beginning and then went to a travel agent (or this forum), I would have saved myself a lot of time... BTW ---- Welcome!

Christine, Here's my toast for you tomorrow---- "Here's to the bride - may she share everything with her husband...and that includes the housework."

Jaime, I'm in the same boat--- A bunch of friends of mine from college are pro photos who plan on coming down and shooting the wedding for us. I'm getting married at Iberostar (Lindo). I had our TA tell the WC at Lindo up front that the bride is a photographer who will have photographer guests taking pics. The WC said they charge $300 for outside photographers, but I'll fight them tooth and nail on that one and get it in writing before we commit to a room block.

Hey, Toby--- we must know the same people!!!!!! You just described our wedding too!!!! One of the GM's birthday is the day before our wedding, so RD night will be a complete drunken fest---- I keep hearing them all talk about "streaking" on the beach after the wedding.... Then there's the BM who is lusting after FI's cousin, who slept with another GM who is friends with the BM and the GM never called her again. And another of FI's cousins who is going to attend went to another family wedding and called another of FI's cousins a "slut" to her face, and she is also going to be at our wedding.... Good God, we sound like we're having a white trash wedding....

Another low-cost option would be a ring that isn't a diamond. When I was at Kays a couple weeks ago, they had a ring that I would have *loved* to have as my E-ring---- it was a sea magic white pearl surrounded by diamonds in a WG band. Absolutely stunning! It was on sale for 50% off and had I seen that ring before we bought my E-ring, it would have saved us about $3K to get it instead. If you already have your E-ring, you could always use that as your wedding band also. There's no rule saying you have to have 2 separate rings....

Absolutely beautiful wedding!!!! Can't wait to see more pics!

I think if we were only going to have 2 people with us, I would throw most of the traditions to the wind---- get rid of everything except the cake and bouquet. I'd want to stand right by the water for the ceremony/vows and I'd probably want to custom write the ceremony and vows. I'd do some photos after the ceremony and then take everyone out for a really extravagant dinner (no custom centerpieces, placecards, table numbers, etc...) at a local restaurant and do a small cake there. After dinner, I'd probably just want to spend time alone with hubby for awhile---- sitting on the beach and just talking for forever.... When we talked about going to St. Thomas by ourselves, that's kind of what we had planned---- we wanted a simple ceremony without any decorations/chairs and afterward, planned on chartering a yacht from New Horizons for a cocktail sunset cruise, and then having a really nice dinner at Havana Blue. After dinner, we were going to head to Iggie's bar for drinks/dancing and then end the day sitting on the beach talking until the sun came up...

The funniest toss I've ever seen was when one of my best friends got married about 10 years ago. It was a small wedding and there were 5 of us women who were best friends of hers and all were strong-minded, "don't need a man" type women.... So when she went to throw it toward us, we all took one collective step back and watched it hit the ground. Not a one of us wanted to touch that thing.... I personally have hated the ritual simply because to me, it promotes that subliminal archiac idea that women need to get married and need the "luck" of a bouquet toss tom make it happen--- like marriage is the main thing we're supposed to work toward in life.... Again, that's just me....

We were soooo bad tonight---- New Mexican restarant down the road---- beef fajitas for me and chimi's for FI.... *hanging head* and we stopped at DQ on the way home....

I voted for #1, but either 1 or 3 would work well. Simple, but sparkly!

I've had 2 ideas in my head for it.... Frank's whole family used to be in music (his dad was a jazz musician in NYC and his mom was a professional singer/actor on Fiesta Americana). He plays guitar and used to work in the clubs downtown (which is where we met). So I'm thinking either naming the tables after the clubs we used to hang out at in Deep Ellum, or doing verses to old classic love songs (Tony Bennett, Sinatra, etc...) that would be propped up next to miniature guitars. The other idea is to make table cards based on our memorable dates (Plano Balloon Festival where we had our first date, the San Antonio Riverwalk for our first trip together, etc...)...

There's a guy in the VI, but not BVI--- I believe he will take the ferry over to BVI tho.... Gary Felton.... his photos are amazing! I had planned on hiring him for our wedding in St. Thomas, but then we changed locations....

In recent years, the trend has been for the couple to pay for their own weddings. Parents just aren't shelling out the money like they used to even just 10-15 years ago. My peronsal opinion is that if they don't want to contribute, then they don't get a say in the invite list. I would establish your guest list according to your budget, and if, at the end, you have room for them to add some people- I would just tell them how many people you're allowing them to add to the list. That would be pretty gracious about the whole thing...

I take it from the photo of you being walked down the aisle, that you guys got things straightened out for Rafael's son to travel with you?? So cool---

Gimme more, gimme more..... Those photos are awesome! You look so beautiful! And when I saw the photo of you sitting on the balcony, I just sighed and wished I were in that same spot right now!!!

Totally agree with everyone else--- put it back on her and tell her something like, 'since you didn't book in time for the special and didn't get enough money saved up to cover the additional expenses, I'll have someone else take your place in the wedding so that we're not as much of a financial burden on you.' It will make her look like the ass she's being....

Quote: Originally Posted by PaulaV OKay I got carried away looking through the clip art and have so many ideas in my head now!!! Thanks to Maria! Your directions were perfect! I didn't know you could create something nice without good graphics software. This is not very beachy, but I like the colours: Needs a some refining, text needs to be bolder, but I have to go to bed now! Thanks again Maria! Paula--- See? I knew it! You'd create an *awesome* monogram! That is too cool--- very unique and I absolutely love the design!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by tob1kanobe I dont know what your budget is, but i would rim the edge of the fountain in candles, varying heights and maybe with no holders, just thick cream candles - really over flowing, and then I would defintely float the flowers and maybe try to hang some crystals...I look at the space and that fountain and it screams sophisticated glamour and I can see it all lit up with candles and dripping in crystals --- black glass and black crystal are soo in right in terms of interior design and that space would look amazing...you could always drape fabric around the base so that it swags if you want something soft at the fountain....(sorry to go on, and on...) oh and all of those suggestions are based on the idea that the shower is at night....what time of day is it at? That's what I was thinking too--- I can totally see that---- soften the overhead lighting a bit and let the candles provide the soft lighting.... very simple, but powerful, especially with the swag...