jajajaja

I love when old threads get bumped! Apparently I read and participated in this conversation, but I can't remember any part of it. LOL... I've yapped too much on the forum. Quote: Originally Posted by AishaB OMG, an older lady gave my sister the same gift at her shower! I agree with you. My sister re-gifted it to another older lady in our church! The only bad thing about regifting shitty gifts is that I don't want the other person to think I have bad taste!

It's called a sand ceremony. Here's a thread to get you started: http://bestdestinationwedding.com/fo...eremony-56244/ If you are looking for more information, you can search the forum. Tons of information out there, including what to buy, how much sand, what songs, placement in ceremony, readings, etc!

I would send out some type of information regarding the wedding- like a save the date, with some information about how travel would be needed and the room block info as soon as possible. People are busy and if they are like us, we have vacations lined up all the time. I think good notice would make it easier for people to plan around your wedding. Then I would send out invites a few months prior like any standard wedding. About two weeks before our trip I sent out an email with a brochure attached for all the fun things to do, timeline, reminders, etc. It's never too early to inform people, especially if travel is involved. 13 hours away is still kinda far and would require flights- unless you love driving! Still considered a DW in my book!

LOL this thread is awesome and unfortunately, redneck weddings are not foreign to me. I've been to THREE potluck weddings. Yes, they do exist... not sure how they still are, but it totally creeps me out to eat food from someone's house I don't know. No thank you! First bad wedding, I was a BM in my cousin's wedding. She was only 18 at the time marrying a guy 10 years older. She picked out dresses made of pure lycra which were the most unflattering dresses possible. I almost wanted to say no way, but she bought them so I toughed it out. Yes, I looked like a stuffed sausage rolled in silver glitter. If I had a picture, I would TOTALLY post it for you all to see. Then her reception was at a VFW hall complete with balloons, streamers, a glittery homemade "Congratulations" sign made on butcher paper. Basically, it looked like a HS homecoming dance. The food was yes- potluck, but they provided kegs full of beer. However, the party was so lame, no one stayed and left early. But get this- she told me a few months before the wedding that she blew through her budget and didn't have any money left. I asked to see her receipts to help her budget it all out. She had spent $7k at that point and still ended up with a homecoming dance wedding. I know her dress was $2500, but she bought so much little shit along the way that it ended up being nothing more than a turd sandwich. Poor thing didn't know any better. One of my DH's friends was pretty bad too. They had their wedding in the middle of the summer, right in the hottest part of the day. The ceremony was in FULL sunlight and the minister went on and on. He would read out of the bible and then give a sermon on the section. Older people were picking their chairs up during the middle of the ceremony and moving far away into the shade. All the groomsmen were in full tuxes, including my DH, who looked like he was going to pass out from the heat. I ended up sweating so bad, I was worried to get up and have butt sweat. When the ceremony finally concluded, the minister asked everyone to pick up their chair and carry it up hill to the reception site. The couple was too cheap to rent chairs for both spaces, so their bright idea was "let's just have everyone carry their chair and only pay for half the amount we actually need!" So these poor, faintish old people couldn't even carry theirs so I had to make multiple trips to help and poor DH was told before the ceremony started that he was in charge of moving all those that didn't get moved by others. So I helped him carry chair after chair up this freaking, grassy hill. Once we finally get done, everyone was well into their meal so DH and I sat down and tried to eat something quickly. After sitting for a bit, the bride's mom- who I don't know at all- came up to me and asked if I could help them serve, clean up and keep everything stocked during the wedding because she was too busy. Somehow I ended up being waitstaff and was totally not wearing proper shoes for that amount of work. Basically, by the time it was over I was ready to kill someone. Since DH was a groomsman, he told me that he had to stay to help and pack everything up- including those damn chairs! So yep, I helped with that too. I was tempted to send the couple a bill for my services. I didn't even get the chance to earn tips.

He gathered courage to propose and she said yes! Where the wedding will be, you will never guess. January will be the month, but it won't be cold. Outside won't be snowy, or so we are told. Gonna be really hot! We can promise you that. Pack a suitcase, but leave the parka and warm hat! So where are we going? We can now will finally say... To Jamaica mon, it's the best place to play. But it's not until Jan 8th, so we got a bit to wait. Will be an amazing time- be sure to save the date! Here's my attempt. I tried to make each line nearly the same length to help with flow.

Congrats on your 7th anni! Hey- whatever works for you guys! I don't see the point on spending money on a ring he can't wear, so a watch sounds more practical of a purchase. It will be interesting, "Please present the ring.... and watch." "I exchange this....watch as a sign of my promise to love, honor and cherish you." LOL- I love it!

Quote: Originally Posted by StephyD The photographer did say that having it at 3PM would be too hot for our guests... which makes sense. She also said we'll start loosing daylight at 6PM... I guess that leaves enough time, right? I'm just scared all of our pictures will be too dark! We did book her for 8 hours... so that won't be a problem. I do want pictures of the reception too... first dance, cake cutting, bouquet/garter toss, partying, etc... Daylight was a HUGE concern for me too. My ceremony was at 6pm! I wanted it earlier, but that's the only time my site performs them due to the logistics. Anyways, it wasn't a concern. Even my pictures at night were awesome. But I did book a day after shoot just in case. I ended up cancelling it because I got really sick on my wedding day, but that's neither here nor there. Just wanted to throw that out as an option. Reception pics are the best ones! They are my favorites at least. THe nerves are gone and everything is more candid.

Quote: Originally Posted by selassie11 This is interesting...I've looked at a ton of pics on BDW and I was feeling the same way. I thought it was just the feminist in me, but it seems strange to me that the ladies are spending thousands on designer gowns, wearing full wedding gowns, trains and all, on the beach, and the guys wear khaki, flip flops, and linen shirts. It's always seemed a bit imbalanced to me. If the guys wear khakis, the women should be casual (ala JCREW) as well. But it doesn't go so... Well thanks for looking at all of our pictures and letting us know it looks weird.... .... I think it's personal preference. I'm not a big tux person (we aren't very formal) so even if I didn't have a beach wedding, I doubt I would have gone that route. However, I think a nice alternative is a suit. Looks more modern to me, but keeps the formality you might be seeking. Kittenheart just had her wedding and she had the guys in slacks with vests... I thought it looked really nice, yet cool and sophisticated. Maybe check out her pics to see if that's a route you might want to go. Good luck with whatever you choose!

I would do 4pm. Remember, the ceremony will be short- probably 15-20 mins. Pictures don't take as nearly long as you think. I bet we spent maybe an hour after the ceremony. Pictures then continued through dinner and reception. Not too mention all the pictures BEFORE the ceremony of us each getting ready. Not sure what you booked your photog for, but having a 3pm (or even 2pm) ceremony and 7pm reception will need at least a 7-8 hour booking, because you will want the getting ready shots too! This might not be a factor for you, but just wanted to put that out there if you booked less hours. Also if you want LOTS of pics in different locations, I'd consider booking a day after shoot. After the ceremony, I just wanted to celebrate with family and friends, and while I didn't mind taking the pics, it does suck up some of the celebration time. It all goes SOOOOO fast.

My DH's parents said they weren't coming because they didn't have the money. They booked only a few months before we were set to leave and totally surprised us. We then had to hear about how they spent the money they saved to fix their roof on our wedding- total guilt trip. But once we got back from the trip, his mom ordered a book full of pictures and ran around showing it off to everyone. Needless to say, I think they enjoyed their time. So don't give up hope yet. I know it's so painful to think about your loved ones possibly not putting you and the wedding as a priority, but give them time. They may sit down and really think about what they are missing and come through. Personally, you couldn't put a price on my attending someone I love's wedding or other important event. Life is way to short to create regrets.

Lori- If I could go back and do it again, I would have got real touch flowers. I relied on the WC to get my flowers right, but when I got there, I didn't have the right bouquets. I didn't let it bother me at the time, but it's still one of my disappointments. So having your flowers in advance ensures that they are done exactly the way you want. Plus I have the vases I used on our wedding day on my dining room table. I would have loved to have the bouquets somewhere as a reminder too.

booze! We gave them mini bottles of tequila, which we bought when we got to MX.

BTW- I love that it's pink! I agree that he will love it. Makes it more personal than just boobies and butts (not that guys don't love those too!!)

Gorgeous photos! Love the guitar. Totally adds to the sexy vibe!

Oh shit- that sounds like a mess! I found this while googling: Destination Weddings--Erin Bergen Travel Scroll down to the Cuba section (about half way down the page). They list embassy contacts in Canada as well as few contacts in Cuba. Good luck! I hope that helps.

Holy crap! Those have to be the most elaborate invites I've seen. Beautiful! I'm sure your guests flipped and they totally set the tone for your wedding.

Lori- I gave my guest fushia and orange ones. Most of them used them during the trip. Love the sunglasses idea! Very cool. I had a bunch of guests that forgot to pack some and had to buy there! Also, amazon has good deals on glasses too if anyone is comparison shopping. I just ordered some fun ones for our upcoming trip!

LOL.... I'm two years out and I still look at our pictures and want to go back! Honestly, I've been on a few vacations since but the wedding week is still the best time of our lives! It will be hard to get over and to top!

Quote: Originally Posted by mlabbe Unfortunately, the people who pay for the wedding have a say in what goes on at the wedding. It's not fun, but it does make sense. I disagree with this. My parents paid for a huge chunk of our wedding as a present and they did not ONCE dictate one single thing to us. It was a gift and they said "spend however you see fit." If someone pays for the bride's dress, does that mean they get to dictate which one? That's crazy! I think it would be respectful to consider their feelings if they are paying, but for them to use it as a way to control and guilt trip the bride into conceding to their every desire- no thank you! I agree that the parents should take the money and have a huge party for their friends if that's what they really want. Otherwise, it's like they want to show off their show-ponies. At least that's what it seems like to me. Oh and a lot of my family didn't make my wedding. I have 50+ members in my family and my parents, sister, grandparents, an aunt, and 2 cousins were the only ones to attend- so basically 8 out of 50+. My DH only had his parents attend- which left a lot of his family out too! We were sooo sad about them all not coming, but we chose to have a DW so that's part of the consequences. Two years later, we still do not regret a thing! Best freaking week of our lives and we STILL talk about how awesome it was and every time I look at the pictures I can't help but smile and want to do it all over.

Wow, such an unfortunate turn of events. No- you are not being ridiculous. Let me tell you, I've seen a lot of brides that are very ME, ME, ME and this story has none of those elements. I absolutely believe your parents gifted you that money with strings attached. If it was truly a gift, they would have given you the money and allowed you to do as you wished. I'm not sure what kind of relationship you have with your parents, but I would open up and tell them exactly how they have made you feel. Tell them how disappointed you are in their actions. Sure, they might not agree with your choices, but it seems you are putting a lot of thought into having them involved in your wedding. If you were truly being selfish, you could have told them to piss off from the start. I mean, you are taking the money and paying for everyone to travel- most people would not do that! Most would buy a nicer dress or a longer honeymoon! Since their travel would be accommodated, I think everyone going doesn't have a lot of room to bitch- unless vacation time is difficult due to the short notice. Just my opinion.

LMAO Jennifer. I always love crazy client stories. I've seen a lot of brides come through this forum and a fair share of crazies. I can only imagine that the apple didn't fall far from that tree, and when dealing with a DW, the tree probably has a bunch of branches housing all the other nuts!

First, I love Oahu! We are going back in Oct. Eagerly counting down! You looked gorgeous. Your dress was beautiful and I loved the touch of color in the sash. Wow was your reception table gorgeous! Sooo many flowers! Loved the tiki cups and the personalized cake topper. That seriously was an exact image of you two! Can't wait to see your pro pics. Congrats!!!

I must have wedding fever again or I'm insane in the membrane, but I just caught up with this thread. Not sure why I never noticed before that it's a new one! lol I just thought Ann pruned up the old one. Ann- I'm PMing you my review link and pictures. Unfortunately, my way of sharing pics kinda sucks because shutterfly reduces the quality so much and I really didn't upload a ton. However, our wedding is on the 2nd page of Elizabeth Lloyd's website- ELIZABETH LLOYD - Photographer Rachel and Steve Oh and I'm totally jealous of all the added options for weddings now. I wanted chair ties, but they didn't provide them. So I was going to buy some but well--- I sucked at planning my wedding! Now if I could only go back and do it again. Gladly accepting donations.

First, I kinda have to stick up for the poor guy getting somewhat dogged for not noticing imperfections. Maybe I'm not the norm, but diamonds aren't that important to me so I've spent very little of my life actually learning about them. Sure, I like to wear them, but if I can eye it and say "yep, pretty" then it's all good in my book. Maybe your FI didn't realize how important the actual quality of the diamond was to you. My DH spent months finding the perfect ring. My sister personally shopped with him on a lot of the trips and she told me he was so picky. He probably picked up on some of the diamond language (clarity, color, etc) through all those visits, but there is NO way he researched. He eventually told me that he picked my ring because of the style reminded him of me and he loved the way the diamond sparkles- and I couldn't agree more. So maybe your FI didn't "research" they way you would, but that doesn't necessarily mean that his effort to pick out the ring was thoughtless. Since the only issue you have with your ring is the clarity of the diamond (obviously not the style), I'm guessing that he DID think about you while picking a ring. It's unfair to assume otherwise.

Oh Betsy I'm glad this was bumped. I loved looking at your pics again, especially since I know you so much better now! <3 Beautiful! And I spied your old siggy pic! It's so pretty.