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I'm the same way. I don't usually worry about beauty much. It's been a little stressful for me to think about all this to try to look just right for our engagement pictures. I also plan on going to a Sephora next week & getting a free makeover to try new looks. I'm buying bare essentials, because I've heard so many great things about it. I plan on going back later & getting a bridal makeover, so I'll know what to do. I plan on doing my own makeup. Oh, & my last beauty thing I have going on right now is growing out my hair. I haven't decided between an updo or half up/ half down. If it will be an updo, I don't plan on growing it much past my shoulders. If I'm wearing it half down, I want long curls & that will mean I need to grow it out starting now.

Definitly don't do the facial right before! My friend had it done the day before. Her skin was so red. It looked find at the wedding, but was really stressful. I'd start the white strips ASAP. You may notice some sensitivity and not want to do it all out for 6 months. I suggest getting sensitive toothpaste. I've been bleaching now to get ready for our engagement pictures next weekend. I will keep it up, but less frequent until the wedding. The few months before I'll start doing it more often. It makes my teeth really sensitive, so i can't do it as often as suggested. I also started keeping track of how long it takes my nails to get to the length I like. Now I know to cut them 2 months before the wedding for them to be long, but not ready to break. The other thing I've been working on is getting my eyebrows in shape. I started growing them out last year to fix overplucking I had done before. I went to a pro to help me shape them. I finally had them great & then she moved out of state. The new girl messed one up! So now I'm back to that process. Looking good is so much work!

Quote: Originally Posted by jfwolfe72 I should have purchased the travel insurance...... I don't think it's necessary for April 23rd. That's like the safest time. It's before hurricane season, but long enough after that places are likely up & running. You can still buy it now. Maybe not through where you booked your trip, but through another agency.

2 hours Wow! I imagine they are swamped with calls today.

I don't think eloping is selfish. You are obviously not being selfish because you chose hawaii to accomidate some peoples passport restrictions. But, hawaii can be difficult for some people becasue it is a long flight & is expensive. I do think it's too far & expensive for 3 nights. I think people should be able to accept "that is ok - you don't have to come - no hard feelings." i think it's selfish when they don't. you don't owe them a wedding. Are both sets of parents OK with hawaii? I think parents are the only ones who you should try to accomidate, but there are still limits.

WONDERFUL!!! I am so excited to see this all workout for you & for you to get the wedding you've been planning for for so long. Let us know what happens with your room situation. I'm feeling optimistic for Cancun & RM. Jason posted that the storm is going to be 100 miles south of tulum. They shouldn't cause the kind of damage that prevents people who are scheduled for the next few months from getting to have their wedding. I know it's impossible to predict, but I really think things will be fine.

It's so much easier to get married in the states & fly to mexico for a ceremony. You don't have to do the paperwork, bloodwork & residency requirements. So maybe you could do something really special with your FMIL at the local legal ceremony. As I started planning, this was one time I realized I needed to think of us first. If you can plan something in the states you would also love, then that's fine. I couldn't. Every time I looked at another option, I felt sick planning it. I love that we can just fly to mexico & a hotel WC takes care of everything. I absolutely could not figure out a way to do something really beautiful in the states that is that stress free and for what we are spending in Mexico. So I felt like I owed it to us to do what we truely wanted. I was so scared & felt sick to tell everyone thinking they'd be upset. They are all thrilled & can't wait. Now I feel like I'm making everyone happy with the plan because I'm planning an awesome vacation for them. When I was still doubting whether or not to do this, I read someones post saying that after the wedding a guest thanked them for the best vacation they have ever been on.

Maybe the hotel can work something out with you. they will probably be wanting to fill rooms because many people are likely to have canceled. I hope it all works out for you!

Quote: Originally Posted by TaraDM916 we have talked about a AHR but she still does not seemed pleased with that. she also told me she was worried there were other people that would be put off by the mexico wedding. i think that our closest friends will be there if finances and timing allow. if i were to entertain her idea of a beach wedding in the states, does anyone know of anything similar to what they offer at most resorts in mexico? i want somewhere beautiful and all inclusive. i want to relax and party with my closest friends for a few days and then marry the love of my life in a beautiful spot. i heard nags head is pretty but it is very small. i want all inclusive and casual elegance. help me! I can't think of any AIs in nags head. I just organized a conference at a comfort inn there. I think it's their biggest hotel. I was not impressed. I would think a better option for the outerbanks would be to rent beach houses. But only certain ones can be rented for weddings. If you go in the off season it's really cheap. You can get houses for $400 per week. But that wouldn't be an AI & I don't think it can compete with Mexico. Also, there isn't an airport nearby for guest who don't want to drive. Well, there is a very small one, but I would imagine it would be expensive. Is it a safety concern about flying? Doesn't she know driving is more dangerous? I had to make a similar decision. I was concerned my dad wouldn't be able to fly. I had to decide if it was OK for me to plan this even if he couldn't make it. I started to plan an a wedding in the state he lives in & realized I couldn't stand the thought of planning it. I would rather have only had a courthouse wedding than plan the other wedding I was working on. But the idea of just courthouse wedding made me really sad. Then I realized I was thinking about everyone else first & needed to think about us. I couldn't imagine my dad wanting me to be so unhappy about not having the wedding I wanted. So I went forward with it. Turns out my dad is the most excited! He has a years notice to be able to fly & says he will. I was worried other people wouldn't like the mexico plan either. So far everyone has been so positive & they are really excited about the vacation. I can't believe I almost didn't do the wedding this way because I was worried about other people. Now that I've started planning I can tell it was definitly the right decision. Anyway, with all that being said, maybe someone can find similar alternatives in the states. I didn't find anything in florida I liked, but I didn't look that long. I found AI dude ranches in texas, but that didn't really interest me.

Quote: Originally Posted by Heligirl I may be asking for help come Tuesday if Playa is destroyed.. I don't have a plan B.. What do you do with 40 guests? I'm not sure they all have the trip insurance. They may still be able to reschedule. I think even if you don't buy insurance you get some protection if there is a hurricane. Maybe that's only if flights are canceled. I'll see what I can figure out. I also know when I put my flight on certain credit cards a line about insurance shows up on my statement. Does anyone understand this? I've been meaning to look into it. Are they giving you some sort of trip insurance?

Quote: Originally Posted by Nic D So the newest info now has Dean crashing into the Yucatan Peninsula as a category 5 with 160 mph winds. I didnt catch the day they expect Dean to make landfall.. It's predicted to hit the Yucatan Tuesday. weather.com - Map Room - Satellite Map, Weather Map, Doppler Radar Dean Projected Path Here is a current prediction map.

cuba is just under tropical storm warning in some places & watch in others. things don't look as bad for cuba.

http://bestdestinationwedding.com/fo...s-crossed.html Here is the previous post where we started this conversation. She said Aug 31-Sept 11th in that post. I have a $100 off a travelocity trip to the carribean coupon on my desk at work. It's just a promo code so anyone can use it & as much as they want. You have to book with a mastercard. I'll post the promo code monday when I'm back in my office.

Bucuti Beach - Bucuti Beach Resort Aruba here is a place in aruba that might be similar to what you want

This is the website I used to find hotels Top Vacation Package Destinations - Funjet Vacations - Getaway Travel, Favorite Destination Spots, Recommended Cities You had also said before you want a great photographer. Tami, have you found someone great in DR?

I'm also planning a RM wedding. Such a beautiful & fun area! Both places look great. My concern with dreams tulum was that the bus ride from the airport could take 2 hours. Some people will just be coming for a short trip & may not like a long ride. It's usually a nice bus ride though with beer & a travel agents entertaining you. At least that was my experience. Depending on your guest it might not matter, but it's just something to consider. Welcome!!!

What areas are you now looking at so we can start searching for hotels & photographers?

I started a new thread http://bestdestinationwedding.com/fo...tml#post136347 I thought this would get more attention in it's own thread. I also wanted it to be there for anyone else who is worried about what to do now.

I want to start a thread for anyone who is forced to change their wedding plans due to Hurricane Dean. Let us know what you need help with (picking a new location, finding new vendors, etc.) and we can all help out. We are a supportive group of smart, creative women (& a few awesome guys). I know that together we can make it a lot easier for couples to replan their wedding quickly.

I realized what I said about a mexican wedding earlier may not have been clear. Because getting married in mexico does have so many requirements, bloodworks & costs, a lot of us have decided to go to the courthouse & getting married legally here before flying to mexico. The ceremony there would be a renewal of vows, but still performed like any other ceremony. Doing it this way might relieve some stress. I wanted the option to have my ceremony how I wanted & not have to do the legal mexican ceremony, so I plan on doing it this way.

Give us projects & we'll be all over it. You know how much people on this forum like planning weddings! I can easily devert attention away from my wedding for a while & help you replan yours if that's what you end up needing to do. I think there will be a lot of people on the forum who would love to help out. Especially us girls who still have almost a year until our wedding. If you have a team of us hunting for photographers, new location, etc. it won't be like starting from scratch. What are you looking for in an alternative location? What locations are you considering?

Sorry, I didn't realize you were from canada. Let us know if there is anything we can do that would be helpful. If you do have to reschedule or move to a new location we can all work together to help you do that.

Trista- Don't forget if you have to switch locations to a place where you don't have the legal stuff done, you can always do a legal ceremony in the states before you leave. I know it's probably not your ideal situation, but it's an option that may relieve some of the stress. I also agree with what Tammy said. The news loves to exaggerate. They love to talk about the worst that can happen and once it hits they find the most damaged area to film. Remember the lady rowing around in a puddle? They always make it look much worse. My mom used to live in Corpus Christi, TX. She was in CA for the week & a hurricane hit corpus. The news said "Corpus Christi, TX has been wiped off the face of the earth." When she got home, everything was fine. I'm not saying I think everything is OK, but it's likely not as bad as what they are showing. I think it helps to not watch the news if you want to stay calm.

I understand. I haven't been so concerned about my appearance in a long time. I'm taking my engagement pictures next weekend & I feel extra stressed out about trying to look good. I can't wait for it to be done so I can relax!!!