foxytv

My pricing is for the DR but I spoke directly with a cigar factory and their price is a $250 set-up fee and $8 per cigar. Our WC says they have a deal with a cigar factory as well, and it's no set-up fee and $10 per cigar. We are definitely going to do this but not sure if we will be paying for it or if might be something we have to ask our guests to pay for if they get the cigars. Is that tacky if we have him available but don't cover the per-cigar cost? I'm just afraid we'll have people who want to go get a lot of extras rolled and that would really add up...

Quote: Originally Posted by twinkletoes We too are planning to hit the Jellyfish during our honeymoon. I've heard nothing but good things about this restaurant. I think their rival is Captain Cooks (or something like that). We may have to check out both places. The food looks muy delicioso! I've heard Captain Cooks doesn't really hold a candle to Jellyfish ... but we will likely only do one meal off the resort, so we're going to stick with Jellyfish anyway. I can't wait!!!

You can pretty much do anything you want. I'm not sure about the placement of our Sand Ceremony. We are going to do the Hand Ceremony right before we exchange rings ... but I'm considering doing the Sand Ceremony when we cut the cake. I've been in contact with my WC since our planning began, which was almost a year ago ... so I guess it depends on the WC. Sure, you can change the ceremony wording. It's your wedding, silly. :-) I'd email the WC and ask if she can send you a copy of the standard ceremony wording. Then, you can make revisions and send it back to her ... just make sure you also have copies for the Judge/Minister on your wedding day (and translated into proper Spanish if the ceremony is in Spanish).

Quote: Originally Posted by carly Looks fun! But where are the pics where they make you were that silly hat thingy? Ha Ha! Not a CHANCE!!! We played this one game and I wanted to shoot myself. NO silly hats for any showers or bachelorette party! At least not unless I've had plenty of shots first!!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by mdw2dtw Will your guest know before they get to the ceremony that you have already legalized the marraige? Anybody doing the opposite? Getting married legally after they get back? There are numerous threads about this, try searching for civil or symbolic ceremony. Tons of discussion about it. Our guests will not know ... b/c our DW will serve as our wedding date for all intents and purposes.

Each BM is getting an embroidered beach bag, a pashmina, Philosophy bath/shower gel, City Lips Lip Plumper lipstick/lip gloss, flip flops, earrings for the ceremony, a shower poof and a few other little things in the bags, along with a picture frame and card.

I'm taking little tidbits from here and there and incorporating it into our Hand and Sand Ceremonies ... so that it won't be the standard readings but will instead be an expression of who we are. I'm going to get a copy of the standard ceremony from our WC and do the same with the formal ceremony wording as well. Nothing major but change words or phrses to better fit the two of us and our relationship.

Quote: Originally Posted by Yari Tami - you are the first person I thought of when I read this thread. LOL. You are the VS expert. lol. That's funny! I never used to be -- but I guess that's why our DW is over-budget these days! haha. And I have a $10 coupon to use for February. OH NO!!!!

It's not really the right thread for this :-) ... but VS bathing suits are awesome quality. They run a bit small in my opinion, though. I am a size 8 bottom and 36A top ... and while the tops always fit properly in the same size, I always have to get a Large for the bottoms (maybe my a$$ is just bigger than I think, lol). Their return policy is easy, so I would order a few to see what you like. I recently bought several VS simsuits for thr DW and honeymoon. Also try figleaves.com - Bras, Panties, Swimsuits, and Full Figure Lingerie. Great stuff there too.

Nice! I'm going to check it out!!!

Cool. We are starting the thought process on excursions. I like the idea of one that includes more than one thing. And the caving looks fantastic from the pics I've seen from tour companies online!

Quote: Originally Posted by Nrvsbride Basically the articles say that a lot of people were fradulently holding themselves out to be civil officiants and they weren't. By the time people got home and tried to make their wedding valid, they realized that their marriage was never registered with the Dominican government. Yikes! I wonder what brides are supposed to do to ensure that the person marrying them is legit and not a fake. Another reason I'm ssoo glad we've chosen a symbolic ceremony in the DR .. and just sign the legal papers here in the US a few days before we leave.

Quote: Originally Posted by LC_Rachel Your dress looks fabulous bustled. I don't like how mine bustles up but the style of the dress didn't leave me much options. I too hate my upper body. I noticed that I didn't have as much armpit fat (lol) when I went braless. I think I will ask for cups to be sewn in because to make the top fit I get totally squeezed in by the corset. Have you tried going braless? Maybe that will help and cut down on the gym work! Thanks Rachel! The way the seamstress did the bustle first didn't show the detail ... so I asked her if there was another option ... and what you see in the pics is the end result. I thought it would have been a total waste to have all that beautiful detailing and not be able to really see it if she used the traditional bustle. I guess I need to try the braless option and look into the sewn in bra cups. I'm just afraid since it's a zip-up dress that I won't be able to suck evertything in w/o the longline bra. Plus, I am practically boobless, so braless might be boyish. lol I'll give it a shot when I go back for my 2nd fitting. (I guess I could try it w/ my TTD dress though and see how it looks b/c it's the same designer and size as my wedding dress).

And a February 8, 2008 article. En Punta Cana se realizaban hasta 200 bodas de extranjeros en un día - DiarioLibre.com SD. The Electoral Central Meeting (JCE) attributed to the operation of a mafia that acted in complicity with hotel installations of Gray Tip, the celebration of massive anniversaries to foreign citizens, which they were carried out to the margin of the court and that were offered inside tourist packages. The judge president of the Administrative Camera of the JCE, Roberto Rosary, reported that the court requested the aid of the National Department of Investigations (ID) to capture to the "false civil officials" that operated from Higüey, and that according to preliminary data, they acted out of the law for various years. The ID carried out between the months of December and January a lifting of intelligence in all the zone of Higüey and delivered to the electoral court a confidential report where they are identified to three presumed ringleaders of the mafia that caused they passed for civil officials and that emitted false documents of anniversaries and birth certificates. DL published yesterday that in recent months in tourist centers of Gray Tip, province The Altagracia, 30 requests of anniversaries by the lack of civil officials had been rejected, and that at least 20 British citizens that would have contracted nuptials demanded the delivery of the certificates, some of which they date from the year 2004. Rosary admitted that in Gray Tip anniversaries were celebrated in a fraudulent way that have caused certificates emission demand on behalf of foreigners that were swindled. It reported that last January 29 was created a new one oficialía in Verón, Higüey, and was appointed a civil official that is installed in a localities that rented the JCE in the avenue Spain, Plaza Trunk shopping center, second level, in the sector Riusa, Bavarian. Without control The holder of the CA explained that to the past month from October the Meeting did not have the control of the 104 oficialías civil, situation that facilitated the illicit actions. "To the day of today we are expecting of the ID the transfer of several people toward that zone, because occurs that after those anniversaries were carried out there was a series of demands to the Meeting so that to emit a certificate of marriage of an activity that had not done. That is to say that around Higüey what there is is an extensive investigation where they are involved the departments of investigation of the State", declared. It added that as a result of the discovery of the mafia also was canceled to a good part of the personnel of the Meeting in the zone. Defense The holder of the Administrative Camera of the JCE rejected that they be dilapidadores of the resources of the Been by to have called to public contest to buy 32 electric plants, 740 escaners and teams of computers to use them in the electoral process. Rosary complained that media, that did not identify, they accuse the CA to buy unnecessary teams. For oficialías The old manual machines to write that still are used in scores of oficialías civil of the country, they will be substituted by modern computers after they are used in the electoral process that will culminate the 16 May, was reported yesterday in the JCE. Publicity The CA called to a public meeting with six advertising businesses, that already they were accredited in a formal way before the court, to produce the educational and motivational publicity that will be divulged during all the electoral process. Rosary said that the placement in the radio, television and media writings the own Meeting will do it to save resources. Itself not the total was established that will invest in publicity. - Leoncio Comprés

Here is the article in Spanish. En Punta Cana se realizaban hasta 200 bodas de extranjeros en un día - DiarioLibre.com It was just published February 11, 2008 ... and discusses problems with the wedding system in the DR. I'm hoping someone can translate this article better than I did. I don't speak/read Spanish... so this is what I got from Free Translation and Professional Translation Services from SDL International SD. The mafia that organized the celebration of anniversaries to foreign citizens that arrived in tourist packages to hotel complexes of Gray Tip, performed to 200 nuptials in a single day, generating benefits for more than a million pesos in less than 24 hours. The preliminary results of the investigations carried out by the departments of Inspectoría and Security of the Electoral Central Meeting (JCE), with the aid of the National Direction of Investigations (ID), they reveal that employed of the Meeting in Higüey they caused they passed for civil officials during years, deceiving to thousands of tourists with the celebration of illegitimate anniversaries, that do not appear in the registrations of the JCE. Yesterday, the president of the Administrative Camera of the JCE, Roberto Rosary, reported that the court will seek an exit to many of the cases of foreigners that were believed married in the country, but that they were swindled with anniversaries "in the air" by the false civil officials. "For me what is important is that already that is not possible, that that is resolved, and that besides there be a relation of contribution with the hotels and the Meeting, an agreement that permit the establishment of a system on line of information", commented.

Here is a link to pics from a wedding reception at Jellyfish in Punta Cana. Their prices for a reception are comparable to what most resorts charge ... so it's an option. And if you are not close to the resort, they provide bus transportation for $5/pp. Jellyfish restaurant Bavaro Punta Cana Dominican Republic Wedding Reception - Jellyfish Restaurant pictures from friends & fun photos on webshots While we aren't doing our reception here, we are having a special dinner here once we begin our honeymoon. It's within walking distance on the beach from our honeymoon resort. From the reviews I have read, the food is amazing and the customer service is top notch.

Quote: Originally Posted by starchild Me too. And plenty of people have great vacations there with no trouble, but the bad is bad and not isolated to one resort. I also think angry people exaggerate but I read so many bad reviews that they can't be all made up. It isn't the theft/violence that deters me (I think as a nation Jamaica has more violence) so much as the increasing number of reviews I read of travelers falling ill and the hospital horror stories I've heard. People get ill all over the world, I know. I don't know if it happens more in the DR, or if people write about it more when it happens there but I don't read nearly as many things citing illness outbreaks in other Caribbean/Latin America hotspots. Eek! Well hopefully FH and I and our guests will come back in one piece, and w/o a case of the shits for weeks. lol It does make me question where to safely keep our wedding bands for the days leading up to the DW.

Quote: Originally Posted by kristi can anyone recommend a good concealer or foundation? Right now I'm using bareminerals but sometimes it's a little flacky. I need something really light..anyone use clinique skin products? I've been using them for about a year. They're just ok..I may try philosophy..what's your opinion? I love BareMinerals as well ... but my favorite concealer is the MAC Select Cover-Up. I also use the MAC Studio Fix foundation. It's a packed powder that you apply with a brush like you would the BareMinerals.

Quote: Originally Posted by SheaS We are pretty happy with them What in the world are you talking about?!?!?!?! Your TTD pics are ssoo awesome!!! I absolutely LOVE them!!! And BTW ... YOU are smokin and I must say your hubby is a hottie too!

I love the first one ... but how are you getting the betas to Punta Cana? Sounds like a customs nightmare, and they don't have long shelf-lives anyway. Just a thought. Unless this is for your AHR instead of the DW.

Quote: Originally Posted by Lizz That's nice all the ladies got together and you got some great gifts. Thanks for sharing pics (you know you would've gotten yelled at if you didn't!). lol. I know! I told them "make sure you take pics b/c the girls on the forum will kill me if I don't have any to show!"

Quote: Originally Posted by FutureMrsB I love your dress Tami! It is so beautiful. The beading is fantastic! Your vail looks similar to mine. Does it have pearl beading on it? It has ivory pearls and some clear crystals that match the dress. It's an Ansonia veil from Discount Ansonia Bridal Veils for your Wedding Apparel My Mom gave me her pearls and I am having them restrung as a choker to wear with it. The jewelery shop is also going to match the pearls from the necklace for earrings and a bracelet. Mom's pearls are a dark ivory, almost the color of the champagne detailing on my dress, so matching it is a little tough.

Quote: Originally Posted by JamaicaBride062108 I found this on AOL. And everything on the internet is true! LOL So I'm just an alcoholic... Alcohol may cause hair to gray prematurely Posted: Feb 11th 2008 10:39PM by Chris Sparling Filed under: Food and Nutrition, General Health, Healthy Habits, Women's Health, Men's Health, HealthWatch If you started drinking because you thought it made you look older, you may have been onto something. It turns out that regular boozers have twice the amount of premature gray hair as people who lay off the sauce. According to an article published in the Archives of Dermatology, drinking as few as three drinks per day is enough to affect your hair color. Because alcohol stops the production of pigment-providing stem cells called melanocytes, it's very possible to experience graying at an earlier age. The good news is that the damage does not have to be permanent. If you're graying now, cutting back on your drinking may help stop any further progression and even help restore your natural color. Well, that certainly explains it for me. No denying I am a heavy boozer. Case in point -- head still pounding from too much of the sauce on a Tuesday night. lol Oh well, guess I better get tused to all these grays (at least until we start TTC and I've gotta quit the sauce altogether!!!)

Can't wait to see how they all decide to wear them! I can never figure out those versatile wrap dresses. Love your dress too BTW!

Quote: Originally Posted by Leia78 Oh tami, you look so beautiful...just like a bride should be. I love the detailing of your dress and veil. They go perfect with each other! Are you going to wear your veil over your hairdo or under it? I'm still trying to decided for myself how I'm going to wear my veil... I'm not sure how I'm going to wear the veil yet. I'm definitely wearing my heair up and I think I will wear the veil over the updo ... but I am going to do a trial and see which looks best. I really want to wear the veil so it drapes over my shoulders ... but I think I'll have to see what the wind is like on our wedding day, b/c it might not work.