MikkiStreak

Have you said anything to your aunt and nana? Maybe there's a polite way to explain to them that you'll be out very late the evening before and that if the shower happens the day after you won't be the kind of 'guest of honor' you'd want to be...

Sarah, Do a google searh for "Mexico facts" and you'll come across a bunch of stuff. Here's some I used for my "Mexico" crossword: - Famous male artist (Diego Rivera) - Mountain chain running east and west (Sierra Madre) - Primary religion in Mexico (Catholic) - Native language (Spanish) - Mexican revolutionary (Pancho Villa) - National flower (Dahlia) - May holiday (Cinco de Mayo) - Capital city (Mexico City) - Quantity of states (thirty-one) - Common Mexican word for corn (Maize) - Early inhabitants of Mexico (Maya) - President of Mexico (Vincente Fox Quesada)

We're thinking about doing the same thing because of all the requirements for a legal ceremony in Mexico. My concern is that if we miss that one day of the week to watch the wedding ceremony, or have issues with the medical exam/blood tests, then they won't let us get married. To have that "surprise" happen after we've gotten down there is a risk I'm not sure I'm willing to take since other people are attending the wedding. Plus, I don't like the idea of having to use a translater for the wedding (I think it's a requirement for legal ceremonies, but I might be wrong). I would be curious what the policy is for this also. Most resorts only offer 1 vow renewal package, which has minimal features and means you have to pay for a lot of "extras" to make it more like a wedding. And paying for those "extras" a la carte is more expensive than paying for one of the wedding packages through the resort...

I was curious about this too. I'd really like to do my own silk flowers for centerpieces, but I have no clue how to get them down there without crushing them in boxes, etc... Suggestions on this would be great....

I googled Efavaormart and came across this link: Beware Of Efavormart.com - WeddingSolutions Forums There are a few people on there who have some negative things to say regarding their contact with the company in regards to product and service.

Google search "Eclipse Crossword" and it should find a website where you can download a free trial software that allows you to create your own crossword puzzles also. I'm doing the same thing with the OOT bags. I also found a find-a-word book at Wal-Mart that had a couple puzzles in there about weddings, love, ocean life, etc..., so I bought that and am inserting tables into Powerpoint to re-create them with our logo on the top of the page. (ZoeGirl idea from The Knot)...

TammyM: If I remember correctly, it was in one of the bridal magazines I get--- don't remember which one. It just stuck because I sat there thinking it seemed like a low average...

I encourage you to research prices like crazy. If you go with a chain store (like Kays, Jareds, Helzberg's, etc...) it's harder to negotiate because the prices are set by their corporate office. A manager might be able to make a discount, but you're going to have to haggle them to do it. If you go with a private jeweler, you'll have a better chance of negotiating. But the downside is that if the place goes out of business in a couple years, you'll wind up paying for your own repairs, etc... Also, research pricing online. Go to bluenile.com to start. Another company I found online is Sun Jewelers. We wound up purchasing mine from Kay Jewelers and because their corporate office set the prices, they priced it wrong and we got the ring for about $1500 less than it should have been. But had I not looked at other company's prices, I wouldn't have known how good of a deal we got. Also, research priorities---- Cut is first, then judge by color, then clarity last. I would always hear comments about "flawless" diamonds and then I realized that if you get an SI2 or better, no one can see a flaw anyway unless they carry a loup with them. We spent a chunk on my ring, but got a Leo diamond with the highest colorless rating. This makes my smaller stone (5/8th) really stand out. We also got a narrower band for the setting, which makes the stone look way bigger. I read somewhere that the average amoutn spent on a ring is about $2800. You are going to find a really gorgeous ring with the budget you have....

I have the same problem with my nails--- (and I crack my knuckles too)... Then, add in really dry hands and mis-shapen index finger nails (they curl under on one side only), and you have the mental image of my hands... Pre-natal vitamins are great too for hair and nails.... I'll probably go with fake nails for the wedding and then cut them off afterward. I hate the idea of spending the money for bi-weekly manicures if I'm not certain it's going to work and then wind up having to get fakes anyways....

I haven't taken a pic of mine yet, but it's a 5/8 brilliant round in a cathedral setting. I started off wanting a trillion because it's not something you see every day. I still think those are gorgeous! I think a lot of the Carat comments are made by women who weren't as involved in choosing their E-ring. They probably didn't educate themselves on how to select a stone, so the only thing they have to measure their ring is simply the size. But I will say that I'm not above the quick retort to people who compare theirs to mine in a negative way. I figure if they have the balls to open theirs mouths, I don't have a problem putting my foot in it. If they comment on the carat size, I'll simply look at theirs and then comment, "Wow, yours is so much bigger, but I guess some people just have to choose between size and a really good quality stone that will appreciate in value over the years." If they comment on the shape, I'll put my ring up to theirs and say, "Well, the round diamond actually is cut so that it reflects more light and has more briliiance and scintilation. See how much more sparkle mine has?" I'm not above being a b*tch....

Quote: Originally Posted by redwards That really is a great list! My friend who is currently planning her wedding (Dreams PV) is having a nightmarish time with a TA she had been working with. So now she's in a situation where she's trying to cut ties and work with someone else. The response time question is key I think, that was a huge issue with this other TA, I had emailed her asking a couple questions and didn't receive a reply for two weeks...and then only after I had sent a second email! It didn't really inspire a lot of faith in me to trust that she would take care of things. As it turns out, she never sent in the form to reserve the date for my friends wedding - when my friend tried to follow up w/ her a week or so later to confirm everything, she couldn't get in touch and finally had to contact the wedding coordinator at the resort directly...only to find out the form had never been sent in! That really freaked her out. Also, I think the whole money thing is important to discuss. After my friend confronted her TA about the form that hadn't been sent in (as well as other issues she had) the lady sent her an email outlining the agency's policy for booking destination weddings...and requested a $300 deposit before she would continue doing any work! Now I understand that deposits are frequently requried by all kinds of vendors when making agreements...the problem with this situation is that it was not made clear until they had already been working together for a month....during which time the lady really didn't actually accomplish anything, left many questions completely unaswered and neglected to turn in that VERY important form! It was once she sensed that my friend was going to "fire" her that she pulled all that info out. Kinda' shady if you ask me. I SO wish we would have known to ask all these kinds of questions to start with...would have saved that poor girl a lot of drama and headaches! Good job being proactive and thinking up all those great topics. I have only used a TA 1 or 2 times in the past, but for something like this- where it's one of the most important and memorable times of our lives and family / friends are going out of their way to attend, I definitely want to make sure that all of us are protected as much as possible. I agree with the response time question. In my field, I am expected to answer non-critical issues the same day as they arise and emergency issues have a 2 hour response window. When I work with clients to address issues with their staff, I always let them know that the biggest reason why companies lose potential customers is because the customer doesn't know how long they are suppose to wait for a response to their issue. If I dont' know a person needs a week to gather information and get back to me, I'm going to start calling other business'es within 2-4 days. It just amazes me that people in the "Service Industry" haven't figured that one out...

Ok, here's a list of questions I came up with, in case anyone is interested... Travel Agent Questions Section A: Experience 1.How many destination weddings have you booked? 2.How many years have you been a travel agent? 3.What is the largest group booking you have handled? 4.What programs, training and certifications have you completed? 5.What professional organizations are you affiliated with? 6.How are your fees / commissions paid? 7.Do you charge any fees to your clients (consultation, booking, etc…)? Section B: Travel Finances 1.What payment options are available when booking travel? 2.Describe deposits and payment schedules for travel and wedding. 3.What deposits are necessary for a room block? 4.What are the cancellation fee and schedule for the wedding? 5.What are the cancellation fee and schedule for the travel portion? 6.What travel insurance is available and who is the provider? 7.Please provide a sample contract for our review. Section C: Customer Satisfaction 1.What is your typical response time for emails and phone calls? 2.Do you have a “backup” person to handle customer issues if you are not available? 3.What should travelers do if they have an after-hours emergency while traveling? 4.How do you go “above and beyond” for your clients? 5.What information do you provide to your clients for their trip prior to departure (ie, list of contact numbers for each vender, emergency numbers, etc…)?

Amy, It sounds great. I was trained in classical music for about 17 years. Go online and check out "Eliot Fisk" and "Andre Segovia". Andre Segovia is considered the "father" of modern guitar. Prior to him, it was looked at as nothing more than a glorified banjo. Eliot Fisk is the only student Andre took on. Both of them are absolutely *amazing*....

There are 2 ways- The first is to add a white box to the background that will cover the black area. This is the easiest way to do it, I've found. If you draw a box and then right click and choose "Format", you can change the fill color to white. Then you can right click on the box again and choose "Order" and "Send to Back." The other way is to save the image as an EMF file, then open it as that and do a "Save As" and change the file type to JPEG. How easily and successful that is will depend on what software you are using for your imaging software. (BTW--- thanks for the points to you and "Soon to be Mrs. Hull"!) :)

Oh yeah, I'm going to work on typing something up that gives instructions and screen shots showing how to make monograms in powerpoint. If anyone's interested, let me know. I'll accept point donations as payment since I can't seem to get mine much above 400!

Julie, If the monogram is on it's own page in Powerpoint, go to "Edit" on your toolbar, then "Select All". Then press "Control" and hold it down. Now is where you have to play a little bit. You need to click on an item in the monogram, but in doing so, it unselects it. Which is fine. Right click on that item and a sub-menu pops up. Select "Group" and another menu extends to the side. Select "Group Items Together". This will cluster all the items together as one unit so you can move it around. I'm going off the top of my head, so when you right click, my wording might not be precise and you may have to interpret to the closest possible option... Once you have everthing grouped together, you can right click and choose "Save as Picture." Then when the box pops up to name the file, make sure you change the file type to "JPEG" and then select where you want to save a copy of the monogram... Maria

Sarah--- I think if I were paying for someone's hotel for the trip and they complained, it would just be an automatic revocation of the invitation.... My God, the balls some people have! Hey, here's an idea--- invite me in their place!!!

Glenda--- Thanks! I actually have fun doing this stuff--- it's about the only time I get to use my art background anymore... Julie, *Love* the black--- better watch out, I'll use that design myself!! I agree with making the letters solid orange... That will really make it *pop*.... M.

I really like the letter. It gave just enough information to peak some interest for people and still got the purpose across (to get a tentative headcount)....

Julie-- That looks great! It'll get easier and go faster too after you get the hang of it... The thing that I have the most difficulty with is trying to tie them all together looks / theme wise... Mine are just all over the place design wise... M.

I aboslutely *love* those!! The Starbucks, gift registries and children's ages were great!!!! hehehehe...

You could include a page of regional information--- maybe taxi information and company numbers for when they leave the airport, a little info on the events at the hotel that weekend, local restaurants (if not AI resort), etc... Or, you could include the invite and then make one of the sheets a personal handwritten letter telling them how much you're looking forward to spending time with them, etc... Since you're doing the invites on your own, you could customize each folder's information to make it appropriate for the individual (depending on how much time you have to do something like that)...

Ok, so let's see if I can get the images pasted in this message. I created these with Powerpoint and just used free clipart and fonts from the web...

I found a website that has t-shirts up for sale for as low as $1.98 Blank T-Shirts, Sweatshirts and Polo Shirts: Hanes, Jerzees, American Apparel, Champion and more - Cheapestees.com They have an option to customize the shirts with a minimum order of 24.

Julesr: I made my own logo's and monograms just using powerpoint. If you can do the following things, you can make your own with powerpoint pretty easily. 1- Format a picture in powerpoint 2- Group / Ungroup items in powerpoint 3- Format shapes in powerpoint 4- "Save as picture" in powerpoint 4- Dowload clipart from Microsoft 5- Download and install fonts from web If anyone's interested, PM me and I'll help.